11/11/2009

I was able to do my civic duty today. Upon reflection I could have done it a lot better perhaps next time. Anyway shortly after I started my day 12:45am or so. I was headed east on I26 and came unpon a Blue SUV drifting from one lane to the other and back, slowing down and speeding up. My first thought was how to get by this idiot without killing me or him. He had a pattern so I waited. He'd drift into the hammer lane, realize his error and then drift thru the granny lane and part way into the break down lane. Once he started his drift from the hammer lane I closed the gap and dashed by him as fast as this truck would allow me ( not very fast by the by). As I'm passing him I check my mirror often to make sure he didn't drift into my side. Once I was safely past I decided to call 911 and report the driver. Gave as many details as possible, excluding the plate number(duh). Hope for his sake and the other driver the police found him. Alas I'll never know for sure.

Here comes the reflection part.......

I should have stayed behind him and called the police from there. It would have been the safer choice and I could have warned other drivers better. Live and learn.

Made it Swansea, SC got unloaded equipment put away and about 30 min later got the DH move to Laurinburg, NC. Had my FM setup an appointment with the shop to get the PM done. Once there I gave them a laundry list of other things needing looked at. 10pm I get my truck back 2 new steer tires front end alignment, new fog light, headlights aligned. The bunk heater that has never worked since I got the truck still doesn't work. They got to order the parts. But they did offer to put me in a different truck. Thats not happening, it is almost as bad and moving into a different apartment. I told them to just order the parts and I'll let them do their thing once they come in.

Didn't get a work assignment while the truck was in the shop. So I'll be waiting until 9am or so to see what is happening next. Got 1800 miles in this week and $50 in extra pay. Hope there is something in the cards for delivery Friday but not betting on it. Really hoping for a Jackson, MS delivery on Tuesday. That will be a nice way to start the next time out. Anyway.....

Have a nice day

Bookerz out

11/10/2009

I woke up at 1:30am and after starting the coffee maker. Always the second action of the morning after turning off the alarm. I got out inspected the load and truck. I found 1 chain while not loose it wasn't as tight as I wanted. As soon as the chain was tighten hop back in the truck and the coffee maker was done.

I plotted out today's journey. At the end of todays journey would be a Pilot perfectly placed for fueling and across the interstate was a TA. Where I could take the truck and get the PM the truck was due done. Ok plan laided down it was time to take off.

I make it to the scale at the 50mm in Kentucky. They have a huge truck parking area behind the scale and pulled in to sleep thru the pre-dawn hours. Set my alarm clock to go off in 2 hrs and crawl back to the bunk. Hour and a quarter later the phone is ringing. With the new blue tooth interface the ringtone is now piped thru the truck stereo, this could have a potential downside. Anyway this time it was my wife (a plus) and I could get up and continue on my way (another plus). I get to the north side of Nashville at the wrong time of day. There was a pretty thick back up at the I24/I65 merge once past the merge a bit it loosen up a bit and then I was headed out of town always a good place to be during the morning rush hour. Another thing I found out today is they have finally completed the work on I40 through Knoxville, TN.

Going to finish today's journey part ways through the I40 bypass around the rock slide. I was able to fuel at the Pilot, but alas I found one of the few TAs without a service department. With only 2 of 3 objectives accomplished today it is time to call it a day. The rest area 1 mile further down the road from the Pilot is home for the night.

Have a good day

Bookerz out

11/09/2009

Interesting day to put it mildly.

Getting to and backing into the customer wasn't nearly as difficult as I was led to believe. It might have been harder but for some reason my backing skills and luck were at a fever pitch. This customer's crane was only able to lift the lighter stocces of thinner glass. Once they got to the thicker glass (1/2 inch) they had to pull off the glass 1 sheet at a time. Talk about time consuming. As they were unloading me I got a preplanned load to pick up steel coils over in Granite city.

Back in early spring was the first and only time I hauled steel coils and there was someone there with a lot of experience who helped out quite a bit. This time I was flying solo and a bit worried I didn't remember all that I should. And this time there would be three coils as opposed to one. Turns out getting around to the different places on the plant were more of a problem than my remembering. 1 1/4 hours later pulling out of the plant fully secured and doubled tarped. Not a bad load at all and I got $20 for tarping as well.

We have a terminal near by and I'm going to grab a shower and call it a day here. Thinking on taking off about 3-4am and making my way over to Swansea, Sc for a Wednesday morning delivery. That will bring my total miles upto 1800 miles. Nothing compared to last week but not to shaby. Perhaps there will be another load in my future before the week closes out. Here's hoping!

Have a good day

Bookerz Out

11/08/2009

Let me start by saying.............................

The BUC's won.

The BUC's won.

The BUC's won.

Maybe the only time this year it happens, but the buc's won. Enough on that subject.

Usually on my weekends that I'm out on the road I get a 34 hr reset. This might serve to gum up the works as far as getting good miles this week. We'll just have to see. Got a couple of things going on with the truck as well. At sometime I am going to have to bite the bullets on these and get them knocked of my to do list as well.

1. Truck needs a dry pm. Not sure what this entails, but I'll leave that to the experts. My ability (or lack there of) has been explained in a previous post.

2. The bunk heater does not work. I am not going thru another winter without it working. It doesn't even looked assembled. Who ever had this truck before me thought they could fix it (??). Apparently they hadn't heard the addage "To thy ownself be true"

3. Drive tires are wearing unevenly. Driver side inside tire and passenger outside tires are worn down more. I need to let the experts take a look to see if they need replacing or not.

This place I deliver tomorrow is suppose to be a pain in the butt place. This evaluation is from a driver I know, but he whines about everything. So I cut the whining in half and still it might be a difficult place to deliver. We will just have to see in the morning.

Todays drive was nice and easy. Better weather doesn't exist. And to top it off I've never taken I-64 so it was some new road. May pay for it with the difficulty at a new delivery point (new to me anyway). Sometimes, well most of the time you got to take the good with the bad.

Tomorrow will be interesting at anyrate

Have a good night

Bookerz out

11/07/2009

On reading yesterdays post I realize I told you when, but not where I'm delivering Monday. It is in St. Louis, MO at a customer that is new to me. We have a terminal about 10 miles from there so that is the target destination tommorow tonight.

Back to today. I went to breakfast with a fellow driver that I went through training with. We determined we could run together to just west of Charleston, WV. Went over to Walmart to restock on drinks and junk food. Got back to the yard and the TV in the drivers lounge beckoned for the next two hours. Finally getting up we went over to the plant secured the loads. On inspecting his trailer he found a tire that needed replacing. So between everything we didn't even get under way till 3pm. We drove until 10pm and finally this day was over. Made it to the service plaze about the 70 mile marker. This will leave me with 530 miles for Sunday. Should be an easy run that I'll finish up about 7pm.

Have a good day

Bookerz Out