Snackbar is chillin'....at Shaffer

It's already starting...new guy knows I am in the shop for the tire, again. Told him when they sent the automated virtual PTA message (that is sent when they are verifying your PTA before the morning planning session), that I have no clue as to when I will be available because of the delay getting the tire re-fixed. Then, 2 preplans pop up, both that pick up today. (One looks like a repower from a broke down truck)...I will be lucky to make an on time delivery of my current load, let alone dicking around with another pick up, delivery and another pick up after that. Honestly, Op's has no clue what they're doing, I truly believe.

 

The day from hell for me. Started out with the new recap flat tire, which ended up being the guy that originally mounted it cross threaded the air supply hose from the auto-inflate system on the valve stem, so it didn't seal correctly. It would open the valve stem enough to let some air in as it was rolling down the road, but sitting, it just weeped all the air out overnight. Then, I decided to try the routing that they sent for my load, which was US65 out of Springfield to US412 west(in AR)to AR-103 to AR-43 to AR-21 to US-64, which takes you to I-40. I only had 20k lbs, so I thought, how bad could it be...word to the wise, DON'T FOLLOW THOSE ROUTES, especially if you're heavy. Some of the roads, which are considered truck routes aren't wide enough to fit 2 trucks passing in the opposite direction. There are also 11 & 12% grades. Some of the climbs, I was on the low side of the trans going 15 mph...then down the other side it was high jake, and it couldn't hold without service brakes going 20. And the song 'Wolf Creek Pass', where he says, the road looked like the malaria germ...pretty much fit this entire road. 6 miles before Clarksville, even with my jakes doing most of the work, I hit a pull-off, and had to let my tractor brakes cool because, while they weren't fading, they were smoking enough to stop. I've only smoked my brakes one other time...but I think this was a little worse than that time. 197 miles from the tire shop to the delivery and it took almost 5 hours.

Oh, and the preplans were, Adkins, AR to West Fork, AR. Then Neosho to somewhere in TN. They took the Neosho to TN off of me, but kept me on the West Fork. Turns out...I was to drop my empty from Russellville in Adkins, then bobtail up to West Fork to pick up a trailer at a towing company yard, but nobody passed any info about it to me until I sent in my empty call in Russellville. Then it was just a comment on a trailer move message. I can tell, this whole new A/M assignment isn't gonna fly...

Oh, and I got turned around in Russellville. I had a Conagra load going to Americold, but for some reason, when I searched my saved locations on my Nag-a-Gator, I just clicked on Americold-Russellville, forgetting there are 2 Americold warehouses in Russellville. One for Tyson, one for Conagra...so, after I pulled in to the wrong one, I realized it right before I made a fool of myself and got out of the truck. I got turned around, and headed back to Conagra...but like an idiot, I pulled into Conagra, not Americold...and as I stopped in line at the 2nd wrong place, my Peoplenet went nuts again, and I couldn't change out of drive time. 3rd times the charm, after getting turned around in the Conagra lot, I pulled in to the right place. I think I'm going senile after all this beeping from the ##### box and nannying from the company...now, after I pick up the empty at the towing company yard, I live load in Fayetteville going to UT for Sunday.