Another week is is in the book. The last time I posted I was headed to Milwaukee. After delivering there, I went to the terminal in Richfield to wait for my next load. And I waited. Finally I got a message. I saw a load going to Shawano WI just about 100 miles north, delivering at 1200 the next day. I figured I had lots of time so I walked and ate and slept and slept and slept some more. I woke up around 0500 and decided to go take a shower and get some coffee to go with my oatmeal. While my breakfast was cooking I decided to see exactly where my delivery was.
It was then that I noticed it was two stops. I scrolled down quickly and saw that there was another stop in Fond Du Lac. Great, I'm not even fueled and I need to be 40 miles down the road in 30 minutes. I scrambled and made both stops while kicking myself, verbally, out loud, the whole time.
Back in control of myself again, I then headed over to Green Bay. I had a load of reconditioned kegs going to Anheuser Bush in Columbus OH. I also had a pre-trip plan to go to Trenton OH and drop and hook, going to Jessup MD for 0800 on Monday. That's right between Baltimore and Washington DC.
crossing Ohio my truck suddenly got real loud while. There is a flex pipe beneath the turbo that is part of the exhaust system. It was hanging by a thread, rusted through. I got to the Trenton terminal and contacted dispatch and the shop in Black River. Thinking my weekend was shot I was surprised when the shop said they would call someone in on overtime. By 2030 I was fixed. I contacted dispatch and found out that my load was given to another driver so he sent me another. This one I picked up this morning and it delivers in Richmond VA. That's a real break for me. I would choose Richmond VA over the crazy traffic between Baltimore and Washington DC any day.
So I'm in Richmond now and will deliver in the morning. The miles are a little short again this week but the driving was tough. I've been on the east coast twice now including New Jersey and Philadelphia. I also have been through Chicago twice and have had to cross the mountains four times, about 2680 miles.
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Load is Canceled?
Monday I waited 11 hours for a load that canceled.
I finished up the weekend load driving the last 30 miles and delivering in Newville PA at 0600 on Monday. After waiting a couple of hours I was assigned a load from Camp Hill PA, just up the road, but the pick up appointment was at 1400. In camp hill I was told the it might be a couple of hours before I get a door assigned. Finally at 1530 I was put in a door but as soon as I shut down I got a message that my load was canceled. So, as I was headed to Carlisle PA, to a truck stop to cool off, I get another load.
A driver has gotten sick and I had to go to Breezwood PA, about 100 miles west, to get his load and finish it for him. By the time I got there and secured that load my 14 hour clock was up. The load that canceled was going back south (where God put me and where I belong) but this load was going to Mt Laurel NJ (where I certainly don't belong) and due at 0800. So this morning I drove through Philadelphia rush hour and into New Jersey. I got empty there and now I am picking up in Philadelphia and going to Milwaukee WI.
Millis likes for us to stay off of the 76, the PA turnpike so I will only take it as far as Carlisle PA then I will go 81 south, 68 west, 79 north, 70 west and 77 north picking up 80/90 west below Cleveland OH.
I finished up the weekend load driving the last 30 miles and delivering in Newville PA at 0600 on Monday. After waiting a couple of hours I was assigned a load from Camp Hill PA, just up the road, but the pick up appointment was at 1400. In camp hill I was told the it might be a couple of hours before I get a door assigned. Finally at 1530 I was put in a door but as soon as I shut down I got a message that my load was canceled. So, as I was headed to Carlisle PA, to a truck stop to cool off, I get another load.
A driver has gotten sick and I had to go to Breezwood PA, about 100 miles west, to get his load and finish it for him. By the time I got there and secured that load my 14 hour clock was up. The load that canceled was going back south (where God put me and where I belong) but this load was going to Mt Laurel NJ (where I certainly don't belong) and due at 0800. So this morning I drove through Philadelphia rush hour and into New Jersey. I got empty there and now I am picking up in Philadelphia and going to Milwaukee WI.
