The continuing tale of DocFrank

Runin' runin' boogateeboogatee. First load what a rush! Memphis to Ohio. Got there early and no one was at shipper so I parked at the dock as per written instructions posted in this teeny shack/drivers lounge.lol. and reset my 14. Got 'er done the next day and got another load to Kentucky. Got that one done and presto a load to Baltimore. But that's not the whole story by a long shot. I got to go pick up this load from a drop site and then back to KY, I'll fill in the blanks when I can. Also, I'll post a pic of my tractor.Be safe out there and Don't let the Minahunees get 'ya!

 

True,true buckaroo. They are also known as tricksters who will lead you astray. Something like a cross between a Pooka and Los Ninitos. They can also be helpful.

 

Whoa! What a long strange trip I've been on since I last posted! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to keep up the post but it seems like every available moment I've had free was taken up with eating, sleeping, planning my journey and where I'd shut down that day, and talkin' to my sweet wife. Somehow I just haven't been able to find that elusive 25th hour that I know every day should have...oh well, it is what it is. I finally had to leave Swift after driving for them for a year. I just couldn't ever get enough miles to make what I needed to pay my bills. I hated going as they are a great company to work for and I really liked everyone I met there. I loved my Volvo "Baby" and I really love driving over the road, especially out west. If you don't get out and drive in it you just can't realize what a beautiful country we live in and how many wonderful people there are out there.
Just a few things that happened to me out there: I got caught in Nebraska in that first blizzard last Nov. up on 80 when they closed her down. Drove over South Pass from Wyoming to Montana in a white out. The wind must have been 60-70 mph with gust that Really Moved my van and I was hauling 78K+! I mean it just pushed me like a hand slapping my truck! The snow was going side-ways and all I could see was the tracks in front of me. I must have got on the road just before they closed it but I made it out O.K. except for a cracked windshield I got when a Cement hauler coming toward me in the other lane kicked up a rock that the wind picked up and pelted me with. Later that same day, I got stuck in the middle of a buffalo herd ( about 50-100 animals) out on this "two" lane ranch road to nowhere. No fences and no good place to turn around. Also no QCom. Jill went bye=bye on me. I guess she lost satellite reception and the first I noticed was when I saw that the miles to location had stopped moving. I was looking to drop my load at this mining company who, unbeknownst to me, didn't have any signs posted for their location. They said, when I finally found them, that because they used a lot of explosives they didn't want anyone knowing where they were! Made it a challenge to deliver their load.
At least they were nice and let me shut down out there as I only had 5min. left on my 11 by the time I got there. I have never in my life seen so many stars!!! There were so many, I could even find the Big Dipper or Orion or any familiar, easily spotted constellations! What a rush!
Speaking of rushes, I was driving from Kansas to Wyoming when that big tornado hit Oklahoma City. I was on 80W heading to Wamsutter when the sky went absolutely black. The wind was really strong and there was sheets of rain and some fair sized chunks of hail. I look to the south and there was a wall of clouds, a tornado was hidden in it about 5 miles away. to the north and ahead of me I saw 3 other funnel clouds ranging from about 5 to maybe 15 miles away. I honestly have never been afraid of storms or bad weather but this time, I was. I saw light on the horizon between the funnel clouds and right the way 80 was heading so I just put the hammer down and prayed my tail off all the way to Wamsutter! It was really a relief to get in there. I don't know what else I could have done. I saw some 4 wheelers and several semis parked under overpasses or just on the side of the road but I figured that would just make me a sitting duck and I sure didn't want to get plucked by some ol' tornado. I heard at the truck stop that the tornado in the big cloud of rain that was closest to me had hit several small towns and it later went down to Ok City where it did all that damage.
Now I'm driving for Brown Brothers. They're a company that moves fracturing equipment for Schlumberge. They also haul cement out to rigs. Most of it is in South Texas but I've moved stuff up to Ohio and Oklahoma and out to Midland, Texas. Everything is done in convoy. I hate it. The pay is good, $900 a week guaranteed + bonuses if you move move than 6 pieces of equpt. or travel more than a certain amount of miles. I've had the opportunity to move very heavy loads (100-140000 lbs.) radiation loads, tankers and containers and a lot of other HazMat so that's neat, but in general there's not a lot of miles involved and some days there's nothing. I still get paid the same but it just isn't me. I Love Driving and I Love going long distance solo over the road. There's nothing like it.
Anyway, I've got my eyes out for another job, hopefully tanker long haul, but anything that I can make more money at and get some road beneath me.
As to that, has anyone heard of K&B Transportation? From what I can find out, they're a reefer company and they guarantee $950 a week (min. 2500 mi.) and .50 per for over that. Sounds to good to be true so I'm suspicious. Also I can't find any postings on them on the Forum either for or against which might be a good thing. They are supposed to be a big company in business since 1986 but I can't find out anything about them and I don't remember seeing many if any of their trucks. Please give a shout out if you know or have heard anything about them.
Well, God knows when I'll get back with more news, but I will be back. Special Love to Sammycat and hopes that your marriage is working out great.And Kudos to all the great guys & gals who have responded to this thread. Remember, now matter where you go or what you do...Don't le the Minahunees get you!

