Millis OTR journal

When I started driving for Millis I had to choose between OTR, regional or local. I chose OTR but didn't have any experience with any other type of driving, but I do now after the last few weeks. I've even got LTL experience now, I wonder what's next?

 

Odd week being out here alone. When I deliver tomorrow morning will have 2.5 hours left on my 70, will get 10.5 back tomorrow night. Did 3400 miles.
Went 2 years without going to KDC in Indy, have gone there 4 times this year.
Anyone else notice they just aren’t getting rid of the 12’s but also getting rid of the 14’s, 15’s and I think 16’s?
Seems like almost every trailer other then the ones I haul to KDC are either a 17,19, 21 or 22.
Been to a few shippers receivers where all of our trailers have been Wabash.
They took my 20 series truck and put me in a 19 so I could get a new one, it’s been about a month now I’m getting near B service mileage on this thing!
Just going to ramble on a little more it’s been peaceful this past week so have had time to think.
That nickel raise sure does add up! I increased my 401 contribution and I’m still bringing home significantly more than I was before.
I think the dispatcher can make or break anyone’s time at a company. I’ve been lucky to have the 2 dispatchers I’ve had here at Millis. Communication is key.

 

I've only been to KDC once lately but when I did, I turned in a 14 truck.

I picked up in Phillipsburg yesterday and talked to one of the daycab drivers for a minute about how every Millis trailer there except for the one with my load was a Wabash. He said the only Great Danes that were wide enough on the inside for the aluminum can loads out of NY to Mark Anthony were the 19s.

I ain't gonna miss those Great Dane trailers any, though.

 

I had something really unusual happen while fueling today, I was the only one at the pumps then. I wasn't surprised when the app didn't work and I had to manually enter everything at the pump, but I was surprised when the pumps worked. I was expecting them to be out of order but nobody told me.

 

Completely possible with Pilot/FJ. That app in theory seemed very useful and convenient but I never used it. I always assumed it would screw up and cost me more hassle and time than doing it usual way. I was tempted on really crappy weather days but never did it.

 

The Great Dane trailers may be stuck with the trailer tails, but the doors latch at the top and bottom a lot easier than the Wabash trailers. I've already seen a few of them with the bottom latched but not the top.

 

I have seen a few wabash trailers with that little hole piece on the side pushed in and wondered how are they going to get the door latched open. I guess the chain could break on the Great Danes but I’ve never come across one.

 

I definitely preferred the Wabash Millis started getting after Heartland took over. Much better than the original Millis trailers, particularly in how you kept the doors held open when backing and no tails. They also seemed to track better going down the road. No idea how they will hold up over time. I think Heartland leases the trailers and they get turned in much more frequently than the 10 year cycle Millis had.

 

The new trailers are a lot safer when backing, especially into those dim indoor docks with inches to spare.

 

I saw a Heartland truck yesterday, and it was a Volvo. Never seen one of them before.