VBob OTR Journal

First Impression

2011-01-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

The Crete orientation process in Marietta Ga is a busy time. A good size group that started on Monday was finishing up today and getting assignments. Then the group I'm in, that started today, is a bit smaller. There is a group of ladies who are each assigned to a few drivers to work us through the process. This is good because, at least today everyone was in a different stage of the process

First Day of Orientation

2011-01-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

The first day of orientation is done. The usual stacks of papers to sign. Took the drive test in a brand new Prostar. That was one nice truck! The test consisted of pre-trip, coupling a trailer, driving for 30 minutes or so around city streets and a bit of I 75. There was one set of tracks where I had to demonstrate a proper hazmat crossing. Then back to the terminal to do a back and then

Testing

2011-01-04T16:16:00.001-05:00

Update. I secured the hazmat endorsement today. I did the background check a year and a half ago when I was trying to get a job but I never took the test because Millis rehired me. On the slight down side, for the first time, I couldn't pass the vision test without my glasses. At my age, when I start having body functions degrade, it worries me what might be next.

On The Road Again

2011-01-02T21:52:00.000-05:00

After 8 months of job search I am going to be "on the road again..". Tired of hunting and being a house husband. On Wednesday the 5th I will be in orientation with Crete Carrier. This is a much larger company than my previous one so I will be driving all 48 states and not so much of the north east and New England area. I am kind of excited to see more of the country and am ready to roll.

Long Time Comin' Back Around

2010-09-29T15:30:00.000-04:00

Well it's been nearly five months since my last post here. Things are secure here on the home front with all of the drama put to rest. The job hunt is still on. I guess I can't rule out driving OTR again but it's not my preference. Can you believe that the pizza delivery jobs that I have applied for haven't even called? I was talking to a driver friend the other day and we were wondering aloud

Final Chapters for VBob OTR

2010-05-03T18:09:00.000-04:00

Well the journey is over. My venture into driving a big truck over the road has come to a close. Today I turned in my keys and said goodbye to the Millis folks in Cartersville GA and to my travel agent in Black River Falls WI. For now I'll just say that I have circumstances that require me to be home. It wasn't going to be a long term career anyway. I drove for 13 months straight and 20 months

I'm Still Gone, I Ain't Back Yet.

2010-04-25T21:39:00.000-04:00

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

Load is Canceled?

2010-04-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

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

Daddy Let Me Drive

2010-04-18T17:24:00.007-04:00

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. View Larger

2010-04-11T15:17:00.001-04:00

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

The Best of West Virginia

2010-03-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

When I got empty in Pontoon Beach IL I got dispatched to pick up a load just down the street, going to Statesville NC. The appointment time was 1700 so I sat around until then. It didn't take long after that so I headed out and stopped near Scott AFB for the night. Today, having only 9 hours available, I only got as far as the Tamarack travel center on I70 in West Virginia. Up on the hill here

Finishing up a Good Week

2010-03-28T18:22:00.002-04:00

After 662 miles, starting at 0500, and winding up in Roxbury PA, on Friday I got up and started at 0330 on Saturday to finish the run to Richmond VA. After emptying out I went over to Suffolk VA and picked up the load going to Pontoon Beach Il. Being dead tired I stopped in New Kent VA on I64 to sleep. This morning I was rested and set out going west on I65. I encountered rain and fog along the

Winter is Back for a While

2010-03-26T20:41:00.002-04:00

Google made a new tool for customizing templates so I grabbed this one. There are a lot of customizations that you can do but as usual I'm beat and don't have time right now. Anyway, I'm working on a Wordpress project or two. As my Twitter feed over on the side bar says, today I started at 0500 and drove from Milton WI to Roxbury PA, 652 mi. It was across I90, I80 and I76 through Pittsburgh to

Unskilled Labor? What's All These Switches and Stuff?

2010-03-23T12:37:00.002-04:00

It's a slow start. After yesterdays mess up by the shop I was finally ready to roll at 1500. Being Monday, all of the freight that was available was already gone by then so I got to spend the night in the truck right there in GA, 70 miles from home. This morning I hear the sweet tone of two beeps meaning a load assignment. Now I'm moving. Well not exactly, moving. Sort of moved. It was 56 miles

Week End? What?

