My Experience with Lone Star Transportation

Temple, GA



American Trucker

 

Today was a perfect example of Murphys law "Anything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong"

I had to load at 8am, i know there is lots of construction on 85, and rush hour in Charlotte can be like atlanta just smaller. So I was going to give myself 1 hour to get the 45 min to the shipper in Concord, NC. But then i deceided that since things always get screwed up and that i was only going 5 hours south with this, and reloading 1 hour from the receiver an extra 15 min wouldnt hurt me on the backend of my 14 so i left at 6:45am instead to give myself 1 Hour 15 min to get there. Well i didnt hit any traffic, so i got there in 45 min at 7:30am, and they were ready the secound i got there.

This load is a mess, lots of differant things, unstable stuff, heavy stuff, big stuff, small stuff, soft stuff, sharp stuff...ugggg


They had me 85% loaded and i had it all secured and THEN they say "ohhh oops ya we have to unload you now, we put the wrong stuff on"

So then i had to take everything off, watch them unload it, then watch them RELOAD the SAME STUFF just 1 foot taller WTF!


The load weighs 43,000lbs, with 2,727 Peices . I had to use, 5 Chains, 5 Binders, 15 4" straps, 6 2" straps, 8 Portable winches, and i still wasnt happy with it! I stopped 4 times between Concord, NC and Temple, GA

See:










Anyway, so by the time i left there it was 11:45am...GREAT. They thought for sure i was going to gross 84,000lbs and my truck was leaning to the right AND back so the Passenger side trailer tires were almost flat, which had me beleiving their math was right so i had to scale, drove a few miles north to the Pilot in Kannapolis, NC to scale. The load felt VERY heavy pulling out of the whole they loaded me in.

Steers: 11,500lbs
Drives: 25,000lbs
Spread: 38,500 Whoopsi!
-------------------------
75,000lbs



Then i go to head south, everything smooth back threw Charlotte, all the way threw SC, crossed the GA scale with no issues. Then i hit it.....Atlanta....at RUSH HOUR. Took me 6 HOURS to get from Concord, NC to Temple, GA! Should have only taken 5 hours 15min.


Oh well, got here, fueled, parked. Then i go to fuel, the stupid pump was messed up, when you press A it put 1AE in so i couldnt put the info in, and since ComData is Stupid ALL the info must be right or you cant fuel, so i had to go in to get the pump started.

THEN i go to get the receipt, swipe my card, "No Receipt Found", cashier looks on my J card and cant find it, she checks the Commdata card...still cant find it...GREAT. Then she tries it at the kiosk and of course it magicly appeared.


I'm only 3.5 miles (8 min) from the receiver. I WANTED to get here HOURS earlyer, and unload so i could Reload at 8am tomorrow morning rather then UNload at 8am...ohh well i did everything i could. I dont figure the pre-plan delivers until Mon anyway so no need to really rush.

Pre-Plan goes from GA about 45min to 1 hour north of here, then goes to another Temple....TX (813 miles +/-)



Oh well, maybe tomorrow will be a better day





American Trucker

 

I wasnt planning on posting this tonight but since i had to turn my computer on anyway might as well tell you all tonight.

For those of you that have followed my Bloggs since Watkins, you SHOULD know that even though i have enjoyed working for every trucking company i've ever pulled for, and i also like OTR (to a point) i NEVER miss an opertunity to apply for the GOOD local trucking jobs around Charlotte. And you most likely also know that i've put in an app with almost every LTL company near me every 6-8months over the last 4 years, and havent gotten so much as a call back.


Well this past monday, while enjoying my last day of HomeTime i was looking around on Craigs List as i always keep an eye on the transport jobs ever since my dad got his Nascar job on there. And I saw a ad "Line Haul Home Every night"

Now if you have followed along you KNOW that i would KILL for a Line Haul job right? so of course i got up, fought traffic to go apply, even though i was 99% sure i would never get past the app.


............Well i was WRONG! I filled out the app, I showed the terminal manager my MVR and Long Form, he E-mail the App, and Both the MVR and the Long Form to their HQ, i figured that was it . He says hang out for a min lets see what they say....

not even 2 Minutes later phone rings from HQ telling him to set me up for a Video Interview with HQ... I do the Interview, and then they send me for a Drug Test and Physical

Im thinking dang these people sure are spending allot of time and money on someone that arent going to hire....

The terminal manager gives me a packet about 2 inches THICK of paper work to fill out and bring back in. And as he hands it to me he says "when they send people for a Drug test and Physical that means you have the job....."

I about fell over!

So i go and do the drug test/physical, and go home to start my home work while i decide whether or not to take the job (yes i know im crazy, in fact I spent 4 WHOLE DAYS decideing whether or not to take it, i called 20 + people allot of which are freinds from Here on the Forum, From LST or from Watkins for some advice)

I really like LST, the miles are great, theres tons of money to be had, shoot i even Like Flat bedding, BUT I would also like to have a Life outside of my truck. OTR can be fun, exciting, and allot of other things



Anyway so today after allot of thought, i made the Decision to take the Job and i put in my 2 Weeks Notice.


I will be working mon-fri, weekends and holidays off, running line haul. They have 2 routes open and im not sure which one i'll get (im hopeing for the southern route but both are easy runs and wont always be doubles, sometimes it'll be a a 53'. and the $50,000 a year doesnt Hurt either


Also so more bad news for those of you that follow my blog. I will not be starting another Blog. Mainly because i will be driving from the same Point A to the same Point B and turning around and going back to Point A again every day.....so their will be nothing to really write about...ALSO the company even has a Policy about Facebook and Blogging (it doesnt say you cant do it, but you have to CLEARLY write on EVERY post that "your opinions are YOURS and do not represent the company in anyway shape or form" and it also says that they reserve the right to fire you for things you post. And nothing special about a Big LTL Companies Day Cabs so no need for pics.




I just want to point out that i am NOT leaving LST because there is anything wrong with them, like i said above they are a GREAT company and i have enjoyed my time here. It's just time for me to get back to haveing a life outside of a truck.....Wouldnt want to become a 60+ yr old shriveled up drivers at the bar in the Country Pride telling stories about back in my day..... Or even worse become a 600lb driver




Dont worry i'll still be on the forum



The worst part is i have to find a way to NC from Gainesville, TX where we have to turn in our trucks its going to cost me around $500-$700 to get home


Anyway today, i went and go unloaded, then reloaded, then headed towards TX, made it to Jackson, MS. I'm going to Deliver this tomorrow. Dispatch said since LST is in such a Need for trucks they may just have me Dead Head right to Gainesville and Turn in the Truck, so who knows what/when i'll get home at the moment. Got another "fun" load lol i'll post some pics tomorrow.




American Trucker