I'm just guessing here but I think I'm probably 99% correct on this. When you turned around and broke your airline, you turned to your right didn't you?

TIP to all!! Whenever possible always turn to your left. I would think that they would teach this more in school and in OJT but I see a lot of old timers who don't practice this and it will prevent a lot of problems.

Most trailers glad hands are off center to the drivers side of the trailer and even if the are centered then the service line is still going to be on your side. Also, you will be able to see the side of your trailer as you turn. On some tractors, I don't know about all makes, the turning radius is tighter when the wheel is pulled to the left as opposed to the right.

 

Novacane, not only am I a fan of yours, but you are my hero! I hope I handle things as well as you have once I start driving. Probably won't be until August since I have to wait until I retire from the USMC, but I'm looking forward to it.

 

So Scoe, your tip to all, what is happening if you turn right, is it just too far a reach for the lines or something else? The way my setup is on my current truck and trailer, I can hardly turn either way. Turn too hard and a I cut my trailer light cord. My setup is MUCH different than 90% of everyone on here with a trailer behind a dump truck.

 

Well, well, well, today was a pretty good day, lots of work, but good. I started the day in Gary Indiana at our terminal where I finally got everything fixed on my truck including the coolant leak(which they still didn't want to fix).

I guess one good thing that came out of the whole deal is the fact I feel younger now, let me explain. When the stack broke off, the truck exhaust was LOUD inside the truck, it just resonated and surrounded your body with this constant roar. Well, this caused problems sleeping, and trying to talk on the phone. It sucks to have to shut the truck off to talk on the phone(especially on those cold mornings). So anyway, I got the truck back last night, and they needed me to drive the truck around so they could "burp" the coolant system and top it off. I was sleepy and very tired and just wasn't paying close attention, until I pull back up at the garage and park. As soon as I pulled the parking brakes, Chris called me on the cell.

We sat and talked and he asked me when I was getting the truck back, I told him I was sitting in it now. He says "well is it any quieter in there now?" then it dawned on me, I was talking on the phone while the truck was running, and wasn't saying huh? what did you say? I can't hear you, hang on. Needless to say I slept like a baby last night and it feels good to be able to hear again, I felt like an old woman having to ask over and over, "whatcha say?"

It's been wonderful being able to hear the radio again, so I guess that may be part of the reason my day has been pretty good. Anyway, I leave the terminal this morning and headed about 350 miles to Wausau WI. got there, delivered, and was sent about 20 miles away to drop and hook in Schofield WI.

Now this may sound sweet, but my drop and hook isn't what most of you are thinking. My drop and hooks involve removing equipment, taking inventory, retarping and so on, so it takes an hour or so to "drop and hook".

I take the new load about 130 miles to our yard in Prentice WI. drop and hook with another trailer, and get a message saying to call dispatch. I am told to bring the load over to Marshfield(the main office) so I can attend a safety meeting, I explain I have already had that meeting, and he finally figures that out. Then he says that I can stop by anyway to discuss my logs :shock:

You know, I don't know if I am a negative person or something, but just ONCE I would like to feel confident when being called to go somewhere to meet up with the higher ups. I automatically think it's something serious, plus with all the stuff I have been putting them through lately, who knows. I guess all they can do is fire me, but that would almost make things easier for me, I could move on and not feel like I made the wrong choice. I only worry that they could put something on my record. Maybe the airline break would classify as a preventable?

Ahhh, I don't know what I am worried about, they are probably going to call me in, tell me that I didn't cross all the t's, and send me on my way with a thousand mile run, who knows? One thing is, I was supposed to drop this trailer tonight, but I noticed it is going to Orlando, that would be some good miles, and it would take me right by the house, so I didn't unhook. Plus it was dark and I don't know this lot very well, so I didn't want to put it somewhere it shouldn't be.(honestly)

DUHN DUHN DUNNN........ will tomorrow be novacane's last day with Roehl transport? Can she defeat the recruiter team from villain J.B.? Or will the mystery company finally make it's presence known by offering a awesome job? Who is this mystery company and whats the catch? Tune in tomorrow, same trucker time, same trucker channel.(can you tell I'm in a good mood?)

Seriously, I will let the board know as soon as I can, wish me luck!

