Millis OTR journal

I'm stopped at a cool old school truck stop in Osseo now because I didn't want to show up at Menards in Eau Claire with only 3 hours left on my clock. It's not due until tomorrow anyway, and I didn't feel like risking running out of hours there.

 

Yeah. I know all about those store loads. Guys at the stores are always dumbfounded that I'm bringing them a delivery of who knows what. Dude, just get the stuff off and please don't take all day.

 

I like that little place except that one of the older women cashiers can be kind of cranky. Is the restaurant open yet? They have good food.

 

I think it took me about 30 minutes to fill up last night in Eden.. Slowest pumps ever.

 

But Menards is usually a drop and hook? Lots of options for what to do around there. I usually either park at our terminal or at the flying j at the exit of I'm close on hours.

Well, still sitting here in Shelby. Wife really wants me to come home over the weekend (I just went out on Wednesday) and considering I'm not making any money right now, being at home would at least have gotten me a reset, haha.

This Loves is frustrating because their WiFi is in and out and my network coverage is hit or miss (so I drove down the road last night to the flying j in Avoca. My signal is good there and I can get my free shower in the morning).

I've learned my lesson. As much as I like the open rolling hills of Iowa, if Opie offers Plano or Shelby, take Plano....

 

The restaurant in Osseo is open again, but the waitress was younger than me (not that that's saying much). They had great food too, heck everything there made me wish Pilot was that good. Except for the pot holes, they're really wide and quite deep.

The Menards was drop and hook, relatively easy except for the damage to the trailer I didn't notice until I got back to Richfield. The delivery to the store on a busy Sunday could have been better, but that was only 1 1/2 hours all together.

 

What store did you deliver at?

1.5 hours to get unloaded at a Menards store...lucky. I'm 32 hours in waiting for this Menards load from Shelby to Muscatine, Iowa. Once I hook to it, 4 hours of driving, then sitting around for hours and hours again.

 

Beaver Dam. They got on it right away and just kept going.

 

I always wish it’s winter time in the summer and summer time in the winter. My idling is skyrocketing in this 90 degree heat. At least I don’t have to listen to a -10 roaring reefer anymore, annoying everybody around me. It was funny when I drove for Dot, somebody would park next to me and my reefer and then park somewhere else 20 mins later..

 

Well figure its time to give everybody here a little update. I am no longer with Millis. I came off the road the beginning of April to care for my kids due to school being canceled and not having daycare. After my vacation time ran out I had to make a choice on what to do so I decided to quit as we still had no one to watch the kids. So I've been playing Mr.Mom for the last 2 months....

So next Monday I will be starting my new adventure....of being an owner operator. I bought a 2006 Western Star and going to lease onto a small company near me.

Those of you who have my # and randomly ask me questions etc don't hesitate to still contact me. Just cuz I'm not employed at Millis anymore doesnt mean I won't help you out.

I won't ever knock Millis they treated me very well for a total of 4yrs. Opie as a dispatcher is top notch and that guy took better care of my needs than most would. I had issues with other dispatchers and shop personnel but it is what it is.

One last thing. The Heartland buy out so far has hardly changed anything at Millis. We had several people come in here and other threads telling us to RUN when it happened, and we were idiots for staying, blah blah blah. So far(and it's been long enough) its still basically business as usual with Millis and the other buy outs Heartland did with Gordon and Interstate were definitely not the experience from this buy out.