Fortunately, it had some sort of restraint around its neck.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Cujo at CFI
So last weekend I'm at CFI taking a nap and I wake up to find this character staring at me in my truck:
Fortunately, it had some sort of restraint around its neck.
Fortunately, it had some sort of restraint around its neck.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Ready to deliver
I had an easy trip down from Dalton, Georgia this morning to about 25 miles from the first drop I will make tomorrow morning. I remarked a few days ago how I was hauling a Con-Way trailer with a 15,000 lb load and got about 8.3 MPG. This load is also light, but it is in a CFI trailer and I got 7.8 MPG today over very similar terrain and obstacles (eg cities, construction) than before. I guess those nifty side skirts do help out quite a bit.
Traffic in Atlanta was very light... to be expected at around 4 AM! By the time I had made my way around to the south side of the city the other side of the highway was fairly congested coming towards the city.
Traffic in Atlanta was very light... to be expected at around 4 AM! By the time I had made my way around to the south side of the city the other side of the highway was fairly congested coming towards the city.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
660 miles in 10.75 driving hours
Even though I spent most of the morning in the 55 MPH hell of Illinois, I still managed a respectable 660 miles down the road today, leaving me with an easy 530 for tomorrow and the following morning when I deliver.
I wasn't going to push so hard today but as I was mapping out my driving strategy for this run I realized I needed to get as close as possible to Atlanta today so I can be up early-early tomorrow morning and get in and out the south side before the roads congeal with traffic.
I made several pit stops at rest areas today, and at one I got fairly upset. Someone haddropped off abandoned two juvenile cats who were both obviously house trained and unfamiliar with being left outside. They both came over with their tails up when I walked near and it was difficult not stopping for a while to pet them or try to rescue them myself. I thought that maybe I had some old cat treats left over in the truck and searched, but no luck. It also happens that I didn't have any cold cuts or the like with me on this trip, which was a bit upsetting.
If you get a pet, realize they aren't disposable. Spay and neuter them and care for them, and if you can't continue care find someone who will. Abandoning them along a freeway earns you a lot of bad Karma and it will come back around one day.
I wasn't going to push so hard today but as I was mapping out my driving strategy for this run I realized I needed to get as close as possible to Atlanta today so I can be up early-early tomorrow morning and get in and out the south side before the roads congeal with traffic.
I made several pit stops at rest areas today, and at one I got fairly upset. Someone had
If you get a pet, realize they aren't disposable. Spay and neuter them and care for them, and if you can't continue care find someone who will. Abandoning them along a freeway earns you a lot of bad Karma and it will come back around one day.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Better and better
Not only did I get this nice (for me) load, I went by the shipper and it was ready for me a full 14 hours in advance! I quickly dropped my empty, got the paperwork, grabbed the new trailer and got out of town and down the freeway. I'm parked at a rest area almost 100 miles towards my first consignee, with under 1,200 miles to go over the next two days.
Sweet Jesus, I got a pre-plan!
Be still, my heart.
I'm waiting for them to finish the unloading and I have a pre-planned load come in for me over the Mobile Max. After I'm done here, I will sashay over to nearby Muscatine, Iowa (home of HoN furniture, for whom I'm sure I'm going to go see) and get a load tomorrow morning at 0430 hours heading to Tampa, with an extra stop about a hundred miles from there.
This is just about the perfect load for me. I get it nice and early, it delivers in two days and 1,280 miles (640 per day, bay-bee!), I have the hours to run it... The only way it could be better is if someone else would run it and I would get paid! I'll settle for this though.
View Larger Map
I'm waiting for them to finish the unloading and I have a pre-planned load come in for me over the Mobile Max. After I'm done here, I will sashay over to nearby Muscatine, Iowa (home of HoN furniture, for whom I'm sure I'm going to go see) and get a load tomorrow morning at 0430 hours heading to Tampa, with an extra stop about a hundred miles from there.
This is just about the perfect load for me. I get it nice and early, it delivers in two days and 1,280 miles (640 per day, bay-bee!), I have the hours to run it... The only way it could be better is if someone else would run it and I would get paid! I'll settle for this though.
View Larger Map
Olay!
