Glad I moved over to Poly Trucking

Starting to feel like I am in a Monfort commercial with the additional speed my little jewel is putting out Unfortunately didn't receive any load offers until around 1400 today and then probably nothing productive that also would have gotten me back to Durham for Christmas. Was given a 4 stop Connecticut run with some stops that would have left me hanging out to dry likely longer than necessary, a run going to NC but with a set delivery for the 19th which would get me home for Christmas but with way too much down time and a 3rd option of a 3 stopper finishing up in Auburn, Maine. I chose the Maine one which has the first stop in Bedford Heights (i.e. suburb of Cleveland). They close at 1600 tomorrow and said they would unload me if I got there by 1530. Well I rolled out of Cottage Grove at 1500 today and made it just a little west of Perrysburg, OH at one forty five this morning. Hopefully that will set me up to knock that first stop off today and then I can take it easy on my way to Boston for Monday morning and finish up in Maine later on Monday. Going to take some perfection in loads to get me back to a terminal and then to home for Christmas but will nearly have my full 70 to work with to give me a shot. On a second front I really hate tolls and avoid them like the plague when I have the time and the OOR miles aren't too far off. Unfortunately didn't have the time to bypass most of them today and as a point of reference for anyone having to pay those now after coming here the price through Illinois via I-90 from Wisconsin to I-290 to I-294 to I-80 is 25.60. The 0.60 comes from the non attended I-290 route which you need correct change to go through. I had 0.50 and like mana from heaven I looked at the ground around the basket and saw over 1.00 in random change which I jumped out and used to pay my toll The crazy Chicago drivers are worse than Shaq at the free throw line trying to hit that big ### basket when they go through. The toll across the Indiana turnpike is 32.10. I don't remember exactly the OH turnpike all the way across but it is in the neighborhood of 42-44.00. The Indiana one will take cash or credit/debit cards.

 

I don't recall this being addressed: Where do you keep the rig on home time, or more specifically, is there a requirement of some sort? Some companies are very strict on this point. I spoke to a company once that required you to keep tractor and trailer at the house, not at a nearby truck stop. Home only.

I'm getting closer by the minute to submitting my app.

 

Best way to say it is this! The policy is use common sense and CYA at all times. At home or Truck stop or whatever is fine. Just remember, most likely you are at home with a load. Properly making sure load is secure and in a good location at all times. It's easy, you are responsible for the equipment and load. Poly is trusting you to make good decisions and leaves location up to you. So...CYA is best thing I can say about it. Hope that answers your question.

 

Works for me. I mentioned earlier that next September, it looks like we'll have a big family get-together which will be about 7 or 8 days long. Of course, I'm assuming at least for that time home, I won't be under a load. I won't be able to get a trailer to the house, just the tractor, and most places don't want a trailer sitting on their property for that long. So I'm just trying to get a feel for what I might expect. Regular home time won't be an issue. I'll have whatever security devices I need, namely padlocks for the trailer and locks for the brake knobs in the cab.

 

They do sometimes have loads you can sit on that long. However, keep this thought in mind. You choose your outbound load. In addition you will be talking to outbound about what you need. In that example most likely you would deliver somewhere close to your home then be given a Backhaul once your home time was over. They work with you really well and YOU decide which load you want to do. I believe you will enjoy the set up on it very well. Much better than anything Crete offered me when I worked for them. Big key to me for Hometime at Poly is getting yourself into an Outbound load position. Meaning if you need to be home you've got to get to Cottage Grove or GP in time to set up yourself for the Hometime load you need. I'm sure they would work well with you to get you home for something like what you mentioned. Shouldn't be an issue.

 

Sounds like you just have to learn the system as it's a bit different than a traditional OTR position...I think it was Majestyk that mentioned a "learning curve" he had to master to maximize his income. But I'm game with that. Thanks again! Gonna talk to the wife and get her input. I'm just not sure she's wanting me to get another OTR job....but with this home time, that could be the difference. After all, if I was home daily, it wouldn't be long before she'd be asking "Isn't there SOMEPLACE you HAVE TO GO?!?!"

 

Our wives must be related...when I get home, it's happy days, after a couple days...when did you say you were leaving out? If I had a local job home every night, it had better pay real good, so I could afford a divorce lawyer, 1/2 my pay going to pay for her house and enough for to rent a room at the local boarding house for myself...I think I'll stay OTR.

 

Got my Cleveland portion of the load off with no problems, actually 20 of the 29 pallets so the rest of the trip travelling light. My dang APU I think finally shot it's wad for the time being. It will start but shuts down fairly quickly like the fuel is getting cut off. I have never dealt with one but I suppose it has a fuel filter, perhaps it is just clogged. I'll take a gander at it tomorrow when it is a little warmer. Unfortunately my regular heater is also not working very well either so going to have to bundle up tonight. Well think I fixed the APU problem, amazing what a little added oil will do

 

Wow. Days like today delivering into Boston we #### sure earn our money. Anyone delivering to a place in Dorchester, MA feel free to give me a call for some insights into getting to the customer. Managed to barely get the truck parked into a relatively safe place. Only picking up one tv station as well and it is interrupted by the frequent passing of the subway but on the good hand there is a pretty decent pizza place close by and a duck pin bowling place a block away so perhaps I will kill some time there tomorrow. Boston has certainly crept up the list on my least favorite cities to deliver to