Millis OTR journal

4 hrs today to go from O’Hare to the Flying J in Hebron. Total of 70 miles. It was awful. Bumper to bumper and as soon as I hit the Indiana border a torrential downpour.

 

I was there Saturday morning in the storms there and had to wait for a couple of downed trees to be removed and then sneak under a utility line that was about 13'10" off the ground after a pole broke. And when I got to the Pilot in Lowell to use the bathroom before sitting in traffic on 80 I see the lights are on but the doors are locked due to the power being out. The employees said it takes an hour for all the computers to boot up and they couldn't let anyone in. What a croc.

 

I've been driving another T680 pulling a 53' dry van again and got to a new place for a delivery this morning. I'd called ahead for help figuring out where to go and naturally didn't get to talk with anyone not a return call answering my question before I got there. Google maps showed a loading dock with semis in at on street view, so I drove there before I found out I needed to be on the other side of the building - and I'd have to either make a u turn or back out. So I tried the u turn, and made it with a jack knife that would have broken something on the Millis truck I drove. I was surprised and impressed, but I knew there wasn't enough room to back out without backing into the 4 lane street during rush hour. And then it was on to the other side of the building where it wasn't much easier, all to deliver some stuff that would have fit in a mid sized U-Haul.

 

Started out this morning with trying to do a tug test without a trailer. That didn't work very well.

 

Too funny! Like when you are parked at the truck stop sitting behind the wheel and the trucks beside you pull out at the same time. Almost pushed the brake pedal through the floor.

 

It's good to hear I'm not the only one that's happened to.

 

Picked up my new trainee on Monday in Eden. After 3 days he appears shockingly and refreshingly normal. Upper 50’s, bartender for 20 years or so.

 

Are you sure you got the right one?

 

One thing I figured out early was to park like you're going to be there for a while when you park. I planned on stopping for a 30 yesterday before heading around Gary and Chicago, but after checking the weather and traffic plus talking with a driver who just came from there I ended up staying there. Made me glad I didn't need to move to a different spot or get between the lines after I made that decision.

 

I won’t tell anyone I think I have a good one. Update on stripper pole guy. He is doing good driving wise. Personal note on him. He wanted a dog I told him to at least wait a year of course he ignored me. Lol he went out and got a cute lab puppy. Can’t wait to see him try to muscle that 60 pound dog in and out of the truck in a year or so.