2010-03-22T12:10:00.003-04:00

Today I am back in Cartersville GA to get back on the road. I have been off for 7 days, no pay of course, to help my wife because her mother passed away. Last Monday, when I got home, I turned my tractor in for B service and to have some other things fixed. When I picked up my keys and went to my truck it's parked right where I left it, untouched. The shop manager says he remembers the write up

The Toys are Coming Out

2010-03-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

I got up at 0500 in Carlisle PA this morning and drove through rain and wind all the way to Oswego NY. I was loaded with scrap aluminum. When I got to the receiver another Millis truck was coming out. Checking in with the guard I was told that the previous two Millis trucks were rejected because the shipper failed to put some sticker in the bails. I guess he thought that would bother me or

Last Week

2010-01-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday the week started slow with a mere 68 mile run but then it got better. From home I picked up a load that was dropped in Cartersville GA and delivered to Dacula GA. Then from there my trail went to Sandersville GA, Hoosick Falls NY, Baldwinsvill NY and back to Cartersville GA where I am now. It was smooth sailing all the way around until I got to Chattanooga yesterday. Rain was coming

Back in Dixie Where I Belong

2010-01-11T10:44:00.000-05:00

Last night I completed a run that started Friday morning. After the delivery in Greenwich NY I was sent up to South Glens Falls NY and picked up a load going to Cherokee AL. It was snowing hard and getting worse. By the time I got to I88 east below Albany the road was covered. I made it as far as Bath NY on I86 and shut down there for the night. Saturday was more of the same and stayed that way

Ran Hard, Put Up Wet

2010-01-08T06:42:00.002-05:00

This load was a challenge. I picked it up on 1/6 in Oconto Falls WI, about 50 miles north of Green Bay. I ran straight from there to about half way across IN on the turnpike. Yesterday , after exactly 10 hours, I humped it from there, 611 miles to Wells Bridge NY on I88 where I stopped for the night at a rest area. Then after another 10 hour break, I left there at 0400 to finish the last 135

Cabin Fever

2010-01-03T11:28:00.003-05:00

It's a frozen lot at the TA here in Rogers MN. My truck is backed in against a bank of snow deposited there by the plow. There is at least an inch of ice on the lot. It was 22 degrees below zero last night. That's a new personal record for me. The Prime truck next to mine is being towed. There is a sign that says that will happen if the truck is unattended. It looks like it's been there a while.

2009-12-29T22:47:00.000-05:00

Well. It's been a long time since I made an entry into this blog. This will be a short one because it's late and I have to finish getting my stuff together. When I came home for the holidays I turned my tractor in for B service. The shop was off too though. They did a great job getting the service done but there was some other item that was a warranty issue and they had to take it to Kenworth

A Job or a Business

2009-12-09T18:38:00.000-05:00

I started out after Thanksgiving on 12/1 and by the 6th I had 2718 miles. Then it stopped. In the last 4 days I’ve only had 464 miles. It is the seasonal slowdown combined with the winter storm that is really putting the hurt on me. Here is a brief comparison to my ‘job’ and the business that Jim over at LeasePurchaseJournal has. First, I am paid OK for a company driver with just 15 months

I'm a Pig

2009-12-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

It seems during the vacation week and the Thanksgiving feast I reversed some of the weight loss I was so proud of. I haven’t mentioned it but I had lost 35 pounds from around mid August to mid November. I put about 6 back on and it’s been hard to get back on track. I have some techniques that I use to lose out here and it’s not that hard but with the season change it’s not as easy. First, I

Back on My Head

2009-11-30T20:35:00.001-05:00

Vacation is over. I can't think about it much. It makes it hard to think about living in this deprivation chamber for the next few weeks. Well thats what I used to call my office at my old job. I noticed a lot of snowbirds on I75 south today, all loaded up in their rv's with extra trailers or cars in tow. I'm having a time posting this. I turned off my usb modem and got a Motorola DROID smart

Speach Recognition, Cell Phones and Corn

2009-11-19T22:17:00.002-05:00

I've noticed that there are still hundreds of acres of corn still standing. I don't know anything about it but seems kinda late for harvest. I's been well below freezing a lot of nights up here in the north. Is that normal? Maybe its not for food but for methanol refining and it doesn't matter. That's just a guess. My company doesn't allow using a cell phone while driving. It's their truck so

Headless Deer

2009-11-14T18:37:00.003-05:00

I'm trying something different. It seems that all I do is write where I am and where I'm going every day. I'm going to do that as the day goes on with twitter. You can find that on the right side bar. Once in a while I will sum it up with a main blog post. I want to use the main section to write about things I see or think about during the day and to post pictures when I get good ones. I don't

West on I90, Again

2009-11-13T17:34:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Weedsport to drop my load and before I could uncouple I was receiving my next load. I am 8 miles south now in Auburn NY picking up a load of glass to take back across I90 west to Richfield WI., 756 miles. This load will drop in the Millis yard there. I have plenty of time since it doesn't have to be there until Tuesday. I'll be early and so I can watch some NFL on Sunday.

