Well it looks like I am going to be wandering the country again, I just found out that there will be no runs for us the next two weeks. Apparently they are going to idle the plant for the first two weeks of March. Despite the great reviews it appears that the Traverse is just not selling well enough to keep the plant running at a constant pace. When I was there Tuesday for my delivery, I could see that they were running the plant a lot leaner than they used to. There weren't nearly as many parts as they were keeping on hand prior to the December shut down. If I had to guess, they had maybe two to three truck loads of engines on hand, when they used to keep five to six. Now this is something they should have been doing all along, especially with us bringing in a delivery every two hours. That would have saved them a ton of inventory costs last year.
Now next week I might actually be able to stay in the area, we have a new account with a beer company that recently started up. The disadvantage is that these aren't regular runs, and they aren't that long a run either, from what I have heard. The major advantage is that it is still freight moving, and you get paid to do that. You will know more when I do.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Regular Run, sort of
In the past two weeks I have only made two engine runs down to Spring Hill. Last week I was able to get a parts run as well so it wasn't too bad, but this week it has only been the one run. So it seems my bail out isn't working out to great, but at least with one run I can get a decent pay check and not be stuck on the road somewhere waiting for my next trip. Monday's run hasn't cancelled yet, so I am crossing my fingers.
The last two runs I made were not in my truck, it was over at Cummins getting the engine worked on. So Friday last week and Tuesday this week were each in a different truck than my usual one. So both nights I grabbed a hotel room, paid for by the company, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is just easier than trying to either move enough stuff to be able to sleep comfortably in a strangers truck, or to clean it up enough to want to. I am still staying at the Red Roof Inn down there, and last week got my first certificate for a free stay. The rewards card is going to save me big time when it comes time to take a vacation of some sort this year.
The last two runs I made were not in my truck, it was over at Cummins getting the engine worked on. So Friday last week and Tuesday this week were each in a different truck than my usual one. So both nights I grabbed a hotel room, paid for by the company, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is just easier than trying to either move enough stuff to be able to sleep comfortably in a strangers truck, or to clean it up enough to want to. I am still staying at the Red Roof Inn down there, and last week got my first certificate for a free stay. The rewards card is going to save me big time when it comes time to take a vacation of some sort this year.
Monday, February 16, 2009
I got my Portion of the Bail Out
My dedicated GM run started up again last week. So once again I am going to be traveling between Perrysburg, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee, with frequent overnights in Glendale, Kentucky. This run is just long enough to keep it interesting, and short enough to get me home on a regular basis, so it is just about perfect for me right now. Now how long it will last is another question entirely. It takes a little over eight hours of driving to get to the delivery point, and I have figured out pretty much how to get there with no problems and be a little early without wasting a lot of time.
Unfortunately this morning the schedule got shot all to heck. I was planning on leaving the yard at three-thirty this morning, but because I had to wait for a tow truck, I didn't leave until shortly after five. The reason I had to wait was because my trailer loaded with twenty thousand pounds of engines and twenty thousand pounds of racks to hold the engines, had been dropped in a soft spot. This is not a new spot in the yard and most people avoid putting anything there, more due to the fact that it is part of where we usually drive than any other reason. 
So this loaded trailer sat over the weekend, and when the sun was up and warmed the ground it settled, then the water and muck refroze around the landing gear. Which is how I found it this morning, not only was it frozen in place, it had suck to low for me to get my truck underneath it to pick it up. So I got to see Hammer Towing's big truck in action and it was impressive. The ease with which the truck picked up the trailer was something to see. When he set the trailer back down on timbers, one cracked in half with a sound like a gun shot.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Rockwall, Texas: Super 8, not so super
At first glance this is a typical motel with a fairly generous truck parking area, one that is fairly easy to get in and out of, with plenty of room to turn around. You just have to watch out for the exposed rebar in the front drive as you enter and leave the lot.
The leak in the bathroom ceiling looks like an old one from the size of the rust stains. That is until you take a closer look and get to watch the water droplets come down. This is especially fun after the person upstairs takes a shower. I was just glad that it wasn't bulging like this over the toilet. When I noticed this Saturday I thought about insisting on a room change due to it, but was feeling lazy and decided to endure it for one more night. It wasn't dripping on me, or touching anything of mine, so had little effect on my being here.
The poorly fitting door was one problem I noticed fairly quickly, but did not recognize as a real problem until this morning. That was when my camping senses kicked in, I didn't realize at first why I was awake, just knew that something had woken me up. A noise from somewhere, there near my milk crate of food. As I sat up something fairly large and furry scurried out of the room and through the crack under the door. I doubt it was a mouse, even if this is Texas, no way a mouse silhouettes against the
wall, above the carpet kick plate. From the looks of the bent down portion of the door, this sort of in and out has been going on for a long time. What makes it more scary is the question, was this done by the rats?
