Running With Watkins & Shepard

LOL... Yea well, apparently everyone takes me for a fool so I might as well live the part.

cpape, that's one of the biggest factors in my decision making. I want to be part of a fiscally responsible state too.

 

Wow ch thats a big bite O/O after a year. More power to ya bud.
I am a 48 yr. old unemployed home builder-carpenter also and had stumbled across your thread with org. was looking to see how a career change might work out in this for someone like me in Pa. Small world.
And cpape great job getting the truckers involved. My fiancée has a business called bodylogique and does a yoga based program for special need kids.
Making me aware and involved also.Grants,fundraisers etc.
Been getting allot of interest from all over the US. If I get the trucking thing going we might both be tooling around the country. Again small world.

 

In Great Falls, MT at Pilot.........Met Ken sitting here!

 

Hi Jack and welcome.

Not such a big bite really. Several drivers I know have done it and although originally I wasn't thinking a year, being an O/O has been my plan from the start. My buddy Mike did it and that has reinforced the plan and even helped kick it up a notch as far as the timing. He's a sharp guy and it's pretty cool having him roughly 6 months ahead of me. I've learned MUCH.... Thanks Mike!

Very cool you're a fellow wood butcher Jack. I sure wish I could still do it. I miss my passion and the physical work that goes with it a LOT!! The same age and from PA to boot? A small world indeed sir. We'll have to get together and share some war stories and pictures some time.

 

Is this the new What's your 20 thread?

 

So after coming back on the 23rd Kristina had me a nice little broker load of paperboard from Philadelphia PA to Chatsworth GA. From Dalton I pulled a short hop over to Blue Mountain MS with a load of bagged Poly powder and then a load of furniture out of Myrtle to Conover. Grabbed this load of furniture there and it's off to Dallas TX and the Phoenix AZ.

Been getting swamped with rain in the south east and ran thru those tornado warnings on that run from PA to GA. It got pretty intense at times with really heavy winds and rain.

I had the urge to pull over a couple times but it was a nice heavy load and low to the floor. Had it been a light one, I would have for sure. I was running at night as usual and there were several times when all us big trucks backed it down some. There were times the rain was so heavy through Southern VA that we all tightened up and rolled along together at like 30 or 40. We even switched the lead at times to give the driver with no one to follow a break....

It was fun to have 11 trucks running and working together like that. Kinda reminded me of my Harley pack.

 

Chris, best of luck to ya when you go O/O. I'll be looking forward to hearing all the details.

I know you've been pretty busy out there, so we haven't had a chance to have that cup of joe.

One of these days, buddy.

 

Thanks buddy. I thought about you when in GA but it was a pretty quick turn around. My sleep time got cut a bit short due to having to get that loaded trailer fixed...Hmmmm...imagine that!

 

Hey, you're staying busy, that's what matters. We'll get together soon enough.

It might be easier once I get moving. Been having some minor delays on my end, but hopefully it'll work itself out.

Stay safe out there, buddy.

 

Did a 2 stop this morning in Dallas. 2 light pieces at stop 1. 8 pieces at stop 2 but two of those were 580 lb tables!! Me and this dock guy (bigger and younger than I) couldn't even slide the top one working together.......

They didn't have a forklift but had this little stand on electric job that couldn't even get over the dock plate edge or climb the little bump of it...... Soooo...I figured anything this heavy must be created pretty strong. I found an upright in the center on the end. (These boxes were 3'H x 4'W x 9'L). We cut thru the box around the bottom of that upright, tied a strap to it and used that electric thing-a-ma-jig to pull it out to the balance point. He had a few square dollies so we put one at the end, slid it down onto it and then slid it out to do the other end. The upper one was easier than the lower one...LOL

Had this been one of those little Mom & Pop places, there's NO WAY I'd have gotten them off the truck. One has to wonder how they expect one driver to handle these things??? Just a touch away from 75lbs over the head and walking 50 feet...no?

Final in Phoenix for the remaining 104 pieces.