Running with JCT, Part Deux

If I was going to be inside a confined vehicle for that long, it would be a train. It's a much more comfortable way to travel ... and probably makes fewer stops anyway.

 

i wished he could take a train.. But its going to have to be the long bus ride

 

Have fun. Miss ya around. Enjoy France. Would you mind bringing me back a . . . never mind. I'd just get into more trouble than I seem to stay in already. Just have fun.

 

He will get Keith as a starter DM and he will basically push him as hard as he can and see how he does. As far as his permanent DM they ask different questions as to what type of DM he wants and then match him with who has room on their board.

 

The DM isn't the key per say. The load planners give you the loads. DM is a communicator and process Qualcomm messages.

 

Did a swap with another driver in Lodi, CA last night. Had to be at Smiths at 3am this morning then Wal-Mart in Corrine at 0730. I thought it was going to be a heavy produce load, but I was only half right. It was produce, but it was only 9,000lbs. Yep. 9,000 lbs. A load of mushrooms. Managed to pull out 7.7mpg at 63mph. Now, getting ready to go drop and hook at Swift and Co. in Hyrum for Laredo on the 24th.

Because of a little research on fuel prices along my route; I managed to find really cheap fuel in California for only $3.65 a gallon. It was at the EZ Trip in Fresno. So, I topped of my tanks there since I knew I had enough fuel to bypass the fuel stops in Arizona which were in the $3.80 range. This allowed me not purchase fuel on my mushrrom load. Got enough fuel to get the Gas-N-Go in Green River, UT where it currently $3.69 a gallon. I will top off there and that will be only fuel purchase on this trip.

Next pay period will be my best one yet. Three trips for 4197 miles. San Antonio, TX to Bryan, TX to Stockton, CA to Lodi, CA to Layton, UT to Corinne, UT to Hyrum, UT to Laredo, TX. Not a bad week at all. With my one fuel stop, I should net right at $2k.

 

Playing the game the way it should be played.

 

That's a Grand Slam there Macho! Well done.

I woke up to a burned out headlight this AM and had to burn some unplanned time replacing it (but I used reward points for the $20 bulb - thank goodness), so I had to run against the governor today for about half my day today starting out across 80 in Laramie (headed for Boston for a Thurs AM del real tight on time - 4.6 hrs. wiggle room for a coast to coast but groovy miles) to make my 10 hour break stop before I turned into a pumpkin. I was cringing all the way up Medicine Bow and the east WY pulls picturing dollar bills pouring out my stacks then did the update ETA math on making my stop and said some not so family friendly words because the only way I'd make it after the drags and repair delay was to run the rest of the way from my 30 min break point to Clive, IO (my "hit it low on the gauge, top off and break there" spot) on cruise against the governor and HOPE Lincoln and Omaha didn't slow me down.

I'm kinda funny (read "real ticky") about some things. If I say I'll do it then I will. If it's tight I say so up front and communicate. They communicate back. I decide. If I decide I'll do it and commit to it and something I didn't think about, or my math was wrong on time, causes me to swallow some fuel - I do it. In other words, if it was my bad on planning then I'll eat the extra fuel and do what I said I'd do. If we agreed I couldn't make OTD when I got the load, then I pick up and go economy mode as far as I can to a relay point, do a swap and motor on in economy mode. JCT has honored their commitments to me and I honor mine to them even if I hinked up planning a bit and have to get into the governor a while. I still make money, just not as much when I don't plan as thoroughly as I should before making a commitment to a load. Don't like it when that happens, but that's on me.

I made my fuel/break stop with NINE minutes left on my 11 hr. clock when I pulled out that yellow diamond on the dash! WHEW!!

End of shift check call - all is well. The onions had been respiring still (fresh picked) and my temps had been funky box to door. I was running a steady 10-12 degree difference and they were finally settling down at 50 +/- 3from nose to tail. OK, Cool. I made it on schedule, produce has settled in, I'm still on track for OTD - fuel economy now. I cringed when I hit SensorTracs ( just KNEW I'd be in the 5.8 range - I'm heavy). It reset in Laramie so the whole data set was today's trip, and running as hard as I did I got 7.3 and I'm still on track for OTD in Boston Thursday.

I just patted my mule on her nose (yeah I know it's dumb, but that's me) told Sal she done a real fine job today, then smiled real nice as I was walking inside for a nice hot shower, looked up at the big sky out here and said a very sincere and heartfelt; "Thanks. That was real nice of you. Boston's still a good ways away, though. Talk to ya in the mornin'."

Crazy dumb Aminal - huh? Still. It was a good day. Nite all.

 

All I can say is...NINE minutes?!? Wasted time. Gotta plan better than that, driver!

 

Yeah. Onions are a hard one for the reefer. The last load onions I hauled took 24hrs to get down to temp. I informed JCT that the reefer was having a hard time because onions are not cooled at the shipper. They were stored in a dry warehouse.

Time for me to get going here. 100miles to fuel stop. The rest area on US-6 in Utah has a werid parking setup. You angle park towards the left but have to turn right to get out. Not many trucks here, but out of all the empty spaces, I have an RV on each side. Think they are looking for a new RV. So, I think I will just back out of my spot.