2009-11-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

I got a load that deadheaded me 157 miles to Cary IL to pick up a load going to Clinton CT. It only took them about 20 minutes to load me and it is only around 9,000 lbs. It's never fun to have to drive through Chicago twice but even that wasn't too bad. I also got a message later to drop this in Weedsport at the terminal. It is'nt due until Monday so I hope there will be a pre-plan coming

Day Shift Again

2009-11-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

If you have read this blog you know I'm not fond of driving at night all the time. When you have an appointment that is at 0800 but you have to start driving at 0100 then for that day you will be tired and running out of hours early. So you get in a cycle where you have to keep getting up that early. Yesterday I was able to deadhead to my next load and get close enough to the delivery to catch up

This Bud's for You

2009-11-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

Well I messed up yesterdays post. While the miles were right I forgot what day it was so about 1,100 of those miles will count on the next period. I got sent from Greenwich NY to Baldwinsville NY to get a beer load that I am delivering right now in Brecksville OH. There were already two other Millis drivers here and another one just drove up. This place is known to be kind of slow to get you

Good Finish for the Week

2009-11-10T10:00:00.004-05:00

I'm MT in Greenwich NY. What a beautiful place. Click the link for a tour. Being and old village it is a tight spot for driving the big truck though. Millis pays weekly and from Tuesday to Monday is the pay period so delivering this morning gives me 3,213 miles for this week. Not bad since I just came out last Wednesday. I am sitting in a K-Mart lot now waiting for dispatch. A Smith

A Long Day

2009-11-09T18:37:00.001-05:00

Following my tracks back to upstate NY I am again in a rest area just east of Bath NY. This time I don't have the time that I did going west. I will have to leave by 0300 tomorrow to make the 0800 appointment. I've gone as far as I can today. With only 30 minutes left that I could drive, I don't know of another place to stop up ahead. As on old country gentleman I once knew would say, "Some time

Ping, Pong

2009-11-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

I made it to Neenah and got unloaded and then sent a ready message. The new load picks up right at the same plant in Neenah and delivers in Greenwich NY, That's almost right back to to where I came from. The paper rolls I delivered here in Neenah are used to make variorn tissue paper products. I have to hustle. I need to deliver on Tuesday at 1000 and that's 1,100 miles.

2009-11-07T18:33:00.000-05:00

Another 540 miles and I'm hold up in the service plaza just west of South Bend IN. I could have gotten through Chicago but the sun angle was really bad and I didn't see a need to. I found out that a friend is delivering in Green Bay tomorrow and is already preplanned to pick up a load Neenah WI going to Cherokee AL. May be they have two of those and we can do a two truck convoy.

2009-11-07T00:29:00.000-05:00

It's 25 degrees here. I can't wait to get to Wisconsin.

Thank you sir, may I have another

2009-11-06T19:24:00.004-05:00

I got unloaded. Thank you sir, may I have another. The next trip began with a 150 mile dead head to South Glens Falls NY. A beautiful drive up I67 just east of the Catskill mountains along the Hudson river to north of Albany NY and just into the Adirondack mountains. It is a live load of 27000 pounds of paper going about 1100 miles to Neenah WI. I went back down I67 to Albany, I90 west, to I88

2009-11-05T22:29:00.000-05:00

I got up this morning to a beautiful day. I sent my ready message and within minutes had a load. I picked up a load of beer right there in the yard and after scaling to be sure I'm legal I trucked on up to Montgomery NY. It was a 569 mile run up I81 to Scranton PA and across I84 to exit 5 in New York. This customer lets you stay over night so I backed in right here and should be empty some time

Rolling Again

2009-11-05T08:20:00.001-05:00

Some times things happen that really bring your priorities into focus. Don't take life and family for granted. Life is fragile. When I left Cincinnati I got a load to East St Louis IL and after delievering that I loaded in St Louis MO and headed to Lagrange GA. Then home on Thursday for a while. I came back out yesterday, loaded around noon in East Point GA, and delivered last night in Eden NC.

