Joe & Tow's new trucking adventures/ex GTI thread

Hey Tow glad you are back to work and hope that it goes well for you. It seems to me that they respect you and you them for them to look out for you. A lot of companies would have done things, well lets just say different.

 

I hope the powers that be are giving you a healthy local/short haul bonus.....

 

OKC was fuel stop this a.m. Now in Troy, IL

 

Yesterday I got 300 miles in when I petered out for the day but today put 600 miles in. Still working my way back.

Showered at the j in Amarillo and now I will have my salad then bedtime.

 

It was nice waving at you today on 40 Tow. Well 600 miles in today and at the 24 7 truckstop in salina KS. 1800 miles left on this trip for 3.5 days no problem. After that I will have about 6-8 hours left till Midnight Thursday night...

 

Tempting Murphey and the fates a bit there GreyHound

 

Don't push it, my friend. Getting back "in shape" is more like a marathon, not a sprint.

 

Don't I know it.... I have been stopping and taking breaks along the way. Just glad I got a run that affords me the time to do it.

what have you been up to DD?

 

I made it back yesterday and got home just in time to take the girl friend out for dinner last night. I am sure glad this trip from far South of the hottest place on earth is over. I had enough issues, break downs and earthquakes to last me the rest of the year. My Northbound trailer is still sitting in Whitehorse and I picked up a fish load in Anchorage to go South. I was told it is a solo load and I have plenty of time.

That obviously went South as soon as I hooked up to the pre loaded trailer. I had two bald tires, a missing mud flap with a bent bracket and the license plate light was out. I went back to bed after hooking up to deal with it in the morning. By the time I fixed the bent mud flap bracket, replaced the mud flap and had two new tires installed it was 10:30. Now I am already 6.5 hrs behind before I even got started and I could only drive 12.5 hours and about 700mls since I had to spent the night in Whitehorse to drop the parts for the other trailer off. 2.5 more hours lost and than I got to be part of brake inspection day in the Yukon the next morning and another hour down.

I did pass the level 4 inspection and after getting fuel was on my way South. I hoped for smooth sailing, but who would have thought I could make it to Burnaby, BC without issues. While travelling through Frazer Canyon I start hearing a rattle behind the cab and I start looking for a pullout to investigate. The cat walk on the frame has come loose and fallen into the frame and was sitting on top of an air valve. The good thing was it did not go down into the driveline, but when I turned into the pullout I caught it with the trailer and mangled it. Needless to say it was left by the trash cans.

When I talked to the terminal manager in Anchorage and told him about my latest, he just busted out laughing. He said at this point there is nothing else we can do but laugh. I did make it to my appointment about 20min late. The receiver was happy since they did not have to restack the load since the waxed fish boxes do not ride well with all the frost heaves in the Yukon and Alaska.

I spent about three extra days on the road and over $2600.00 out of pocket for repairs and parts. I did get a comchek versus waiting for the next paycheck to get reimbursed. I have bought a 3/4" drive torque wrench and will start checking trailer lug nuts since I have had three sets come loose in the last 6 month and I am getting a brand new trailer for the next trip that I will not unhook from for a while.

 

Zombieland rule #20 - It's not a sprint unless it's a sprint. Then it's a sprint.