Finally home, after 6 weeks OTR

Sure is nice to finally get some home time, not that I minded being out this long.

I had actually requested home time for the 15th, but my A/C went out last week as I was heading to Laredo. I ended up sitting 5 days waiting for it to be fixed. I guess I was one of the lucky ones, as many had been there a week or more.

All trucks coming in for any service are given a complete check, and all problems that would fail an inspection are fixed. It slows things down quite a bit, since there are usually numerous things.
Once I got in the shop things were fixed promptly.

They replaced one drive tire and replaced the hood on my Volvo ('cause I crunched it backing into a dock, against a stealth pole). They even gave me two brand new, shiny and clear, headlights (they were scratched, pitted, yellowed - and I hated driving at night because I couldn't see more than a hundred feet or so), so now I don't dread night driving any more.
And, of course, they got the A/C working.

I called my DM and told her I was up and running again, and promptly got a pre-plan to CA. She called me 5 minutes later and said something like, "What a great load. 1800 miles, you have 3 days to get there, and you can even bobtail there. It was sent to another truck as well, do you want it?" I said, sure do. So she accepted it for me and I was on my way to CA and my overdue home time.

Well, almost.

I got to the shipper, but the load was not fully loaded yet. Then I remembered that I used the last of my load-locks and needed more. So I went back to the terminal, only to be told that they no longer supplied them. I had to go to a truck stop to buy them, which meant a company advance and about an hour of time.

I got back to the shipper, got my load and was on my way.
Trouble was, I didn't have 3 days. I had 2.5 days, and it would require 3 10 hour breaks in the mean time.

So, no way I could make the 1100 delivery. Even running a hard 11 both days, I was short about 3 hours.

I called my DM, who asked... "Did you look at the pre-plan before you accepted it?" I said, 'Well, you called me right after I got it and kinda rushed me into it.'
She looked it over again and said, "Wow, they should have given this to a team!"
Anyway, she did the Mac22 for me and the delivery was moved to 1500. So I avoided a service failure thanks to my DM.

Got done with that at 1700 (live unload), set my PTA for 0500 the next morning because I was so tired and wanted a good nights sleep before taking another load.

Got some sleep, and waited around until about 1600 for a new pre-plan.
Well, whatchaknow, a T-Call to be T-Called in Otay Mesa (San Diego, to get me home, finally)!!!

So I accept it gladly, and wait for the load assignment. And wait, and wait.
So I call my DM. She tells me that the driver with the load is not there yet. So I drive to Willows, CA to await his arrival.
I wait until the next morning at around 10:00. At which point I get the load assignment, which tells me it has to me in Otay Mesa by 0730 tomorrow morning.
So now I have 600 miles to run in a single shift, with CA speed limit.
Do the math. 600 miles = 11 hours averaging 55 mph - the load is over 44,000 lbs and I have to go over Grapevine!

Story short, I did it by doing 58-59 (level and down hill stretches, of course) with only a short fuel stop and 1 break to eat.


In the middle of all this I get a message on the QC that I am getting $250 breakdown pay, for the time I spent in Laredo. I called my DM to thank her, as I did not request (or really expect) it. She told me that she tries to take care of her drivers.
She also told me to call her Monday to remind her to give me layover pay for the time I sat between those two loads.
While I had set my PTA for 0500 the next day to give me some sleep time, she had set my PTA back to the previous day when it became obvious to her that I would not have a load until later that day. She did this so that I could get layover pay.


I have the best DM.
(She's rather cute, as well...)


And now I am home for a few days.
For Easter dinner my nephew has requested my much favored Curry Chicken. I am only too happy to oblige.
Then I am going to make up a batch of chicken fried rice, of which leftovers will be assigned to my truck.
And maybe a nice roast beef dinner to top off the home time, Tuesday evening...

The thing I miss most, when out on the road...
My own home cookin'!!!

 

How many days did you request for home time, for them to take your truck?

And, do you bobtail home?

I got my load to Mira Loma terminal late Saturday night and bobtailed it home. Set my PTA for Wednesday 0600, so 3 days off after 6 weeks out.