Life before and after the fire
We have carried a wide variety of stuff from crushed milk jugs to food to TVs and now iPads. It is very strange how different loads are treated by the shippers. There is a designation within our company called a “high value” load. The shipper pays extra and someone keeps a closer eye on us [...]
Fuel is the single biggest expense a driver has. Our fixed expense for truck payment, insurance, communications equipment, etc. is $890 a week and will drop to $740 in 16 weeks when a couple of things get paid off. At $3.00 a gallon filling our tank runs about $600 and we do that three times [...]
That going back to high-tech thing didn’t work out so well. Too much time as a manager and not enough as a developer.The one place I got close didn’t hire anyone one in the end. So on to plan-B. As of last Friday I am officially an owner-operator (O/O). Most companies would actually call it [...]
As part of the process of picking up and delivering stuff we have a series of messages, or ‘macros,’ that we send in via the Qualcomm. Additionally when we are finished we send a signed copy of the Bill Of Lading (BOL) in to corporate that they use as part of the billing process. This [...]
We picked up a load today that at first seemed normal but that changed as we left the facility. We got read a list of rules that made it clear this was a high value load even though we had not been told anything in our preplan or dispatch. When I questioned our dispatch about [...]
Well another first. I hit a deer late last night. I have no idea what the remains look like but other than stomach contents and blood surprisingly little was on the truck. The bumper got badly damaged but the truck was certainly driveable. We made our delivery on time. I did everything right which really [...]
It is beginning to happen. Much sooner than I thought. We are going to the same places or areas. Tonight we picked up in North Bergen, NJ. This is the third time I have been here and the second to this shipper. We are going back to Illinois following the same route we just did [...]
Every time you have a change of equipment and every day before you start driving you are required to do a pre-trip inspection. This is to insure that everything is on proper working order. If something is not right it is supposed to get fixed before you move. Of course we don’t get paid for [...]
I read recently, naturally can’t find the reference now, that Blogging by the average Joe is off 20% from 2008. The advent of Twitter and the increase in Facebook popularity was mentioned as the main reason. Although it was pointed out that it is so much easier to simply spit our 140 characters or less [...]
For the most part we like the new truck. Much smoother ride, bigger beds and mine has a real mattress. Storage is still a problem but after we get home we will reduce some of what we are carrying and see what we can do. All of the controls for the cruise, radio volume, flashing [...]
I am 53 years old, married, with three grown kids. Two of them have families of their own and one still lives at home. That in fact works out well because it allowed the truck driving part of this new adventure to happen as he was be able to take care of the pets while we were gone. I have five beautiful grandchildren four of which live close by and the other is half way across the world in Guam.
I can be followed on Twitter too.
March 5, 2011
SmokeTX