 

Good luck! I hope things go well. Glad to hear you had the truck fixed. Just not a good idea to be out there with equipment that has issues and could be unsafe. BOL

Longsnowsm

 

It could be that your name got picked for a random UA and they want you to come by that terminal to notify you.

 

Well, I had another "first time" event happen today, but more on that in a minute. I got up and got a shower first thing this morning, since I had a meeting with the bosses. I finished getting ready and nervously headed inside to see what my fate was.

Everything seemed to be ok, and it wasn't long until we were underway. It was my dispatch, and his boss, which is really high up on the totem pole. I knew something was up when all the friendly talk stopped as the office door shut, it was like flipping a switch. It started off with all the things that they had pointed out to me, but hadn't had a chance to show me in person. Like the paperwork, and logs saying how long I was over the 67mph mark. Things that they have already talked to me about, so it was no big deal.

One new thing that was brought up was my fuel entries in my log books. This might sound complicated, but I will try. When you go to fuel up, you're books must match your receipts and so on, everything should be within 15 minutes. Well, sometimes there are delays, maybe the pumps mess up or run out, and you have to move, or maybe the card isn't accepted(happens often with me). Well, in this case I stopped at 12 to fuel, swiped the card and started pumping, finished up and got a "please see cashier" signal.

I figure it's just for the receipt, but turns out the card didn't take the first time. So she and I spend the next 30 minutes trying to get it to work, but we never could. She finally just manually done it, but there was so much time passed, I didn't know which 15 minute time I should log in. So I split the time down the middle, and logged there, thinking it would have to be close. Found out today that the fuel purchase didn't go through the "bank" until 15 minutes after I was logged driving. I guess the mix up made things go through slower or something. After I explained everything they were like "ok, that's fine, we understand".

Just when I think I might get out of this unscathed, my dispatcher starts in about me turning down this past load of wool. He said it cost the company money by dead heading me there. Now at this point, I can tell that dispatch is trying to look better in his boss's eye's.

The night they tried to make me take the load, as soon as I saw what it was, I was telling dispatch I didn't want it. I told them via qualcom on 3 separate occasions that I would not tarp. Each time they came up with a reason for me to go, even saying that the company would tarp it for me! I had the feeling like they were going to get me up there and then pressure me into taking it, and that is what they did.

I told dispatches boss about some of the things they make me do, and how many miles I get, showed my log books to boot. He saw the huge wait times, days sitting, and short loads. Then he tried to get me to switch to a van, since that is what I signed up for to begin with. I told him to offer me se regional with a van and I would sign up for it, but until then getting home on weekends was worth it.

I also told him that I would not haul wool in the future as well, and if that meant them firing me to let me know cause there are other companies waiting to come pick me up. He said that none of the other drivers had a problem with it, and didn't understand why I was making such a big deal over it. I told him plain and simple, I don't feel safe on top of that load, so if I get in trouble by putting safety first, then Roehl shouldn't brag about safety.

It's not like I turn down loads all the time, only 2 so far counting this one, and the first one I finished anyway, so that shouldn't count(I didn't think I had the hours to deliver, so I denied. Picked it up anyway, and figured out I did have the hours, so I went ahead and delivered). I know that I say I won't drive in snow, or stay out over a week at a time, so on and so on, and I give on every single one of them, but this one thing I will not budge on.

He told me he understood, and that I was right by putting my safety first. Then he told me "well Heather, things are going to change for you"(exact words by the way). And he went on to tell me that mileage is going to be better and so on, but only time will tell if that is true or not, we will see. All in all, I would say the meeting was a success. I am sure it doesn't sound that way, but it's only cause I can't write it exactly. Nobody was crushed, or embarrassed, or disrespected, and it seems like the outcome was in my favor, so score 1 point for me, company 209.

I was finished with the meeting and ready to head out by 8:30, but I was having to wait on something.........something I have never used before..............something I have been wanting to use................................ are you ready??




ORANGE FLAGS, AND A OVERSIZE LOAD BANNER :shock: I EVEN GOT TO USE MY BEACON LIGHT...........MY BEACON LIGHT!!!!! I have all kinds of new rules, and paperwork, I can't drive past 6pm, and I can't get off my designated route, 88700 lbs, big machinery WHHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!! this is what I have always wanted to do, I know it sounds crazy, but I can't help it. I hope one day to pull the really big stuff, it's very appealing to me, talk about a challenge.

