I came back on the road from home Tuesday and I've managed to get myself in trouble already. I'd gotten sent up to Wisconsin to deliver a load. When I got my next ld assignment I saw it was going to Canada. I have my girlfriend with me and we can't find her birth certificate and she doesn't have a passport. So I had to send in a message saying that I can't get across the border so of course couldn't take the load. I got a message back shortly after telling me to call in to my board to discuss my passenger. This all happened on a Saturday so I'm waiting till Monday to call in when my people are there.
Also on Friday I got a message from my DBL telling me that because my idle time was too high that I have to come in for some training class and simulation on keeping fuel mileage down. All fun stuff.
I've also just found out that it looks like I'm going to have a baby on the way. So, while driving OTR was perfect for my current situation, it won't work if I'm going to have a baby. I refuse to miss anything.. especially with my first one. I'm going to check and see if there are any good dedicated or local routes where I live. I really hope there are b/c I like the company and would prefer to stay here.
I've also decided to stop posting here after thinking about it for a while today. I'm fairly certain that I'm the only one reading it so it's kinda pointless... plus I don't have much good to say.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Complications
I just left home this morning. Got in on a Friday night and leaving back out today (Tuesday). I'm kind of relieved to get moving again. It's more work trying to go visit everybody at home than it is out here.
I bobtailed to the Wal Mart in Brookhaven, MS this morning to pick up and empty to take to Ellisville, MS to have loaded. This place was a pain to get into... definitely not meant for big trucks. But I got loaded with blankets that are going to Goodwill in Appleton, WI. It's the first trip I've had over 1000 miles in a while so I'm happy. Just not happy about the fact that it's snowing up there.
This trip home was pretty interesting. It looks like I'm going to have a baby on the way. Janette took pregnancy tests last night and this morning and both were positive. I'm excited... I've been wanting a kid for a few years now. We're kind of doing things backwards by not getting married first, but I'm pretty sure that's common these days. And it's not an accident. I've been trying for months to make this happen and it finally has.
What this does mean is that when the baby starts getting close that I'll have to get off one-way. I looked on crossroads and didn't see any dedicated opportunities in Louisiana, but I do know there is something I can do with bulk and be home everyday. I'll start looking into that soon and be thinking about getting my tanker endorsement. I was enjoying being OTR, but I won't miss anything once the baby gets here... it's just not worth it. I would like to stay with SNI though. So far I'm happy with the company.
I had planned on taking my hazmat test yesterday while at home. But I found out that all I could do at this point was fill out the app and give my fingerprints. So I did what I could and I'll take the test when my background results get back.
I bobtailed to the Wal Mart in Brookhaven, MS this morning to pick up and empty to take to Ellisville, MS to have loaded. This place was a pain to get into... definitely not meant for big trucks. But I got loaded with blankets that are going to Goodwill in Appleton, WI. It's the first trip I've had over 1000 miles in a while so I'm happy. Just not happy about the fact that it's snowing up there.
This trip home was pretty interesting. It looks like I'm going to have a baby on the way. Janette took pregnancy tests last night and this morning and both were positive. I'm excited... I've been wanting a kid for a few years now. We're kind of doing things backwards by not getting married first, but I'm pretty sure that's common these days. And it's not an accident. I've been trying for months to make this happen and it finally has.
What this does mean is that when the baby starts getting close that I'll have to get off one-way. I looked on crossroads and didn't see any dedicated opportunities in Louisiana, but I do know there is something I can do with bulk and be home everyday. I'll start looking into that soon and be thinking about getting my tanker endorsement. I was enjoying being OTR, but I won't miss anything once the baby gets here... it's just not worth it. I would like to stay with SNI though. So far I'm happy with the company.
I had planned on taking my hazmat test yesterday while at home. But I found out that all I could do at this point was fill out the app and give my fingerprints. So I did what I could and I'll take the test when my background results get back.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Got lost for the first time.
I dropped my trailer in Smyrna, DE then picked up a load of towelettes from Dover and got the heck out of there. It was to the P&G in Neely's Landing. I was happy about that b/c I'd been there already. I love not having to look for new places in this big truck.
I actually got turned around for the first time on my way to pick up the load in Dover. I got the directions mixed up and ended up making a wrong turn. Once I realized I was going the wrong way I pulled off on the shoulder and got it straight. Getting lost was one of the reasons I didn't make it very long the first time I tried driving OTR. I used to panic when I would get lost... I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I think that the local driving experience when I quit Prime made a lot of difference. I didnt panic... I just pulled over, figured it out, and got back on track.
