Good Night From II

TA in Vegas. Made my live unload delivery with an hour to spare and waiting for EITHER a 10 or a split 8 to pick up a load in Henderson and start running to Cheyenne. It's a live load with an appointment. I can make the appointment, but only have 5 on my 14 if I do a split 8. If they push back the appointment by one hour, then I can waltz in with a fresh 11/14.

Had a ROUGH trip from Sumner down to Vegas. Nothing to do with the roads, conditions, or traffic. Had a SERIOUS case of the "Texas Two Step" hit me two nights ago. Put a serious dent in my ability to run miles. Starting my 3rd bottle of Pepto-Bismal and it looks like I'm turning the corner. Beginning to think thoughts of solid food again...

 

Shut down for the night on the Joisey turnpike. Funny thing happens this morning. I head over to the TA exit 7 on I -78 so I can have fax access to get my HUT permit. Pulled in the fuel lanes to wash windows. Nearly empty fuel lanes and a fellow Swifty pulls in next to me. I never meet a stranger so we start talking. Covered sirius radio antennas and cb installs. Finally get to talking loads. We're standing in front of my truck when I share the HUT permit challenge. He kicks the snow/ice/sludge off my front bumper and proclaims "there's your HUT permit". KMA (kiss my arse)!!! Had the stupid thing and didn't even know it. At the live unload called permits and very professional lady explained they were three year stickers so I'm good til the end of the year. Yanno wouldn't you think at least ONE of those driver leaders would have suggested the front bumper? ?

Anywho my baptism of NYC went well up to a point. The "dock" was basically a driveway on a two lane street with street parking on both sides. (Patting self on back) Who says new Swifties can't back a trailer. I was very cautious and did multiple goal's but put her in there.

Then took almost an hour to get dispatched on my next accepted and committed load. Was begging in freeform macs to get me dispatched so I could escape before traffic. I didn't and missed a turn. After rerouting started two right handers where I miss judged and had to stop after checking mirrors. First one I'd have lost a battle with a bridge girder and second one I'd have messed up a minivan. Thank the Good Lord there were some angelic New Yawkers present who stopped the incessant honking traffic so I could back out of the situations.

Planners took care of me as this load was a Joisey p/u with a NC delivery. My 70 clock was a mess and they knew it so I get this preloaded p/u and drop asap but no service fails and can get my 70 back in shape. Who said the planners don't care???? All in all its been a fun yet "educational" start to solo OTR driving.

 

Well its freezing rain here in Charlotte. My front deck is already frozen, my buddy already fell on it. I have loads first to Advance, NC (Ashley Furniture) then to Maxton (Campbells Soup or We Pack) but they aren't looking likely to happen tomorrow. They're calling for for 1/2" of ice. Looking like a day off for me so far. I'll drive my little truck up to the pavement in the morning to check but I'm not risking driving the big truck. Even though I wish the piece of junk would just crumble to dust. Yea I love my Volvo.

Stay safe on the east coast tomorrow everyone.

 

I've found people in the NJ,PA, and (now) NYC are generally willing to help you get out of situations. Watch out coming down here, icestorm.

 

Well I started the day in Dumas Ark on US 65. Waking up fully rested to a truck fully encased in 3/8" of ice. Once I shuffled into the truck stop for coffee, I knew I was in for a fun time. All the old truckers we're going back in their trucks to shut down.

I got defrosted, and was seeing a lot of spray, so after I checked the weather radar, decided to chance it. I made it 33 miles, and had to shut down for two hours. My wipers kept on getting encased in ice. After a couple hours the rain eased up so I moved on. The snow started 20 miles south of Pine Bluff AR, and they had no plows. Soon the road was 3" of snowpack with a 1/2" of ice on top. It was like that all the way to the 40, and for 20 miles west of pine bluff, where miraculously the interstate was plowed. It was easygoing west after that, with the exception of Tulsa, which got pounded with snow and ice.

Long slow days sure are tiring.

 

I arrived nearly an hour early to my delivery here in Duluth, MN hoping to get a small jump on my next load.
Nope.

There was another Swift being unloaded. I was told that they had three Swift deliveries today, all from the same shipper, and the loads were all messed up.
Each had some of the others load, and it was taking some time to figure it all out.
I arrived at 1535 for my 1630 appointment, and finally finished unloading at 2235.
My trailer had stuff that wasn't scheduled to be delivered until tomorrow, so there are still trailers coming in with mixed up loads.

It burned right through my 14 by more than an hour. Luckily there is a small truck stop about 200 yards away.
Even more lucky, it still had a couple spaces left at 2245.

My next load was supposed to pick up at 0700 tomorrow morning, nearly 2 hours away, so I was ready to send a Mac 22 as soon as I was dispatched.
Nope. Turns out there is a window so when I got the dispatch I had a window until 1245. That is just right.

I'm picking up in Grand Rapids, MN then t-calling the load at the Gary terminal by 0345 on the 19th.
I think I have just barely enough time on my 70 to deliver it on the 18th, which would give me a very nice 3100 mile week.

 

Well supposedly to bobtail from home time to Greer to get mt and go to Hendersonville to grab a load to GA. The is almost half inch of ice and almost while inch of sleet. I'm not going bobtail in this, they don't have the equipment he too salt road and live on a main road. Walked out to main road to check it out, saw 2 cars wreck right in front of my house. Not going anywhere for a while! Snow I can do but ice in this truck, no way!

 

I went outside, carefully walked across the 1/2" of ice on my front deck, started to go to my pickup and decided I was wasting my time. I'm not driving today.

 

Yup don't blame you one bit!

 

Didn't get far but took what I could. Shut down for night SB I 95 south of our nation's Capital. Will get back almost 12 hours at midnight so I can get my 70 clock back in order. 95 wasn't too bad SB. My challenge and I wasn't the only one, is running out of wiper fluid. Before you all give me grief yes I know I should have gotten some at terminal no I didn't. Due to slow traveling with the weather never made my planned distance today. Had to settle for a rest area I made with 13 mins on my 70.

Didn't realize the Molly Pitcher service plaza had overnight snow in forecast. Woke up to four inches on the ground. Headed inside for morning duties and found our they were expecting 16 in total. Planned on heading out after ten am but snow eased up around seven so off I went.