The leak in the bathroom ceiling looks like an old one from the size of the rust stains. That is until you take a closer look and get to watch the water droplets come down. This is especially fun after the person upstairs takes a shower. I was just glad that it wasn't bulging like this over the toilet. When I noticed this Saturday I thought about insisting on a room change due to it, but was feeling lazy and decided to endure it for one more night. It wasn't dripping on me, or touching anything of mine, so had little effect on my being here.
The poorly fitting door was one problem I noticed fairly quickly, but did not recognize as a real problem until this morning. That was when my camping senses kicked in, I didn't realize at first why I was awake, just knew that something had woken me up. A noise from somewhere, there near my milk crate of food. As I sat up something fairly large and furry scurried out of the room and through the crack under the door. I doubt it was a mouse, even if this is Texas, no way a mouse silhouettes against the
wall, above the carpet kick plate. From the looks of the bent down portion of the door, this sort of in and out has been going on for a long time. What makes it more scary is the question, was this done by the rats?I plan on complaining about this when I check out today, see if they give me a discount for sharing a room. Either way I think the health department will find it all very interesting, but that is for later as I need to get dressed and loaded up, and it is raining. It started just as I looked out the door to see if the creature was still hanging around.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Rockwall, Texas: Super 8
This is basically on the other side of I-30 from the TA I stayed at last night. While I can understand their limit on hotel rooms during the week, there are times it seems like they are just wasting money. When one adds up the IdleAire for almost twenty-four hours plus a ten dollar shower, it would have been cheaper for me to spend the night in the hotel instead. It would have saved only about $20, but that can add up over time and with a lot of drivers.
It is interesting how different the food can be when one goes from a national chain to a local restaurant. Last night after looking at the prices at the Burger King in the TA I decided to eat at a TGI Fridays. When a meal is going to cost almost nine dollars anyway, might as well add a little and make it a good one. While the food was really good the drinks just weren't. Apparently the water is just bad around here. I started with my usual, iced tea, which had a funny taste to it. So I switched to water, which was even worse. Even the coke I had didn't taste exactly right to me, of course by then drinking anything just tasted wrong.
Tonight I ate at a small Thai place, Koung Thai Restaurant. This was where I experienced a real difference in food. Not only was the food delicious, but the presentation was something that had me wishing I had my camera with me. While some restaurants try to present a plate, they made a show piece out of my dinner. If I go back tomorrow I will definitely take my camera to take a few pictures of my meal. The food was as good as it looked, I literally stuffed myself between my entree and my sushi. Even with all that, I spent less than twenty dollars.
This was where I spent Thursday night, everything behind my truck has been razed and cleared to dirt. Removed are the pool and two buildings, as well as a great deal of parking. The employees have no idea what is going to happen to the space. Personally I am thinking it will be an updated hotel, since the part that is left of the Super 8 has more rooms than parking spots.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Rockwall, Texas: TA
It was check out time at the hotel so I moved to the closest truck stop along my possible line of travel home. Driving through Dallas at several different times of the day has made me even more certain, I will never live in a major metro area. There are just too many people and cars trying to get places to make it worth wasting so much of my life fighting traffic. At least as a truck driver I am paid to wade through these areas. I also can usually avoid the worst of it with a little planning. It seems Dallas doesn't have a good time to drive through, just bad and worse.
Driving through Kentucky: February 4, 2009
These Pictures were taken while driving through Kentucky on 
February fourth. Most of the pictures of the damage were taken along I-65. What I saw along I-71 was not as bad, but there were still a lot of damaged trees along the way. I can't image what it looked like right after the storm went through, but a lot of roads were definitely impassible.
February fourth. Most of the pictures of the damage were taken along I-65. What I saw along I-71 was not as bad, but there were still a lot of damaged trees along the way. I can't image what it looked like right after the storm went through, but a lot of roads were definitely impassible.
Driving through Cincinnati February 4th 2009
This series of pictures is from driving through Cincinnati on February fourth. These pictures were taken along the last thirty miles of I-71 in Ohio. You can see how rapidly the road degraded, and how slow it was going through most of Cincinnati.
That last bit of Ohio took an hour and a half to drive through, an hour longer than usual. This hour delay kept me from making it as far as I wanted to get in Tennessee that day.
