Taking the plunge. My journey as an O/O.

I will be adding 40 miles to this load due to the washout being out of route.

They pay for the washouts. They pay for extra miles required to do the job. Out of route for things I cannot control is fine.

Like any other o/o I don't get paid to drive the miles I drive during home time, taking the truck to a hotel, then to a shop, then returning it to service. My mileage on my first load back from home time is based on where I delivered my last load.

The trailer shenanigans is just part of the job. I could have shut down at 8PM and started at 6AM, got the trailer washed out, and picked the load up at 8AM, and in most other situations, I would have. However, I would FAR rather deal with the Atlanta 285 loop at 8-10PM rather than 6-8AM.

@Cat sdp LOL at bankers hours. I shut down at 2215. Not going anywhere until at least 0830 or so after a bobtail PTI.

 

Well. Got to the shipper at 0900 to pick up my drop and hook load that was supposed to be ready.

It wasn't ready. They had me park in front of it. They hadn't started loading it yet.

So, three hours later, it's loaded.

Bills say 45739 lbs, 58 pallets.

I left, knowing I would be coming back.

80080 gross, 36040 tandems, in maximum legal kingpin separation for leaving GA and going anywhere but FL.

Returned to shipper for rework.

There have been WAY too many reworks due to stupidly overloaded trailers recently. Three that I can remember in just the last few months.

 

Well, I'm shut down here in Joliet, IL.

Account loads appear to have dropped off substantially. Shaffer loads as well. Delivered, grabbed an empty and had it washed out. I am now sitting at Fred's on 53 with a bit less than half a day left to drive.

There are way too many trucks sitting idle here, and at the Pilot across the street.

South Chicago outbound freight as a whole appears to be lacking.

 

Well, replying to myself for an update.

Fuel economy is now at 6.6 MPG for the last 10k miles (9935.)

This includes all idle and opti-idle time.

It has been over 4 months since the engine rebuild, and I have been running fairly solid miles in that time. I am planning on my next home time in mid-June, and will have a valve adjustment made then.

The home time after that will be August-ish, and my plan is to replace all 8 drives at that time.

Once those two things are done, I expect my fuel economy to be back in the 7.0 range.