And, I might be here for the remainder of Labor Day weekend.....augh! I was up and ready to roll at 5:15 AM this morning. I arrived at the drop site within 15 minutes of our deadline, a customer watch load......HA! The only ones there to assist me were two janitors! Gads, this company kills me! I dropped the load, loaded my empty and waited, for a new load! Labor Day Weekend, weekend dispatchers, and good luck getting a load! I told them I was heading to a truck stop and here we sit.......idling away company gas but it is not as much $$ as the money I am losing if I am not driving :(
I am showered, laundry is in the dryer and I had a wonderful dinner of orange duck with steamed broccoli and mushroom caps. My sister, Rhonda, stated that I will be the only one at any truck stop making a dinner like that from the comfort of my cooler and the truck stop microwave. And thank goodness I prepare my food in advance as weeks like this as a driver, eating out would kill what ever pay I was lucky to get. If I don't have a load tomorrow, my dispatch is going to hear some sweet words from me.........and one word about idling, I will blow my stack and watch out darling, those flames are going to BURN! Fire me dang nab it......I will make more money sitting at home!
Ahhhhhh, I feel so much better now......hugs and kisses to everyone!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
It is Matt's fault.....I bought a state pin he already has!
I have a pin from Oklahoma.....let me know who wants it! Currently using free internet from the RV Park behind the truck stop in Lake Village, ARK. I am off to bed as this load of Laz Boy parts is due early afternoon in MO........gads, the humidity and heat is going to be the death of me! Good night virtual truckers!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
I have found another Monroe…..in Louisiana!
We are parked for the night with a load to take to Mississippi first thing in the morning. It was a long day between my early morning drop and my mid afternoon pick up thanks to Planning for missing the appointment time. It is their fault I idled again for nearly 4 hours! I will never get my idle down at this rate but frankly, I don’t care. Weather permitting, I will shut the truck off, weather not permitting, it is staying on.
As a few of you know, I have been testing the waters and sending out resumes to see what would happen. I have had a few phone calls and a couple of interviews and my last telephone interview were quite promising. I will make more in 4 days that takes me 7 days and 77 hours to make with the company. I will have three days off per week, home every night, hourly pay, and overtime if I want it or if it is needed……and don’t forget holiday pay and benefits too! I will meet one of the acting managers on my return home as the one that interviewed me will be on vacation. Wish me luck that this is on the up and up and I get an offer if it is!
Now is the time to seriously check out my options as winter is just right around the corner and gads forbid, I should break a nail putting chains on!
Nows for my “in the street” interview in some little town in Oklahoma, a few days ago. I had stopped to just walk around this little town of 100 individuals and Gonja needed the break. One of the pictures I posted yesterday of the painting on the side of the café was at this location. The town was half dead with abandoned buildings and over grown weeds but there were a few locals about. While walking, I saw my first underground tornado escape room……..that was interesting and other than that, not much, until I walked up to a nice SUV parked in the shade on the side of Main Street, the freeway, and the window rolled down. It was a police officer and this time, I wasn’t speeding!
He was a clean cut, young and a very handsome man. He was reading his family bible given to him by his grandmother when he was baptized at the Baptist Church while waiting for any speeders that came across his radar. He is 26 years old, was born and raised here, and a police officer and SWAT member for the past 2 years. He likes working close to home as he gets to experience all types of police work as it is only a 2 cop town. He would never get all this experience in a large city as he would be forced to stick with one assignment and would not be able to go from start to finish.
He has three college degrees and now is tackling reading the bible from cover to cover (he was midway through Genesis when I stopped to visit). I warned him of the “who bigot who” and the “building of the boat” as they are soooooooooo boring! We had a nice visit. He was a nice young man…..it was a pleasure to meet him!
See you all in the morning!
As a few of you know, I have been testing the waters and sending out resumes to see what would happen. I have had a few phone calls and a couple of interviews and my last telephone interview were quite promising. I will make more in 4 days that takes me 7 days and 77 hours to make with the company. I will have three days off per week, home every night, hourly pay, and overtime if I want it or if it is needed……and don’t forget holiday pay and benefits too! I will meet one of the acting managers on my return home as the one that interviewed me will be on vacation. Wish me luck that this is on the up and up and I get an offer if it is!
Now is the time to seriously check out my options as winter is just right around the corner and gads forbid, I should break a nail putting chains on!
Nows for my “in the street” interview in some little town in Oklahoma, a few days ago. I had stopped to just walk around this little town of 100 individuals and Gonja needed the break. One of the pictures I posted yesterday of the painting on the side of the café was at this location. The town was half dead with abandoned buildings and over grown weeds but there were a few locals about. While walking, I saw my first underground tornado escape room……..that was interesting and other than that, not much, until I walked up to a nice SUV parked in the shade on the side of Main Street, the freeway, and the window rolled down. It was a police officer and this time, I wasn’t speeding!
He was a clean cut, young and a very handsome man. He was reading his family bible given to him by his grandmother when he was baptized at the Baptist Church while waiting for any speeders that came across his radar. He is 26 years old, was born and raised here, and a police officer and SWAT member for the past 2 years. He likes working close to home as he gets to experience all types of police work as it is only a 2 cop town. He would never get all this experience in a large city as he would be forced to stick with one assignment and would not be able to go from start to finish.
He has three college degrees and now is tackling reading the bible from cover to cover (he was midway through Genesis when I stopped to visit). I warned him of the “who bigot who” and the “building of the boat” as they are soooooooooo boring! We had a nice visit. He was a nice young man…..it was a pleasure to meet him!