That last bit of Ohio took an hour and a half to drive through, an hour longer than usual. This hour delay kept me from making it as far as I wanted to get in Tennessee that day.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Grand Prairie, Texas: Super 8
It took almost all my driving hours to get to the delivery today, but I got there. I didn't take into account two factors when I looked at the google map distance and time calculation. The first thing I neglected was the fact that they use the legal speed limit for cars to calculate time, which most of the way is either faster than my truck can go or faster than I am allowed to go. The other thing I forgot was the traffic through the Dallas area, it is simply horrible. So what I figured as a ten hour drive turned into a ten and three quarter hour drive. Since I can only drive eleven hours in one shot it was a good thing that the hotel I am now at was just a few minutes away.
The hotel is also just across the street from Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium and Louis Tussuad's House of Wax. I am tempted to go, but will likely leave tomorrow before it opens, hopefully that is.
This hotel was advertised as having truck parking, but they are doing some renovations or new construction and that parking is gone. So I am now taking up a good portion of the parking spaces, fortunately not many people were here when I had to maneuver myself into the spot, which also got me turned around to be able leave in the morning.
The weather down here is fantastic compared what is in the Toledo area right now, well most of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee for that matter. It was in the sixties this afternoon, not only did I have the windows down a bit in the truck, I had the air on as well to keep the heat down from the sun beating into the cab. The truck really stands out down here, there just aren't that many vehicles floating around that are salt encrusted. Considering the layers of salt on the truck, that might be an understatement.
I got some pictures while driving through Kentucky yesterday. It simply boggled the mind at how much damage that ice storm did down there. Entire stands of trees have been topped and toppled from the ice splitting them in half or just dragging them over. Almost the entire stretch of both both I-71 and I-65 had trees down along the road side that have been trimmed just enough for traffic to get past them. Seeing this it is easy to see how so many power lines got taken down. I will get them put up soon.
The hotel is also just across the street from Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium and Louis Tussuad's House of Wax. I am tempted to go, but will likely leave tomorrow before it opens, hopefully that is.
This hotel was advertised as having truck parking, but they are doing some renovations or new construction and that parking is gone. So I am now taking up a good portion of the parking spaces, fortunately not many people were here when I had to maneuver myself into the spot, which also got me turned around to be able leave in the morning.
The weather down here is fantastic compared what is in the Toledo area right now, well most of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee for that matter. It was in the sixties this afternoon, not only did I have the windows down a bit in the truck, I had the air on as well to keep the heat down from the sun beating into the cab. The truck really stands out down here, there just aren't that many vehicles floating around that are salt encrusted. Considering the layers of salt on the truck, that might be an understatement.
I got some pictures while driving through Kentucky yesterday. It simply boggled the mind at how much damage that ice storm did down there. Entire stands of trees have been topped and toppled from the ice splitting them in half or just dragging them over. Almost the entire stretch of both both I-71 and I-65 had trees down along the road side that have been trimmed just enough for traffic to get past them. Seeing this it is easy to see how so many power lines got taken down. I will get them put up soon.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Kingston Springs, Tennessee: Petro2
Well this is a lot different than yesterdays plans. A while after I posted I got a call with a simple question, do I want to go to Texas? Of course I said yes, so after finishing my ten hour break last night at 1:30 AM, I headed to Cambridge, Ohio to pick up this load going to Grand Prairie, Texas. I have done this run once before and then it was a drop and hook, so hopefully this time it is as well. This was where I got the great picture of the rolled FedEx truck.
I am not due there until 18:00 tomorrow, but I will likely get it there early, just how early will depend on how tired I am when I wake up tonight. My ten hour break will be over at 12:45 AM this time around, but since I have time I may sleep a bit longer just because I can.
I am not due there until 18:00 tomorrow, but I will likely get it there early, just how early will depend on how tired I am when I wake up tonight. My ten hour break will be over at 12:45 AM this time around, but since I have time I may sleep a bit longer just because I can.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio: TA
I am back again, not never left. I delivered my load this morning and then had to get some repairs done on the trailer. The repairs were my fault, I got to close to another trailer and didn't correct in time, so I bent two and broke a third hinge. My only defense is that it is a lot different backing an automatic than a manual, and it is taking some getting used to.
After I got fixed I found out that I would be doing a quick shuttle run tomorrow from Austintown to Lordstown. A bit later I found out that was off and I now have a load picking up in Cambridge, Ohio going to Prairie Hill, Texas. It will put me a little late on my first run to Spring Hill, Tennessee next week, because they are starting that plant up and using Canadian engines for now. Both is good news for me, good miles down to Texas and my regular run is back.
I had noticed the ramped up advertising for the Traverse, and that must have help with sales, because if they weren't selling the plant would just be sitting.
