I'm in Kenworth T2000

I'm in Kenworth T2000. I hope I can keep it for a while but it's about time for it to be turned in. There are lot's of T600's around and they are not very popular. If I can hold on to this T200 and keep my nose clean then I might get a shot at a newer T2000 or a new Cascadia.

Since I last posted I unloaded in East Hartford and got dunnage from that same customer and took it bake down to Eden NC. It poured buckets on the way down and my passenger side wiper blade fell apart so I had to deal with that in the rain. Back in Eden, I got another load going to Auburn MA this time. On I84 in NY I got a trailer flat and by the time it was fixed I wasn't able to get to the customer before they closed. I slept at their gate and was the first one in in the morning. On the way around their building I had to drag across a train track that was all potted out. Something in that hole bit my left front outside drive and POW, another flat. After unloading I had to find the Pete's Tire Barn that they sent me to. Following the directions given, I came to a 12' somethin' bridge. I stopped on the 2 lane road about 300 yds from it. Almost right away a pick up truck pulled up in front of me. A gentleman who said he is a local big truck driver got out and told me that that bridge is hit all the time. He rerouted me (luckily there was a street 100 yards in front of me to escape on) and I found the place and got my tire replaced. From there I got a load from Waterbury CT going to Necedah WI, delivering Monday. I'm on 80/90 now at a plaza around the mm 50 in IN. Just finished listening to the Braves lose to the Reds.

Gonna watch another movie now. I've "300", "Gladiator", "Aviator" or "October Sky" to choose from. In the morning I'll go to the Richfield terminal. After my delivery on Monday morning I will have 3187 mi. for the pay period. Not too bad for my first week in the old truck, considering the tire trouble's.

On my own

I got tested out in Richfield about 8 or 9 days ago. Im in a T2000 again thankfully. Sorry I didn't keep posted. I was on a mission to get home and I did, for 5 days. I came back out on this past Thursday and so far I've gone to Eden NC then Trenton OH then back to Eden and now I'm in East Hartford CT waiting for the morning to unload. It sure is nice to have control of my own truck. I just got through watching "I Am Legend" with Will Smith. OK, but not as good as I expected.So far it's been great.

Sitting near the WI - IL border

Sitting near the WI - IL border on I90 waiting for Chicago rush to slow. I'll drive my 10 or 11 from here. We got a load on Tue. night at Budweiser in Baldwinsville NY and delivered it this morning in Coon Rapids MN. Now we are takeing pallets from there back to Baldwinsville NY. It's a long run and it makes the time go by. It also keeps us out of each others way. If we keep running every day I'll be done next Tue. I hope we are at a terminal where I can test on that day.

12 to go

Went to Stevens Point WI, unloaded, Wisconson Rapids to load and back in Allentown PA again. Lots of multi pickup and multi drop loads. Driving 8 to 10 hrs a day and so it goes.

.. and going

Friday morning we got a trip and a pre-plan for the rest of the weekend. We picked up at Fel-Pro in Chicago and delivered it on Saturday in Levonia Georgia, right by the South Carolina borber off I85. Then we went to Atlanta for a glass load to deliver in Allentown PA at 4 am Monday. That's where we are now. We have been driving team using up all of our hours. As long as we are doing this I'm fine. Sleeping and driving makes the days go by and we don't get on each others nerves this way.

Still going

We got a Menards load today and delivered it. I drove to near by Beloit IL and parked for tonight. My trainer is hurting for miles but all I care about right now is that I get to drive at least 4 hours every day. Freight is really bad right now. I hate to drop at the big customers because it seems that theres always a bunch of drivers already sitting there waiting for a load. I need to drive somewhere every day to finish this thing up. Millis requires that you drive a minimum of 4 hours for the day for it to count. I drove 6+ hrs today but at least I got to walk around a nice Menards store and get away by myself for a while.

2 weeks done

I have 15 of the 35 days in the books. I should have had 5 more days done but my trainer had a 4 day time at home and we sat a day in Ft Worth with no freight. I can't complain about his tah because he had been out 3 weeks before picking me up. He is a single guy and he let me go to his house. I slept in the truck but got to shower and use his kitchen and tv. We even went to the opening night at the local speedway and saw some races.

If we can drive for the next 20 days I will then be able to test for my truck. By then I will have been away from home about 7 weeks. It will then depend on where I test as to how long it will take to get home. It really bites. I have had a lot of thoughts of giving it up because I'm driving, planning and doing everthing as well or better than I was when I left. Still, I have to do 20 more days living with some one else in their little T6. So far I have been able to convince myself to stick it out. I know I will be fine after I get my own truck. As long as we are moving I'm ok.

Any way, we are in Minneapolis with a load we brought over from Buffalo.

So far so good

I missed the orientation in Cartersville GA so I hitched a ride up to Richfield WI on March 28.
Started orientation on the 31st with one experienced new hire, one other re-hire and six new MTI grads. I got picked up by a trainer on April 3. I was quite disappointed to find out that I was going to have to do five weeks with a trainer. Still, I'll take my medicine and make the best of it.

It's going well. I'm back to where I was except for backing. My set up is a little off. We are in a T600 and it's harder to back than the T2000 that I had.

So far, after starting out in Richfield we have gone to Coon Rapids MN, near Syracuse NY, Niagra Falls NY, just south of Gary IN, Chicago, Columbus OH, Trenton OH, East St Louis IL and Ft Worth Texas where we are right now.Four more weeks. I'm going to sleep now. All I want to do is drive and sleep untill this is over and I get my own truck.

Well, nobody look, I'm gonna take that mulligan now.

I called Millis and they have a process. They fill out a re-hire form and circulate it through their various departments and make the decision based on the feedback that is put on it. I am not one to burn bridges so this morning they called me to say that I can come back. Now I am not a butt kisser but I want to say thanks to Millis right here.

I just missed the orientation in Cartersville that started yesterday so I have to wait for the next one or go to one somewhere else that will be coming up. Also I have to go out with a trainer for a time to get my feet wet again.

Are there Mulligans in trucking?

Well, I’m wondering if maybe I can have a redo. I wonder if I can get back on the road.

After Millis training I was in my own truck for four months before I left for personal reasons. My record is clean and I think I am a good driver. My worry is that since I have been out of the truck for four months I might not be able to get the job back. I left Millis in November for personal reasons. I went through a winter in which I sat hours by my mother’s side until she passed away in January. My oldest daughter came home to give me my first grand child. I have my own real estate business and you can imagine how that’s doing. I’ve applied for a number of technical positions that I’m plenty qualified for but I don’t think anyone wants a fifty five year old new hire. That’s their problem.

So my questions are, Will Millis might take me back? If so, will I just have to go back through orientation or something more? If not, what about Schneider or another company? (I would like to go back to Millis because except for the one week that I was stressed out tying to get home for the family emergency, they were good to me.)