As for truck stops, we do not usually stay at truck stops much. Our company has a contract with Flying J and we get all our fuel there so we spend most of our truck stop time at the hook, but outside of fueling, showering and the restaurant, we prefer to sleep in a nice rest area. Now granted we do not have the same amount of down time you solo guys do, but the rest areas are usually cleaner, have better scenery and the bathrooms are usually better as well.
We will usually slip into a J mid-afternoon, fuel, shower, catch a meal and get back on the road before it gets really busy. We very rarely have to wait on a shower that way LOL.
Now having said all that, tonight we are sitting in a dive of a private truck stop in Little Havana (Miami) as we got held over here today. We delivered this morning and were told that there was a run leaving Miami tomorrow morning for CA.. we could either stay here and get that load or deadhead home and hope for a South Georgia run.... My sister is in the hospital and we wanted to go by and see her real fast on the way out of FL. We elected to stay here and get the CA load.
We only had 1/8 tank of fuel and needed fuel and a place to stay. The Walmarts down here have parking lots designed to make it difficult for trucks to get into and there are NO TRUCK STOPS HERE UGGG! I finally found this DIVE that has single pump islands, about 20 parking spaces they charge $15.00 per night to stay in. It also has a small old building with bathrooms, 4 showers I'm not brave enough to look in, and a small low budget Latin restaurant with one pool table. Oh well... it seems safe, we have our own food and we can shower tomorrow LOL. Fair warning.. if you deliver to Miami, fuel before you get here and plan on either getting 50 miles away from town to find a decent truck stop or make a hotel reservation.
Have to start somewhere
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by daytona45, Jul 5, 2007.
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Hey Notarps.. do you mind if I borrow your baby1 pic.. my oldest daughter is pregnant and I'd love to torture her with it
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Help yourself. I borrowed it, so you might as well too!
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Update on Daytona. For those of you that have been asking about daytona. I have spoke with him on the phone a couple times this week. His air card has died that is why he is not posting. He has had some more adventures, but I will let him share that. He is in TX and I don't know when he will be able to post again. Keep waiting. He has a few tales to share!
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Well I am back at home after a very long and cold two weeks out.I got caught up in that ice storm in Springfield I slid off the road in Springfield on that Monday morning. I had sent them a message that I wouldn't drive till the freeway was clear and I didn't. I was getting off the freeway on a down hill curve hit a patch of ice and that was all she wrote next thing I see in my mirror was my trailer sliding off the road. Thank god I didn't break nothing called for a wrecker got pulled out.The wrecker driver told me there was nothing I could of done different the ice just screwed me. Now I haven't heard a thing from maverick so I will keep on trucking(Bill please don't tell Vicki all she will do is worry and there is nothing we can do now)
Kj I know what you mean about the ice I had so much of it on my truck that I am pretty sure if I crossed a scale I would of been overweight. There was a half inch of ice all over the truck the visor had dragon teeth. I couldn't fold the tarp and the kid at the shipper helped me pull it off it made this crashing noise from the ice sliding off. I have a rubber mallet that i use to break the ice off the straps.
Freight is crazy slow right now and i spent two days at hoods truck-stop in Missouri waited for my next load. I finally got a load in sedalia. I drove a hundred miles north not a lick of ice or snow anywhere it was like a whole different world I was amazed.
They sent me to Oklahoma after that man it was good to be warm 60 degrees down there. We have a shop in Magnum and they wanted me to get my truck serviced at 1915 after I pick up my load. I thought wow this is dumb I will be home tomorrow but I don't argue. I take it in after picking up my load in duke 20 miles away. They do their magic on the truck. I take a shower send my paperwork and run to the store. (they have a courtesy vehicle at all their terminals) I am the only driver in there so I get to watch whatever I want on the TV. When was the last time you saw a console television that how old this thing is but hey they got cable and I get to see my beloved Suns beat Dallas so I am happy. Around 11pm they give me my truck back and inform me they are going home for the night but I can stay in the trailer and leave in the morning so I grab my sleeping bag and I do.
I wake up and head to Dallas I hate going to Dallas it is one of my least favorite cities I have no idea who designed there on and off ramps but they need to be fired. I get to the consignee and they are nasty little cusses they make me untarp in the street folding tarps on the street as cars go by is not my idea of fun. I had to circle the block just to find a spot to do it.
They couldn't get me a load after I was empty so they dead-headed me home. I offered to stay out again since Vicki is gone to her friends there was no reason to come home but they said no I was already out for two weeks and they need me to go home.
On the way home I got to pass some one I hit the accelerator and I am going where i have never been before 66 67 68 69 70 whoa I think am I going down hill no I am going up hill no way I slow down because I am afraid I have never been that fast in the big truck.I have to do that again because I cant believe what I am seeing so I pull into the hammer lane to go around a four wheeler and low and behold it does it again 66 67 68 69 70 I am just like a regular person. Oh my god they must be firing me and giving my truck away.So now my truck is in the yard empty sure hope they don't make me go get hay from some farmer on Monday ask notarps4me about that
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I lost my air-card while I was out it seems as if they send you a bill every month and if you don't pay it they shut you off boy that one fell through the cracks.I thought I set it up for electronic pay and I hadn't managing the bills is even harder when you are away so much I would be lost without Vicki.
I have no idea what the future holds for me since I am on probation. I talked to my old job they told me they would love for me to come back so at least I wont starve to death if maverick lets me go.I realy love driving the big truck just hope I survive the learning curve.(forgive the pun)Keep your fingers crossed that they give me a load on Monday guess that is about it will keep you posted as always later
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