It turns out the load I'm carrying consists of over twenty tons of Olay bath products. I made it to Iowa City, Iowa, two hours ahead of schedule and got assigned a dock door quickly. No telling how long the unload will take.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Iowa City, Iowa the slow way
I'm off to Iowa with a heavy load for Proctor & Gamble that is due to deliver Monday at 2 PM. This is a long time for just 1,250 miles so I'm going to head to Joplin and take a day off on the way.
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Trouble getting it up
... and running.
"It" being the truck, naturally.
Last night I shut down at a rest area just south of Fort Worth, Texas along I-35W. When I got up this morning, I did my pre-trip then tried to start the engine. It gave a couple wimpy coughs then decided it didn't want to play any more and stayed off.
I tried a few things but it didn't resolve the problem so Road Service was called and a truck was sent out to give me a jump start. It took a while for the batteries to get enough charge to turn over the engine, even with the cables still in place from the batteries on the repair truck.
Eventually everything sorted itself out and I moseyed down the road. I averaged an impressive 8.3 MPG with this Conway trailer and about 15,000 lbs of cargo... more than I can remember getting with a CFI trailer and any kind of load.
The trailer itself had a curious tire malady... one of the tires was completely bald with a lot of scuff marks and two others were marginal. Our shop replaced all three before I left, but I don't understand how the thing got through the inspection bay in the first place... the bald tire was very obvious.
"It" being the truck, naturally.
Last night I shut down at a rest area just south of Fort Worth, Texas along I-35W. When I got up this morning, I did my pre-trip then tried to start the engine. It gave a couple wimpy coughs then decided it didn't want to play any more and stayed off.
I tried a few things but it didn't resolve the problem so Road Service was called and a truck was sent out to give me a jump start. It took a while for the batteries to get enough charge to turn over the engine, even with the cables still in place from the batteries on the repair truck.
Eventually everything sorted itself out and I moseyed down the road. I averaged an impressive 8.3 MPG with this Conway trailer and about 15,000 lbs of cargo... more than I can remember getting with a CFI trailer and any kind of load.
The trailer itself had a curious tire malady... one of the tires was completely bald with a lot of scuff marks and two others were marginal. Our shop replaced all three before I left, but I don't understand how the thing got through the inspection bay in the first place... the bald tire was very obvious.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Diagnosis: Terminal
My truck made it out of the shop this morning with a new engine coolant sensor and they even gave my driver's side door some TLC! It seems to work better than before; we'll see if it stays shut any better.
At about 11:45 I got called up to the dispatch window for my choice of destination. The choices turned out to be Laredo... and Laredo. So, off I go to deliver tomorrow afternoon.
View Larger Map
At about 11:45 I got called up to the dispatch window for my choice of destination. The choices turned out to be Laredo... and Laredo. So, off I go to deliver tomorrow afternoon.
View Larger Map
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Back to Joplin, via Neosho, Missouri
After a lengthy wait it was decided that I would serve the Collective best by returning to Joplin and get my truck into the shop. Along the way I stopped by Crowder College and chatted with some up-and-coming drivers. Yes, that means you Roadaholic and friend :)
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Monday, October 8, 2007
A Storm Gathers...
I'm parked to the east of Little Rock tonight and the skies have an unusually dark and sinister look to them. A storm gathers to the west and will likely roam through this area in an hour or so.
 |
| View all A Storm Gathers pics |
Nashville to Lonoke
Lonoke is a small town in Arkansas, for those not familiar.
View Larger Map
My first drop this morning was at a pool supply company that offloaded about half of the copper in my load. Here are some before and after pics:
I was immediately dispatched to the second drop in Lonoke, to arrive no later than 1330. I made it there by noon and was unloaded and on my way an hour later.
The second drop was at the Remington arms manufacturing plant where projectiles are born. Apparently, the copper I had for them was in the form of "cups"... for shotgun shells I guess.
Meanwhile, in the "Hello, Captain Obvious" department:
Damn straight, Skippy!
View Larger Map
My first drop this morning was at a pool supply company that offloaded about half of the copper in my load. Here are some before and after pics:
I was immediately dispatched to the second drop in Lonoke, to arrive no later than 1330. I made it there by noon and was unloaded and on my way an hour later.
The second drop was at the Remington arms manufacturing plant where projectiles are born. Apparently, the copper I had for them was in the form of "cups"... for shotgun shells I guess.
