Good Night From II

Stuck in the stinkin, steamin, black hole of life sucking h3ll known as Edwardsville.

 

And I will just bet that there are loads sitting there ready to go but the system says that they can probably pick up on Sunday and still make delivery on time. Plus 1. You just gotta love it

 

At the T/A in Mt Vernon IL. Taking an extended break to flip myself off night driving back to days.

Wrapped up a run from KY up to IA then picked up a heavy from outside St Louis going to Union City GA a little southwest of Atlanta for Sunday.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Moose and his lovely daughter here at the T/A. We had a nice chat. Very friendly and hospitable gentleman, wise to the Swift ways. His daughter is a very talented Artist as well and I had the honor of viewing some of her work..very nice.

Safe travels to Moose and Family!!

 

Thanks.
It was nice to meet someone from the forum.
You made an impression on Leann. She has been saying how nice you are since the first time you met.

We got a bit east of Louisville, KY today, so a whopping 225 miles.
114 to go for a 1130 delivery tomorrow, then we'll be hoping for some better miles post-holiday.

 

Hanging out with my doggies, about 60 miles south of my delivery in Sioux Falls at 01:00 for a live unload. I had that broker run before this load. It got there on time for live unload 09:00 Thursday the following morning, but I had to run that trip incredibly smart, and it was not for the meek....you know what kind of load that I am talking about here.

I sat for 24 hours after unloading that in Michigan City. They had crap on the boards, while I needed to keep proceeding West for hometime, loads mostly picking up and tcalling South or East, local shuttles as we put it. I put up with lots of tricks, finally snagging one stacked on me after a shuttle that wanted me to deadhead into Chicago proper for a live load and would tcall back in Gary. Threw a fit and declined the shuttle, but accepted the latter. Sent a freeform asking if they have any idea how fun it is to look for an empty at our terminals, and that I won't go there to be talked down on by staff and walk circles in the yard. Nope..that's not me....that's why they hire new drivers that don't know any better for a long while yet that the process is too much to deal with on any consistent basis. I plan and accept loads a lot of times based on what kind of issues I will have at final, since I been burnt on every one of my sides in the past. So, after an hour passed, no response from anybody. I curiously asked my new DM if she saw me committed to any loads presently, found out I was still on the connector load, and she immediately dispatched me.

Not going to miss anything other than being a professional truck driver when this is over. Starting in a different company or taking a different approach to it, though would have been great, still wouldn't get ahead of this particular time and situation in my life. Working hard and feverishly saving money...making plans, and keeping quiet about them.

HousTank...thanks for chiming back in. I was kind of worried after reading one of your last fiascos.

 

Here in Dwight, IL. Nice little hole in the wall. Right now all of 7 trucks here. Thought about the Loves about 3 miles up the road but I always find that the big boys seem to fill up faster and did not want to take a chance. Only have about 44 miles in the morning and then see what happens when I drop this one. If Sears gives me a empty or have to shag around for one for my 11 am live load. Then 2 days to get 703 miles. I do not mind. Will still end up with 2300 miles for 5 days. Lots better then I was getting for 7 days, 2K. All planned by El Paso. Maybe I just might be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Thanks Mr B!!
I always look forward to your posts since our time in Billings. I feel your pain believe me, even though I'm just a lowly Company driver. I find myself pushing back against the Machine a LOT more over the past few months. Just tired of getting jacked around by the people in Swift whose primary function is to provide driver support in what should be a timely fashion...and it seems no matter where you go you have to deal with the same BS from them. I've had my fill as well and will soon be gone.
Hopefully we'll cross paths again soon!!

 

Thanks Moose, she made an impression on me too. So polite and crazy talented. She could have a serious future in Graphic Design or something similar as she gets older. I hope she continues to hone her talent!!

Taking a breather at a Loves on I-85 just outside of Montgomery AL.

While hanging out in Mt Vernon Mac30 kept coming back empty. Checked it one more time just as I left and snagged a light preloaded 2-stop from Newnan GA to New Iberia and Lake Charles LA. Grabbed it!! Puts me in perfect position to get into Houston for home time Wednesday.

After dropping my first load in Union City and picking up the next I headed south on I-85. The traffic on the northbound side was just unbelievable!! From the 285 Loop south for over 50 miles it was slow crawling bumper to bumper with folks, I'm assuming, coming back into Atlanta Metro from the Gulf Coast beaches. Felt sorry for the Truckers caught up in that mess.

 

Mac-30 gave me 2 offerings this evening, both under 400 miles.
I didn't want to deliver in GA at 2100 tomorrow night so I opted for the one to Parsons, WV that delivered the next morning.
My first thought was, I know where that is going - Kingston/Clorox. I was right.
But I figure a load out of there is a sure thing, and delivering before noon is a plus because I won't be stuck there all night.

The small delivery window didn't seem like enough time, what with the live load and the roads I may have to take to get to Parsons, so I called Fontana to get the real delivery window.
The guy told me it was a live unload at 0700, no window.
I said, really? My pplan has a window until 0915, so please tell me the actual window.
He says that it may say that, but they want it there at 0700.
Etc, from the bs ECT person.

When I got off the phone my daughter made a comment on my 'attitude' towards the dude.
Heh.
I hate some of those weekend people.

So I did a Mac 9 with a delivery of 1130 and it was kicked right back to me with the adjusted times.

 

Here across from PACtv in Wheeling, IL where they sent me for a mt. The only problem, they had 2 and also sent 2 other trucks who got here before me. Then sat waiting for another solution and got one but by that time I was to late for pick up which was 1100. What burned me, there was a company truck that mt the same time that I did and he got a solution to go 2 blocks and I get one for 45 miles. then they changed pickup for 2300 tomorrow night and told them to pull it. Then a stack load. Pick up in Morris and del to indy at 1400 tomorrow and then pick up going to Joplin. Pick up was for 2000 and no del appt. Then just now pick up Clorox to Atlanta for Wednesday, almost 46K. That is not happening with all of the hills. Ohh how I hate coming to this area. The only good news, I am been approved for my transfer and of course, not a word from IGH so also having to deal with them until everything is transferred this week. Guess will have to pull money from Escrow to get a paycheck again.

Looks like if I get lucky another 2k week. Can not get a load for 24-28 hours that is 700 miles. The system seems to say that we need to take 2 days at times. This is why I refused that one to Joplin. Bad feeling that if accepted and picked up late Tuesday night and it was 550 miles they would have shot back a appointment for Thursday. Kinda remember what happened to me in Denver a little over a week ago when accepted a pplan that had a drop for Monday and del for Wednesday that had no appointment, and then everything changed.