I'm at the St. Louis OC now. I delivered to P&G in Neelys Landing this morning, then I bobtailed up here to pick up a trailer that I took to Conagra in Alton, IL. I was supposed to take it to Morris, IL, but I only had enough hours to get loaded and get back here. I only pick up 1:45 tomorrow so it looks like I'll be stuck here until Thursday. I'm scheduled to be home in Louisiana Friday, but we'll see how that goes.
I ended up with 2727 miles for last week. Still not what I wanted, but I won't complain. And I'm still bugging Jessica to get me out of this peterbilt and into a frieghtliner. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
I actually got turned around for the first time on my way to pick up the load in Dover. I got the directions mixed up and ended up making a wrong turn. Once I realized I was going the wrong way I pulled off on the shoulder and got it straight. Getting lost was one of the reasons I didn't make it very long the first time I tried driving OTR. I used to panic when I would get lost... I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I think that the local driving experience when I quit Prime made a lot of difference. I didnt panic... I just pulled over, figured it out, and got back on track.
I'm at the St. Louis OC now. I delivered to P&G in Neelys Landing this morning, then I bobtailed up here to pick up a trailer that I took to Conagra in Alton, IL. I was supposed to take it to Morris, IL, but I only had enough hours to get loaded and get back here. I only pick up 1:45 tomorrow so it looks like I'll be stuck here until Thursday. I'm scheduled to be home in Louisiana Friday, but we'll see how that goes.
I ended up with 2727 miles for last week. Still not what I wanted, but I won't complain. And I'm still bugging Jessica to get me out of this peterbilt and into a frieghtliner. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Back in my truck
I got my truck back this morning I'm sad to say. After running in the freightliner for a week it saddens me to be driving this peterbilt again.
I've been getting ok miles this week. After I delivered in Jackson, MO the other day, I picked up right across the street from P&G. I took that to Associated in OKC. I thought I had made a $65.00 mistake there. The load assignment said that it wasn't a hand unload. When I took my paperwork in the lady pointed this guy out to me that I needed to talk to about getting unloaded. I went to the lumper and he looked over my paperwork and told me it would be $65.00 to unload. I say great and they get started. I hadn't had to use a lumper yet so I wasn't exactly sure how the process worked at SNI. So, I go in and call Jessica to find out and she explains that I need to call in first, and she'll contact customer service (I think) and get me the comcheck number. Well, she calls them and finds out that they won't authorize payment for a lumper here. By the time I get off the phone with her, the green light on the wall is flashing telling me that I'm unloaded. So I whip out $65.00 out of my wallet and pay the guys. Luckily for me she pleaded my case of ignorance to someone and got it authorized.
I'm glad I got put with Jessica. She's been lots of help so far and she's great to work with.
After I finished in OKC I got a load assignment to pick up in Jenks, OK (just outside of Tulsa) and deliver to McDonough, GA. This would be my load through W Memphis to pick up my truck.
So I dropped this evening to McDonough. Before I had gotten there I got a load assignment to pick up a loaded trailer from the same place I delivered (Kimberly Clark) and take it up to Delaware somewhere. I'm not real excited about this b/c I was hoping to get lucky and stay out of the northeast, but I knew it would come sooner or later... I was just hoping for later.
So I picked up and drove until my 11 was up. Now I'm at a Pilot in Duncan, SC. Me and Janette just got out of the shower and she's heating up some campbells chunky soup in the lunchbox over we bought today. This load will give me a little over 2700 miles for this week. I'll drop it first thing Sunday morning and hopefully I'll get one more load that can deliver Monday before the cutoff. I'd love to break 3000 miles.
I've been getting ok miles this week. After I delivered in Jackson, MO the other day, I picked up right across the street from P&G. I took that to Associated in OKC. I thought I had made a $65.00 mistake there. The load assignment said that it wasn't a hand unload. When I took my paperwork in the lady pointed this guy out to me that I needed to talk to about getting unloaded. I went to the lumper and he looked over my paperwork and told me it would be $65.00 to unload. I say great and they get started. I hadn't had to use a lumper yet so I wasn't exactly sure how the process worked at SNI. So, I go in and call Jessica to find out and she explains that I need to call in first, and she'll contact customer service (I think) and get me the comcheck number. Well, she calls them and finds out that they won't authorize payment for a lumper here. By the time I get off the phone with her, the green light on the wall is flashing telling me that I'm unloaded. So I whip out $65.00 out of my wallet and pay the guys. Luckily for me she pleaded my case of ignorance to someone and got it authorized.
