Heading For Little Rock! Maverick

I headed out Monday morning from the house to the job site up in Elkhardt Indiana. When I got there, there were two other Mavericks waiting. They moved us along pretty quick and got unloaded. Did not have to wait long to get a load picking up at US Steel in Portage going to Reynolds Services in Greenville PA.
Made my delivery by around 0900. Another Mav rolled in and then we were both sitting there waiting. At some point I asked where I was on the board and they told me 6th. After 2 hrs I asked again and they told me 6th. I replied " Should I find a place to park for the night?...Lol. The response came back yes. So I headed down to the flying J back in ohio and parked. The other Mav followed me. With one hour left on my clock, I called my FM and asked her if it was safe to assume that I was not going to get a load, as I wanted to leave the truck and head for the showers. She sent a message to the CSR and Boom....pick up tomorrow in Pittsburgh at Metaltech going to Fridley Minnesota. The other Mav got the same load. He had never been to the place so he asked if he could follow me. I told him sure, but I was rolling at 0330 so we could get in there before traffic. I was asked a couple of more times by him that I would not leave in the morning without him.
On the way down he asked me if I was going to take off before he got loaded. I told him that it depended on how slow he was. He told me that he was pretty quick. Then I told him that he was in the group before me at US Steel and I was done tarping at the same time he was....lol But I assured him that I would not leave him. When we got there, he asked me again. I told him I would finish mine up and then come back and help him finish, and I would show him the way out.
We got out of there with no back ups and it was pretty easy for once.
He told me that he would follow me. I told him earlier that I was going to drive between 57 and 59 depending on the terrain and he could feel free to hammer down any time he wanted to. See he told me how his truck got the best fuel mileage with the truck going as fast as it could...it was a 2013.
We are almost to Lake station to get fuel and then we were going to go over to the gary yard. He calls me on the radio and starts complaining that he could not understand why we were driving at this speed. He could get better fuel mileage going fast, we could have been at Gary already, we could get another load if we went faster ect.
Now this kind of got under my skin. I told him, first off, no one is making you follow me....it is your choice! Secondly I was getting almost 8 miles to the gallon at that point, we had all the time we needed to get fuel and then get to gary, I prefer driving relaxed and letting all the trouble go past me and I would rater spend an hour driving then sitting at Gary!
When we got to lake station, he came over to me and told me not to take it personal. I told him that I did not care if he agreed with me or not, he could do what he wanted, and that I did not understand why he was pissed. He said he wasn't, and I told him he sure sounded that way.
We made it up to Fridley and I had a preplan to pick up at Woodbury MN going to Willioughby Hills Ohio. He did not so we went our seperate ways.
He was an alright guy, always willing to help out, just a bit on the negative side.
So after I was loaded with 48000 of sand, I made it to the rest area about 45 miles away. Got up at 0300 and was on my way.
On about 0500 I hear on the radio, Jimmy!....it was my shadow...lol
I asked him why he was driving so slow and this is what he said! " Well I noticed how good my fuel mileage was, so I decided I would give it a try!
We traveled for a bit and then I did a load check and he kept on going.
I was dellivering to a water tower that was being repainted and the guy told me I would have to back in. I looked at it on google earth, and it looked a bit tight. I had to be there at 0700.
About 10 miles or so from my destination, I was on I271 north in ohio. I noticed brake lights ahead and saw a herd of deer crossing. They all made it across except for the one that went back to the median. I got on the radio and warned the other trucks. Then the deer decides to cross to be with the other. It stops right in my lane. As it tried to turn and run, it fell and went under the cab. I felt nor heard nothing for it seemed like forever....then the the noise and the vibration. I saw nothing but red come out from behind me. There was a car following close, so I am sure it scared him as it all came out from under my trailer. All of my gauges were good so I kept on going.
Got to the little road that went back to the tower and attmpted to blindside in. As I was backing up I noticed a deer about 20 yards from me staring at me. Somehow I think she knew....lol.
This road I was on was narrow and the front of the truck kept wanting to go off the side which had a decent drop off. There was a driveway across from me that I thought about pulling into and then having a straight run at it, but I could not pull in there without the trailer missing the driveway. So I kept on trying. Finally they show up and a different guy than I talked to told me I should pull in as no one had been able to back it into the driveway yet.
I am sure Sewerman could of, and I believe I would have eventually figured it out, but pulling in was a piece of cake.
After I got my tarps put away, I starting noticing all of the hair and blood on my headache rack and all over the trailer.
On my tarp box, there was a perfect imprint of a leg and a deer hoof. There was a hunk of meat sitting on top of my trailer and I later found a gig hunk of meat hanging from a bolt near the rear axle. But as far as I could tell there was no damage.
Got told to dead head home 120 miles and to check in on Monday.
I really thought that I was going to get hung out in MN, but Maverick found me a load to get me home and I ended up with 2713 miles for the week...and that was after sitting for an entire day after my delivery.
So hats off to my team for taking care of me!
Everyone have a great week! what is left of it.lol

 

Glad that you have found it useful! It was definitely a challenge at first, but you will be able to do it! As I have said before, I look at it as my company paid work out plan! Remember" I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me!
Best of Luck and God Bless!

 

Got a load to pick up at vanex tube in Niles Ohio. Delivers in plesant lake mi at peak mfg. Plan to spend the night there.

 

Made if to the receiver. It is nice and quiet and sits back in the woods. Along the way my truck ac quit working and after I got an appointment at the Toledo Ohio ta, it started working again....so I canceled it. Apparently the deer must of hit my FLR as it is now pointing towards the ground...lol. good night everyone!

 

Got a load that picked up at magic coil processing I'm butler Indiana going to jasper alabama. 9 coils. Stopped for.the night in.Sonora ky.

 

No that was not a problem with this east, but I could definitely see where it could be a problem with the Chappell's..lol