Anyway, I get done at 8:30 and have to wait till noon before finding all the right flags and such, I was so excited to pull out of that lot, man this sounds stupid I am sure but whatever. I drove until around 3 and realized that in all the excitement of the moment, I had done something stupid. I left all the paperwork and permits at the yard, I was anxious to get going, man this sucks. Just goes to show you how easy it is screw up. I contact dispatch, and they tell me to stop by a fax somewhere and I they will fax it to me, cool. 10 Minutes later, no truckstop, but guess what, I have a weigh station coming up, and the little light is red, no paperwork, no overweight permits, uh oh.

Luckily I got waive on through, whew! Can't believe I made such a simple mistake, oh well, live and learn. Shortly after that whole ordeal, I came to a truckstop and promptly got my paperwork faxed to me. Finished driving until just before 6 and I am on my way home for the weekend again. Another cool little rule with this load is no driving on Sunday, don't get it, but those are the rules

Just when you think this novel is over, I start another paragraph, lol. As good as the day has gone, good meeting, dream load, got through the forgotten paperwork thing, truck nice and quiet, shut down early, everything is goooood................BAM reality check, laying in back messing with the laptop passing time, and a buzzer goes off, I jump up to see, and the light "turn engine off" is on!!! I get everything shut down, and start looking at gauges to see what is going on, nothing out of the ordinary, what in the world?

I get dressed, get out and pull the hood to see if anything is obvious. Oh, yeah, I can see the problem, low coolant, and why? The leak that was supposed to have gotten fixed has turned into old faithful. Just what I need, now it's going to take all day to get fixed, and I won't be able to have some extra time at home, and worst of all, I won't be earning any money! Still, I have to admit, I get chills when I look in the mirror and see my trailer, and since the trailer has no air ride, and is heavy, the ride is, well, pretty harsh. Exit ramps give the illusion of being in a rodeo. This is not a team load, I don't think anyone could sleep in this thing, wow! It's just a special moment for me, even if a geyser has sprung.

 

I didn't write anymore cause I was on my way home, and nothing major happened, so I figured I would just catch everything up tonight. I made my way home around Saturday morning, which sucks cause if I could drive during the night, I could have been home early Friday evening, but oh well.

Today I had a hard time getting started. It started when I left with this permitted load, they didn't have the paperwork I needed, and they didn't have my route planned either, but since they did have enough for me to get home, I didn't care. Well that came into play today. I got up early to head out since of the day time only driving thing, but when I called dispatch to give them the number to fax my paperwork to me, they didn't have it ready.

I thought cool, I can squeeze another hour or 2 at home, boy was I wrong. For the next couple hours, I spent on and off(mostly on hold) the phone trying to figure out what to do, there wasn't a reason for me to leave, cause I didn't have the permits, or know my route yet, my only choice was to stay home. I finally got frustrated, and told them to call me when they had the papers and hung up, I mean enough is enough yanno?

Well, I waited and waited, but no call. Finally I gave in and called them around noon.(keep in mind that this is a 7 hour trip and I only drive during the day, or around 6pm) They said they had the papers, but dispatch was at lunch. So I went ahead and got to the truckstop so I could leave out asap. I could finally leave around 1pm, and I was hoping that everything would be ok, and I could at least use up all of what time I had at a good speed. Another thing that was getting on my nerves was my route. I could make this same trip in less than 5 hours, but not with this load, and I couldn't understand why, I mean, both ways would be all interstate, but anyway.

My wishes of a smooth ride went south shortly after coming through Nashville, big wreck, and everything was stopped, and the thing was that it just happened, if I had been 10 minutes earlier, I wouldn't have got caught in it(better than being in it I guess). But you win some and you lose some, so here I am still in Tennessee(on the state line) when I could have been waiting at the consignee already. I guess it's a good thing that the load isn't due until 11am tomorrow, thing is that it will eat up my driving time for the day, which sucks, but oh well.

