Where is everyone #5

Skid steer

 

That really sucks

 

30ﾟ and a hard frost on our job this morning.

 

You’re so lucky. The heatwave About put me in my grave last week

 

Second night in the truck since being dispatched out of Winnipeg.



[long rant ahead]

I'm a little frustrated. Every week I keep hearing "next week is going to get busy" from dispatch. They've hired a butt load of new asphalt drivers and have to "share the wealth" as one of the dispatchers said (ironically the one that has never driven truck).

I'm making more money *per hour* worked than my old job (by $4-5 an hour based on last year's numbers, which is awesome) but I'm working 40-50 hours a week AT MOST. A couple weeks I've worked 3 or 4 days, and worked only 8 hours a day. The home time is great, but I don't need to be home right now. That's for later.

And on top it all off, I'm freaking bored out of my mind. I'm picking up a load of hot oil, doing none of the work loading besides pulling the truck ahead, driving 0.5-3 hours down the road, and unloading the load, and doing almost none of the work (I open the lids). Then driving back and being done for the day.

I know it's growing pains, starting new at the bottom of the ladder, but I'm not used to this. I'm ready to blast 70 hours a week, all summer long, using every daylight hour I can find in my colouring book. I ready to be challenged and pushed to be a better driver, learn new things and push my limits (maybe this is just me being bored?). I feel wholly underutilized as an asset for the company.

One of my trainers thinks their hiring method is to blame. I only realized yesterday but, I never gave an account of what I can do and what I've accomplished so far as a driver when I was hired. Nobody asked during the hiring process and I'm not one to speak up (my own problem).

Nobody really knows I can run 3000+ miles a week in a 64 mph truck and still want more when my 70 is up. When dispatch is complaining that their drivers are "scared" to sleep in the truck, don't want to start before 8am and always want to be home at night, I'm ready to spend a week in what is a luxury condo compared to what I'm used to.

And these trucks are ####ing turds. Underpowered piles of trash on wheels. 13 litre Detroits with a power rating likely in the 400-430hp range and MAYBE 1700 lb.ft. if torque. Takes a day and a half to reach my governed 63 mph limit and it can barely hold itself on a hill at 61,500 kg gross (135,600 lbs). The autoshifts are fine, but it takes a lot of effort to operate smoothly.

I'm not regretting my decision (yet) but it better pick up soon or I might be on the hunt again. Scholarship programs, good benefits and a pension won't keep me around if my salary isn't good enough, and I don't want to have to invest ten years for it to start getting better.

But anyways, I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the nice weather. I think I'm finally starting to get used to the heat.

 

I’ll make a call in the morning.....

 

Any Texas guys vouch for Google here? Or have any "must stop's" between OKC and Odessa?

 

⁶

Sweeeeeet!

 

Yes sir

 

Now THATS eating like a King there friend