Getting Ready to Hit the Road with Magnum

Hi James. Actually it is probably 50-60% drop and hook. Just had a rash of them lately. I like it when I am in a hurry, or the schedule is tight. But honestly, I don't mind sitting for a little bit either while I get live loaded. Ya just roll with the flow.

Good luck

 

Heck, I figured you got tucked away in a box in that warehouse..... Glad to see you are still around....

And thanks! Having the time of my life! Still can't believe they are paying me to do this hehehehehehheeh

OK folks.... here's the number..... Sept 1 - 15th..... 6665.7 miles driven. And that comes from the computer on the truck. So yeah, i'm getting the miles.

For those of you wondering how I am doing it.... I simply took the advice of my trainer and a couple other mentors, put it all together, and made it work for me....

1. Be nice to your dispatchers and work with them on your concerns. If you treat them with respect and don't turn down runs, it will play in your favor.
2. Even though you might be in a company truck, run it like an owner/operator. Spend time figuring out your best route (which may not always be the shortest route)
3. As soon as you get confirmation of your load, get on the phone with dispatch. I always tell them "This is my heads up call.... just wanted to let you know (or "plant a bug in your ear") that I am delivering in blah blah blah (city) on blah blah blah (day)." Then I ask them if they have any thoughts yet. If they say they don't know, I tell them that I'll check ack with them later. And I drop it.
4. If you have to, run 11 hours driving, 10 hours shutdown, 11 hours driving. Once the dispatchers know you can make a tight delivery happen, or you bail them out of a situation, you get better runs.
5. Don't turn down short one day hops. They add up quickly.
6. Keep some peanut butter (or cheese) crackers in the ####pit. If you get hungry, eat a pack of crackers.

Another thing to consider. you can drive 11 hours per day, right? But in an 8 day period, you can only log 70 hours. So, if you have the ability to pace yourself, do not log more than 8.75 hours per day. Then you will never have to take a 34 hour reset.

Just some thoughts

ARF!!

 

.... wow..... everyone got real quiet.......

 

I'll update tomorrow..... been running hard. Not a lot of free time. But I'll take care of it tomorrow.

woofffffffffffffffffffffff..........

 

Just shakin it up NoTarps....

OK, been all over the place and honestly, I have been running 11 / down for 10 / running 11 quite a bit lately, and I have just not had enough time to "write". I'll try to do better in the future.

Prime example.... left out of Raleigh on the 7th in the late morning, delivered in NW Wisconsin on the morning of the 9th, loaded at 1145pm on the night of the 9th in St Cloud, MN, left the next morning (Saturday)(woke up to snow and ice), drove to Joplin, MO that day, got up the next morning, met my brother for breakfast, left at 9am, arrived in Houston that night. Delivered the next morning at 530am, drove to San Antonio, delivered at noon, shut down, got up and delivered (again) in San Antonio # 6am, drove to Three Rivers Penitentiary, delivered, drove to Herlingen (just outside Brownsville TX (southernmost tip of TX)), and delivered # 1pm. Shut down and collapsed.

Man was it hot. I was down there for 2 days waiting to reload and a 34 hour reset (actually 1 1/2 days) and both were record setting days. Tuesday, Tater's thermostat said it was 106, Wednesday it read 115. And it was muggy to boot.

Thursday I loaded in McAllen, TX # 6am, drove it like I stole it, dropped my trailer in Greensboro, NC # 2pm on Saturday, and was at a family reunion in Zebulon, NC # 4pm (and I even stopped at the house for a shower) hehehehehehe

Poor Tater has had a tough couple weeks. He'll be getting a sponge bath tomorrow and a good once over on the inside. If you were trying to keep track, it works out to 4364 miles in 8 1/2 days (discounting the layover) with 3 pick ups and 7 deliveries.

Heading back out on Tuesday


ARF!!