Where is everyone #2!!

Sitting at the hotel in Mauston, Wi. Load another 18' wide tomorrow for Texas. This is number 6 of 8 and I was told today the customer picked up the option for the other 12. Also fielded a phone call from a recruiter for an LTL company in the Appleton area, only problem is I haven't filled out an application for anywhere. I let him run his spiel about being home every night, paid by the hour, choice of local or linehaul blah blah blah. I finally asked him who he was recruiting for. Name of the company? Central Transportation............ I politely declined saying that "I don't think they are a good fit for me, I like driving things that have been washed and maintained."

 

Well, Jumbo, at least you feel wanted!

And for everyone around here...

You know how sometimes you have a GOOD delivery? Where you leave feeling good about your job and glad you do it? It's been a while but it happened again so if you need a pick-me-up today I'll share:

Pull into the same location we been hauling all week, so I know the guard has been working the same killer hours as the rest of us. He's passed out asleep in his pickup and I need to sign in with him. Setting my air brakes didn't wake him up, so I roll in and unstrap, thinking the forklift driver will wake him.

Get unloaded and he's still passed out and I think he's been working since I left 21 hours ago, so I put my paperwork under his windshield wiper and leave him sleeping.

My next load he's awake and he even jokes around a little. "Sorry, driver. I gave the Valet the day off. You have to park it yourself." And when I'm unstrapping he helped roll up my straps.

As I'm leaving, I park next to his pickup to sign out like usual. He points to the clipboard in the space where I SHOULD have signed in my last trip, and there's my name.

"I saw you left your paperwork, and I know your signature. I hope you don't mind I signed in for you."

"Fine with me. I'm happy to go along to get along." Remember, this guy's been working 21 hours straight that I know of, if not more.

I go to leave, and he stops me. "Come in to the office trailer."

The bosses had just brought in about six pizzas. And I mean the good, deep dish, almost a full meal pizzas. The guys INSISTED that I take a couple pieces of pizza and not ONE soda but TWO sodas for the trip back.

It was just one of those deliveries where everybody-- the guard, the forklift driver, the bosses, really felt like we were all working together to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

I really hope all of you get onto a delivery like that soon. It makes your whole week.

 

So Jumbo...being home every night is not a selling point to you either? LOL. I was at home for a week and a half. The travel agent caught me while I was looking at motor scooters. Had money in my pocket and was ready to pull the trigger, but then they started throwing money at me to leave the house. "No finance, NO romance."

Anyways, I've been wanting to build a custom bike for decades. View attachment 63939 View attachment 63940

This is one is a custom Bolt. I'm trying to figure out why I like that one so much.

 

It isn't that I don't want to be home every night. Before doing oversize I hauled logs for the same people for almost 11 years home every night. They were very good to work for, but I wanted to try something different. I figure I will do this till I don't want to anymore and then move onto something else. Most of the LTL carriers and some tanker companies by me are hiring, I just have to decide if that is the direction I want to go.

 

If they were at the J in North East, that is where I was mate.

Good deal, at least now the mystery is solved.
As far as you wanting another contractor.......After my last couple of weeks, don't tempt me! Dispatchers (3 of them) are all at retirement age, or past it. And with one in particular, it has been showing the past 6 months or so. This is the guy that screwed up my last load, making me deliver a day late, and thus load a day late. The same one who calls me yesterday feeling guilty, about a partial in Chillicothe heading to Renton for KW. @5k lbs, 10'h 12'l, legal width. Paid $1200 plus fuel to me. Put it on the rear deck and add it to my Claas load. Problem is, he didn't follow through with it...
The wasted deck space and weight here is unreal. The deadhead is getting that way too. Sorry, ranting...
After paying $150 for the laziest TWIC escort in existence, I left Dundalk and got to the TA on 70 in WV. After pulling teeth I got an Oh permit for in the AM, so can at least make it to the In line before stopping again. Loading a combine, backing it onto the trailer, when it doesn't have mirrors fitted, on your own....is not fun or quick. All the lazy @#$^% had to do was tell me if I am center on the trailer or not. Let some more air out of the tires to get it to 14'3", so am good to go for the weekend if I get my permits.
These past few days of getting up at 4am my time are getting really old. Get to sleep in until @5am tomorrow! Woop woop
Martin

 

Unloaded at fort Campbell and now sitting 40 miles from Chattanooga. Will load in the AM for Denver

 

Finally out of LA porte, tx. Going to head up to Washington, maybe run over to Seattle.

Camping in Cheyenne tonight. Had a wonderful sand storm in Springfield last night.

From sand to snow. What next?

 

Used up all of the runway but I made it home from No Dak.

I have quite a list for tomorrow. Rewire rear marker lights on one trailer, replace license lamp and replace a brake can and run to the cities to get a couple of hoses of hoses for my trailer, charge ac on my truck and replace trailer airlines. Drop trailer at my direct shipper so they can get my load for Oklahoma ready and if I have enough time run a load of corn to the city. I doubt the corn load will happen but we will see.

Heading to Oklahoma sunday morning.

 

I was just looking at my AR permit, tomorrow is going to be a very long day, I don't think there is a road in that state between SE MO and Texarkana that they don't have me on.