My Journy with Swift

Today was another long day. We took a load 120 miles from SC to TN where we picked up another load from the same place we dropped. This one is headed to WI. Wouldn't have been too bad but I-40 being closed made it take a lot longer for the distance we actually needed to go.

Today marked the end of my first week. We ran very close to the 3000 mile limit that we had for the week. I have learned a lot and had many great experiences. Some 5, 6, and 7 percent grades, some very tight docks, crazy traffic in DC and worked with plenty of heavy loads. I can hardly wait to see what the nexy 5 weeks brings. Thanks to everyone who has been following my little journey so far, and as always, stay safe.

 

Sorry for the delay in posting. once we hit Wisconsin there was nothing but fog, very heavy fog. Spent a good three hours driving through it, dropped our load and ran 60 miles away to pick up the next one. This load was headed back to Tennessee with the same stuff we had just brought up. Started driving back through WI and there was still a good amount of fog so we cut the day short with a plan to start later that night.

We didn't get started until morning since my mentor was not feeling very well. I took the daytime and ended up getting stuck in some heavy rain and yes, more fog. We made it TN with nothing new or exciting to report since we traveled the exact same roads the day before.

Friday we made our deliver and picked up a new load a few miles away that was to be T-called at the Albuquerque, NM terminal. They wanted it there the next day so off we went, arriving at about 4pm today. I know that this is brief, but this is about the time that this thread becomes boring. Just a basic update of where I am going and new things that I am seeing.

I will try to update this more frequently, however I am usually doing this from my phone while I am away from a terminal. I hope everyone stays safe out there.

 

Sunday morning we were relocated down to El Paso, TX since there were no loads available in New Mexico. On the way we were give a pre-plan going from El Paso to Charlotte, NC. We headed out of El Paso in the afternoon and along the way I realized that it does not matter to me if I ever see Texas again or not. It was very frustrating to spend 11 hours driving and not even get out of the state. Texas is just too big!

We made it to NC without incident and we were quickly given another load going to New Jersey. After a quick stop, I did a quick walk around and discovered that a headlight was out. After trying two different replacements we concluded that there was a wiring issue. So after making our delivery we headed to a TA to get it repaired, tying up the rest of our day. This morning we picked up a load about 2 miles down the road that is scheduled for a Saturday morning delivery in Illinois. We have no reason to hurry on this load so I am in the process of getting a much needed reset.

I will add that on the way to NC I learned that given the choice, I will drive through DC over Atlanta any day. Granted this was only one experience with each, however the drivers in Atlanta were much more aggressive and wouldn't give an inch to let you change lanes. As always, stay safe.

 

jdsouza,

It is possible for someone to make that but it would be the exception and not the norm. And, as otherhalf eluded to, it is how you handle your expenses that will make all the difference. In other threads you will see people discuss spending $100-$200 a week on the road. I am eating on $40-$50 per week. It is your net income that matters, not what you can gross.