A Great Weekend Followed By Heat

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. I know I did. It started last Friday when I got a load assigned for Jacksonville, FL. Arriving at the Florida Welcome Center on I-95 that night, my wife drove up from Orlando to meet me. Because it was late by then, we stayed there in the truck. On Saturday morning, she followed me down to the Pilot Travel Center on the south side of Jacksonville. There we left the truck and drove on home to Orlando.

After a couple of days home with family and friends its back to work. After my wife got off work today, we drove back up here to Jacksonville. She dropped me off at the truck and returned home. I started up the truck and started putting away my laundry and everything.

But inside the truck wasn't cooling down. The a/c was blowing but it wasn't cold. Not a good thing! I drove up 35 miles to the north side of Jacksonville to the consignee where I deliver in the morning. It still wasn't cold. After about an hour, I couldn't take it anymore. It was over 90 degrees inside. So I called Con-Way and requested a hotel for the night. Kenworth was closed due to the holiday. They agreed so that's where I'm at now. I've already got my next load assignment, so after I unload first thing in the morning and pickup my next load soon there after, then I'll head over to Kenworth to get it fixed.

That's it for now. Time for bed. See you tomorrow.

A GREAT Surprise Weekend!

Hello everyone. Sorry I missed a post for yesterday. I started out Saturday morning in Murfreesboro, TN and drove non-stop to Norcross, GA, just outside of Atlanta. My delivery wasn't due until Monday and instead of sitting here over the weekend again, I rented a car from Enterprise and drove down to Orlando to surprise my wife. Boy was she happy to see me.

I arrived at home around 7:00 PM that evening. After church on Sunday morning we went out to lunch with some friends. Back home to change and then by 3:30 PM its back to Georgia. I arrived back in Norcross, GA around 9:30 PM.

A really great weekend off that totally surprised my wife. See you back here tomorrow.

Home Again

Yea, I know this post should have been made yesterday. But upon arriving home last night, the last thing I wanted to do was write a blog page.

Yesterday was a crazy day anyway. Upon waking up, I went to look for the other truck with whom I was to swap loads with. I found him still sleeping so I didn't bother him too much. I later found out he didn't get there until 4:30 AM. So I went inside and had breakfast at the buffet.

After breakfast, I still had plenty of time to kill before my load arrived around 1:00 PM. A few days ago, I was sent a message from the company that regular service maintenance was due on the truck. So I decided to have that done while I waited here also.

By then, the first driver had woke up. And I say first because it was then I found out there was another driver involved in the load swaps. The load I had was going to Indiana which was where he was going home to. The load he had was going to Laredo, TX. There was a 3rd driver bringing me my load going to Orlando. And we assumed that he was the one going to Laredo. However, when he arrived, he didn't know anything about the Laredo run. He checked with his dispatcher and he was going to Houston.

So I hooked up to my trailer going to Orlando. The third driver bobtailed towards Houston. And the second driver was left with 2 trailers. He had found out from his dispatcher that there was a forth driver involved.

So now I'm about an hour down I-10 heading eastbound when I get a message over the Qualcomm stating for me to go back to Marianna to pick up the empty trailer. That an empty trailer can't be left at the truck stop. Well just as I was pulling off to the shoulder to call in and find out what's going on, my phone rings. The fleet manager was calling me. I told him that I had the loaded trailer going to Orlando. He told me that there was a 4th driver involved who had an empty trailer. He was the one taking the Laredo load. So I gave him the truck number of the 3rd driver from whom I got my load. Who was also now bobtailing without a trailer. He then told me to keep going and that it was the 3rd driver he needed to contact to go back and get the empty.

Anyway, what an insane load swap! That was the first multiple trailer swap I've ever been involved in and hopefully the last!

I drove straight in to Orlando, dropped my loaded trailer, hooked up to an empty and then headed home 16 miles away. I arrived here about 9:00 PM, so hopefully you can understand why I am writing this today instead of last night.

I am off for 3 days and will return Tuesday night with my next update. Have a GREAT weekend!

Welcome to Florida!

It feels so good to be back it Florida! Not so much the heat and humidity, but the fact that I'm just that much closer to being home!

Anyway, I had an early wake up this morning. My load was to be ready by 5:00 AM, so I set my alarm for 4:00. I got up and going, checked in, signed the paperwork, hook up to the trailer, and was driving down the road by 5:00. Now 368 miles later, driving straight through without stopping, I arrived in Marianna, FL at 11:00 AM.

After relaying the load with another driver who will be finishing the run, I walk across the street from the truck stop and had lunch at Sonny's BBQ. It's good to have a choice of a decent restaurant once in a while.

While in route driving down here, I received my preplanned load information that will get me the rest of the way home. My next load WAS to be at midnight tonight down in Panama City and bringing it back here to Marianna. But I knew that trying to find a parking spot at a truck stop around midnight is nearly impossible! So I decided to drive down there after lunch instead. This particular shipper is first come first serve, so I can load at any time. So I was able to load and get back in time to grab a parking space.

This load will also be relayed with another driver. The delivery location is Indiana which is the wrong direction for me trying to get to Orlando! Now, I'm waiting to find out when the other driver will be getting here. Probably just after I fall asleep, he'll show up.

The load I'm waiting for is coming here Friday afternoon via another driver. I'll be taking it the rest of the way to Orlando.

So that was it for today. See you down the highways.