FedEx Ground Linehaul with JohnBoy

Correct. As soon as the trailers and the dolly are aired up, the beeping stops. We have dummy glad hands to put on the trailer and dolly when not being hooked. If you forget to attached them, the beeping won’t stop. The minute they’re attached, the trailers will start filling with air and the beeping stops.

 

Had the weekend off. Got dispatched yesterday morning at 0600 for a Marietta with a ‘53. Got there and was told to grab an empty ‘53 and go back to Murfreesboro. Total miles yesterday was 384 and 7 hours of work. Having coffee right now waiting to get dispatched.

 

Life is very good. But, I’m always making sure I have all my bases covered. I work for a pretty cool contractor. He called me on Tuesday night after I got back from Knoxville and wanted to know if I could help out in Humboldt yesterday and today. It’s running 2 trips like I did when I first started. One Dyersburg to Memphis and one Dyersburg to Olive Branch. They are both 53’s so all I do is drop and hook on both ends. I’ll start at 1:30 this afternoon and will be done at 8pm. Then, it’s taking a set to Murfreesboro and ending my day about midnight.

Tomorrow I’ll be local because I’m flying home on Saturday morning from Nashville. This was planned well before I started working here and my contractor is picking up the tab, including the Uber ride to and from the airport. I’ll be flying into WPB airport which is 8 miles from my house.
The importance of this hometime? My birthday on the 13th, my 25th wedding anniversary to the woman who can only be described as a God sent Angel, on the 14th, Valentine’s Day the same day, and, my 34 year old daughters birthday on the 13th as well, (that was the best birthday present ever in 1990) whom I’ll be seeing Sunday. Plus it’s Super Bowl Sunday.

Here’s something I put down on paper last night. Since I started here, I have averaged 1695 miles per week. Again, this job only counts miles once I pass 2000 miles in one pay period. So, for those of us that still count miles (me) based on my average miles, I am averaging $1.17 per mile. Unreal.

When I left the previous company, I was told by a few operations people, and others that these jobs are nonexistent. They are correct, that’s if your business model and mindset is stuck on mega carrier truckload freight. I’m quite sure these top contractors here are not basing their business model on $1.75 per mile freight. I had this job opportunity come my way from the top team at the previous company. Since last April when they left because of the announcement of no more west coast freight, they have been making bank, they took the next top 4 teams from there. Everyone is making bank. I was courted, asked to come over, begged to come over, and yet, I hesitated. All because I was comfortable at the previous job. I’m just glad I made the decision to make the switch while my wife and I were floating around the Mediterranean in September.

 

Right now, because I’m the new guy on the block, I’m averaging right at 1525 miles per week and working 5 days per week. I’m what is referred to as “on call” I’m parked at the Murfreesboro hub to pick up overflow or rescue trailers that have been broke down or the occasional mistake, like last week when a driver left with the wrong trailer and I had to bobtail to Paducah KY to rescue it and bring it back. Even though I’m “on call” I get paid my full salary and, like last week, the bonus for going over the 2000 mile threshold. Working Sunday, as a solo OTR driver won’t happen to much. I would venture to guess that my hours per week are less than 45. The more I get into this job, the more I come to realize this is an old man’s job that works perfectly for someone looking to not chase miles and not have to put up with the truckload follies.