The 'Gainey' Expierence

Running a bit slower these days but eh I am not the only one, and slow is still 1200+ easy a week. We have gotten news that if we get hazmat we can get on a sweet run dedicated which is a guaranteed 4000+ miles a week (and an easy peesy run to do for us)

 

Well the last few weeks have been slow, we had 1100 mls last Wednesday for the week I #####ed and welll... disp decided to run us 1100 mls for fri moring then 1000 mls for sat night finished the week at 3.4k

Started this week with 1100 for this evening then picked up 2100 mls del. Wednesday.

Still managing min 1000 a week in pay even after health insurance. This last week was 1100, week before 1300, week before 1200, this week is 2300. Next week is 1800.

Still happy here, can't wait for summer to see what the mls are like.

Bought a 23" tv widescreen trying to find a place to mount it. Also started a truck garden. Yes I know I'm nuts.

 

Well we got nearly 6k for the week slammed our 70s and are currently shelled up in a hotel in St Louis, next pickup is 10 AM tomorrow, we have to head up to Grand Rapids to grab our IFTA stickers, and deliver. I am confident we will have plenty of miles the next 2 weeks then off to home time for 5-6 days, well deserved sheesh.

I might start going home every 4 weeks instead of every 6, maybe it will help with the burned out feeling.

 

Headed to CA from MN right now, tired, but got plenty of time to get this one there so we are taking it easy. Been getting about 4000-5000 miles a week the last 2 weeks, this friday is homeday and I think i am ready for it.

Been getting to know dispatcher better too lol, always good. Planted some seeds in the truck, in a seed starter and they are ready to be ground. Yeah I know I am weird but I like getting my seeds started right before I put them outside, and I've seen weirder crap.

We are going to consider strongly getting fridge during hometime, and trying to save cash again, we are blowing 1200 a month on food alone. Thats crazy.

Plus its not healthy. But this weekend coming up is spelling the death of the old tree in front of the house its getting ripped out, and a koi pond is going in its place. thats what it gets for trying to fall on my #### car. Bye bye tree.

In its place is going a beautiful Koi Pond with a waterfall and little bridge and three weeping cherry trees which are smaller and non invasive rooting. I get my koi pond at least hehe.

 

Well that tree thing didn't happen lol, its going to be more work then thought to get that tree down, but its death is planned.

We had a terrible April so far, the truck broke down 3 times. First it finally started coding in NJ, it had been running like #### for weeks and I told them repeatedly it was going to break down spectucarly somewhere. I had it in the shop 3 times since it started sounding and running like crap and they kept saying nothing wrong.

Well turns out something was wrong, an Actuator broke, that took us down 3 days. Then we got a load to SC, then another to KY, and on the KY load our brakes quit working. Not the brakes themselves, the lights for them. Turns out a burned switch was to blame.

That took us off a good load and we lost a day of work.

THEN when we got home for hometime, hubby broke the rear axle. (Heavy load, put it in gear, and it slipped out gear). That had us home 2 days extra.

I actually got a 1.66 paycheck for one of them weeks sheesh.

But we are rolling good now and the truck is running fine. We had a battery issue since we had the truck, every time we'd put it in the Dallas shop they said nothing wrong. So after the 3rd jump start we finally got a diagnose from the tow guy. Alternator is bad. This time would be off 2 hours and if you had the bunk lights on it would have to be started or it would not start later.

Then we had a load to Dallas, and our dispatcher swore we'd be late so we bet him a steak dinner we'd be on time. Won that bet. Got routed to Grand Rapids to collect our dinner, and while there put truck in to have alternator checked, SURE enough it was the alternator and it was replaced.

Dispatcher bought us lunch we headed off to NJ, then got a load to Cali where I am now sitting at the Ontario TA listening to what has to amount to the DUMBEST PEOPLE ever to drive a truck arguing on the CB.

I wanted to edit the first post of this thread and make key points about Gainey for quick reference, but I guess you cannot edit old post. So this will be my LAST post in this thread. I am about to start a new one, and if you have a question/comment put it there.