2009-10-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

It was great to have a day at home with the family. Now I'm back at it. Monday morning I got a load of glass from East Point GA to drop in Trenton OH. Good, 530 or so miles. It was a nice day and I got there before dark. This morning is a day for me to do one of those 'somebody's gotta do it' trips that all companies and drivers have from time to time. From Trenton I get to a big 38 mile trip

Bonus Home Time

2009-10-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

IT was worth the wait. I picked up a load Saturday morning in the same place that I delivered to, headed to Palmetto GA, just a few miles from my house. I hustled and delivered this morning and now I'm at home for the day. I will send a ready message Monday morning. Now, what time is the Falcons game and where's that steak?

HUAW (Hurry up and wait)

2009-10-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

At 0730 this morning I had 312 miles behind me. When I arrived at the customer he was standing outside pointing at the door he wanted me in. I guess they really did need it at 0730. I dropped the loaded wagon in the dock and hooked an mt that was on the lot and sent my ready message. The reply was 'no load yet, your second on the list'. I am at the Flying J now waiting. This 'J' has about an 8

Stinks to be Me

2009-10-22T19:23:00.000-04:00

I got a load. Pick up in Adams WI and deliver to Carlisle PA. It was a 150 mile deadhead and I got to Adams and loaded just at night fall. The trip is 876 loaded miles and the dispatch says I had to deliver between 0730 and 1200 on Friday. That is reasonable. When I left Adams the fog was bad so I was moving really slowly. I got to the weigh station just past Madison and decided to shut down

Wisconsin

2009-10-21T09:23:00.003-04:00

I keep getting behind here because I'm trying to learn some new stuff. I stopped and got a truck wash and the went straight to my customer. They let me in the gate so I had a safe place to park for the night. I connected the tuner to my laptop and found the station carrying the Falcons game and watched a good game, though it wasn't in HD. Right as the game was ending the guard called me and

2009-10-17T19:15:00.002-04:00

A little over 500 miles and I'm resting at the Loves truck stop in Wytheville VA. I'll be in Georgia in time to watch the Falcons tomorrow.

2009-10-16T20:15:00.000-04:00

Got sent 225 miles dead head up to Baldwinsville NY for a load going 1016 miles to Macon GA. It's due Monday. I picked it up and got backdown I81 as far as Binghamton NY. Just finished getting a shower and eating a flatbread sandwich.

Early Snow

2009-10-16T09:14:00.001-04:00

It's 32 degrees and snowing in Paxino PA, but the roads are clear. I'll be MT here soon and I hope to get a good long run to get through the weekend. Ft. Worth would be good.

Time to Go

2009-10-14T20:22:00.002-04:00

Rested after four days I'm red ta go. Got a load, picked up in Albany GA, going to Paxinos PA. Drove to South Carolina where I'm going to spend the night. I have 700 miles to go and it delivers on Friday at 0800. I hope I keep up this time and don't get into that 'all night, 700 mile' rhythm again.

Verizon in Stingy

2009-10-08T18:23:00.002-04:00

I haven't updated because I found out that I went over my 5 Gig limit on Verizon. It happened because my new laptop had to download all of the Microsoft updates, ESET virus software, TV tuner software, iTunes and other stuff I use. Verizons access manager reports what is supposed to be the amount of bandwidth that you have used when you connect. They are deceptive though because the report you

Frost on the Pumpkin

2009-10-02T07:48:00.004-04:00

I woke up in Ohio Friday morning to see frost for the first time this fall. It was about 0300.When I got to Woodstock IL my hours were used up. They unloaded me quickly so I moved to a truck stop and got some much needed rest.This morning I sent a ready message and told dispatch how many hours I got back today and he found a way to use them all up to. I'm picking up in Plano IL and delivering in

Miles and Trials

2009-09-29T16:30:00.003-04:00

OK, I have time to catch up here.Last Wednesday, after waiting to get unloaded in Newnan GA, I went to Eastpoint to get my next load. It wasn't ready. In fact, it wasn't ready until 1000 on Thursday, the time that it was supposed to be delivered in Ridgeway VA. When I got to Ridgeway it was well past the time that the customer would take it so I took it to the Millis yard in Eden and dropped it

2009-09-27T18:44:00.002-04:00

I'm on I90 just east of Buffalo NY headed to Vermont tomorrow morning. I haven't had time to do a proper posting because I'm running hard. I will try to do a proper post tomorrow and explain.

2009-09-23T15:31:00.002-04:00

Things have changed. They need to take the Eau Clair load off of me to get another driver home so my orders have changed. When I'm mt I go to Eastpoint GA and get a load going to Ridgeway VA and then from there get a load from Eden NC to Green Bay WI.That's fine. Lots of miles either way and I'm glad to help a driver get home.

