This is on the back of a flat bed! Look closely... it's a Tonka dump truck!!!
WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
10 years ago
I admit it... I love Texas... I've mentioned this before in several posts, but it has been awhile.
You don't have to wonder what state you are in... as soon as you cross the Texas border and you see the mile marker (873) you
know you are in TX... not to mention the old saying that everything is bigger in Texas. They are proud!
I belive this sense of American Pride is the reason that Fox News gets the representatives from Texas when they want a real "kick butt" response or commentary on a particular subject.
Check out this star at the welcome center. Do you doubt what state this is?
Sunday we made our delivery in Sealy, TX at the Wal-Mart Dist Center. We left the distribution center without a trailer which always causes problems. The qualcomm doesn't except your empty call without a trailer number and they don't put you on the board. You are a little in limbo.
Monday morning rolled around and we still did not have a load assignment, so Trapper made the decision that it was time to get a motel room and reset our hours. We were, obviously 24 hours into a 34 hour reset, so why not.
It was a wonderful break from the truck. Being off the road for so long, for both of us, getting back into the routine has been a little challenging. For me, all I want to do is sleep. We're managing nicely though.
Wal-Mart finally had an empty trailer for us and Tuesday morning we were back in business. We were dispatched to Houston, TX to pick-up a load from the "waste management" place. I was dreading this load.... you never know what you're going to be dragging across this country.
This 43,000 lbs of paper (aka trash) is going to Laredo, TX and then onto Mexico for processing. This company will eventually make huge rolls of paper and other paper products out of this recycled paper.
We arrived at the Laredo terminal around 8:00 pm on Tuesday night. At midnight the qualcomm went off to alert us that we were taking a load to Toccoa, GA and we had to be there by Friday at 8:00 am. At 1:00 am we were finding our trailer, setting the map and the gps.
It's Wednesday night now... we are stopped at Hammond, LA.... we were just here a few days ago. I feel like I'm stuck in reverse! Tomorrow will take us through the rest of LA, AL, and onto GA. Another load delivered safely and on time!
Boy, am I messed up!
Thursday we started at 0600 hrs with 7 individual stops to make. Total mileage was only about 50 miles so the per stop pay came in very handy! Our day ended around 1430 hours (2:30 pm). As I sent in the empty call, which is always a nice feeling, I was ready to relax, cook dinner, and get some rest.
Our qualcomm had other plans though! We were beeped within 30 minutes with the info that we were picking up beer 30 miles away at 0400 hours (4 am on Friday morning) and delivering it 140 miles away at 0800 hours (8:00 am Friday morning).
Schedules that drivers keep can be ridiculous, but it is part of the job. We decided on a quick sandwich for dinner and Trapper went immediately to sleep. For me, I called my son and my mother, walked into the truck stop, came back to the truck and then decided to crash. It was 1830 hrs (6:30 pm). I just knew I would not be able to go to sleep but when I woke up at 0100 hrs, I realized I had no trouble at all.
As I dozed back off I figured it would be no problem... it was a straight shot up I-95N and the gps could navigate this trip. But, I noticed, as we approached Jacksonville, that Trapper kept looking at the map on the computer. This is never a good sign. I decided I should get up and help. Of course there was a detour. Here it is 3:30 am and I'm trying to figure out a detour! I don't do mornings good and I hate detours!
We made it and were loaded with 46,000 lbs of draft beer. We left the brewery in Jacksonville, FL and headed to the distributor in GA. Two hours later, we were unloaded and headed to Cosco, 17 miles away, to pick up a load.
As we sit here, waiting to be told where to dock... I'm watching the yard dog try to wake a Crete driver to tell him which dock. I guess the driver is sound asleep! The yard dog has spent probably 15 minutes knocking on the driver door.
After we are loaded we will have until Monday morning to get this load 1000 miles to Sealy, TX. Hopefully no detours and hopefully I'll be able get my days and nights straightened out!
I learned today that my position "in this truck/workplace/home" has a formal name... right seat cover! I am an official seat cover. Whew! I knew I had to be something.
We left SC (our home base) on Monday and went straight to PA. We have now left PA and are now sitting in GA with Jacksonville, FL on the list for first thing in the morning. It was just about this same time last year when I started riding with Trapper and we left SC straight to PA and then straight to FL! Deja Vu!!!
Funny how trucking lanes are. I never understood the term until I jumped into this industry as an observer.
We have been in the rain since last Tuesday but luckily nothing like Atlanta has had. We had a ton of rain in the upstate of SC. It rained the entire time we were getting the truck ready for departure and it's rained since we left. However; southern GA is dry right now but you could ring the water out of the air!
Our load coming out of PA was interesting... we had to be "security checked" so I am proud to announce we are both "outstanding warrant" free and our names are not on the "bad" list. It's strange to me though... when you cross the borders you feel like an outsider coming back in the country (especially from Mexico) and when you are waiting on your security clearance... your brain is thinking, "Crap... I hope there is nothing wrong." Although you KNOW there IS NOTHING wrong!
This is it for now. Our load delivers at 0630 eastern time and we try to run on central time... so it's time to call it a day! I don't do mornings well. LOL
I guess most everyone thinks we have fallen off the face of the earth... well... no.... we are doing fine! So what the heck has happened since April???? Funny you should ask!
We decided to take some home time in early April which turned into me staying home and Trapper going back out. Trapper, in turn, ended up taking a leave of absence due to his Mom's health (who, by the way, is now recouperating well). He was with her for some time while I was at home trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do...
I decided to work on my old hobbies such as flea marketing and buying and selling junque! So, that was ok, but I'm glad I wasn't using that to make the car payment.
After Trapper's Mom could sustain, we made a quick trip to Atlanta, GA to pick up our new "home". House hunting... gotta love it! We wanted the 3 story Cascadia but ended up with the same 2 story just like we moved out of in April. Another KenWorth T600 (i think) or maybe it's a T660??? Who knows. It's a big red truck just like the last one, but with a fancier steering wheel and a little more leg room in the back! Extra leg room is great when you're tall!
So today Trapper's been back on the road for 6 weeks and he'll be coming home tomorrow. I can't wait. All my to do list is now done! A lot has happened in the 6 weeks he's been gone.... I've redecorated the whole entire house, my son turned 21, my daughter went back to college, his son came and stayed a few days and then went back to college, I learned how to fix the lawn mower and the list goes on. Independence is a good thing but I'm ready to hit the road.
For Trapper he's last 6 weeks has been from east coast to west coast to northeast, to TX, to west coast to TX again, to Indiana, to TX yet again, and now headed to SC!!! I can never get him on the phone if he's in Texas... what's up with that? Does anyone else have problems with their cell phone in TX.... LOL...
Looks like next week sometime I will be blogging about our whereabouts and the crazy things that happen when you are livingotr!
Thank you for the emails and phone calls regarding our whereabouts and safety! We are fine and getting ready to get back to it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
