My Day By Day Experience At Eastern Freightways Flatbed Division

I have the white and as you are doing I was studying the yellow in my spare time. I never finished due to changing careers. Yes manufacturing has a high demand for skilled workers and management but after 5 years I realized I was going to be capped on what I made. The job was good, paid well and I had great benefits but I after some research into the trucking industry I saw a demand that was even higher and an opportunity down the road to earn what I'm worth. Plus I like the fact of not really having someone over my shoulder all day.

Eastern Freight ways pays by the mile .48cpm and pays accessorial, Tarping, Live load etc.

 

We get $11 for a drop and hook. It usually takes about 30 minutes to do one. Switch trailers, fix the strapping and bungee job and get rolling. A live load pays $22 and tarping a live load also pays $22

 

Just to clarify LOL I'm not as bad as this made it seem. I do watch what I do and try to improve on my speed and take less steps etc. After reading this I was like #### this sounds like I am putting way to much thought into it.

 

Day 36

Started latter than usual today due to it being the day after the 4th. Headed to Roxbury, MA and the traffic was light. Get off and proceed down Mass Ave. I just realized the GPS is sending me around the street I need to go down. It's Boston so I'm thinking there has to be a reason. After going through some tight turns, heavy traffic and people everywhere 2 times. Yes I missed my turn into the receiver. LOL

Get unloaded pretty quick and noticed a message on my tablet. It was a pre-plan picking up in Newington, NH going to Baltimore for a Friday delivery. But I already had a pre-plan picking up in Newington going to Limerick, PA. Which would just get me home Friday night. I call dispatch to try and figure out wth is going on. Well they switched my loads for whatever reason and the pre-plan behind that was Baltimore to Danville, PA to home. Well that would put me home Saturday afternoon. I had already made plans for Saturday and I might have been a little pissed off at this point to say the least. I know, I know things happen and things change all the time out here. I'm starting to learn not to make plans and am now wondering if maybe I jumped the gun going on the road. Maybe a local gig for now and then back out here in a couple of years... Hmmmmm

I get to Newinton and it's a mess. Trucks all over the place, no loads available, security gaurd trying to play traffic patrol is freaking out. It was a little comical. As I assumed it was a live load due to being a day after the holiday. Most of the loads that day here were going to be live. Long story short and 5 hours later I'm loaded, strapped and ready to go. Errrr. I'm only going to be able to make it to our Meriden, CT terminal before i'm out of hours which will cost me 5 hours of my clock tomorrow. leaving me 6 hours of driving left.

 

Day 37

Head out around 7:30 I believe it was. Hoping to miss most of the NYC rush hour. It wasn't bad at all. Just get on the GW and dispatch called. They are switching my loads to try and get me home tonight. Dropping my current load in the Elizabeth, NJ terminal, getting an emissions test done and going to Avenel, NJ to do a drop and hook (hopefully) and headed home. Sweet! 2 hours later the emissions is done and I'm on my way. I see 2 trailers loaded. I write them down and head inside. Mine was going to be a live load after the yard dog came back from lunch. So I ask about the other 2 trailers. 1 going to Worcester, Ma and 1 to Rochester, NY. Mine was going to Chelsea, MA. Hmm I call dispatch and ask to be switched to the Worcester, MA load since it's loaded and ready to go. 10 minutes later I'm switched. Fix it and head for home. After a 7 hour non-stop trip I pull into the terminal with 1 hour left on my clock. With the live load I would have probably been about 50 miles short of making it.

Now as mad as I was about the whole Baltimore thing, Dispatch went out of their way to accommodate me and my plans. I definitely appreciated it and don't take it lightly. I'm still wondering though. Funny thing is I had 2 calls during yesterdays 5 hour wait time, Both were offers.

I was home for the weekend, enjoyed my time and heading out tomorrow to MA for a 2 stop delivery.

 

They definitely are and did. I understand it's a business and things need to get done. From my perspective I run my ### off all week. I start the week with Friday in mind. They earlier I start and harder I run the sooner I get home. Things happen a long the way, minor setbacks, break downs, delays etc. I definitely go hard and in return I'd like to be home for the weekend.

Send me on long runs at the start of the week and slowly route me back home by Friday.

 

Day 38

Finally fall asleep last night and get woken up to a bear trying to get to the bird feeder outside the window. Dogs freaking out. Ehhhh. Slept 30 minutes past my alarm. Monday, Monday..

Head out of the terminal on my way to the 1st stop in Worcester, MA Traffic was fairly light and an easy stop to get to. Get unloaded and head to Shrewsbury, Ma A quick ride down the road. Another fairly quick unload.

Get my next load assignment. Newington, NH to Stamford, CT. Being a Monday and the fact that I had 2 live loads there last week I was assuming this was going to be as well and it was. Better organized traffic this time. The live load line was about 10 trucks deep, 5 of those were TMC, so I settled in, had some lunch and surfed the web. 3 hours to get loaded and only about 30 minutes to strap and fix the bungee situation. Better than I thought it was going to be.

With 4 hours left on my clock I headed out to my 2nd home for the night. The Meriden, CT terminal. Pulled in with about 30 minutes left. 495s was a mess most of the way. 290, 90, 84 and 91 were pretty good. Was hoping to get an early start but after post-tripping I shut down at 20:20. So I'll deal with some rush hour traffic down 95 in the morning.

My road master 12v coffee pot finally died after 9 weeks. It's been blowing fuses and me being cheap i've been limping it along. Well for $27 it has saved me an estimated $150 just in buying coffee at a truck stop. Not to mention the down time it takes to stop and grab one and I really dislike store coffee. I prefer a darker roast like Peet's or Starbucks.

 

Day 39

Get up early so I can Run to Dunkin Donuts up the road before my clock starts. Go back and get hooked up to my load and pre-trip. 91s was good but as soon as I hit 95s it was a mess. A very slow ride to Stamford, CT. It was pretty tight getting to the receiver, narrow turns and roads. Pull in and one of the guys helps me untarp and fold them. Really saved some time. Get unloaded and have to blindside back to get turned around. One of the guys helps me with this and off to Avenel, NJ I go.

Ended up with a live load again. About 3 hours later I get loaded. This load is going to W. Springfield, MA and then over to Rockland, MA. Best place to shut down again will be Meriden, CT.