Running with JCT, Part Deux

No idea how to setup the Transflo app. Haven't used it since the change over.

But, I did find out that the dash switches are rearrangeable. Since it all controlled by the computer and each switch has its own little circuit board. So. I took five minutes to arrange them the way I want.

Now, the top row has my engine brake selector, mirror heat, dome light, and utility light on it instead of just the utility light and three blank spaces.

 

The carrier I'd for transflow app is CJHT.

 

Welp.... Application in...let's see where this journey takes me...

 

That is totally COOL!! I really don't like the way they have the switches arranged for how I roll with my Bubba Cup in the holder blocking this and my big smokeless ashtray (sorry, filthy habit, I know) blocking the that and the two I use the least totally accessible and two blanks next to it. I can rearrange them that easy? Awesome!.

Awesome as well, it WORKED! I was adding the "ONLIN" that precedes it on the TripPacks. On the TripPack it's: "ONLINCJHT" under the bar code. Taking the prefix out totally worked. Thanks!! Not that I want to use it. I don't like TransFlowing at all if I can possibly avoid it. It goes against my business grain to pay for something I can get done for free; However, there are those rare times that cash flow needs necessitate coughing up a dab for immediate settlement, cause Mrs. Aminal's learning curve in this independent up and down settlement thing is a bit more shallow than mine and there are times when I'm in a bit of a sticky wicket cash flow wise to meet a home bill, and in a place I'll have to TransFlow (and invariably FIGHT for parking to do so inside, cause it's LATE at some megastop) to get it done w/o burning a free "late trip". This just give me OPTIONS. I'm all about having me lots of OPTIONS. Too bad I missed one yesterday and got a bit busted up. Later on that.

Good Luck and WELCOME to the Greatest Show On Earth! It's the most fun you'll ever hate and then Love again the next day. Just remember - it's the JOURNEY: what you learned, persevered though and how you FINISH that counts. How you start is just that; a START. It's the finish and the experience of the Journey along the way that makes it worth the trip. Got a hundred tons of great help here. Never hesitate to ask even the smallest thing. Welcome again (hopefully).

Bad News Guys. Darla took a hit on her chin from a Chevy yesterday. Separate post on my running commentary on her on the OTR performance thread on that. She's OK, though. Have a good one all.

 

Fuel $2.199 at Quick Draw (the old Trucker's Paradise) / Minden Travel Center in Minden, LA I-20 X-49. $2.989 (cash, - $0.05 rebate and $0.04 Diamond in-store Rewards = $2.909 net cost) at the Love's right across the street. $0.71 CPG less expensive?! Guess where I fuelled? On this trip that saved me almost $100 in real money from my original "Love's Hop" plan going home to SC fro the Wild West. Granted, it took over an hour to fuel 'cause they DO take EFS, but have to call it in and whenever a stop has to call it in, they have to get to a human because our truck numbers have letters in them and the auto "phone prompt" thing doesn't allow mixing letters and numbers on truck numbers. So they have to jump through the hoops to get a human on the line to get the authorization. That usually only adds 20 mins or so to my stop for "clock on the wall" trip time (which I log OFF as soon as I'm done actually at the pump and pull up anyway. So, a few more mins and I got my 30 in on the 8 hour clock).

This particular one added 1.75 hours to my "clock on the wall" time 'cause we had a problem in verbal communication between the very nice and sweet young fuel clerk with the heavy Cajun accent, speaking via speaker phone, and the very nice, and seemingly sweet, Indian (as in the Country - not indigenous Native American) lady on the other end at EFS and somewhere between the accents, nine 0's and spaces and whatnot in the 18 digit card number Chickaroo in BF LA's transcontinental voice-phone transmission via speaker phone to Chickaree in Deli (or wherever) returned on the computer screen at "EFS" ("Dis Iss Peggy!"): Dis card is not allowed at that site number. Your site is blocked from this card. He has to call his company for an over-ride authorization. Dat is all I can do. Not'ng more. Sorry."

"I AM an authorized site! I been callin' these in all day!" [Cajun]

"I understand, but dis one is blocked by his company. Dere iis notin I can do witout an override code." [EFS Indian]

"Ma'am? [me to my clerk who is getting really annoyed w/ EFS]. "Thank her and hang up. OK? I'll call my company." Knowing it was a cultural verbal communication glitch on a site call for EFS authorization. I called JCT anyway and sure enough, we aren't blocked anywhere. We pay for the fuel. JCT doesn't care where we get it. Weekend DM says: "Nope, no blocks coming up. Has to be an EFS glitch. Try it again and if it doesn't go through, Jim in Fuel is here until 5:00 at X 6676 and he can help." That's what I figured. We do and this time (she STILL insists on using speaker phone) we get a guy w/ a British accent but he gets it after a few "OK Luv, I have 1800 **-**-***-**'s. There you have it! You're authorization code is XX***XYZ. Have lovely day!"

