FCC--Fremont Contract Carriers

Got empty in Missouri and bounced down to Joplin, and live loaded, and dropped that in Bellevue, Nebraska this morning. From there I dead headed to Sioux City, and picked up a preloaded trailer going to Conyers, Ga for a drop anytime on Saturday. I’m pre planned on a load waiting on me in Sumter, Sc going back to Holdrege, Nebraska for a drop on Tuesday. I will most likely squeeze in a reset at the house if things go according to plan.

 

I was able to get through the house for an unplanned 34. I rolled out this morning about 0200, and made it just out side of St. Louis. I will drop this load in Holdrege, Nebraska tomorrow and pick up a pre loaded trailer at the same customer going out to Redlands, California for a drop on Friday.

 

I love all the people that said ELDs would be a bad thing for the industry, here at least it’s having the opposite affect. O/O and L/P drivers were already getting a .01 raise on Jan 1st and were supposed to get an additional .01 raise on April 1st. They just sent out a message saying the second raise will actually kick in Feb 5th, and be an additional .03 per mile. If I run 3K miles a week, that’s potentially an additional $120 per week on my settlement. I will gladly take it.

They load to truck ratio right now in this country is crazy. Shippers are paying more to get there freight moved. More and more companies are giving there drivers pay increases, I think not only are ELDs playing a factor in this, but so are the recent Trump tax cuts for corporations.

 

I think it’s wrong that the company drivers didn’t get a raise yet. If customers are desperate for trucks and capacity is tight, the Love should be given to everyone. Do you run the on the long haul fleet or SouthEast fleet?

 

[So I dropped in Redlands, California this morning and drove 81 miles to Rancho pales Verdes. It was a luxury resort near the PCH, and I was picking up 10 crates from a trade show going back to Valley, Nebraska. The area along the coast going out to this resort was incredible. I asked the guy loading me what a room at this place costs a night, he said during the week $300 to $400 and on the weekend close to $700.

After looking at the forecast I decided to run I 40 to Tucumcari, and take 54. They are calling for a major storm tomorrow across Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Northern New Mexico.

 

What a day, I took a 34 in Amarillo, and rolled out this morning about 0300. I knew once I got into Kansas near I70 the weather was going to take a turn for the worse. This load I picked up in California might weigh 10K, when I got on US 56 the roads turned to garbage, ice covered, blowing snow, and winds gusting up to 40 mph. There were a few times when I would be on a ice, and a gust would catch the trailer and break her loose towards the right shoulder. The oncoming drivers kept saying the roads got better the closer you got towards the interstate, finally made it to 70 and it was only wet headed East. Jumped on Us 81 North and had decent roads until I was about 20 miles from York. Finally pulled in here and at the Petro and called it a day.

To top it off I found a huge bolt in a tire on the trailer during the post trip. Currently getting that repaired, another day in the life.