Hey, look....I'm updating the thread WITHOUT being hounded to do so!!:lol::lol:

I left out of the house Sunday (4-5-09) and headed south for a first thing Monday morning load in Corpus Christi, TX. I loaded 2 20' cans heading to the port in Charleston, SC. Apparently there were 80 of these cans that "missed" their ship to Iraq so they were all being sent to Charleston to load on a different ship.

I then bounced 10 miles down the road and loaded 3 Humvee's at the base there in N. Charleston heading to the Army Depot in Red River, TX. For the most part the 2 trips were pretty uneventful. I say for the "most part" because I arrived at the base in N.Charleston about 5 minutes after the guys that load went to lunch. So I had to sit (along with the 7 trucks behind me) for the next hour or so. That in it's self is not a big deal.

I have a friend that I used to serve with in the Navy that lives in Summerville, SC which is just up the road off I-26 from Charleston. I told him I was rolling through and we made plans to meet up. Well because I got loaded a little later than I expected, I could only stay an hour or so and visit with him and his wife, which by the way, I haven't seen him in over 6 months, and the wife in over a year and half. After swapping lies for a while, I decide to stay for dinner. After more lies, I decide to stay the night. This now puts me way behind my "personal" schedule. In order to stay on or close to my schedule, I will have to roll early the next morning and run a little harder than I normally do. So, by 3am the next morning I have the wheels turning and by the end of the day I had managed to stuff about 750 miles in my back pocket. I stop in Jackson, MS for the night and once again am up early and rolling down the road to make sure I deliver before noon in Red River.

I get to the depot and wouldn't you know it, I arrived about 5 minutes after the guys went to lunch! So I had to wait another hour or so for them to return and then another 45 minutes or so for "someone" to come lead me to where they are unloading these things at.

All along the way, I was getting load alerts after load alerts with some pretty decent paying loads. But of course by the time I call in, the loads have been covered. I finally managed to snag one going to L.A., CA for Monday. The agent says that it MUST be there no later than noon on the 15th and if I was O.K. with that.....i think to myself....."geeze, come on it's only 1400 and some change miles and I load on the 13th".

Anyways, I am sitting here at some small mom & pop TS in Hooks, TX and will bounce up to Fort Smith, AR tomorrow, reset my log and be ready to rock and roll Monday morning.

 

And to think you'll be coming out here... I'm loading in Carson, CA on monday and heading to Vegas for a tuesday delivery.

 

DD,

It has been awhile since we talked and longer since I have replied to this board.

You are up in Ft Smith, AR? I headed to Greenville, TX with a load from Everett, WA that has to be there Sunday night. It is a hot HazMat load that the customer wanted a team on, but many of the drivers/teams with my company have let their HM endorsement lapse. I only accepted the load once it was determined that someone would be there late Sunday night to receive it. The company owner promised me a bonus for making the run(company has been good on keeping their promises in the past).

I will spend Sunday night at the customer when I empty out. Don't know where I headed on Monday but probably go to Tulsa or Wichita. Maybe we will cross pathes.

 

Isn't that what they call "Murphy's Law"?.......

 

I left out of Hooks, TX this morning and headed up to Fort Smith, AR (which is where I am right now). Along the way, I came across a couple of areas that were hit by a tornado (I am guess from this past week). This isn't the first time I've seen (or actually been in) a place that has been hit, but it never ceases to amaze me how destructive mother nature can be and how insignificant we really are in the "big picture". You could clearly see the path the tornado took and what carnage it left in it's wake . Although there was a LOT of damaged structures and many are without homes now, I hope there was no loss of life or serious injuries.

Anyways, I will sit here in Fort Smith for the remainder of the weekend and let my log book reset. According to the map and GPS, I am about 8 whopping miles from the shipper.

 

Yep, The town you are referring to is Mena, Arkansas. Got his thursday by what early damage surveys are calling an F3... that was a hell of a thunder boomer that night


Im about 15 minutes away from fort smith on the other side of the border


You at the T/S off 540/71?

 

I caught part of the local news last night and yeah, it was the town of Mena. They were talking about Mena and several other places that got hit, including TN. They were saying that a guy, his wife and their 9 week old (not sure if it was in Mena or TN) jumped in their car and were trying to make it to a shelter when the tornado hit them. Unfortunately the wife and baby did not survive and the husband was in pretty bad shape.


Yep, the "short stop" truck stop.

 

It's sure has been a long time, sounds like everything is still going well for you. As far as crossing paths, it would be great to see you and swap some lies over a hot cup of coffee but I will be "hammer down" on I-40 and won't be able to stop until somewhere in NM in order to make my delivery in L.A. on Wednesday morning.

 

Be safe and let me know if you happen by my way!! Oh and thanks for the update!!

 

So were you stuck in the aftermath of the pursuit on the 405? My wife said they had to close it down for a lil bit on monday.