Well, I nearly had scrambled eggs. First solo outing was a Murphy's law day.

- 8 AM Pretrip revealed no rear left directional (broken, fuse??)
- I make 6 lefts and one right during my run.
- Rainy day
- Travel from point A to Point B (empty) 25 miles -- no problem.
- Arrive and partially loaded -- Reefer does not start. Tried about 6 other times througout the day as the tank is only 1/4 full. We had an earlier episode of the tank running low (during training).
- Shuttle approx 10 pallets of eggs to and fro local plant sites with no reefer. Nobody at Warehouse when I deliver. Need to have them sign the BOL later. Luckily I know my way around their warehouse, and I have a power jack handy.
- Decided to take a full load back to the main warehouse without reefer.
Supposedly there is a 2 hour window of shelf life safety and the run is only 30 minutes. Yes, I tried to call for instructions. This is a Sunday, so I have no luck. Plus my trainer is on vacation (this is a small operation).

- Speed kills, I hurry more than usual and catch some adverse camber on the country roads -- LET THE SWAY BEGIN. I had a feeling I would pay for the action later. I DID. When I unload at the main warehouse, my pride takes a beating. 1/4 of the load is tilted (one way or the other) off its pallets. Manual labor is NOW invoved to repallet several pallets. ROOKIE WRITTEN ALL OVER ME. Plus having my zipper down probably half the day did not help...lol..

Anyway, after several odd looks and cursing, we sort things out. Of course the pallets (with eggs) that were still somewhat vertical had a hard time fitting in the rows of others that were PERFECT.

-- I now leave for round #2 and of course one of the foreman starts up the reefer unit like there was never a problem.

- I load with precision (like last time), but I also SLOW DOWN and drive with precision. Feeling good about recovering the day, I daydream and miss my rural exit off of my already rural road. I now have no idea where I will be able to turn around. I see an opportunity. It is dark, but I see a multi-family (apartments?) setting, where I can barely -- but safely make a left hand turn. Then swing around the wet and dirt parking lot.
I will need to avoid some thick bushes on my left and not run up on the grass on the right and miss the parked cars at the end of the U sweep.
The offtracking is tight but doable. This might be my only opportunity, so I go for it. Well half way through the turn, I find there is in fact a telephone pole hidden in the tall Bush, and I am 3 inches from being up against it (luckily I caught the pole in my mirror). I try backing up a few feet and realize that is not enough to make any affect (correction) going forward again.

- I GOAL, and I see I have a clear opportunity to back out and try again.
I stayed on the road. Good thing because there is a drop off on the passenger side. I pull up as far as I can, and I ride the lawn about 5 feet in. The lights all come on in the windows, and people are looking to claim some insurance $$$$$ here. I gain the necessary clearance on the pole (3 inches after passing), avoid the cars and do little scraping against the bush on the drivers side.

PFEW, I make it back to the Main Warehouse, and I hope like hell I have an even load. I do. It's now been a 12 hour day, and the foreman said, "it will be a 2 hour wait". There is no room in the warehouse.

I said, "If we can unload now, I will stay and help". If not, I have an hours ride home, so I am out of here. I did the latter.


Bottom Line: I have always prided myself in not making the same mistake twice. I doubt that I can achieve that in trucking, but I can try.
I did learn to DRIVE SLOW, you will only pay on the other end (UNDER ANY CONDITIONS).

I also learned that I can think and manuver in tight situations. All of the backing up I do on the job paid off. If I was a rookie that only drove forward 95% of the time, I would not have had the confidence nor ability to recover.

I doubt that I could have had a worse solo rookie day, but it strengthened me for the upcoming journeys.

Plus it gives me further appreciation for what some of you REAL TRUCKERS have to put up with on a daily basis and long periods of time -- AND YOU ARE NOT JUST ONE HOUR FROM HOME.

Have a SAFE Travel.

Nomad

 

Nomad: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks for the belly laugh! Not AT you.... but WITH you! :lol:

I TOLD you to steal a book from inside the reefer door! Do you know about the manual start switch under the bottom of the "hood?" That's probably how the other guy got it started!

Tilting loads? Even with a powered pallet jack, you should be able to "run them in" against the wall to straighten them up.

Tight turns? Remember that you can slide your tandems up toward the cab to give yourself a tighter turning radius, then back again before you have to cross a scale. (Probably no scales on your routes anyways.)

All things considered, you did a good job! Remember that 50% of trucking is knowing how to think on your feet! And understanding Geometry!

Sounds like you've had the "load from Hell" that most of us get on our first day, or early on! :lol:

Don't worry.... from here on out, it's all down hill! Hmm.... No... that's not right! It's all UP hill! Hmmm.... No.... that's not fun either! Okay.... it's all smooth sailing!! :lol:

Point is.... you've met the beast and slayed him! The rest of your career should be a piece of cake! But remember, you can't make a cake without breaking some eggs! :lol:

You know, there probably ARE jobs in your area for "local" drivers - weekends only - to deliver loads brought over from Canada to receivers in the Northeast. Overnight runs only. Take a load from a DC in Maine to somewhere around Baltimore(?) and back home again! You'd be driving on paved roads with only ONE unload, and maybe a "backhaul." Or maybe some "seafood" from the coast and bringing back some badly needed toilet paper or something!

As for the Rosetta Stone? Didn't know that was what they called it.... but that's what I got at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterrey, CA. If you want to change your mind and get out of trucking.... I suggest learning Arabic! [Wish I HAD!]

All in all, though, I think learning Spanish is a good idea! In a few years, it will be mandatory for getting a job here in the "good ole" United States of Amexico!

