Stevens Transport A year in review

Feb 14 to 20
Miles ran 2899
Miles paid 1811

Ran from Dinuba CA to Kingman AZ, where I was repowered to a load going to Los Lunas. Set Around for a day to make that delivery, then was repowered to a load to Salt Lake city. Made that delivery, and was deadheaded to Ontario OR, to pick up a frozen load going to Denver, CO. Made that delivery on Monday Morning, and then I headed home to Casper WY.

Feb 21 to feb 28

Miles ran 327
Miles paid, 2361
Spent this week at home, got my taxes done, and relaxed.

 

feb 28 to march 6

Miles ran, 2148
Miles paid 0

8 days at home, much needed
Called in on Tuesday morning to get rolling again, but was told no loads, will have to find a repower. That sucks...
It was 4pm before they finally call, saying they had found one, go to Rawlins to meet a truck at Midnight, for a Delivery at the Denver Airport between 0500 and 1100, and then over to Mclane in Longmont for a 2300 appointment. Another #### load, but it gets me moving.

Make it to the Skychef at 0800, get my 2 pallets off, then the 30 miles north to park for the day... Then over to mclane to park for the night. Checked in at Mclane at 2200, and it was 0400 before my paperwork was ready with the customary damage... Have never taken a load into Mclane without Damage... Takes OS&D until 10 am to tell me to dispose of the case of paper and garbage bags.

Then it is off to tyson, Lexington NE.. no load just head there... Arrive at 1600, call meat dispatch, and go into WalMart to shop.. Get back to the truck, have a load that DLD's at 2200 on Friday, more than 24 hours away. Go and drop my trailer, and grab a hotel room.. Might as well be comfortable, and watch some TV. Call Tyson at 10 am on Friday to check on my load... suprise, it is ready.. Head over and pick it up, now I don't have to drive all night, and just maybe I can get all 3 stops off on Monday.

Get to deal with rain all they way across. First drop is Porkys, arrive at 0300, get a door about 0500, and at 0630 I am rolling... slowly.. out to long Island... Takes me an hour to make it 20 miles, but once on the Long Island Express, it is clear rolling... Drop my 5 pallets of Hamburger, and then off to Hunts Point, to NebraskaLand. Arrive at 1215, my appointment is for Tuesday, but It is 4 pallets of loins... Back into a door, and 30 minutes later I am empty... and have 2 hours left on my 14.

So it is spend the evening in the staging area of the market, and roll out in the morning.

 

Since you have a valid CDL, you don't have to take the written exam. Best advice, keep an open mind, absorb as much as you can, and have fun.

 

March 7 to March 13

Miles ran, 2948, turned out to be a good week

Miles paid, 1924 still getting the cash flow back from being home

Started my day Tuesday, at Hunts Point, headed out at 0400 to beat the traffic out. Although my pickup in taylor PA was not until 1300, only 150 miles away. Headed out of the city, and it was clear sailing, until just after the GW, where the express and local lanes split, where a box truck, a SUV and an empty flatbed had caused mayhem, and carnage. Can't really tell what happened, but what was left of the SUV was on its side spinning, and the flatbed was into the pillers of the bridge, with the box truck into the retaining wall...

So I made it up to my pickup at 0830, checked in, and backed it into a door, and 30 minutes later I am on my way to Grovesport OH... for a drop..
Arrive in Grovesport at 10am Wed, drop, send in my empty call, no empty trailers available today... Get asked to find an empty, again I inform dispatch, no empties today... At 4pm get a load assignment, picks up here at kraft, Thursday appt 9am... So another wasted day... then my phone rings, would I do a shuttle run up to Aurora IL? Sure, it beats setting around for a day... so over to the other building pick up my trailer, and head up the road, to Fort Wayne IN, as my 14 hours will be up. No parking at the Pilot, expected, with the strip clubs across the street. But 1 mile away is a little Truck stop, and I was the only truck for most of the night.
Roll on up to Aurora IL, drop at Kraft refer, no empties, check the overflow, and dry sides... no empties... inform dispatch... no answer....

Set around for 4 hours, when I get a load, from Morris IL, to Boise ID... bobtail the 30 miles to morris... Well that helps... Head for morris, have 4 hours on my 14... well the guard at morris takes her time, and it was 1 hour and 45 minutes from the road to the gate... Find my trailer, and down the road to LaSalle IL J... always parking there.
Stopped at one of the Better Bosselmans, Grand Island NE, great showers, a drivers lounge with choice of TV, and good food.
tonight I am at the TA, Boise ID, just a couple of blocks from my 7am delivery in the morning...

So although it was a tuff week to start, and felt like I really was not getting any miles this week, in the end, I had a good week.

 

Well march is over,
Total miles driven.. 12,042
Total miles dispatched.. 12,869
Miles driven for those dispatched miles..13,616
Unpaid miles 747 or 5.8%
Total miles paid in the month.. 10,198

Net income for month, .299 after all expense were paid... includes health insurance expense.

Comparing 2011 to 2010, first quarter
Actual miles are down, 13% to 31,802
Dispatched miles are down, 10% to 31,644
I decreased my unpaid miles, therefore put more money in my pocket.
Fuel mileage for the quarter, 6.78 mpg an improvement of 1.8%
Net pay increase by 9.1%

I am running a more efficient operation this year as compared to last year. So all in all a good first quarter.