My Experience with Lone Star Transportation

When are they expected to take the training wheels off? You gotta be getting close.

My last load was cake. Me and a Scotsman that works for the co loaded construction materials in Lowell, AR... he had some scaffolding, a scissor lift, and a welder, I got a welder, some metal supports and a backhoe. They told me not to be there until 1 so I took my sweet time.. him on the other hand got there at sunrise and then waited on me all morning. He said there was no point in getting to OKC since the backhoe was what needed to unload him... so he gave me a hand securing... which was good because he taught me a few 2 or 3 things about rubber wheeled equipment.

We stayed in Tulsa and rolled at 530a to OKC and unloaded. I was given a load after out of Aurora, IL next... yeah their deadheading me up there 790mi to pick up a wheel loader going from CAT going to Sparks, NV. I can't seem to get rid of this double drop RGN.. but.. i'm actually starting to get used to operating it's not so bad having now. I did find 2 air leaks in the trailer though and my running lights stopped working while everything else did still work... so I got into the T/A in OKC... spent 4 hours there before the mech. gave up on the lights.. he fixed the electrical cords female end on the trailer as it was all corroded and falling apart.. but then lights were all backwards and some where flashing that shouldnt have been while others wouldn't light up. Another guy looked at it and told him to fix the wiring at the front... my mech said it was wired correctly... double checked.. and gave up Well after talking to Linda in maintenance they sent me to another local no name mechanic who had it fixed in about an hour... it was as suspected.. the wiring was backwards. lol. I swear.

So, after getting out of THERE at 730p I decided to just stay there in OKC and get a reset. The lady decided to drive an hour to come get me though so I took the offer, which was really nice. Beats sitting in a truckstop all weekend!

 

I've been a Level 0 since Christmas. A week and a half ago or so I hauled an excavator out of Galveston that was 10' wide. It was barely over the edge but I needed permits for it. That's been my only permitted load so far.

 

All these trailers are crap, no one ever takes time out of their day to get them fixed. every trailer I get lately is good for at least one or two violations. Anyway, thats good you got that trailer mystikal, keep it for as long as you can since higher probability of oversize loads. I've never pulled one, loaded that is. I can't seem to get away from step decks, even when I get a flatbed it's only for one load or two at most and then back to step decks. All pays the same though I guess.

 

Sitting at the Jessup T/A this weekend waiting to deliver at the Baltimore Port on Tuesday. Finally got by the house to pickup my TWIC so I won't need an escort anymore. I'm hoping to get a good run out of here so I can have a decent paycheck again. I don't want top sit down in Texas with numerous other LST guys again. Not that I mind it, just not getting any miles.

Hope you gentlemen are doing OK out there. Are there freight lanes to be weary of at the moment? Other than East Texas?

 

I'm doing ok actually. I just picked up a front end loader... that deadhead from OKC to IL... now on my way to Sparks NV for a Fri delivery. I haven't had too many slowdowns actually unless I happen to be in TX.. not sure what the deal is with TX freight.. altho it IS Jan too. I hear itll pick back up between mid Feb and mid Mar.

Oh I fully intend on keeping this trailer as long as I can. I told my DM I like hauling this kind of freight so Im hoping they keep me on this stuff. How are you faring AZS? They get your problems fixed on that truck?

 

all problems fixed yup, very impressed actually. I got through customs today and I guess I pulled the lucky number and got my truck searched, after all that I couldn't deliver today. Stay clear of this area if you can (great lakes area) tons of snow and cold as balls, 11 tonight I believe.

 

Yeah I was up towards that way. Was -3 when I woke up this morning with a windchill of -17. Good grief thats cold! I have yet to get my truck searched in customs in all the time i've gone thorugh. Did they leave a mess for you to clean up? I've heard some terrible stories of jack--- agents... no call for ANY of that!

 

Ended up being 7 degrees when I delivered. Wasnt windy though thank the lord! This guy didn't leave a mess but things were shifted around a little. I don't get the reason behind it but have a suspicion that because the loads aren't set up with the brokers when we arrive it triggers a flag, still wasn't searched last time though so who knows, maybe it's random after all. Anyway, got a load from PA to Laredo that picks up in the am. Tarped of course, looking forward to unrolling those in single digit temps!

 

had my one year anniversary the other day and added up the miles since I started which is 134,300 (40,300 miles on my first truck and 94,000 miles on current truck) in 12 months which breaks down to 11,100 miles a month average. Pretty good.

 

That is actually pretty good. I'll end up doing a tally of mine once I hit the 1 year point in Apr. and see what I got.

I deliver in Sparks in the morning, then lord only knows with this trailer. Last time they had me DH to LA to get a load out of the port only to cancel on me because my truck don't meet port emissions spec's.