Keep posting! I need the comic relief! :lol:

Hobo

 

Hobo,

I am glad you enjoyed my little saga. Let me reply to your observations and comments below >>>>>>>>>>>>



Thanks for the belly laugh! Not AT you.... but WITH you!


>>>>>>:wink: No probs, I am a humble guy.



I TOLD you to steal a book from inside the reefer door! Do you know about the manual start switch under the bottom of the "hood?" That's probably how the other guy got it started!

>>>> Wish I was there to see. Actually he said he held down the preheat toggle for 4 seconds and WALAH (fired up).

I must have tried 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 seconds -- damn the bad luck :?



Tilting loads? Even with a powered pallet jack, you should be able to "run them in" against the wall to straighten them up.


>>>>>>>>SHHHHH, I did that when they weren't looking. Some were REALLY BAD or floating on other pallets waiting to fall.



Tight turns? Remember that you can slide your tandems up toward the cab to give yourself a tighter turning radius, then back again before you have to cross a scale. (Probably no scales on your routes anyways.)

>>>>> IF I decide to drive that fast again, I will remember that (doubtful) 8)





All things considered, you did a good job! Remember that 50% of trucking is knowing how to think on your feet! And understanding Geometry!

>>>> I survived and learned (I hope).

Sounds like you've had the "load from Hell" that most of us get on our first day, or early on!

Don't worry.... from here on out, it's all down hill! Hmm.... No... that's not right! It's all UP hill! Hmmm.... No.... that's not fun either! Okay.... it's all smooth sailing!!

Point is.... you've met the beast and slayed him! The rest of your career should be a piece of cake! But remember, you can't make a cake without breaking some eggs!

>>>> Winter is coming, I am sure I will have more chances. :shock:

You know, there probably ARE jobs in your area for "local" drivers - weekends only - to deliver loads brought over from Canada to receivers in the Northeast. Overnight runs only. Take a load from a DC in Maine to somewhere around Baltimore(?) and back home again! You'd be driving on paved roads with only ONE unload, and maybe a "backhaul." Or maybe some "seafood" from the coast and bringing back some badly needed toilet paper or something!

>>>> Yeah, I will be due for a change after a year I think. One thing that I like about this job is the backing up. I get a lot of practice and a lot of them are in tough terrain and tight situations. This winter will either make me or break me.


As for the Rosetta Stone? Didn't know that was what they called it.... but that's what I got at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterrey, CA. If you want to change your mind and get out of trucking.... I suggest learning Arabic! [Wish I HAD!]

>>> I heard Arabic is in high demand (wonder why). It is low on my list for languages to learn since I have no interest in traveling to that part of the world, but I may pick it up at some point. So I hear that Presidio is a great school. Cost of living is high. My brother was an Air Force recruiter in Monterey, and I sent many folks there TDY to learn different languages/etc... How did you enjoy your stay?


All in all, though, I think learning Spanish is a good idea! In a few years, it will be mandatory for getting a job here in the "good ole" United States of Amexico!


>>>>>I know enough Spanish to be dangerous, now I will get legit.

Keep posting! I need the comic relief!

>>>>YES SIR! :P

Hobo

 

Quite an entertaining read Nomad, thanks. How 'bout posting some pics from your travels up in that neck of the woods. Sounds like a beautiful part of the country.

 

Thanks, I have been meaning to take my digital camera to do just that..
We are starting to get the changing of the leaves, I will see if I can get some snaps in in Sept! and post.

 

Hah...leaves starting to change already in Maine and it was 97 degrees today here in the inland valley of NorCal. Our leaves won't change until mid Nov.

 

Mine are starting too :x

 

It means the NFL regular season is just around the corner! :rock:

 

Just dropping a note. The egg job is getting a little boring, but finding another one day gig is hard to find. I will start probing the local market as there is not much more that I can learn from this job.

-No drop and hooks
- No log keeping
- No scaling
- No long distance driving
- No highway driving

I seem to do more backing up than I do moving forward.
I think I mentioned that it is really a glorified lumping position with 70 percent lumping and 30 percent driving. In case it is hard to find that next one day a week gig, I will offer to stay on call (work in emergency/vacation replacement situations), so my driving employment history will not have a gap.

peace!

 

Keeping the journal going (I don't deserve a BLOG) 8) .....

I accepted a job with a multi-faceted trucking firm today. Actually half way through the interview, they wanted (still want to) to offer me another "IT" management job. They said I could still do trucking PT
I have built a very reliable staff/team at my current job. I don't think I have the patience/luck to go through that arduous process again.

Anyway, I passed my DOT physical.

After visiting the doc today and seeing my blood pressure at 133 over 86, I might want to reconsider...lol. Actually it was only 108 over 78 two months ago. I have been stretching myself pretty thin lately with working full time, trucking part time, going to school and chasing my kids around.

You should have seen this guy (doctor) 6'4 with a floating eye. He reminded me of the John Coffey in the Green Mile.




He told me to lose 40 pound before my 50th birthday too (6 months away). I have had 3 DOT physicals in the last 6 months because of trucking school or employment. Let's just say I was treated like a rag doll, and I am no shrimp. At least the guy had a sense of humor.

Anyway, the new gig involves plenty of highway driving delivering (85% no touch) parts to 6 papermills throughout Maine. There might be the occasional night load too. But is mostly a weekend gig.

The rigs are Freightliner Daycabs (from what I saw at the customer's site). I start training next week. Oh, the Pay is 5-6 bucks an hour more than my last gig... 8). It will be a change from the 450 HP Volvo that I was driving. I did keep the door open with the Egg firm. Basically I will be a spare driver for both companies with loyalty and priority going to my new firm. I made that clear.

I am still trying to buck the system and go against the normal rookie grain..... so far so good. But the lessons will become harder. BRING IT ON!

:P