It is not a good afternoon from the Fontana terminal and I had a feeling this was going to happen due to the three day weekend. That shag that they wanted me to run last night was waiting for me this morning when I arrived to my truck. I drove the 60 miles to only find the client had mentioned security but not security of dead bolts! Yuppers, the lot was locked tighter than Grandma’s medicinal tonic cabinet! Then, dispatch in their finest wisdom, had me sit there for two hours before they would let me return to the lot!
On the way back though, I did take 45 minutes of personal time and stopped at Wal-Mart for supplies, and socks (I was down to three pairs and the holes were getting larger than my toes!). I also bought a brand new Coleman Cooler! It is huge and no more worries now about backup ice because of improper insulation and unwanted bacteria due to temperature changes (and $40 cheaper than the truck stops). I know, I get that credit card down to reasonable, find myself with down time and what do I do…..SHOP!
Now…….I have been sitting here at the terminal for near three hours. As soon as I got back from the dead shag, they sent me a message to head right back to the previous client! I sent a message stating NO, site is locked and not a single person read it! It wasn’t until I asked for hotel as the truck was becoming very warm that they asked why I wasn’t on the load…….and then blamed it on staff shift change. So here I sit as they THINK they might have another load for me. What a way to spend a three day weekend my virtual truckers. I want to be on your couch or picnic bench, drinking a cold drink, and eating BBQ chicken and STEAK! Instant coffee and turkey baloney just doesn’t have that holiday flare. And I use to get paid holiday pay……those were the good ole days of 401K and paid sick leave……augh!
Off to send another irritating message to fleet! I made enough today to cover my half of the room, yeehaw! Now let me enjoy it dang nab it!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Dang nab it! I got the beginnings of a cold!
Morning my dear truckers! It was a nice night but I woke up with a scratchy throat and a little stuffy. I knew as soon as I hit California and the bad air, after months of temperature changes and stuck in confined spaces with others, it would take this state to get me sick :(
Just a short note that we have a two hour shag this morning and hopefully when we return to the terminal, a load will be waiting to take us home. Have a great Memorial Weekend and HUG A SOLDIER!
Just a short note that we have a two hour shag this morning and hopefully when we return to the terminal, a load will be waiting to take us home. Have a great Memorial Weekend and HUG A SOLDIER!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Gotta love Mom and BACON!
She cooked me breakfast with hashbrowns, toast, eggs, and six slices of BACON! Thank you Mom :) It was a quick two hours but time with you was priceless and made my weeks of ........ so much better.
Now, I am currently in an awesome room for the night as I could not stay in my truck as you are not allowed to idle in the state of CA.......and that leaves me, here! One of the blessings of not having an APU besides the loss of weight when going over scales, which by the way, I passed as well as a DOT 1 inspection! Good night all, 5 AM is just around the corner.
Now, I am currently in an awesome room for the night as I could not stay in my truck as you are not allowed to idle in the state of CA.......and that leaves me, here! One of the blessings of not having an APU besides the loss of weight when going over scales, which by the way, I passed as well as a DOT 1 inspection! Good night all, 5 AM is just around the corner.
Now this person knows how to travel!
My mom's dream since high school.......and to be a wrestler. Ready for that spandex wrestler outfit now Mom?
Had to make a rest stop.........and found these on my way back to the freeway and for the next 20 miles!
Love you Mom and Charlie!
Morning from Mom's in Yuma!!!
Mmm.....breakfast made by Mom! Life is good! Notes from the past few days.....
Good evening from MM# 156, I-25 S, at a Roadrunner Travel Center. It has been a long day with little rewards but I am slowly heading WEST! I ran my hours out quickly today after that early AM shag drop to the existing trip from El Paso to Arizona. I will be driving 550 miles with an empty trailer (again, the trucking business makes no sense). Cross your fingers that when we arrive tomorrow at 2:30 PM that we will be heading north.
While waiting for the unload at Sam’s Club this morning, I met a driver for Eagle that was hauling one of our trailers. We talked for a bit and guess what, he was once a company driver and not for long! He gave me a business card to contact the recruiter for his company. He stated that he was home when needed and they always had a load waiting for him. Guess what…..I left a VM with the recruiter. I will let you know what I hear!
