Good night from...

At the Loves in Wichita Falls, TX, on my way to Lancaster. Did a Mac 30 last night @ 5:30 and was shocked to see a load I actually wanted. Picked up in Pueblo last night, delivers in Lancaster tomorrow. Spent last night at the dying (dead?) Swift terminal on the Pueblo airport (just west of the Target DC). Saw more snow on the ground near Amarillo than anywhere in eastern CO other than Denver.

 

Slow week for me drove from Memphis tn, to pittsburgh pa, picked up a cabelas load heading to sidney ne, then drove to big springs ne to repower a load to seattle chained up through oregon. Now sitting at home with a load heading to Lexington ky due wednesday. I might take off tomorrow or monday to drive the 2300 miles or so to the delivery. waiting until feb for hometime then I need to put my truck into the shop to fix the thermostat it is only pushing out hot air in the front vents and cold in the rear ones, also need to buy a new windshield (thank you Oregon).

 

parked the truck at the terminal here in phx, and doing a 34hr reset over at the parents. back at it tomorrow 0600.

 

Cold in Knoxville Tennessee. OTW to Walmart DC in Gordonsville, VA

 

Johnsons Corner, Littleton, CO.

Nice and cold here. It's supposed get down to around 2 degrees tonight.
Sooo... I guess I'll raise my idle time a bit more tonight.

 

Back at the Loves in Wichita Falls, TX. Delivered a short 54 mile load this morning then picked up load headed for Cheyenne this evening, delivers Wednesday. So far this week I've spent over $1700 in fuel! OUCH!!


I've said it before, but I'll say it again, Plus 1 SUCKS! The PP for the load I just picked up had a pickup time of 01/14 1700 and a delivery window of 01/16 0001-0700, for 879 miles....ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I guess if you were fresh when you picked it up and willing to drive all night. I had 3:45 left on my 14 when I left the shipper and I REFUSE to drive all night. However, I can recognize a stinking Plus 1 window when I see one, so I confirmed the REAL delivery window (0001-2359) and will probably deliver around noon on the 16th.

 

Don't forget that Mac22 to cover yourself.

 

as a L/o do you have to run with the plus1?

 

You don't have to. But then miles and load offers seem to be few and far between when the driver has a high percentage of turn downs. All one can really do is trip plan each load offer then ask about the 'true' delivery time on each load offer and decide if it is doable.


So yesterday I got to the final for the live unload, they said drop it in the door and grab and empty. Of course there were no empty trailers and the DM was telling me I couldn't leave without CSR permission. We went back and forth with the messages, I said I was leaving back to the truckstop-- need a DOT inspection. Now the fleet manager gets involved and asked me to call in while I'm Off Duty Driving. They put me on hold for the DM, I knew I should have hung up the phone-- she answers and immediately jumps off into this whole drug test schpiel. The facility was 56 miles away and I was told I had exactly 1 hour to get there or it would be a DOT drug test refusal. So I was forced to go back On Duty plus the added stress of a possible drug test refusal is a career killer.

 

Can they do that... especially to cover 56m in a hr is kinda asking allot....