After I got fixed I found out that I would be doing a quick shuttle run tomorrow from Austintown to Lordstown. A bit later I found out that was off and I now have a load picking up in Cambridge, Ohio going to Prairie Hill, Texas. It will put me a little late on my first run to Spring Hill, Tennessee next week, because they are starting that plant up and using Canadian engines for now. Both is good news for me, good miles down to Texas and my regular run is back.
I had noticed the ramped up advertising for the Traverse, and that must have help with sales, because if they weren't selling the plant would just be sitting.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio: TA
I am still about two hours away from where I deliver tomorrow morning, but had to stop for the day due to the limit of fourteen hours. This limit is how long a drivers day can last from start to finish. Once a driver logs either an on duty or a driving event (though on duty is always first for a pretrip) that fourteen hour clock starts ticking, and your day is legally over when it is done. So starting at sic this morning makes me need a ten hour break starting at eight tonight. I just squeaked into here with about 7 minutes to spare.
Tomorrow I will be able to start my day at 6 AM, will need to actually, to hopefully deliver by 8 AM. Then we will see how long it takes to get the next load, hopefully quickly, and crossing fingers on west and far.
Tomorrow I will be able to start my day at 6 AM, will need to actually, to hopefully deliver by 8 AM. Then we will see how long it takes to get the next load, hopefully quickly, and crossing fingers on west and far.
Nunica, Michigan
Well I have a load, and it was one of those get there faster than we sent you the load loads. I got the message at 11:30 and needed to get there before noon, well I go there at 12:15 and they are loading me now for Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Since my computer is down I have no idea when this load is due there, but will find out shortly.
Holland, Michigan: Walmart parking lot
Well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, I am empty and have no next load. I also apparently have a fried onboard computer. With this new truck I have a new system, rather than Qualcomm it is a Geologic. It tracks more data and seems to be better than Qualcomm, but there are very few trucks in the fleet with it, and it doesn't sound like they will be getting more of them. Anyway, the computer is not hooking up with any network and is not responding to key presses. It also seems to be resetting itself every now and then. So next time I am through a shop I will have to have someone take a look. Otherwise I will have to do everything by phone.
Actually since I have my laptop, I might be able to get some of it by email. I will have to give that a try.
Actually since I have my laptop, I might be able to get some of it by email. I will have to give that a try.
Ionia, Michigan: Pilot
When I got out of the truck this morning, I was treated to the lovely aroma of cattle. Somewhere down wind of here, there is definitely a farm with cattle on it. Last night the wind must have been blowing a different direction.
The showers here are much like the parking lot, small. They also had fairly weak water pressure, and smelled like they were off of a well system. They were very clean though, which makes up for a lot.
Nothing else going on, just killing some time till I can roll at 6:15.
The showers here are much like the parking lot, small. They also had fairly weak water pressure, and smelled like they were off of a well system. They were very clean though, which makes up for a lot.
Nothing else going on, just killing some time till I can roll at 6:15.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Ionia, Michigan: Pilot
This Pilot is one of the smallest I have ever been at. I think there are actual parking spots for ten trucks here, the rest are just scattered around. It is however the closest truck stop to where I deliver in Holland, Michigan, tomorrow morning. I could have driven all the way to the consignee tonight, but without knowing the parking situation it is better to do a good part of the driving today and have about an hour drive tomorrow morning.
This past week I haven't made any posts for a simple reason, I wasn't out driving. Considering the weather this little unplanned vacation worked out well for me. Now Monday I piked up a load in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Since it didn't deliver in Taylor, Michigan until Tuesday afternoon, I had plenty of time to stop in Perrysburg, Ohio, and sleep at home. After backing the truck into a spot in the terminal, I finally had the clutch do what it did on occasion on the road, refuse to engage. Fortunately there was a mechanic on duty, so I was able to show him the problem, and the verdict was in, the truck needed a new clutch. Tuesday morning I found out that that repair would not be a priority so I would have to change trucks. I had a choice of an automatic that was a bit dirty and a manual transmission that looked like someone had spewed dip all over the center console. I took the automatic.
Since I was having to change trucks, I emptied mine out that day and made arrangements with the terminal manager to be able to get in the garage on Wednesday to clean out my new truck. I also found some issues with it during my trip so it ended up spending the night in the garage after being worked on. Which meant it wasn't buried in the snow we had on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon, I headed over to the terminal and took about fours hours cleaning the interior of the truck. I started with TSP, and then redid the entire thing using Scrubbing Bubbles. Weird as it may sound, Scrubbing Bubbles work great cleaning dirty vinyl. I won't go into how nasty the water was in the bucket each time I emptied it out, lets just leave it at I used four buckets and threw out four previously white detailing towels.
