Slowly Wasting Away in VA
I delivered a load to the Wal-Mart DC in Sutherland, VA on Saturday afternoon. I drove to the Pilot T/S in Colonial Heights to shut down for the night after I was done. I parked at 4pm Saturday and have been sitting here waiting for freight ever since. There are about 13 other big orange trucks parked in the lot here as well, that also have not moved since Saturday. Some had been here when I arrived, others arrived after I did.
It just really sucks being in an area with such soft freight. And I'm starting to disbelieve the "it's just the beginning of a new year and commonly slow this time of year" bullsh*t. I don't recall sitting around at all this time last year. I may not have had many miles each week but I was certainly not parked for more than 24 hours.
Right now I'm closing in on 48 hours of layover pay at least, so the paycheck I'll get next Friday for this week won't be soooo bad, but I can see myself having to cash in my vacation pay to help make up for the lack of actual earned pay I'm dealing with. I do still have bills to take care of and the more I sit around doing nothing the less likely I am to make enough to pay them.
I have at least had plenty of time to do some things I've been meaning to do for a while. Such as backing up my blog in a word file on my computer. Doing this also opened the door for me to start working on another related project I've been considering for some time. And I ended up spending about 6 hours yesterday doing that! So I've at least been somewhat productive.
Today I'll probably work on that project a little more and maybe call a friend or two I have been meaning to catch up with. I also need to finally hang up the clothes I washed while I was sitting waiting for freight in Charlotte the other day and maybe buy a new vacuum and clean my truck up a little.
I had bought one of those little dirt devil looking 12-volt vacuums a while back but it sucks and every time I use it it just blows dust back out into the truck though the crummy soft cloth bag on it. I'll probably pitch it and get one of the canister wet/dry style vacuums this time around.
OMG you know I have to be bored when I am contemplating cleaning and comparing the qualities of vacuums. Damn this is miserable. But the good news, one big orange truck just left that has been sitting here as long as myself, so that means freight is starting to come in and be assigned to those of us waiting in line.
I hope I get to leave soon. Or at least have something assigned to me that lets me know an end to the waiting is near!
It just really sucks being in an area with such soft freight. And I'm starting to disbelieve the "it's just the beginning of a new year and commonly slow this time of year" bullsh*t. I don't recall sitting around at all this time last year. I may not have had many miles each week but I was certainly not parked for more than 24 hours.
Right now I'm closing in on 48 hours of layover pay at least, so the paycheck I'll get next Friday for this week won't be soooo bad, but I can see myself having to cash in my vacation pay to help make up for the lack of actual earned pay I'm dealing with. I do still have bills to take care of and the more I sit around doing nothing the less likely I am to make enough to pay them.
I have at least had plenty of time to do some things I've been meaning to do for a while. Such as backing up my blog in a word file on my computer. Doing this also opened the door for me to start working on another related project I've been considering for some time. And I ended up spending about 6 hours yesterday doing that! So I've at least been somewhat productive.
Today I'll probably work on that project a little more and maybe call a friend or two I have been meaning to catch up with. I also need to finally hang up the clothes I washed while I was sitting waiting for freight in Charlotte the other day and maybe buy a new vacuum and clean my truck up a little.
I had bought one of those little dirt devil looking 12-volt vacuums a while back but it sucks and every time I use it it just blows dust back out into the truck though the crummy soft cloth bag on it. I'll probably pitch it and get one of the canister wet/dry style vacuums this time around.
OMG you know I have to be bored when I am contemplating cleaning and comparing the qualities of vacuums. Damn this is miserable. But the good news, one big orange truck just left that has been sitting here as long as myself, so that means freight is starting to come in and be assigned to those of us waiting in line.
I hope I get to leave soon. Or at least have something assigned to me that lets me know an end to the waiting is near!
Comments
Had one when I was with SNI and they didn't mind at all, it's a simple install if you have two crescent wrenches and a razor blade to cut the air line on the seat!
And ditto on the blow gun for cleaning out the truck.
Well, only if you have another gig lined up and there is no iffyness about it. Ive been hunting since November after a lay off. Nobody is hiring and the ones that are think that $11 is the norm now. Think im going to try to get into hauling fuel.