Good Night From II

jv terminal.~~happy easter. spent an hour last nite and another hour this morning walking the yard for an mt. no luck. asked dispatch this morning if they had a live unload for me or a place to get one. they said no loads and not sure what places were open today.

 

Happy Easter, drivers! Northwest of the twin cities in Minnesota, and it is brisk outside compared to being in Texas last week. The doggies agree!
Extended reset, as I was ready to work at 1 am this morning, got a whopping one preplan so far. It was a heavy live load, no big deal, but they couldn't adjust the drop window a mere three hours later in Cheyenne. So, lucky you mystery driver who bit at that one! The freight fairy isn't in town today. :^D

 

At the Petro in Kingdom City, MO. Had 7 mins left on my 70 after my post trip. Getting back very good hours to run with over the next five days. Dropping this load from PA in the morning southeast of KC.

20 mins before my mac30 window opened the Edwardsville planners got me. It's a heavy p/u in KS on the west side of KC. 1000 miler to GA delivering early Wed morning. Works out just right by finishing off this week with 3500 miles. Would've liked to kept going west but I can't remember the last time I got a load west out of KC. Shuttles must have a monopoly on those.

Took A21CAV's advice of pulling the battery connection for a bit to quell the issue of my cruise control constantly turning off but unfortunately it didn't help. I now believe the issue is in the harness along the bottom of the steering column, maybe chaffing or binding somehow. I've found if I release the tilt/tele bar and shake the steering wheel a bit or push in and out it will stay on...until I turn the wheel more than 45 degs then it shuts off. Also, now when parked, if the wheel is tilted up and against the dash the high beams come on when you pull up the tightening lever. I pulled the horn cover, turned on the cruise, and wiggled /jiggled the harness from the on/off switch to the first connecter of the harness going down the column...no issues...but as soon as I turn the steering wheel either way it turns off again. I considered putting it in the shop at Edwardsville but I want the miles this week so I'm off to GA. I'll nurse it a bit longer as well as my Jakes not coming on properly when releasing pressure off the throttle.

On another note..I returned to my truck after lunch and had a Central driver pull up next to me. Ten seconds after he pulls his brakes he lumbers his slob a@@ out and stands between our cabs and pisses on the parking lot!! I'm like WTF!! Jack, you disgusting pig!! Then takes his barking dog out and the dog takes a dump ON THE PARKING LOT!! This slob was too lazy to walk him to some grass!!

Then he walks his dirty wife-beater, baggy sweat pants half way down his a@@ inside. Unbelievable!! I called my ECT to see if it was a Company driver, without telling them why I was asking, and yes he is...so how is it he has a dog to crap in parking lots, he's not that old.

I find this behavior personally revolting and professionally insulting, ESPECIALLY coming from a fellow Swift family driver and I'm seriously considering calling Phoenix in the morning. Maybe I'll feel different after getting some sleep. I also find people that rat disgusting so I don't know...maybe just let it ride. I hate the smell of human and animal waste at every truck stop I go to.

 

As much as I hate saying he may be an ex central driver. He may be a central driver from the central days. I believe we are grand fathered in and can have pets in our truck. I see drivers coming in all the time with them that I know from the central days. It's crappy he's representing the company like that. But unfortunately I have gotten used to these new embarrassing drivers we hire. So an old embarrassing driver isn't shocking to me neither.

 

Did you turn his nasty a$& in I know I would have that's so nasty.

 

I don't thing it matters who he works for, even in his own mind.
A disgusting driver is just that, no more and no less.

 

A couple things about Mac 30:
1st.....You DO NOT need to wait til the 18 hour window to use it. I've gotten results as far out as 28 hours. Example, my PTA is set for noon the 20th. As soon as I get up on the 19th I'll start sending Mac 30s.

2nd. You DO NOT need to wait an hour after a "no loads available" message. I did 3 Mac 30s in the space of an hour last week and finially got a hit on the 3rd try.

And you're correct, Edwardsville sends nearly 100% of their west-bound freight via the shuttle.

 

You don't have to "burn" ay clock for your post trip. It only needs to be flagged. Go on duty, do your DVIR and go to sleeper before 5 minutes is up. This will create flag and will cost you no time off your 70.

 

However, that may not work for on-duty time at a shipper when doing a loaded call.
5 minutes minimum before you hit the drive line.

 

Depends .... if D/H I'm on duty from the time I drop until I'm hooked up and do the loaded call ... sometimes as little as 10 minutes, occasionally more than 15.

On lives I'll do at least 5 when hit the dock ... if they bring the bills out to my door, I go on duty and do my, loaded call, pull away, slam the doors and leave ... if it takes less than 5 minutes - and sometimes it does - then it takes less than 5 minutes.