After getting the interior in shape, I took advantage of being inside to give the truck a really good looking at, and found one of the rear wheel seals was just starting to go, that got fixed Thursday morning. I also got a call from dispatch about a load that picked up close on Thursday and delivered Friday in Indiana, about three hundred miles away. Thinking about it, and their recent track record, I called her back and rejected the load. I just didn't feel like sitting over the weekend three hundred miles from home for no good reason. She understood, and made the planning people understand as well, at least that was the way it was told to me. Now rejecting a load is something a driver is allowed to do at this company, but it isn't something you want to do if at all possible. First a note is place in your file, so permanent record time here. Your dispatcher will remember the fact that you rejected a load, and if they are looking for drivers to get rid of, it can come up on the negative side. I felt I had a good enough reason and record to be able to survive doing this, this one time. I don't think that this issue will come up because unless I end up mechanically stuck in Toledo again, I shouldn't be stuck with leaving the area at the end of the week.
I did end up working on Friday, driving a day cab along with another driver, out to West Middlesex, Pennsylvania. We then were able to grab a truck with a sleeper to take back to Toledo. The worst part is that the one we brought back had just been serviced, and was almost immaculate inside. I could have moved right in, but I had already done so much to this truck, the effort would not have been worth it.
Which brings us back to tonight and delivering tomorrow morning in Holland. Hopefully I will be able to get moving right away, or at least that day. There really are no truck stops around there so I really don't want to have to sit around to long. If I do, you can bet it will end up here. If I don't it will end up here as well, it just might take longer.
This past week I haven't made any posts for a simple reason, I wasn't out driving. Considering the weather this little unplanned vacation worked out well for me. Now Monday I piked up a load in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Since it didn't deliver in Taylor, Michigan until Tuesday afternoon, I had plenty of time to stop in Perrysburg, Ohio, and sleep at home. After backing the truck into a spot in the terminal, I finally had the clutch do what it did on occasion on the road, refuse to engage. Fortunately there was a mechanic on duty, so I was able to show him the problem, and the verdict was in, the truck needed a new clutch. Tuesday morning I found out that that repair would not be a priority so I would have to change trucks. I had a choice of an automatic that was a bit dirty and a manual transmission that looked like someone had spewed dip all over the center console. I took the automatic.
Since I was having to change trucks, I emptied mine out that day and made arrangements with the terminal manager to be able to get in the garage on Wednesday to clean out my new truck. I also found some issues with it during my trip so it ended up spending the night in the garage after being worked on. Which meant it wasn't buried in the snow we had on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon, I headed over to the terminal and took about fours hours cleaning the interior of the truck. I started with TSP, and then redid the entire thing using Scrubbing Bubbles. Weird as it may sound, Scrubbing Bubbles work great cleaning dirty vinyl. I won't go into how nasty the water was in the bucket each time I emptied it out, lets just leave it at I used four buckets and threw out four previously white detailing towels.
After getting the interior in shape, I took advantage of being inside to give the truck a really good looking at, and found one of the rear wheel seals was just starting to go, that got fixed Thursday morning. I also got a call from dispatch about a load that picked up close on Thursday and delivered Friday in Indiana, about three hundred miles away. Thinking about it, and their recent track record, I called her back and rejected the load. I just didn't feel like sitting over the weekend three hundred miles from home for no good reason. She understood, and made the planning people understand as well, at least that was the way it was told to me. Now rejecting a load is something a driver is allowed to do at this company, but it isn't something you want to do if at all possible. First a note is place in your file, so permanent record time here. Your dispatcher will remember the fact that you rejected a load, and if they are looking for drivers to get rid of, it can come up on the negative side. I felt I had a good enough reason and record to be able to survive doing this, this one time. I don't think that this issue will come up because unless I end up mechanically stuck in Toledo again, I shouldn't be stuck with leaving the area at the end of the week.
I did end up working on Friday, driving a day cab along with another driver, out to West Middlesex, Pennsylvania. We then were able to grab a truck with a sleeper to take back to Toledo. The worst part is that the one we brought back had just been serviced, and was almost immaculate inside. I could have moved right in, but I had already done so much to this truck, the effort would not have been worth it.
Which brings us back to tonight and delivering tomorrow morning in Holland. Hopefully I will be able to get moving right away, or at least that day. There really are no truck stops around there so I really don't want to have to sit around to long. If I do, you can bet it will end up here. If I don't it will end up here as well, it just might take longer.
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