I'm glad I got put with Jessica. She's been lots of help so far and she's great to work with.
After I finished in OKC I got a load assignment to pick up in Jenks, OK (just outside of Tulsa) and deliver to McDonough, GA. This would be my load through W Memphis to pick up my truck.
So I dropped this evening to McDonough. Before I had gotten there I got a load assignment to pick up a loaded trailer from the same place I delivered (Kimberly Clark) and take it up to Delaware somewhere. I'm not real excited about this b/c I was hoping to get lucky and stay out of the northeast, but I knew it would come sooner or later... I was just hoping for later.
So I picked up and drove until my 11 was up. Now I'm at a Pilot in Duncan, SC. Me and Janette just got out of the shower and she's heating up some campbells chunky soup in the lunchbox over we bought today. This load will give me a little over 2700 miles for this week. I'll drop it first thing Sunday morning and hopefully I'll get one more load that can deliver Monday before the cutoff. I'd love to break 3000 miles.
Monday, October 22, 2007
In my 3rd truck
The load I was supposed to pick up at GP Sunday morning wasn't ready when I got there, then it wasn't ready three hours later when I checked back. Now, this load was supposed to be ready before midnight on Saturday, but here it is 09:00 Sunday morning and nothing. I got off that one and on one going from GP to Meridian, MS. I shot over to Meridian and dropped that trailer then bobtailed 139 miles to Brookhaven, MS where I slept for the night at a truckstop 2 miles away from my shipper.
That brings me to this morning. I picked up a loaded trailer of cheps that goes to Jackson, MO. I need to get back to W Memphis so I can get this loaner truck back to the guy who needs it tomorrow. My part was supposed to arrive this morning and be fixed shortly after. When I got to the OC at 13:00 and checked in with the shop, they told me the part hasn't showed up by Peterbilt says it will be there the next morning. So, I drop that trailer and turn in the keys to my loaner. I hate to see it go... it's so much nicer than my truck.
I went in and to talk to my DBL and let him know the situation with my truck. I was kinda bummed because I figured I'd be stuck in a hotel for the night while I waited for my truck. But, he came through for me and found me another loaner. So I took off towards Jackson. I'm sitting at a truckstop about 15 miles south of my cosignee's exit. My appt was for 18:35 tomorrow night, but I got Jessica to bump it up to 09:00. The average duration for this stop is 07:30. I sure hope it doesn't take them that long... seems ridiculous to me.
Well, a big reason I post here is to display my actual miles and compare them to what my goals are. Here is how it's gone so far...
Week 1: I got my truck on a Friday and left. I was only able to get in 2 short trips before the cutoff Monday at 17:00.
896 pd miles
Week 2: My first full truck. This is kinda where I expected to be at this point... actually a little more than I expected. But, I'll be shooting for more. I can't wait till I'm not having any truck problems and can stay away from the OC.
2709 pd miles
So far so good, but I'll be trying to improve.
That brings me to this morning. I picked up a loaded trailer of cheps that goes to Jackson, MO. I need to get back to W Memphis so I can get this loaner truck back to the guy who needs it tomorrow. My part was supposed to arrive this morning and be fixed shortly after. When I got to the OC at 13:00 and checked in with the shop, they told me the part hasn't showed up by Peterbilt says it will be there the next morning. So, I drop that trailer and turn in the keys to my loaner. I hate to see it go... it's so much nicer than my truck.
I went in and to talk to my DBL and let him know the situation with my truck. I was kinda bummed because I figured I'd be stuck in a hotel for the night while I waited for my truck. But, he came through for me and found me another loaner. So I took off towards Jackson. I'm sitting at a truckstop about 15 miles south of my cosignee's exit. My appt was for 18:35 tomorrow night, but I got Jessica to bump it up to 09:00. The average duration for this stop is 07:30. I sure hope it doesn't take them that long... seems ridiculous to me.
Well, a big reason I post here is to display my actual miles and compare them to what my goals are. Here is how it's gone so far...
Week 1: I got my truck on a Friday and left. I was only able to get in 2 short trips before the cutoff Monday at 17:00.
896 pd miles
Week 2: My first full truck. This is kinda where I expected to be at this point... actually a little more than I expected. But, I'll be shooting for more. I can't wait till I'm not having any truck problems and can stay away from the OC.
