Texas Again?

I know it's been a while since I had time to write. I've been on one tight run after another. I just don't have enough left in me at the end of the day to write, so I apologize to my regular readers for not updating very often.

The wife always says to just write where I'm at and where I'm going. What I'm hauling and stuff like that. But, I have a hard time not writing everything.

Well here goes everything. Since the last post I've taken a run up to Idaho. Dropped off there and immediately picked up another going to Florida. Didn't quite make it though. Ran out of hours 300 miles away from the receiver. Another driver took it the rest of the way.

So there I was in Georgia, out of hours and just about exhausted. When one of the load planners contacted me and asked how soon I could be at a shipper about 80 miles away. So much for getting some rest. As soon as the required 10 hour off duty period expired I was off (at two a.m.) to pick up the next one.

Which finds me here in Texas again. Like a moth to a flame. I seem to be drawn to Texas.

I hauled some pulverized clay material that's used to make paint to a paint factory in Temple Texas. So light and fine, a five gallon bucket of the stuff doesn't even weigh one pound. But, somehow they managed to cram 44,000 pounds of the stuff in my trailer.

The plant where they process the big chunks into this fine powder was an interesting place. everything was covered in this yellow dust. Including the workers. I wonder what the inside of their cars look like?

I delivered this morning without being pre-planned for the next load. That's the first time in a long time that has happened. So I don't know where or when I'm going next.

For the first time in weeks, I don't have another load waiting for me as soon as I'm done. That's ok with me. I could use a little time to recharge the batteries. They tend to get run down a little when you're running seven days a week for weeks at a time.

The New Daisy May

I delivered my load to Carrollton (Dallas), Tx the other day and was instructed to come to the yard to pick up a new load. Oh and while your here, go ahead and pick up your new truck. Your brand spankin' new truck. Woohoo

I loved the old Daisy May but, she was getting tired. Things were breaking or would just stop working on a pretty regular basis. It was getting to the point where I was spending more time in the shop than on the road.


In memory of a family friend who recently passed away, I decided to name the new truck Daisy May also. He kept rats as pets and named every single one Henry. When one would go off to rat heaven he would simply go out and acquire a new "Henry".

While I was transferring all my stuff from the old truck into the new truck dispatch called me and asked if I could take one of the new hires out to pick up an abandoned truck rather near one of my drops in Casa Grande, Az. I reluctantly said yes. I wasn't real sure if I wanted someone else driving my new baby or not.

I could of said no but, that would just make life difficult for dispatch. I could of said ok but, he's not driving. That would just make the trip take longer meaning I would have to have a passenger longer and I drive solo for reason. I like my space.

It turned out he had a lot of experience and knew what he was doing. We pretty much ran as a team so we weren't in each other's way a lot but, it is a pain trying to be quiet when you stop. Trying not to shut the door too hard, or take corners too hard. You can't play the radio too loud. You want the other driver to be well rested when it's his turn to drive. If he falls asleep because you kept him up all night long, he's wrecking your new truck. Not his.

We dropped off stop one of two last night and then headed over to find his truck.
The former driver wasn't exactly a clean freak or very concerned with basic maintenance. The truck wouldn't start because it had been sitting for a while and all the fuel drained out of the fuel filter and it had lost it's prime. Fortunatly I had all the proper tools to remedy this and we had it going in no time.

He headed off to the nearest truck stop with a shop to have at least three tires replaced and I'm off to deliver the other stop, SOLO. Just the way I like it. Then a quick jaunt over to Mesa, Az. to pick up a run going to Idaho.

What A Weekend

That was one long boring weekend. I had to spend the holiday weekend camped out in a truck stop because the business I was delivering to was closed for the whole three day holiday.

This all started the other day when I was dispatched out of Waterford, N.Y. The load I was sent to pick up was a hazmat load. Hazmat loads require at least two load lock bars and I had none. I lost all I had when I dropped a trailer in Orlando Fl. the week before. The trailer I picked up, of course, had none inside.

As I mentioned before I had been staying in a little Mom & Pop stop and their store was severely lacking in basic truck supplies. So, off to the nearest name brand truck stop over 40 miles away.

Well this little jaunt eventually led to my demise. The two hours I spent running in circles to pick up the load locks caused me to run out of hours before I could reach my destination just outside of Atlanta, Ga.

I called my dispatch to let them know I wasn't going to make it and to see if they could find another driver in the area who had a few more hours available than I did. After about two hours they sent a message back saying they couldn't find anyone so just get it there when I can. Little did I know that was going to be Tuesday.

Normally we get the phone numbers of both shipper and receiver in the dispatch info but, this receiver had just moved into a new building, and shipper did not have the receiver's new number when they booked the load with SRT.

I guess when the receiver ordered the product from the shipper, nobody thought to get to get their number. You know, in case there's a problem with their order or something like that.

Don't ask how I knew but, when I saw the Hollywood phone number (555-55...) in the dispatch, I just knew it was going to hurt me.

The next morning (Saturday) I drove the remaining two hours to the receiver only to find the place locked up tighter than a drum. Not one single car in the lot. Not one single light on in the building. I tried all the doors anyway. Yep. They remembered to lock every single one.

An overwhelming dread came over me. If they're not open on Saturday, they'll probably not be open on Sunday. If they're not open Saturday or Sunday, than they're probably the type of company that gives all their employees Labor Day off too.

So the Truck is really, really clean now. I finally got to deliver Tuesday morning, and off to pick up the next one.

I'll be heading to Dallas, Tx. as soon as the repair shop in this truck stop can take care of a sticky tandem pin. All trailers that have sliding axles have four locking pins that extend through two rails (one on either side) on the bottom of the trailer. If one pin is missing it puts too much stress on the other pin on that side and could cause it to sheer off leaving that side free floating. when one side is firmly locked in place and the other side is not, the free side can slide back and cause the trailer to start going side ways when you're still trying to go straight.
Never a good thing!