Meanwhile, in the "Hello, Captain Obvious" department:
Damn straight, Skippy!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Music city
I departed northern Ohio this morning and had an uneventful drive down to Nashville, Tennessee. I'm parked at a truck stop about six miles from tomorrow's morning delivery, after which I will run west towards Little Rock, Arkansas to make my second drop.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Chicken!?! Did it have to be Chicken?
Several months ago I saw a truck with my family name across the freeway but before I could bring a camera to bear it was gone. A few days ago I stopped in Terre Haute, Indiana at the Pilot to fuel and shower and saw another truck from this company. I vowed it would not escape as easily and before anything I whipped out my best camera and wandered over.
The horror.
It turns out our plan for global domination springs from something foul... or should I say, f-o-w-l. Yes, you got it right, the Townsend clan is apparently in the chicken business. Worse, if that is possible, it would appear our operations are centered around Arkansas.
Oh well, at least we have "Pristine Cuisine":
The horror.
It turns out our plan for global domination springs from something foul... or should I say, f-o-w-l. Yes, you got it right, the Townsend clan is apparently in the chicken business. Worse, if that is possible, it would appear our operations are centered around Arkansas.
 |
| View all Tastes Just Like Chicken pics |
Oh well, at least we have "Pristine Cuisine":
Friday, October 5, 2007
To be announced...
My alarm went off at 1 AM and I cursed the fool that set it that early until I realized that I needed to be moving that early in order to make my appointment in Depew, New York on time. Soon, I was rolling again and I made it to the consignee with an hour to spare, despite the glacial 55 MPH speed limit in Ohio and generous amounts of road construction in Pennsylvania.
I had a weird load pickup waiting as soon as I punched in the empty code; it looked like I was going about 10 miles away to pick up and deliver at the same facility! It actually means there is a load there but they have not yet told CFI the destination, or in this case, destinations. In the office parlance, it is a "TBA" or "To Be Announced" load.
As it turns out, I'm taking a heavy load of various types of copper to Nashville, Tennessee, then on to Lonoke, Arkansas.
View Larger Map
The copper itself is fairly compact and the warehouse guys used a ginormous amount of 2x6 boards nailed into the floor to keep everything in place. It is all loaded down the centerline of the trailer which, I discovered, makes for a trailer that really wants to tip over during turns.
I had a weird load pickup waiting as soon as I punched in the empty code; it looked like I was going about 10 miles away to pick up and deliver at the same facility! It actually means there is a load there but they have not yet told CFI the destination, or in this case, destinations. In the office parlance, it is a "TBA" or "To Be Announced" load.
As it turns out, I'm taking a heavy load of various types of copper to Nashville, Tennessee, then on to Lonoke, Arkansas.
View Larger Map
The copper itself is fairly compact and the warehouse guys used a ginormous amount of 2x6 boards nailed into the floor to keep everything in place. It is all loaded down the centerline of the trailer which, I discovered, makes for a trailer that really wants to tip over during turns.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
En route
On my way to Depew, New York, as I had thought earlier. I'm about 230 miles out and stopped for the night I need to get up extra early tomorrow morning in order to make it there on time so g'nite everyone.
UPDATE: Turns out the warehouse folks at the plant were eating their Wheaties yesterday morning... got me loaded in about 2.5 hours.
UPDATE: Turns out the warehouse folks at the plant were eating their Wheaties yesterday morning... got me loaded in about 2.5 hours.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
New York, New York
After I was unloaded this morning, instructions were sent to grab a load in Carthage, Missouri bound for Depew, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. Unfortunately, the source for this load is the dreaded Leggett and Platt warehouse that I have been to twice before, with an average wait time of five hours to be loaded.
I don't have many hours in my log book today and I won't be able to get very far if I get out of here this afternoon, anyway, because my Hours of Service clock has been ticking since I got unloaded this morning in Springfield. Plus, my truck needs to be sent over to the local Kenworth dealer in nearby Joplin to have an engine sensor problem fixed and, with any luck, my driver's door re-aligned so it is easier to shut and keep shut.