Here I Go Again

2009-09-23T14:47:00.002-04:00

Well, time at home is just too short, it seems. No, it really is too short. It sure makes the time spent with my family more valuable to me.I left my tractor in Cartersville for a 'B' service and to have a few things fixed. I was happy to see that they gave me new rubber all the way around! That's ten tires. When I got my stuff loaded I sent the ready message and right away go two loads. First I

Round, Round

2009-09-19T23:15:00.003-04:00

Get around,I get around.The last time I deployed myself was about three weeks ago. I stayed out longer than usual. I maxed out the the number of stops that Google Maps allows so it is missing the The first two destinations. I left on August 26 and returned on September 18. First I went from East Point GA to Williamsburg VA then Chesapeak VA to Loveland OH. After that, all of the places on the

Back in Georgia

2009-09-17T22:04:00.002-04:00

I'm back in Georgia for the first time since I left home three weeks ago. Wednesday I got a load picking up in Waco TX and delivering in Albany GA. I got a trailer from the spotting crew at Miller and went south to Waco. I had to wait for a 1600 appointment so I went to the nearby Pilot truck stop and fueled and got a shower. After loading I took off and got to a Flying J on I20 in Shreveport LA

A Tech Day

2009-09-16T08:34:00.004-04:00

After dropping in Ft Worth I went on a search for an mt. There were none at the customer so I found a place to park and waited for a load. After 1600 I decided to give up waiting because my dispatcher had gone home for the day. Tuesday morning I realized that there were a lot of other Millis drivers around so I made a plan.The laptop I've been using is several years old and after several rebuilds

Testing the Limits

2009-09-14T16:36:00.003-04:00

I hooked up to the load in Richfield and broke the seal to secure the load. It was a mix of product and the heaviest and most likely stuff to shift was in the rear end. I used three straps to make sure it would stay in place. I scaled it at the truck stop across the street. It was nearly the max I could pull and would have been over weight if I had topped off the tanks. It was also so heavy in

2009-09-13T00:10:00.004-04:00

I got late notice to go to Baldwinsville NY, 208 mile dead head, and pick up a load of golden nectar that had to be in Brecksville OH, 343 miles, at 0900 the next morning. That makes about four days that I have had to drive all night and I don't like that.After making it to Brecksville and getting unloaded I get another broker load. This one picks up just 17 miles away in Cleveland OH and

Let's Go, Already

2009-09-10T12:15:00.003-04:00

Like I said, it was an easy couple of days running over to Richfield WI on the holiday weekend. I guess it disrupts the flow of freight or something. I hoped that I would get a load out of that terminal on Monday before all of the drivers that live in that area, that went home for the holiday, come back out. It turns out that there were already about 20 drivers sitting there and more came in

Easy Day

2009-09-06T21:03:00.003-04:00

I arrived early in Saratog Springs. I passed one Millis driver on his way out and saw two others in the customers lot with their curtains pulled. When I got to the check-in location they told me that they would pull an empty out of door 6 and I could drop in that door and take that empty. I love it. About an hour after finishing that work I received a load that picked up 172 miles away in Auburn

Playing Catch-up Again

2009-09-04T21:24:00.007-04:00

Wow, thanks to Jim from 'LeasePurchaseJournal' that I follow and link to, I suddenly have readers. Thanks all for the kind comments. I started this as a way to communicate with friends and family and as a personal exercise. It turns out that friends and family don't have any interest in life on the road and what this is all about. They just want to know I'm safe and when I will be home. Some

I'll Post Anyway

2009-08-30T23:24:00.007-04:00

OK, I will post from time to time for my own satisfaction. I am in Randolpf MA now. I arrived at 1100 tonight for a 0800 appointment in the morning. I don't like driving at night but in this case, I already know where the customer is and it beats getting up at 0200 or 0300 and taking on the Boston rush hour traffic. Along the way here I saw this disturbing accident on I80 in the PN mountains.

Blog is Shut Down for Now.

2009-08-24T13:15:00.000-04:00

No one is reading it.