See you all in the morning!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sitting in Oklahoma City...augh!
Hello strangers! I finally am at a point where I can get online and say….DANG NAB IT! I have been sitting in a very hot parking lot of the Pilot waiting on a load that is still 3 hours out and by the time it arrives, my hours will be over for today.
Let me catch you up on the idle issue (which I am currently doing). Remember that I was sent to one terminal to have my speed reduced from 65 to 62 and their computer was down? Well, they had me drop a load in Denver and their computer at that terminal can’t adjust this engine! So, that is the good news! We will continue to run at 65 until they pull me from this truck or I walk away from it.
Let me tell you about dispatch…..they told me to shut down my truck and go inside of the truck stop to reduce idle! I wrote back to them and asked about the safety of my dog and the response, “Can’t you just take the dog into the truck stop?” And I am like……no, it is a business! They stated the dog was not their concern and I stated, he was mine! This truck is my office and our home, we have nowhere else to go! Can you believe these people?!? If they had me running loads instead of sitting, this certainly wouldn’t be an issue now would it.
There was a hint of a shortage of freight which has me wondering why they keep hiring new drivers, because they are cheap and rumor is the company gets a federal handout with each new hire (other drivers have told me this but I am not sure if it is true). New hires are cheap labor and as long as they run their asses off, keeping the expenses down and sweating away their days in a hot truck, they are cheaper to employ then me, the princess that won’t run nights and won’t suffer because of lack of proper planning.
Useless information that could be useful some day! Did you know that the statues of horse and rider are unique as if the horse is reared up, the rider died in battle, if the horse has only one leg up, the rider died from a battle wound but not in battle; and if all four legs are on the ground, the rider died from natural causes. George Washington was posed on a horse with one leg up as he died from an old battle wound!
Last night........
Painting on the side of a cafe....
This morning ;)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Good morning from Freighliner in Denver!
Let's start with what happened last night!
Bedded down for the night in Denver….
It was a long day but a lovely day as I mentioned before, the drive from Utah into Colorado on I-70 is just beautiful! I even caught myself taking pictures of the same scenery I took on the last trip because it is so beautiful! J
I did….almost…..get a speeding ticket! I was just spacing off singing to my music just before I climbed the top of the mountain that takes me into Denver. I saw a speed sign stating that “trucks 35 mph” just before I peaked the top and sure, I can do that, once I reach that top. Bad idea! As soon as I reached the top and started downshifting, there was the Highway Patrol and there was nothing I could do but wait…….and the lights went flashing!
I just happened to get pulled over by a veteran and his greenhorn…….oh gads, I am done for! He stated I was doing 51 in a 35…….I might have been when I hit the top but I had downshifted to 7 when I passed him at 35 miles per hour. I gave him everything he needed and sat. I certainly did not need this on my record, especially now when checking out my options.
He finally returned to my truck and asked me if I wanted a ticket and of course, I stated NO! So instead, I got a Level 3 Inspections and a verbal warning to watch my speed. THANK YOU OFFICER! It would have been $140 ticket and 3 points on my CDL record……ewwww
Now the truck is giving me some “fault 1” warning and it will be back in the shop here in Denver in the morning………..and I was 6 hours ahead of myself too! (Not from speeding of course!)
Now that you are caught up, we are at the shop as the truck gave a "fault 1" error (whatever that is) and here I sit waiting for repairs with only 9.5 hrs on my clock with only 2 hrs added at midnight so I might be doing a 34 hr restart 9 hours from our current position. I will certainly look over the map real well to decide where I might be stranded. Not sure what they are going to do with this load that was due originally this morning. That being said, woke up breathing and without a speeding ticket......enjoy your Monday!
Bedded down for the night in Denver….
It was a long day but a lovely day as I mentioned before, the drive from Utah into Colorado on I-70 is just beautiful! I even caught myself taking pictures of the same scenery I took on the last trip because it is so beautiful! J
I did….almost…..get a speeding ticket! I was just spacing off singing to my music just before I climbed the top of the mountain that takes me into Denver. I saw a speed sign stating that “trucks 35 mph” just before I peaked the top and sure, I can do that, once I reach that top. Bad idea! As soon as I reached the top and started downshifting, there was the Highway Patrol and there was nothing I could do but wait…….and the lights went flashing!
I just happened to get pulled over by a veteran and his greenhorn…….oh gads, I am done for! He stated I was doing 51 in a 35…….I might have been when I hit the top but I had downshifted to 7 when I passed him at 35 miles per hour. I gave him everything he needed and sat. I certainly did not need this on my record, especially now when checking out my options.
He finally returned to my truck and asked me if I wanted a ticket and of course, I stated NO! So instead, I got a Level 3 Inspections and a verbal warning to watch my speed. THANK YOU OFFICER! It would have been $140 ticket and 3 points on my CDL record……ewwww
Now the truck is giving me some “fault 1” warning and it will be back in the shop here in Denver in the morning………..and I was 6 hours ahead of myself too! (Not from speeding of course!)
Now that you are caught up, we are at the shop as the truck gave a "fault 1" error (whatever that is) and here I sit waiting for repairs with only 9.5 hrs on my clock with only 2 hrs added at midnight so I might be doing a 34 hr restart 9 hours from our current position. I will certainly look over the map real well to decide where I might be stranded. Not sure what they are going to do with this load that was due originally this morning. That being said, woke up breathing and without a speeding ticket......enjoy your Monday!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
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