Come Ride With Me...
I've been absent as quite a few of you have noticed (and taken the time to point out, some in nicer ways than others). I could give about a dozen excuses on why I've not blogged in quite some time but it's really neither here nor there. I'm here now... and that's what counts! haha
The biggest news that comes from the lapse in blog-world time has been that my sweetie finally joined me for an over-the-road adventure of his own. We spent the past three weeks bouncing around together having a blast. After getting the truck ready for the both of us, we hit the road to get out first load bound for Laredo, TX!
This was super exciting for a first dispatch since even I had never had the pleasure of going to that part of Texas yet. We got loaded up and hit the road. Full steam ahead, at a comfortable cruising speed of 60 MPH, we worked our way south westerly through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and finally arrived in northern Texas only to receive orders to relay the load in Dallas.
So I've still never been to Laredo, not that I'm really complaining but the mileage coming in and out of there is just a nice addition to any paycheck.
After the relay we got dispatched for a load bound for south central Tennessee. Next we picked up in the same area and headed up to Mehoopany, PA. While en route to deliver there we were dispatched for the next load... well... sorta. I got a message from my boss man telling me to deadhead over to this shipper in Tobyhanna, PA to stand-by for a load. I assumed that I was going there for a load that just hadn't been made ready to ship yet.
Yeahhh righttt! Man that whole experience was insanity. When we arrived at the shipper we found a line on the plus side of 16 deep. Full rigs, bobtail trucks, and a lot of pissed off expressions glaring out the drivers' side windows as we made our way to the back of the line.
The story I got was that it was the end of the month rush to get product out of the warehouse. We sat in line, inching forward at a snails pace for over two hours just to get checked in at the guard shack. When we finally arrived at the shack, we learned that we weren't even there to get a load... we were there just to hang around in case another company driver didn't show up in time to pick up an outbound load.
We were directed to a parking space out of the way and told to just hang out until further notice. FUN FUN. At least we weren't alone, there was at least 4 other company drivers assigned to do the same thing so our frustration was at least shared with others.
After a total of about seven hours we finally got dispatched to pick up a load at the shipper and had just enough time to drop our empty, pick up the loaded and drive for about an hour before stopping at the end of my 14 hr. day. That load was bound for West Jefferson, OH....
But we didn't take it there ourselves. Having run hard since coming out of the house, my hours were in short supply and allowed us only to make it to our drop yard in Seville, OH where we relayed the load and shut down for the night.
Gaining enough hours to run a decent day the following day, we were dispatched to pick up a load in Wooster bound for Massachusetts....which we didn't make delivery on either. Not for lack of trying, I had the hours that time to make it, but the receiver didn't have room for the product and pushed out the delivery for a few more days. And out of mercy, my boss man relayed the load at our New Jersey drop yard so I didn't have to sit on it (and my thumb) for three more days.
From Jersey we headed south to Augusta, GA where we dropped and hooked turning back northward going to Lima, OH. That load allowed us a quick stop through the house, long enough to have lunch and run two short errands with the help of our dear friend Dee, aka chauffeur for a day. ;o)
We made delivery in Lima the following day and while checking out the trailer for our next dispatch found a flat, floppy tire that had to be repaired. After calling in for roadside repair, I instead drove to the nearest truck stop to get it fixed at one of our so called tire banks. The tire change took all of about 20 minutes, but we sat there for over 2 and a half hours since there was only one guy working in the shop and more than one truck waiting for service before we got there.
Fixed up and ready to roll we headed back east into Pennsylvania. We delivered in Tunkhannock, which is on the other side of the mountain from Mehoopany where we delivered before. And of course things were just as trying there as when we hooked up to the load we discovered that one of the air lines was busted and had to wait two hours for someone to show up to fix it. (which prompted a trip to Lowes when we got home so I could buy items that I could use to fix it myself next time)
After the repair was made we were at last on our way, home bound. The load was super tight and didn't allow for much stopping. We hammered down from Tunkhannock to Dunbar, WV where we slept in the receivers parking lot overnight after arriving late in the evening.
Signed, sealed and delivered....we finally made it home. I roll back out Sunday, hopefully bound for a company terminal where I can get much needed maintenance. While out and about with my sweetie these past three weeks Kenny has become more and more ill. He's got transmission issues again, needs a new windshield (thanks to winter cracks), needs an oil change and apparently the turbo is starting to give out.
If I actually make it to a terminal without a tow truck, I'll be thrilled. But I'm not holding my breath! haha
So there... updated.... and it will probably be happening more often now... I just needed a break!