Anyway, this is the route if I end up running it:
View Larger Map
I don't have many hours in my log book today and I won't be able to get very far if I get out of here this afternoon, anyway, because my Hours of Service clock has been ticking since I got unloaded this morning in Springfield. Plus, my truck needs to be sent over to the local Kenworth dealer in nearby Joplin to have an engine sensor problem fixed and, with any luck, my driver's door re-aligned so it is easier to shut and keep shut.
Anyway, this is the route if I end up running it:
View Larger Map
Spelunking
Yesterday I loaded in a giant underground cave system in Independence, Missouri. The caves were produced by salt mining and have since been altered to suit the warehousing industry, with roads, buildings and all sorts of other things inside.
After arriving on site, outside, I was given a phone number to call for a loading dock number and directions. The directions were somewhat cryptic but I wrote them down as best I could then made my way inside.
Many of these photos are jerky, possibly from my truck moving and possibly from my hands shaking.
The dock I had was tight and the columns of salt that remain to hold up the roof also do a good job of limiting visibility when you are trying to back up a big rig. It took me about 10 minutes of jockeying around to get my trailer lined up properly at the designated door.
Here you can see the nose of the tractor next to mine, beyond the next salt pillar, with his nose sticking out into the "street", same as mine.
A rather grandiose name for this distributor:
After arriving on site, outside, I was given a phone number to call for a loading dock number and directions. The directions were somewhat cryptic but I wrote them down as best I could then made my way inside.
 |
| View all Spelunking pics |
Many of these photos are jerky, possibly from my truck moving and possibly from my hands shaking.
The dock I had was tight and the columns of salt that remain to hold up the roof also do a good job of limiting visibility when you are trying to back up a big rig. It took me about 10 minutes of jockeying around to get my trailer lined up properly at the designated door.
Here you can see the nose of the tractor next to mine, beyond the next salt pillar, with his nose sticking out into the "street", same as mine.
A rather grandiose name for this distributor:
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Hop, skip and a jump
I dropped my trailer at the Wal-Mart DC in Ottawa then very quickly got a new load. Only 65 miles deadhead then another 160 or so, first to Independence, Missouri then to Springfield, Missouri to deliver first thing in the morning.
Only thing is, the shipper is underground in warehouses set up in old salt mines! Tight quarters, very odd directions and lots and lots of sweat to get in and out without hitting anything. Pics to follow later, as I don't have broadband where I'm at tonight.
View Larger Map
Only thing is, the shipper is underground in warehouses set up in old salt mines! Tight quarters, very odd directions and lots and lots of sweat to get in and out without hitting anything. Pics to follow later, as I don't have broadband where I'm at tonight.
View Larger Map
Night in Davenport, Iowa
I posted these pics on my Picassa site last week but forgot to link to them... this is from my first unload of the morning at the Dick's store in Davenport, Iowa.
I'm still experimenting with my camera, taking different kinds of shots like this one:
 |
| View all Night in Davenport, Iowa pics |
I'm still experimenting with my camera, taking different kinds of shots like this one:
Monday, October 1, 2007
What the heck were they thinking?
Swift is the largest truckload carrier in the US. Why they would have this heap rumbling around is beyond me.
New Orders
I'm going to Ottawa. Ottawa, Kansas, that is. I haven't got all the load details yet but I'm sure it is a Wal-Mart load heading into their DC there, judging by the load summary. It picks up this afternoon in Columbus, Indiana.
Only problem is this Z Gallery place didn't want any of the 15 or so pallets that their product came in on so they are still sitting in my trailer. Will sell for cheap.
View Larger Map
Only problem is this Z Gallery place didn't want any of the 15 or so pallets that their product came in on so they are still sitting in my trailer. Will sell for cheap.
View Larger Map
Why, it is zee gallerie!
Or Z Gallery, to be more precise. I overnighted at a small, kind of upscale outdoors mall in Carmel, IN that is decidedly truck-unfriendly. Narrow streets, tight corners, no loading docks.
My trailer is packed front-to-rear with pictures in frames, vases and other stuff people purchase to decorate their houses with. The handful of unfortunates from the store are out back unloading it piece-by-piece from the trailer on to hand carts then moving them inside.
Sucks to be them.
My trailer is packed front-to-rear with pictures in frames, vases and other stuff people purchase to decorate their houses with. The handful of unfortunates from the store are out back unloading it piece-by-piece from the trailer on to hand carts then moving them inside.
Sucks to be them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)