So, I guess the point of this post is to address anyone's business needs and offer info. We run businesses. Every one of us is an individual business married by contract to JCT. JCT is an AWESOME partner. I wouldn't dream of doing this independent thing w/ anyone else. Still, we have different computer and human "systems" w/ fuel and everything else (customers, directions, routes, service, projections on OTD and a ton of others), that all have to connect and integrate properly for things to all go smoothly. Smooth roads are a rare treasure in Trucking.

I GUARANTEE the Love's right across the street I could have been in and out in about 20 mins (Sunday and lots of open pumps). Racked up some points and free shower at ANY Love's (no points or showers across the street at Indian Joe's). I got super plenty of time on this load so I chose the $100 in my pocket today on a loose as a goose home run and had some fun playing with people (flirting w/ the clerk, chatting it up w/ other travelers - just using all manner of people skills to make lemonade outta a lemon).

Funny thing; I made a new friend in the process too. This place only has 3 fuel islands and a full time RV'er (I know. Right? An RV'er - the slow up'ers?). Retired Military. He had a big new Dodge Dually w/ a big "auto" Cummin's diesel and we got to talking at the painfully slow pumps about diesel engines, torque, mileage etc. He mentioned he was going to the Love's but saw this price and dove in and . . . OK Kids it IS time to chuckle at Grandpa . . . having recently recovered from my info overload I told him about an app for his smart phone truckers use and we just hit it off. He's a kinda me in 20 years.

Pen Pal. Some of y'all may remember that from when we were kids. There was no Internet or such but schools, (Grade, Grammar, Jr., and High) all had a Pen Pal section on the cork board by the Counselor's Office. International and US. All delivered in an envelope in regular mail. Ever remember running to the mail box by the road to get a letter from a Pen Pal from a ways away? Cool feeling!

The advent of the internet, e-mail, Facebook and such supplanted Pen Pals. It shrunk the world but in a way it impersonalized it too. A thoughtful expression, and a photograph of this or that , the Postman delivered gave way to insta-this and that on everyone's smart phones (and watches and eyeglasses and what next? Insta zap straight to your brain?) but there is something really special (to any that are old enough and actually had one) and my new E-Pen Pal; we take a quick snap pick of something cool, like the sunrise over the Sierra Madres (how many of US have seen that a bunch? Us cause we had to, him cause he wanted to), Yosemite Falls at dusk. Been there too a hundred times. Never saw it THAT way, though. Be safe my friend. Oh, and if you're heading down 157, fuel is cheap at . . . Maybe we catch up in Yuma. Beer's on me at Gila Bend if you can make it . . .

See what I mean?

It's the JOURNEY and how you finish that REALLY counts.

Not how many times you made the dime stretch to a dollar. One is necessary for the other, but you gotta have . . .

BALANCE and never forget the things in your life that are really important. Jimmy Buffet said it beautifully; "24 hours, maybe 60 good years. It's really not that long a stay."

It really isn't.

Peace out y'all.

 

Sorry, rough couple of days.

If an "off site" that takes EFS but can't do "at the pump" and has to run the card inside the store;

If they can just run it by tapping stuff into a decently high tech computer register, your delay is only about 20 more mins vs. the mega stops pay-at-the-pump card readers.

If they are a site that has to call on the phone and punch numbers in on the phone prompts, the phone prompt system at EFS WON'T allow mixed numbers and letters for the truck number so they WILL have to get a human on the line no matter what so the human at EFS can take the required info verbally.

I plan an hour for fueling and hoops to get the transaction authorized at any non-mega stop. Just sayin . . . the savings are great but consider the extra time if your load is tight and what OTD is. It's totally "Fab", as my kids say. But just consider ALL things and their value to you and know that the cheap fuel is SLOW fueling. If that's your gig on this run; cool. Just plan extra time for it.

 

Well, I have had this '15 Cascadia Evo right at 30 days now. I've been running her at 63mph (1225rpm) and have averaged 7.44 mpg. The average would be higher, but have one 6.3mpg fill up thanks to really strong headwinds. The loads have been between 38-43k on the old crappy "R" trailers. Can't seem to get away from them this month. The '12 I use to have averaged 7.3 running at 57mph at 1225rpm.

Now, to back her down a bit to 60mph and she how she does over the next 30 days.

 

Does jct have a customer near Tucumcari NM or something? I always see a disproportionate amount of jct trucks at the loves and flying J there.

 

Not that I know of. But, we run alot along I-40 and I-10.

 

Did you get the truck brand new or did it have miles on it?