2709 pd miles
So far so good, but I'll be trying to improve.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
At home
It's been a few days since I've been on so let me catch up. I took that load to Laredo and sat for about 13 hours waiting for another one. Finally I got a Nestle load going to De Kalb, IL. They routed me through W Memphis so I could have my truck looked at.
Thurday when I got to W Memphis and someone from the shop came out to look at my truck he saw that the gear box was leaking. He'd said the guy who had the truck before me was supposed to go get it fixed, but apparently never did. At first he told me that it could take two weeks for the part to come in, but after making a phone call he said it would be there Monday.
I went in and talked to whoever is under my DBL, Jessica (I don't know everybody's abbreviations yet) and she got me a loaner. I was bummed b/c I thought it would be a piece, but it turns out it's nice, clean truck that's almost new. So I'll enjoy the next few days out.
They sent me on a load to Georgia Pacific in Zachary, LA. I left early this morning and dropped the trailer. I drove about 40 minutes home to drop off a lot of the stuff we took with us. We overpacked a lot and it's been very tight in the truck this week.
I'm laying in my bed right now... I'm picking up a loaded trailer from Georgia Pacific in the morning and taking it back up to W Memphis. It's going up to Maine, but I have to have this truck back to the yard for the guy it belongs to for Monday.
Jessica is supposed to be looking into getting me out of this Peterbilt and into a Freightliner. I sure hope she does.
Thurday when I got to W Memphis and someone from the shop came out to look at my truck he saw that the gear box was leaking. He'd said the guy who had the truck before me was supposed to go get it fixed, but apparently never did. At first he told me that it could take two weeks for the part to come in, but after making a phone call he said it would be there Monday.
I went in and talked to whoever is under my DBL, Jessica (I don't know everybody's abbreviations yet) and she got me a loaner. I was bummed b/c I thought it would be a piece, but it turns out it's nice, clean truck that's almost new. So I'll enjoy the next few days out.
They sent me on a load to Georgia Pacific in Zachary, LA. I left early this morning and dropped the trailer. I drove about 40 minutes home to drop off a lot of the stuff we took with us. We overpacked a lot and it's been very tight in the truck this week.
I'm laying in my bed right now... I'm picking up a loaded trailer from Georgia Pacific in the morning and taking it back up to W Memphis. It's going up to Maine, but I have to have this truck back to the yard for the guy it belongs to for Monday.
Jessica is supposed to be looking into getting me out of this Peterbilt and into a Freightliner. I sure hope she does.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Well so far so good. I'm enjoying being back out here so far. I haven't gotten lost yet so I'm very happy. My load out of Lima ended up being loaded last night so I went and grabbed the trailer and took it about 15 miles away and weighed it. I was 350 lbs over on the tandems. I went back to holes and everything was fine. It's so much easier to slide the tandems since I have Janette here to help me.
I stayed at that TA last night and we took showers. Had to pay $10 b/c we didn't get fuel but it was well worth it.
We got up this morning and and knocked out the short trip to London, KY. I need to look into the short haul pay. I know it exists, but don't know how it works.
I was pre-assigned a load by the time I got to the Wal-Mart DC in London. I'm getting loaded tomorrow am in Berea, KY and heading to Laredo, TX. It's 1294 paid miles... not too bad. I wish I could get loads like that non-stop. From my trip planning I think I should be in Laredo 10/17 around 14:30. We'll see how good I am at trip planning though.
I need to have my truck looked at when I get a chance. I'm assuming it needs power steering fluid b/c when I'm backing it takes all of my energy to turn the wheel and it's making a loud noise. By the time I get backed in my arms are worn out.
We're about to hit the sack now... Janette owes me a massage from our bowling bet last week. It's time to collect.
I stayed at that TA last night and we took showers. Had to pay $10 b/c we didn't get fuel but it was well worth it.
We got up this morning and and knocked out the short trip to London, KY. I need to look into the short haul pay. I know it exists, but don't know how it works.
I was pre-assigned a load by the time I got to the Wal-Mart DC in London. I'm getting loaded tomorrow am in Berea, KY and heading to Laredo, TX. It's 1294 paid miles... not too bad. I wish I could get loads like that non-stop. From my trip planning I think I should be in Laredo 10/17 around 14:30. We'll see how good I am at trip planning though.
I need to have my truck looked at when I get a chance. I'm assuming it needs power steering fluid b/c when I'm backing it takes all of my energy to turn the wheel and it's making a loud noise. By the time I get backed in my arms are worn out.
We're about to hit the sack now... Janette owes me a massage from our bowling bet last week. It's time to collect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)