I stopped at this cool rest stop on I-25, see the pictures below. This place is in the Camino Real which wound its way below the black basaltic buttes of San Acacia. Named Acomilla or Acomita by the Spanish, these buttes form the walls of a narrow passage for the Rio Grande, along which Apache frequently waited in ambush. Caravans had to be well armed along this section of the Camino Real!
I also went for a walk to this Spanish Catholic cemetery in Sabino Y Lemitar. The Camino Real passed here below the bluffs on the east bank of the Reo Grande. Apache raids prevented permanent Spanish settlement of this area until the early 1800’s, when the village of Sabino was established. A good day for information you will never use ;) Man, those Apaches were busy along the Rio Grande!
Off to bed……have the coffee ready at 5 AM!
Hello from MM# 208, I-10, westbound, at the Pilot! It is Thursday evening and we are on our way to Fontana, CA, to drop a very heavy load of charcoal that we picked up in Nogales, NW, earlier this afternoon. The load is extremely heavy and kept me from flying around the interstate like the empty trailer I delivered to the Nogales lot. That heavy load did cost me as I thought I would reach the truck stop within the 15 minute “we will slap your hands” after my 11 hour clock was reached……..I hit it at 25 minutes so I expect a naughty email for it soon!
While in route today, my dentist called to confirm my appointment on Tuesday, the second time I have changed the appointment, and I delayed it another week. Shortly after, I found out I was going Fontana that is only three days from Seattle it I get a direct load. But considering these one day runs, it is better safe than sorry and a dang good reason on why I need more than five days at home since I have been gone for going on 14 weeks!
You know, I mentioned earlier about broken teeth, nails and glasses. Well, they haven’t broken me yet! I may get down emotionally as I do miss my family and friends so much but I will NOT let any company that is going to pay me an average of $10 an hour get the best of me…I am paid to sit, not think! I will get home and stay as long as needed……they can wait, I sure have. Besides, I keep waking up smiling so life is good, even from the seat of the Seattle Rust Bucket!
My load will take me past Yuma mid morning. Hey Mom, you ready to buy me a real meal? Thinking steak and eggs! If I leave here around 6 AM, that will put me in Yuma around 9 AM, then Fontana around 3 PM and with enough hours left that I might make it to Marie’s place a few hours north of Fontana. Time to make some phone calls! Later truckers………….
Good evening from MM# 156, I-25 S, at a Roadrunner Travel Center. It has been a long day with little rewards but I am slowly heading WEST! I ran my hours out quickly today after that early AM shag drop to the existing trip from El Paso to Arizona. I will be driving 550 miles with an empty trailer (again, the trucking business makes no sense). Cross your fingers that when we arrive tomorrow at 2:30 PM that we will be heading north.
While waiting for the unload at Sam’s Club this morning, I met a driver for Eagle that was hauling one of our trailers. We talked for a bit and guess what, he was once a company driver and not for long! He gave me a business card to contact the recruiter for his company. He stated that he was home when needed and they always had a load waiting for him. Guess what…..I left a VM with the recruiter. I will let you know what I hear!
I stopped at this cool rest stop on I-25, see the pictures below. This place is in the Camino Real which wound its way below the black basaltic buttes of San Acacia. Named Acomilla or Acomita by the Spanish, these buttes form the walls of a narrow passage for the Rio Grande, along which Apache frequently waited in ambush. Caravans had to be well armed along this section of the Camino Real!
I want to travel this way!
I also went for a walk to this Spanish Catholic cemetery in Sabino Y Lemitar. The Camino Real passed here below the bluffs on the east bank of the Reo Grande. Apache raids prevented permanent Spanish settlement of this area until the early 1800’s, when the village of Sabino was established. A good day for information you will never use ;) Man, those Apaches were busy along the Rio Grande!
Off to bed……have the coffee ready at 5 AM!
Hello from MM# 208, I-10, westbound, at the Pilot! It is Thursday evening and we are on our way to Fontana, CA, to drop a very heavy load of charcoal that we picked up in Nogales, NW, earlier this afternoon. The load is extremely heavy and kept me from flying around the interstate like the empty trailer I delivered to the Nogales lot. That heavy load did cost me as I thought I would reach the truck stop within the 15 minute “we will slap your hands” after my 11 hour clock was reached……..I hit it at 25 minutes so I expect a naughty email for it soon!
