Stevens Transport aviary

Got to Ontario, unloaded right away. Finally got a veggie load up the coast for pu the next day. Now have a full box of leaf lettuce. Made it back to Ontario (barely!) on saturday, then made it to Lordsburg, NM where I sit now.
Only have 3 hours tomorrow, 4.75 monday. Load due at Taylor Farms in Dallas tuesday.
Told them when they gave me the load I didn't have the hours.
"Pick it up and get it going. We'll figure things out along the way."
Does that sound like a friday afternoon or what!
Figure I'll be in El Paso tomorrow morning around 8. Will get together with my uncle before he heads back to New England for the summer.
Think I can make it to Pecos tuesday morning. Then...???
430 miles short.
Have 11.75 coming back wednesday, but that's a day late.
Wanna bet I get a new delivery date?
Then off to the yard for my safety hold

 

Chisom truck stop is what you are thinking about...
Many many years ago Rip griffins was a large chain of good home cooked meals truck stops... many of the larger TA were rip griffins. I just refuse to support the J's that don't have a sit down restaurant.

 

Dang it emusified, just missed you again, stopped in wilcox AZ yesterday about 5pm, headed to san deigo... Mother was in a good mood last week, except for the computer programmers, that can't get the computers to do what she wants them to do...

Made my first drop in San Diego today. Have 2 more drops to do in aniheim and long beach... and NOBODY in dallas was communicating with anyone else... I informed them on Sunday, when I picked the load up at 0500, that there was NO way I could make 3 drops on monday night... Final answer sunday, make the first drop, and we will work on rescheduling the other 2..
Monday morning, time the start of my day to be able to arrive on time at the Jetro, allowing for all the Check points, and grades... Still send in a running late and a repower request, not trusting the weekend crew...
Get a repower set up for Ontario, but I am not sure I can make Ontario after empty, will depend on Jetro... cancel that repower, about an hour later, another repower, for Otay Mesa... well that is only 30 miles south, I can do that...
Then the QC goes crazy with new appointments.....
So now I have Tuesday appointments, again after 5pm... so a day of enjoying the entertainment of the TA... I hustled, and helped the lumper so that I would have 2 hours and 15 minutes to make it up to Ontario...and I am here.

Sure glad I won't be back to the yard for 90 days, as mother would not like my last two days... 11 hours driving, 664 miles, and 11 hours 604 miles... but all legal, except that the computer will flag them as too fast.

 

Well, repowered in Van Horn this morning at 0300. Now I have a load scheduled to deliver in San Antonio wednesday evening.
Sitting at the 7D in Ft Stockton now.
Out of hours again. Get back 11.5 at midnight, so tomorrow's delivery will not be a problem.
Good thing I have a couple new books. A person could go crazy in this 'town' with all the excitement.

 

need to by a kindle... that way you have an endless supply of books for those wild western towns.

Setting in Ontario TA again, after waiting all day to make my two deliveries, that across the QC I was told were rescheduled... neither Jetro had been told via Email or phone.. But I got unloaded, worked in at anahiem, and long beach was no problem...

Now I remember why I detest California... there is NO place to park, unless you are like some drivers who will park right in front of the no parking signs, and the tow away signs.. and not having a preplan or dispatch... sure can waste the hours and miles. Was told no pre plan as dispatch was not sure I would be empty tonight...

And this place is nothing like it was a year ago, with the working girls walking the rows... now it is the Ontario Police driving the rows... And even at 10 pm, empty spots everywhere...

 

Well it's a slow boat to the yard. Will deliver this load here in San Antonio at 2200, then head down to Laredo to P/U a load in the morning, headed for Illinois. If I figure this right, I'll get the load picked up at 0900 with just enough time to make it to the TS to do another 10.
Then I can leave Laredo around 2200 tomorrow night and head for Dallas.
Should put me in that safety class friday just in time to sleep.

 

Sleeping in safety class helps to paint eyeballs on ones glasses.
I am on slow progression out of callifornia... finally got dispatched onto a produce load this morning, that does not pickup until Thrusday, North of Tulare...
So here I set in Tulare... then 30 minutes over to the ONE pick load...
And then off to Missouri... just out of the floods too.

 

Well, I set a new personal record on this yard trip.
Arrived with Chicago load I picked up in Laredo to the yard at 0530. Was cleared and dispatched by 1500 same day.
Picked up an Americold load around the corner and am now headed to Cheyenne.
Spent the night at the Pilot in Ft Worth. Ready to roll in another hour.
Be safe everyone.

 

When the truck does not need work, clearing the yard is quick...
My hold up was the truck. But the work needed done, and it cost me so much less on the yard for the DPF filter.
Sitting in Stratford TX tonight, on my way to Missouri.

A couple of interesting discussions this past week with newer alliance drivers... first one, was all upset, as he had been setting for 2 days, after refusing a 300 mile deadhead load. We were in Ontario CA. He said his trainer had told him to never accept long deadheads... I told him they are a fact of life for some locations, and LA is one of them, so is Denver, and Cheyenne. And now he was moved to the bottom of the dispatch list, and looking around, he might be there another 2 days... and then he will not be paid the deadhead miles on his next load... A costly mistake in my opinion. now when my empty (deadhead) miles get over 10% for the month, I will mention it to my DM, but I won't refuse the load.

Next conversation happened at a shipper in CA. I went to my first shipper on Thursday morning to pickup my one pick load for Walmart. Walmart had cancelled the load from this shipper on Wednesday. So I inform Produce, am told to sit tight, working on the new pickup locations... 1 1/2 hours later, I have 2 pickups, first one 1 pallet, 11 miles south, 2nd one, 20 pallets, 20 miles north... head to the one pallet stop, back in and wait on the open air dock...
Strike up a conversation with the other stevens driver.. also a new alliance driver...
He is agitated.. spent 2 days in phenoix on a 3 drop meat load, that picked up in amarillo, and then deadheaded to Cally.. we are around Dinuba CA. He is also complaining about his deadhead miles, and the wasted time, the cancelled order, does not even know where his next pick up is, ....... He is saying he can't make any money... I say, 2800 miles a week, even with the delays I experience is no problem.. 2 days deliverying my meat load, a day of setting waiting for the pickup, the changed locations, but I will end the week with 2800 miles.. It is the big picture that counts.
He disagrees, saying he has to have 500 miles a day... I answered can't even log that legally at Stevens... and he walks away...

I have to wonder what trainers are telling these guys about refusing loads, empty miles, and what it takes to succeed.

And my day did not get anymore productive, as I arrived at 2nd shipper at noon, and was not loaded until 10pm. Got me a good nap on their quite deserted parking lot, and rolled out a 3am on Friday... so I had 400 miles for Tuesday, wednesday, and Thursday combined. But Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I will have 1850 miles, plus the 400, and monday 600 is 2850 miles for the week.