Starting Late in Life

My rap name is 'Sir Tarp-A-Lot. I do about 3-4 8' drop tarp'd loads a week. These lumber tarps will humble a man. TMC policy is no shorts, hard toe shoes, hard hat, etc. I am soaked when finished tarping. Rates seem to be improving or maybe I am just getting better loads as a work my way up the totem pole. My weekly stats seem to be in the top half or better for my fleet, team and company wide. Revenue to the truck seems to hover around $5k, but did have a couple $6k weeks. My backing skills are getting way better, have not hit anything yet, but was real slow at first with too many pull ups. I have no issue now with getting into a tight spot at a truck stop at night. I see the box van drivers do maneuvers that my 10' spread axle just won't do.

I got popped at a weigh station last week for being 680 over gross but 3,400 over axle (Drives). Was after hours, called safety, gone for the day, night ops advised me to stay in VA and not cross into NC. Thursday night. Going home the next day. #### it. I rolled into NC at about 8pm ish. Wasn't sure if scales were open so I sat on the shoulder and waited for a cluster of trucks to pass and then fell in behind them. Scales were open. Lanes were full, I got a bypass. Talked with safety in the morning. They had five trucks leave that same shipper, all were confirmed as bing similarly over weight. I was the only one that made it to the con Thursday night for Friday morning delivery. The other four stayed in VA and spent the day un tarping, having the load re worked and then re tarping. I got a load out of the same place I delivered to and was home before 1pm Friday. Was a good day. The $181 fine sucked.

My wife drive for Melton for about four months. They treated her really good, but kept her out for three weeks at a time with a lot of down time. No reason to sit for three days at a drop and hook. She has volunteered at the local fire department and is going through the training pipeline now . Our plan was to drive as a team, pull DoD loads, etc. Obviously that is not happening. We will come up with a plan.

In the mean time, one of my peers that went through orientation at TMC with has left TMC to work for ATS. Loves it. He jumped after six months at TMC, I plan to wait at least a year before jumping. At this point I am not sure if I want to jump. TMC has some strict rules, but I fuel whenever I want. Pick my own routes, nobody pressures me to hurry and I clear between $1,500 - $1,800 (In the bank) every week. Seems OK for a less than one year flatbed driver.