Looking for broker with trees outta WA/OR.

Might contact them.

http://www.christmastrees-or.com/

 

I just got an e-mail this morning from Trinity on Christmas trees. I haven't hauled Christmas trees since I was a rookie and between that experience and my pumpkin patch experience last year for Halloween I'm avoiding both! Anyway, check with Trinity Transport out of Seaford, DE. They said they are starting around Nov 10.

 

All that X-mas tree hauling all it does is tear up the inside of the reefers! NOT WORTH IT!

 

I deal with trinity too. Nice people usually frozen veggies going back to jersey.

 

Hi ShortBusKid...I was wondering if you can share your "pumpkin patch experience last year" and why you would avoid it. I run pumpkins during halloween to NYC from upstate NY. It's a charitable run to help children. ....

 

Well, the load I hauled was out of Farmington, NM. The load paid great and was two drops in Houston at churches (home for me). I sat in the "staging area" for about 40 hours before being led out to the field to drive down a rough path between the rows of pumpkins and spent another 4-5 hours getting loaded. Fortunately I got loaded because some of the guys that went to the field had to leave their trucks out there and stay in the bunk house or sleep out there. I have no idea why they did this. So, after 48 hours I was loaded. Now, this place was not "in town"; it's about 15 miles from any kind of store. They did feed us with the field help so we didn't starve but it was slim pickins and I had no idea I was gong to be there for two days and my truck supplies were low. When I was finally loaded I told the scale/paperwork lady they needed to get their stuff together and that it was ridiculous to sit around for 2 days waiting to load and she basically said tough poo and if you don't like it don't come back so I didn't. I got a whole $200 layover from the broker who said that is all they would pay. It also took forever to unload as the "lumpers" were the church members that I delivered to hand unloading these things one by one. It was supposed to be no touch deal for me but most of the volunteers were women so I jumped in the trailer to help them.

Bottom line, the great paying 2 day load I booked turned into a 4 day garbage load. I would have left after the first 12 hours when it was obvious I wasn't going to get loaded but there were so many trucks in the staging area only the front row could have got out if they wanted. I did talk to some other drivers who said they had done this before and in prior years it wasn't as bad but I won't be back over there.

 

I know I hauled a load out of Oregon for CRST before. Had maybe 5 Home Depot drops in Iowa on it.

 

ShortBusKid... Sounded like you got blind sided by that NM haul. I was expecting a load of pumpkins rotting in the back of your trailer. I'm a casual driver delivering product I grow. After hearing stories on these forums, you professional drivers bust your bottom to earn every buck. I have total respect for the trucking industry. Safe travels and Happy New Year!

 

I forgot to mention my church experience too. I had 7 pallets left over from my sons school sale. A lady from our town asked me what I was going to do with the left overs. In the past I generally gave them to the local Fire Departments, water districts and County Police Department. She asked me if I can donate a few pallets to her church. I agreed. The church was a brand new Greek Orthodox Church in the heart of the Gold Coast. Huge congregation with tons of money. I told her we need help and she said they'll have a hi-low with a maintenance man. Sounded good to me and I was off and running. When I arrived, there was a pallet jack on the ground that she thought was a hi-lo and a guy in a suit that wanted nothing to do with pumpkins. Never again.