I guess it's partly my fault, I should have stayed on the phone, and made them get the paperwork to me before lunch(I thought they would anyway) so I guess I can't complain that much. I am going to try and post a link to a pic, don't know if it will work or not, so wish me luck. I will update everything tomorrow night, take it easy everyone!
http://www.4vu.net/view/personal-6aba4a03bb.jpg

 

Boy am I tired, long day today. I didn't write last night cause there was no internet connection. Anyway, I delivered my load yesterday, and was was wondering where I would get my trailer from since there are no yards anywhere close. So I send in all the codes and so on waiting for another load. Didn't have to wait long to find out, about 15 minutes later, they told me to bobtail around 30 miles to a lumberyard, and pick up a empty there.

I show up, and thinking the worst was pleasantly surprised when I easily found the trailer, and it was in a easy place to get to, no hassle's, cool 8)
I snatch it up, give it a once over(new tires) and since it's a newer trailer I am good to go.

They tell me to head toward Atlanta to pick up a load, so I headed that way. About a hundred miles into the trip, I get a message and decided to go ahead and pull over to check it since it was an odd time to receive one. Message told me to relay the load, and gave me an exit number to meet at, whew, glad I pulled over, only 3 miles away, good decision, cause most of the time I wouldn't stop driving so soon.

I get there, shut down, and am expecting the driver to take forever to get there, since that is the way it usually is, I don't know why I almost always arrive first, I think they need to plan it out better. Anyway, I pulled in, and grabbed a parking spot, and since there were 2 side by side, I decided to go ahead and drop the trailer, then park next to it so he will have a place to park when he gets here. Get done and parked and I am thrilled to see a flatbed pulling in. A quick exchange of words over the CB, and a few minutes later I am hooked to the new trailer and doing inventory, which is a really big PIA since we have to even each other out.

What I mean is, if I give him 10 chains, but he has a load that only used 10 straps, then I would have to give him 10 of my straps, and he would give me 10 chains. That may sound easy, but when you start having multiple things, like ratchet binders, short chains, long chains, straps, steel tarps lumber tarps, corner protectors, bungees, well you get the point(and these are only the "basic" items).

Then we have to qualcom all the information in, and it's usually an ordeal that takes about 2 hours, one for their truck and one for mine. This is why I don't care for relay loads, but counting stuff is easier than tarping stuff, so what the heck :wink:

So I get done with all that, and am told to deliver to a little place just outside of Atlanta. Made it there about 3 pm and got unloaded promptly, cool. I send in the usual stuff and wait for the next load, and again they are on the ball and get me a load in 15 min. But this time I was being sent to a place I know all to well, and hate to go to, because of what I have to haul. Steel I-beams and prebuilt pieces for buildings, sharp ends everywhere, no solid place to step pulling tarps. It's horribly hard work, but I've done it before, and I will have to do it again, so here I go.

Got there, and sure enough, my fears come true. But at least this time all the beams are only about 6ft off the trailer at the highest point, so it wasn't that bad, it's when you have to climb 6ft up to throw the tarp over a 12ft tall piece that really starts to suck. I finished up tarping but I was out of hours, so I just decided to sleep in the lot since they said it was ok.

Got up after a good sleep, and headed north to Indiana. Again I am coming within 60 miles of home, and can't stop, bummer. Once I get into Kentucky, I get a qualcom message, and go ahead and pull over to check it since I was due for a leg stretching. Turns out this load is relayed, man, they have cut my miles yet again on these freakin relays. I was instructed to go to a small town in Indiana just across the state line about 95 miles, meet up with the other driver, and pick up a load heading back down to Calhoun Georgia.

Well I make it here to the flying hook, and again I am here first. But that is ok, cause I am tired, and getting very low on hours. So when I arrived I did the usual, dropped the trailer, and park beside. I am looking at the load information, and they are wanting me to deliver early morning, I would have to head out by midnight to deliver, can't do this, couldn't if I wanted to, sure I could fudge the books, but hey, I am tired, and I don't drive tired even if my job depends on it.

So I write them back letting them know that this is impossible, and that they would have to reschedule the delivery time. They don't like that at all, and I could tell, but oh well. Besides, the other driver isn't here yet. So I started thinking maybe I could just take a catnap and be good for another 8 hours or so of drive time(I don't require that much sleep) and then I could leave early since this seemed to be important. Thing is that the guy still isn't here an hour later, and I can't go to sleep cause I want to be up when he gets here since you can't trust the other driver will try to find you, and I don't mean that in a bad way, but some will arrive and not even attempt to look for the other truck cause they are out of hours, or are too tired, or want to eat, so on and so on. This has happened more than once..