The biggest news that comes from the lapse in blog-world time has been that my sweetie finally joined me for an over-the-road adventure of his own. We spent the past three weeks bouncing around together having a blast. After getting the truck ready for the both of us, we hit the road to get out first load bound for Laredo, TX!
This was super exciting for a first dispatch since even I had never had the pleasure of going to that part of Texas yet. We got loaded up and hit the road. Full steam ahead, at a comfortable cruising speed of 60 MPH, we worked our way south westerly through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and finally arrived in northern Texas only to receive orders to relay the load in Dallas.
So I've still never been to Laredo, not that I'm really complaining but the mileage coming in and out of there is just a nice addition to any paycheck.
After the relay we got dispatched for a load bound for south central Tennessee. Next we picked up in the same area and headed up to Mehoopany, PA. While en route to deliver there we were dispatched for the next load... well... sorta. I got a message from my boss man telling me to deadhead over to this shipper in Tobyhanna, PA to stand-by for a load. I assumed that I was going there for a load that just hadn't been made ready to ship yet.
Yeahhh righttt! Man that whole experience was insanity. When we arrived at the shipper we found a line on the plus side of 16 deep. Full rigs, bobtail trucks, and a lot of pissed off expressions glaring out the drivers' side windows as we made our way to the back of the line.
The story I got was that it was the end of the month rush to get product out of the warehouse. We sat in line, inching forward at a snails pace for over two hours just to get checked in at the guard shack. When we finally arrived at the shack, we learned that we weren't even there to get a load... we were there just to hang around in case another company driver didn't show up in time to pick up an outbound load.
We were directed to a parking space out of the way and told to just hang out until further notice. FUN FUN. At least we weren't alone, there was at least 4 other company drivers assigned to do the same thing so our frustration was at least shared with others.
After a total of about seven hours we finally got dispatched to pick up a load at the shipper and had just enough time to drop our empty, pick up the loaded and drive for about an hour before stopping at the end of my 14 hr. day. That load was bound for West Jefferson, OH....
But we didn't take it there ourselves. Having run hard since coming out of the house, my hours were in short supply and allowed us only to make it to our drop yard in Seville, OH where we relayed the load and shut down for the night.
Gaining enough hours to run a decent day the following day, we were dispatched to pick up a load in Wooster bound for Massachusetts....which we didn't make delivery on either. Not for lack of trying, I had the hours that time to make it, but the receiver didn't have room for the product and pushed out the delivery for a few more days. And out of mercy, my boss man relayed the load at our New Jersey drop yard so I didn't have to sit on it (and my thumb) for three more days.
From Jersey we headed south to Augusta, GA where we dropped and hooked turning back northward going to Lima, OH. That load allowed us a quick stop through the house, long enough to have lunch and run two short errands with the help of our dear friend Dee, aka chauffeur for a day. ;o)
We made delivery in Lima the following day and while checking out the trailer for our next dispatch found a flat, floppy tire that had to be repaired. After calling in for roadside repair, I instead drove to the nearest truck stop to get it fixed at one of our so called tire banks. The tire change took all of about 20 minutes, but we sat there for over 2 and a half hours since there was only one guy working in the shop and more than one truck waiting for service before we got there.
Fixed up and ready to roll we headed back east into Pennsylvania. We delivered in Tunkhannock, which is on the other side of the mountain from Mehoopany where we delivered before. And of course things were just as trying there as when we hooked up to the load we discovered that one of the air lines was busted and had to wait two hours for someone to show up to fix it. (which prompted a trip to Lowes when we got home so I could buy items that I could use to fix it myself next time)
After the repair was made we were at last on our way, home bound. The load was super tight and didn't allow for much stopping. We hammered down from Tunkhannock to Dunbar, WV where we slept in the receivers parking lot overnight after arriving late in the evening.
Signed, sealed and delivered....we finally made it home. I roll back out Sunday, hopefully bound for a company terminal where I can get much needed maintenance. While out and about with my sweetie these past three weeks Kenny has become more and more ill. He's got transmission issues again, needs a new windshield (thanks to winter cracks), needs an oil change and apparently the turbo is starting to give out.
If I actually make it to a terminal without a tow truck, I'll be thrilled. But I'm not holding my breath! haha
So there... updated.... and it will probably be happening more often now... I just needed a break!
Comments
As for Tunkhannock...Eddie and I were just up in that area - we delivered to Towanda, PA. Beautiful country up there!! I was loving every minute of the views.
Looking forward to more posts. Drive safe!