While in route today, my dentist called to confirm my appointment on Tuesday, the second time I have changed the appointment, and I delayed it another week. Shortly after, I found out I was going Fontana that is only three days from Seattle it I get a direct load. But considering these one day runs, it is better safe than sorry and a dang good reason on why I need more than five days at home since I have been gone for going on 14 weeks!
You know, I mentioned earlier about broken teeth, nails and glasses. Well, they haven’t broken me yet! I may get down emotionally as I do miss my family and friends so much but I will NOT let any company that is going to pay me an average of $10 an hour get the best of me…I am paid to sit, not think! I will get home and stay as long as needed……they can wait, I sure have. Besides, I keep waking up smiling so life is good, even from the seat of the Seattle Rust Bucket!
My load will take me past Yuma mid morning. Hey Mom, you ready to buy me a real meal? Thinking steak and eggs! If I leave here around 6 AM, that will put me in Yuma around 9 AM, then Fontana around 3 PM and with enough hours left that I might make it to Marie’s place a few hours north of Fontana. Time to make some phone calls! Later truckers………….
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Watched the sun come up in El Paso
And, I am in trouble with dispatch. Gads, I want to shoot somebody! This load was due last Saturday and Sam’s Club had me deliver an hour late because of other deliveries. The company expected this load to drop at 4 AM so I am considered late as I arrived at 5 AM per the customer. As I have told you many times, the trucking industry does not make sense!
Not sure when I will get unloaded but I am use to waiting. Here are some pictures from yesterday!
Not sure when I will get unloaded but I am use to waiting. Here are some pictures from yesterday!
Isn't this the most gaudy cake you have very seen!
My first road side service! I got a flat at Sam's Club and had to call in for help. This young man went to diesel school and has been a diesel mechanic for two years now....thinking I might like it but I might break a nail! But with his wages, I can afford to repair them ;)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Breaking Point!
I am near ready to tell everyone at this company to go to hell! I have cried on Brian’s shoulder and my sister, Rhonda about the hell I have been through……and the company says, it is my fault! Dear Brian even was there for me as I was for him, and we are both still here!
I am still in Texas; it was MY fault that the shop did not call me on Saturday which cost me my load home. So, I was sent to El Paso to drop a trailer, pick up a trailer and wait 12 hours to deliver it 12 miles away…….which I am getting paid $20 whole bucks! I have blisters, broken nails, broken teeth and broken glasses…………I want my desk job back! Rhonda wants me to turn down any load that does not take me home and Brian says to talk to management first. Either way, it has BEEN TOO DANG LONG and I need to be HOME!
No job is worth this....unless you have more than one mouth to feed.
Home is where your heart is! And right now......that is SEATTLE
Good morning from the parking lot at Sam’s Club in El Paso, Texas. Yes my dear truckers, my home time just keeps getting further and further behind as I should have been heading north! I received a phone call from my fleet manager wanting to know why I was on the road Monday morning. It appears that my truck was ready to hit the road Saturday and the shop did not call me! Now I know I must do other’s work as they are too busy for a 2 minute phone call!
I was assigned a load that was due for pickup at 1 AM in Phoenix and due in California at 10 AM. It was a high priority delivery but I told dispatch that I could not promise to deliver in time as I have been awake since 6 AM. The load was cancelled and I was given this load to Sam’s. I drove until nearly 1 AM and was waken at 6 AM by Sam’s staff ready to unload me.
While waiting, I did a quick pre-trip and found a flat tandem tire. I notified maintenance and hopefully they will get it fixed before I am ready to head out to my next pickup. All I can say, it better be heading home as we are now going on 14 weeks, this is way beyond reasonable as I need to get home. Between Cancer and now solo driving way past due my down time, this trucking business is really not worth what they are paying me. Brian graduated at the same time as me and currently on his way home for the THIRD time! I will keep you informed…….cross your fingers as I am ready to start climbing that corporate ladder in hopes of finding someone that cares!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
No news on the Rust Bucket....back to the pool and a Bloody Mary!
Great Saturday! Now let's work on a relazing Sunday.........picture time ;) OHHHHH! Spoke to Jim yesterday and guess what, he named his trainer "Poison"
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