So I wait, and Wait, 2 hours go by and there is a truck pulling in, ooohhh, it's a covered wagon, cool, I hope this is my guy! I ask over the CB if he is here for a relay load, yep! I ask where his load is going, and uh oh, no match, truck number? nope definitely not him, bummer :cry:
Turns out we are doing yet another quad-relay deal, and that's always interesting(any other drivers out there do this stuff?). Keep waiting, and 3 hours into the whole deal, he shows up, and is hauling tracks like that go on a tank, or bulldozer, just thought it was a "cool" load to have, lol.

So, I have my new load, and have had a decent little nap, but I decided to stick to my guns and not run illegal, if I do it once, then..... So I end the day on a pretty good note, huh, 2 in a row, it's a blessing people. Didn't get crazy miles, but average 500 a day, and 400 is all I need to "survive" so I am having a good week so far.

Oh on another not so good note, I found out what my paycheck for this week was today, it's a whopper! $264 baby! :shock: Few more weeks like that and a change will be a comin'! I just can't afford that. But a lot was my fault so I am not that freaked out about it, but I shouldn't have that problem again if they do what they say they will and get me home. Anyway, sorry nothing "exciting" happened, but I will try again tomorrow! have a good one everybody!

 

Got up and hit the road this morning, but around 100 miles into my trip, I hear a funny sound every few minutes, and it seems to be getting louder faster, so I take the next exit with a truckstop which was a little mom and pop place. I figured I could check everything out and get some coffee or something.

But as I am coming down the off ramp downshifting, the sound comes back loud, sounded like you dropped some pin-balls down the intake and they were rattling around inside the cylinders, not a very nice sound to hear. I also realize that I have no clutch, nothing. First thing I thought was a clutch failure, so I jump into neutral and stop at the bottom. I have to cut the truck off, slap it in 3rd, start it in gear and take off floating the gears(red lights are your enemy at this point).

I finally make it to the truckstop and thankfully they have a shop, so I pull in and see if they can look at it. They have someone come right out and after a few minutes he tells me the clutch needs to be replaced, and that's not the worst part, it's gonna be 3 days!

Well, there is no way this is gonna work, so I call dispatch, and he asks if I can drive down to the next freighliner dealer about 10 miles down the interstate. I really didn't want to, but I would rather drive with no clutch a few minutes than wait 3 days, so here I go. I made it there relatively easy, not that big a deal, of course there were very few red lights that caught me so I got lucky.

I got there around 8am, and they didn't even look at the truck till noon. Meanwhile, they pull this load from me, which will give me yet another week of no miles. They finally pull me in and start looking the truck over. He comes back and tells me there was some metal in the clutch dust cover, and it was being chewed up, and that's what the noise was, then there was another piece(which looked to be the same as the other, just not chewed up). He said he should be able to adjust the clutch and I would be fine, so he did, and then told me to drive it around the lot and see what was happening.

I try to back up, but guess what? No reverse, only gears that will work is 2nd 3rd and 4th. I go in to tell them, and he comes out to look again. He gets in the truck, starts it up, and it goes right into gear for him. So I take it around the lot again, and even though it's working for the most part, you can tell something isn't right. Get back and let them know what I think. He says it will be fine(Roehl only wanted a bandaid fix so I could get to a terminal, so I can't get paid for sitting while it's being fixed) and that I should go on. I tell him it's not fine, it's not acting right, and until we know where the metal came from I don't feel safe driving it, the metal didn't just appear there magically, it came from somewhere.

Well, they start looking again, and now they are thinking that the pieces of metal are from the clutch brake, and now it's not working, which is causing it not to "feel" right when you drive it. I don't know, I wish the company wasn't so cheap, just fix it right the first time, and get it over with, but oh well. So here I have been all day waiting for the truck to be "patched" up(I won't say fixed). As always, time will tell what's wrong, and I of course will let everyone know what the deal is, wish me luck for miles people!