Millis likes for us to stay off of the 76, the PA turnpike so I will only take it as far as Carlisle PA then I will go 81 south, 68 west, 79 north, 70 west and 77 north picking up 80/90 west below Cleveland OH.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Daddy Let Me Drive
Something I've noticed out here on the road is that when younger couples are traveling the woman is almost always driving. Why is that?
I'm in Greencastle PA at the TA truck stop. When I deliver in the morning it will finish this pay period. I've run hard a lot this past week but I still came up short of the magical 3000 miles that earns an extra bonus. Here is what it looks like.
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The cold is back in the north. I saw snow flurries today coming across the mountains in northern West Virginia.
I'm in Greencastle PA at the TA truck stop. When I deliver in the morning it will finish this pay period. I've run hard a lot this past week but I still came up short of the magical 3000 miles that earns an extra bonus. Here is what it looks like.
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The cold is back in the north. I saw snow flurries today coming across the mountains in northern West Virginia.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I've been home for nine days now and tomorrow I'm back to the truck. You would think I could catch up on all of the things that have been put off while being on the road. Nope. In fact I'm further behind because a whole new crop of issues have come up. I don't talk about my personal life here but I'll say that with a death in the family and some health issues that my wife is having to endure, my time off was not spent on recreation.
In the past I would almost feel relief to get back in the truck because the isolation and distance seemed to externalize all of the storms brewing on the home front. I felt justified neglecting things because, well, I had a job to do you know. I had to make money. Figuratively, I had to go out and kill something and drag it home.
One of the reasons I started driving was to isolate myself and regroup. I have concentrated on learning while driving, listening to many hours of books, podcasts and meditating on who I am and where I'm going. I have got some good ideas about what the next big thing for me will be. Driving allows for dreaming but not for laying out concrete plans. I mean, down on paper, action item plans. Plans that must be acted on. Hard to do when you are moving hundreds of miles every day and put on a shelf every night.
I wrote a couple of years ago about how this job will gauge your integrity. It angers you when you have so much responsibility but still get treated as if you are less worthy of respect and dignity than other people. I can say that I have stronger character from driving a truck. I have learned that my dignity and worth come from my actions and attitude. It is my self, not others that determine the things that count.
I also know that I have a lot of room for improvement. In Genesis 2:18, The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man (VBob) to be alone." I added the (VBob) part. It was solitude and adventure that attracted me to drive a truck. Now I see my choice as selfish. I have been gone during some of the biggest life changing events my family has seen. Things that can't be excused. I don't blame Millis. They are very family oriented and will get you home and give you the time you need.
At any rate, like all drivers, I'll be back out there tomorrow. I'll be faced with all the frustrations while enjoying Gods creation in the spring of the year and accepting the challenges of the job. At least for now.
In the past I would almost feel relief to get back in the truck because the isolation and distance seemed to externalize all of the storms brewing on the home front. I felt justified neglecting things because, well, I had a job to do you know. I had to make money. Figuratively, I had to go out and kill something and drag it home.
One of the reasons I started driving was to isolate myself and regroup. I have concentrated on learning while driving, listening to many hours of books, podcasts and meditating on who I am and where I'm going. I have got some good ideas about what the next big thing for me will be. Driving allows for dreaming but not for laying out concrete plans. I mean, down on paper, action item plans. Plans that must be acted on. Hard to do when you are moving hundreds of miles every day and put on a shelf every night.
I wrote a couple of years ago about how this job will gauge your integrity. It angers you when you have so much responsibility but still get treated as if you are less worthy of respect and dignity than other people. I can say that I have stronger character from driving a truck. I have learned that my dignity and worth come from my actions and attitude. It is my self, not others that determine the things that count.
I also know that I have a lot of room for improvement. In Genesis 2:18, The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man (VBob) to be alone." I added the (VBob) part. It was solitude and adventure that attracted me to drive a truck. Now I see my choice as selfish. I have been gone during some of the biggest life changing events my family has seen. Things that can't be excused. I don't blame Millis. They are very family oriented and will get you home and give you the time you need.
At any rate, like all drivers, I'll be back out there tomorrow. I'll be faced with all the frustrations while enjoying Gods creation in the spring of the year and accepting the challenges of the job. At least for now.
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