 

Great to hear from you SammyC!!! It's good to know there's friends out there. I'm glad you and Dave are still doing great. Nothing beats being with someone you love.(except maybe being the only truck on the road a dawn in the Great Basin) And now I find you're getting all managerial and stuff, way to go!
One thing though, you should ask Dave to really think about letting his Class A go. It never hurts to have a good fallback option, just in case. I mean, you never know what hand Life is goin' to deal you and he might get bored watching people sleep.
As you know, I spent almost 20 years as a myotherapist and taking care of the terminally ill before I hit the road. It's something I can still go back to but I had to let my license lapse because I could no longer afford it. I'd have to re-qualify and pay a hefty sum to get back in which I wouldn't have to do if I had been able to keep my license current. Just sayin'. So y'all give it some thought and remember you might just want to recross that bridge you burned behind you. Love ya' guys, don't let the Minahunees get you!

 

Hey Mary Krashdragon! Glad you enjoyed the post. Don't worry, you'll get through the 3 day orientation no problem. Swift is a great company to work for but don't expect to get much more the 2500 mi. per wk. and do expect to get stuck waiting for a load in certain areas. I always got stuck in Houston and Washington state. Sometimes for more than 18 hrs. No fun at all!! You've got a good home terminal at Lancaster. They will run you. Just be sure you don't turn down any loads if you can run them with the hours you have and try to get people to call in favorable reports on you. It will really help you move up their rating scale and once you get to gold or platinum (I'm not sure which) you can access available loads and pounce on the runs you want. I never got to do that because of some early on problems so maybe that's why I couldn't ever get enough miles.
I am working as a driver for Brown Brothers now which is oil field (moving frac equipment for Schlumberger pronounced Slum ber jay, like Lamp Berger only whith a slum lol) Pay is O.K. but it's not over the road.
Another thing, don't just take the first mentor necessarily they throw at you. Be a little picky. Look at the way his tractor is maintained, his personal cleanliness and professionalism, and ask questions about how long he/she has been driving, where he/she's (I'm just going to say he from here out it's not sexist it's just fewer letters) home is at, and rules he might have about his cab. Watch out for the Owner/Ops who just want to use you as a log book and get the hell away from anyone whose attitudes about safety are, shall we say, "relaxed". Ask questions all the time!!!! Listen to stories from them and from other drivers at the truck stops. Almost everyone in trucking is helpful to newbies. We've all been there before. Remember, when someone helps you, you've picked up the "Truckers Debt" that is to help someone else down the road. It's a good thing!
Finally, make sure you mentor gives you lots of practice backing and doesn't just credit you with backs or other maneuvers that you really didn't do. They will do that so they can get through all the stuff it's their job to train and check you on in the first 50 hrs. so they can run the hell out of you for the rest of the mentoring period. The person that does that might not be a good mentor but you be the judge of that. Mind you, running hard is good for you as it builds up your capacity and will let you know better if you want to team drive or go solo.
Anyway, I guess I've gabbed you to death. Sorry about that. It's just that I love this business so much and I get excited seeing someone new coming into it. Also, these are things I wished I had someone tell me before I started the mentoring process. I was lucky and got a good mentor, Tommy Butler, he taught me a lot and we are still friends. If you can get him. It's great that you will be doing your training in winter make sure you get your mentor to really get you familiar with how to chain-up and drive with chains on. You won't get the hands on any way else.
Enjoy the Road and whatever you do, Don't let the Minahunees get you.