Crete, from one red truck to another

Gawd Daaamn the pusher man. Got pulled over last night by DOT. Someone had welded the brake chamber bracket together after it had broken previously and apparently did a rather ###### job as it broke lose again and my brake drum was hanging a little low. Fortunately I didn't get a ticket or a warning, the officer was quite pleasant. Unfortunately I do have that mark now on my record for the level 2 inspection blemishing my perfect record. Dropped off the first 3 stops this morning and sitting at the trailer repair shop in Greensboro now waiting on folks to get back from a 2 hour lunch. Stopping at the house tonight and finishing up the last two drops in the morning so all is as well as could be expected I suppose given the circumstances.

 

Week 16
Oct 31 (home)
Nov 1-4 Durham, NC -- Richmond, VA -- Ochelata, OK --- 1361 mi
Nov 4-6 Ochelata, OK -- Muskogee, OK -- Youngsville, NC --- (1059/1501; 247 miles added as DH to drop trailer in Spartanburg, SC) 4 extra stops
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2420 miles (1 day home);

Kind of a subpar week but I ain't complaining as I had a nice easy run, sleeping in and taking my time on both trips. Asked to take the trailer I had repaired with some more welding to Spartanburg so it could be fixed properly. Got the ok to DH that from Youngsville which they added the miles to the last trip. My luck keeps holding out with trips into good weather. Left from Spartanburg to pick up in Social Circle, GA tonight and heading to Winter Haven, FL with the load tomorrow.

Miles update:
week 1 = 3124 mi
week 2 = 3067 mi
week 3 = 2946 mi (with 34 hr reset)
week 4 = (Aug 8-14) = 0 home time
week 5 = 1810 miles (2 days home)
week 6 =3184 miles
Week 7 =1396 miles (3 days home)
Week 8 =2535 miles+ 65.00 extra pay (1 day home)
Week 9 =2500 miles (1 day at home)
Week 10 =3161 miles + 35.00 short haul
Week 11 =3056 miles +35.00 short haul
Week 12 =1054 miles (4 days home)
Week 13 =3073 miles +100 NYC pay
Week 14 = 2625 miles (with 34 hour reset)
Week 15 = 1560 miles (3 days home)
Week 16 = 2420 miles (1 day home)

 

Dropped the load at WalMart here in Winter Haven, FL with no problems. Managed to get one of the last spots at the Pilot up the road and just sitting back and enjoying the nice weather. Picking up tomorrow in Elkton, FL and heading up the road to a ConAgra place in GA. Probably stopping through Deland on the way as the trailer I picked up has the license plate rusted thru. Only 380 miles and it delivers on Friday morning so hopefully things will pick up a little on the miles with a nice weekend load.

Amazing how no one seems to sweep out their dropped trailers. The last 10 or so I have picked up or looked at picking up were trashed up inside. For the love of GAWD have some pride in your job and some respect for your fellow workers.

 

Well change of plans. Dropped into the Deland yard to get some work done on a trailer and to get my B service done if it could be done in a timely manner. Got a time estimate and said fine. Well about 4 hours later they can't get the truck started. Saying it needs a new fuel pump which won't get here until tomorrow so I am sitting it out in a nearby hotel. Hopefully be back on the road sometime late tomorrow morning. I suppose if you got to get stuck at one of our terminals this isn't a bad choice as the hotel is quite nice and the weather is glorious for this time of year.

 

Back on the road again. Sitting up in Jacksonville, FL getting loaded with scrap paper and then heading to Mobile, AL. A pretty good run. Hoping to get it knocked out later tonight so I am sitting good for a nice weekend run tomorrow.

 

####. Stopped off short at the Oasis Travel center in Alabama, quite a unique truck stop as far as those go nowadays. Guess I should have come on in and delivered last night although I don't know if it would have made a difference. Me and several of my fellow Cretan drivers are now stuck here at Kimberly Clark with no trailers and with a message check back in 2 hours, low freight. Seems every time I am in Alabama I get that message. Oh well guess I will watch another episode of Breaking Bad.

 

Week 17

Nov 7-8 Ochelata, OK -- Muskogee, OK -- Youngsville, NC --- (442/1501; 247 miles added as DH to drop trailer in Spartanburg, SC) 4 extra stops
Nov 8-9 Youngsville, NC -- Social Circle, GA -- Winter Haven, FL -- 616 mi
Nov 10 Winter Haven, FL -- Deland, FL 86 miles (breakdown pay 24 hours)
Nov 11-12 Deland, FL -- Jacksonville, FL -- Mobile, AL --- 512 mi
Nov 13 Mobile, AL -- McDonough, GA -- 346 mi
Nov 13 McDonough, GA -- Atlanta, GA -- Jacksonville, FL (32/368 mi)
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2034 miles

Wow, what a ###### week. The first one since joining Crete so I won't start complaining yet. Had my fuel pump go out at the terminal while getting a B service done which cost me a day and then got screwed with the good old "low freight" ######## in Mobile. Asked about layover since I was stuck in Mobile more than 24 hours and was told we don't give layover for low freight. Then what the #### do you give layover for? I will check with my terminal manager tomorrow and see about that. On another ###### run now which probably has me unloading on Tuesday morning when I can have the stuff there tomorrow afternoon easily. Oh well so is trucking sometimes I suppose.


Miles update:
week 1 = 3124 mi
week 2 = 3067 mi
week 3 = 2946 mi (with 34 hr reset)
week 4 = (Aug 8-14) = 0 home time
week 5 = 1810 miles (2 days home)
week 6 =3184 miles
Week 7 =1396 miles (3 days home)
Week 8 =2535 miles+ 65.00 extra pay (1 day home)
Week 9 =2500 miles (1 day at home)
Week 10 =3161 miles + 35.00 short haul
Week 11 =3056 miles +35.00 short haul
Week 12 =1054 miles (4 days home)
Week 13 =3073 miles +100 NYC pay
Week 14 = 2625 miles (with 34 hour reset)
Week 15 = 1560 miles (3 days home)
Week 16 = 2420 miles (1 day home)
Week 17 = 2034 miles (1 day broke down, 1 day sitting)

 

Another really easy day of driving through the backwoods of GA just not making much $$$. Sitting outside of the BJ's Wholesale in Jacksonville, FL with another 12 hour or so to wile away until the morning unload. Perhaps get in another couple of episodes of Breaking Bad.