This Stinks

2009-08-19T17:48:00.005-04:00

I finally got out of the Boston area.I got a load picking up in Ayre MA going to Woodstock IL. It has taken me all of the available hours for two days to get as far as Indiana on the TurnPike. I will have 11.75 more hours tomorrow but I will have to leave here by 0200 to get to my appointment at 0730. If Chicago is as usual I will just make it but if Chicago is worse than normal I might be

My Log Book is Shot

2009-08-17T14:25:00.002-04:00

View Larger Map8/4 through 8/17 - something over 6000 milesI'm in Randolph MA right now, out of hours and dead tired. It can be hard to find freight out of this area but in my case it matters not.The 'hours of service' rules allow 70 hours in 7 days to work. You can be on duty for up to 14 hours per day and then you have to take a 10 hour break before starting your next 14. Within that 14 hours

2009-08-14T21:37:00.003-04:00

I've been in internet no-mans land. After unloading in Salisbury NC I got a load from Eden NC going back to Trenten OH. Then I got a load from Middletown OH, just a few miles from Trenton, back to Charlotte NC and then again from Eden NC to Rochester NY. I have been up gainst the clock and every time I stopped I was in the Appalation Mountains with no signal so I could'nt post any updates.Lots

2009-08-10T21:00:00.003-04:00

I got into Plano fairly early and dropped. The customer didn't have an empty. While I sat and ate some tuna I received a load to pick up in Streater IL and deliver to our drop yard in Trenton OH. I ran hard to get to Trenton hopeing to get a load for Sunday and to get out of that area which is often crowded with Millis trucks but no freight.No such luck. I dropped in Trenton around 1930 and there

2009-08-07T17:21:00.001-04:00

A little over 600 miles today. I will finish the last 200 or so in the morning. No pre plan either. I have to see what the weekend dispatch can get me.Now, back to 'Prison Break'.

2009-08-06T20:48:00.004-04:00

I went to my 0600 appointment in Ft Worth and got unloaded by 0700. I then had to go park on the road side and wait for my next load. It came around 0930. The load is a run of about 950 miles or so counting loaded and empty miles. I drove to Greenville TX, stopping for fuel on the way, and arrived before noon for a 1900 appointment. They put me in a dock and I was loaded early, around 1600.That

It's 118 degrees Out There!

2009-08-05T16:14:00.002-04:00

Parked at the Flying J in Dallas. It's 118 degrees. I deliver about 30 miles from here at 0600 in the morning. The customer says you can't arrive more than 10 minutes early but you can't be late either. It's the first time I've been there so, I will go early. If they won't give me permission then they will just have to forgive me.

Home Time is Over

2009-08-04T22:22:00.001-04:00

I'm days behind.My last post was in Oswego I think. I got empty there and went back to Weedsport to wait for a load. I finally got one. It was for the next day, picking up in Fulton NY and delivering to the yard in Richfield WI. I needed to hustle because I was due home on Thursday night.I drove all the way to one of the last travel plazas in Ohio and spent the night there. On Thursday I pushed

Another Week Ends, Another One Starts

2009-07-27T07:32:00.005-04:00

It was late but the shop did a great job with my truck. I have a new alternator and 4 new batteries.Monday, I got a load of powered milk right there in Black River Falls. It was milk for baby calves and delivered to three different farms in Michigan. I get a little extra pay for each stop after the first so I don't mind as long as it can be done quickly.Farmers are not the type to dodge work so

In the Shop

2009-07-22T21:24:00.007-04:00

I made it to the shop in Black River Falls WI. This is the World Wide Headquarters of Millis Transfer. It will be taken care of here. I hope as well as this car. I see a couple of brand new Kenworth T2000's that some lucky drivers will get. I notice some of the really big carriers terminals while I'm driving. Some of them have hundreds of trucks just parked. That has to hurt the business. I

My Truck is Breaking

2009-07-21T18:59:00.003-04:00

I'm having trouble getting updates posted because my trucks is breaking. It has bad batteries or a bad alternator.I got to Cherokee by noon on Sunday and dropped my load. Then I was told that there are no empties. This customer has about 20 of our trailers that are still loaded. Free storage. I haggled with them to empty one for me and finally I got the second shift to work with me. It was after

Git it Got it Gone

2009-07-18T21:32:00.002-04:00

I got to Black River WI and dropped off my passenger then went the 50 mi. to Eau Clair WI and dropped that load. I was already preplanned for the weekend so I was ready to go.When I got up this morning in Eau Clair I dead headed east across upper WI to Neenah. Loaded there, I am now on my way to Cherokee AL. I drove some 600 mi. or so and am resting in a truck stop at I57 and I70, in Effingham

Typing as I Go Down The Highway

2009-07-16T21:21:00.003-04:00