Good night from...

This morning I got 2 load offers from the LA area to the Stockton area, both with 4 days to deliver and an appointment for live unload... I passed then got an offer to San Jose for next morning delivery. Now I'll have a return load with a Monday morning delivery and hope to t-call in Mira Loma. Seems like we are entering the (Twilight Zone) Slow Freight Zone...

 

Albert Lea, MN, or something.
Head out in the morning to set up for a 0400 delivery at a Costco in Omaha, NE as my first stop, then on to Sux Falls, SD.
I was able to get my bit inspection done, thanks to Brent at Inver Grove Heights. He moved my truck in just when he said he would, even though I was told differently by another.
Inver Grove is a good terminal, even though I suspect some don't agree. There were many there that had gelled fuel, so it will take some time to move them through there.
Me, I've kept my engine running 24/7 with these low temps (except when I run in to the truck stop for something), and so far so good.

 

... my family room, we're watching a movie, the youngest is in bed the oldest playing on his computer. Steve put too much tequila in the margaritas so I am lit. It has been great having him home, wish we had more alone time and that allergies weren't so bad. It may be 70- degrees in AZ but the particulate matter is so high it's crazy. That said a happy holiday was had by all and soon he'll be back out on the road we stay the same when you are all out fighting the good fight, and we look forward to you comming home. Have a good night all.

 

ill deliver the tomorrow nite.. just funny that it had such a big window for delivery. hopefully i can get another load quicker than i got this one.

 

I had load offers from Kentucky to pa but chose to sit for a day and run to texas.....im not in any hurry to be a Pennsylvania Ice road trucker.plus it got me a reset.so it wasnt all bad....saw the northeast is not the place to be right now.lol

 

woke up seeing a message that my Santa Maria load was removed and the 1306 LA store was added I was dreading all this time. I asked the guy who trained me what the best way was to do this store and his answer "very carefully" geeze thanks! He told me I was the 2nd load so I would be in the easier dock, well when I got there I checked the trailers and found the guy who dropped the first load put it in the 2nd load dock and took the easy way out and left, I was like crap! I scoped the dock and surroundings out planning before I ever started, adjusted the tandems for less trailer swing to miss the other trailer and then very carefully and slowly worked it in, took me freaking 45min at the store. Got back to the dc and told him I had a heck of a time "you were the 2nd load it should of been easier" then told him about the other guy, he looked up who did it and it was some other new driver who was also in a daycab not a sleeper pffft, another driver in the office said "you got it in that first dock with a sleeper? props dude" At least I know I can do that store now, its not an impossible dock, just really challenging with a sleeper. I just prefer not to lol. The planner said sometime he might send both the other driver and me there again but have me drop first in the easier dock to teach him a lesson. He just needs to learn to follow the directions which states which dock to use for which load and being in a daycab is so much easier compared to me and technically it would be considered a service failure putting it into the wrong dock. Oh well, tomorrow im planned on Paqoima another store I dont care for being a blind but mostly just the traffic in that area, I always get cars trying to fly past me behind my trailer etc when im trying to dock and then a local store. On the bright side im getting a lot better slowly in very tight situations with all this practice. It seems somehow I always find a way to get it in even if it takes me goaling 5 times and a hour. it makes me appreciate what some might think as a normal tight dock lol.

 

This morning I had one of my more challenging backing situations. Kid's Korner in San Jose. I Google Mapped it, Street Viewed it, and it seemed there wasn't any dock??? I then called the customer yesterday afternoon and he got my e-mail address and sent me a nice map attachment and emphasized that I should back in off the street.

After reviewing the QC Nav versus the Google Maps I thought the best thing to do would be to back in off the street from the driver's side jacking...

... I tried that at 6:00 in the morning and there simply wasn't enough room with the cars parked across the street to make the backing turn. I drove out of it after holding up traffic and went back around and parked in a "No Parking" zone on Lewis Street, walked back over to the customer's entrance to see if maybe going headfirst into the yard would be any easier and a lady was just opening the small office and got my cell phone number and would have the warehouse guy call me when the crew came it at 07:00.

Got the call and walked down to talk to them. Okay, the best way would be to drive around the block and blind side it in and they would block traffic for me. That way you have the driveway into an apartment complex to work with. I agreed and did the drive around, they blocked the traffic and I started the maneuvers. It all worked out really well except for the jerks coming out of the apartment complex that insisted on nearly taking out pedestrians as they drove the sidewalk for 30' before taking out their fuel tank to get around me...

After backing in to the side road they had me park and open the doors. Then came the pallet jack. Then the request to have me work the pallet jack because "they were short a warehouseman". Okay, this is the first time I've done a Driver Assist, I agree and send a Freeform message.

About the time we finish 2 hours later my DM calls and nearly freaks out because this particular customer has been known to ask for Driver Assist and not paid. This time I made sure the BOL had "Driver Assist" on it (and they already had that), so it looks like all is well.

This evening I pick up in Sacrament and will likely t-call this in Mira Loma to begin a 34 and start team driving dedicated for TJ Maxx. This should be my last solo load. Should be a good sleep in midday with mid 60's temperatures.... ... sorry to all of you out there suffering in the bitter cold...

 

Brazil, IN. On my way to Mira Loma for Tuesday. then getting a load to PHX. Putting this truck into Cummins and going to get this fuel MPG fixed one way or the other. I have been waiting about 5 weeks now for a answer from Inver Grove regarding my plans, and now, screw it. I know that they have been busy, but I would think that it would only take about 5 mins to answer a simple question, would a ECM/EGR tune up possibly fix the problem.

 

Winter blend fuel is notorious for bad fuel mileage. Nobody expects to get the same mpg in winter.

 

I understand that. This is my 3rd winter in this truck and the after I had the tranny up graded, my mpg dropped more then 2mpg. Below 7