Week#1 Heartland (continued)

Today I started moving at 5:30 am from Black River Falls, Wi-- to the drop yard outside Chicago.

Grabbed 100 gallons of liquid gold at Pilot- Marston, wi and tried to scale the Ashley Furnature load-- it was only 19,000 pounds so usually I wouldn't waste my cash-- but since I'm the FNG here at Heartland and I know ahead of time-- I'm dropping this in Chicago- and don't know what kind of candy ass will be picking it up-- best to CYA with at least the original weights. Just in case. But, I'm also pressed for time, and wouldn't you know it-- the ink cartridge in the CAT scale printer was dry-- my ticket wasn't readable-- and no I didn't have time to rescale it--and the clerk couldn't re-print it. So I left-- without it-- not going to pay for something I can't get re-imbursed for.

Then, there I am coming into Chicago on I-90 on the toll way. Now for the first time in 7 years of trucking-- I have NO EZPASS. That's right, here at Heartland only System(OTR) & Carlisle & Chester Regionals get those--
the rest have to fork out of pocket for tolls.
Well, I forgot to ask for an Toll Advance before hand-- then "sticker" shock hit me -- first $5.00 then $8.00 then another $8.00 I saw what little cash I had left(lunch money) and made an hasty exit -- to US20--- $3.00 in change to get off! I figured it would be no big deal-- I'd just call in and get the Toll Advance to put the cash back in my wallet----WRONG. Today, I discovered-- that although the Driver handbook says you can get a advance for "operational" expenses---- the truth is different--
If you're signing on here--- bring enough cash to finance the operation for two weeks. You won't have to worry about Lumpers-- because YOU're gonna be doing the unloading if required-- or you'll be paying cash to the lumper and waiting to get re-imbursed. Heartland will probably issue a comcheck for a truck repair-- if there's no other option... or something else. But, you'll need to cover the misc like tolls & scales, etc. Good luck trying to get blood from a turnip.
__________________________________________________ _________
Personal advances: you're allowed 150.00 a week( with a charge of $3.00) other personal advances are charged $20.00 a pop.

A company driver may receive an advance after 7 days of running if he/she as the miles to cover the advance.

Each week the 150.00 is loaded onto the comcheck card-- if, it's not taken-- it will be rolled over to the next week-- there will Never be more than 150.00 available.( This should Make MOMMA back home real happy when she gets the paycheck.)

No advances are issued on Thursday or Friday due to payroll cutoff.
__________________________________________________ __________

Dropped that load at the yard. Then shagged a load to get an empty-- then loaded in Waukegan for Tx-- Friday Morning.

1694
49

965+21( pending)

2729- if we go all the way to Tx with it-- 6days 2729 with 1.25 of those 6 days setting. 2729/4.75= 574 per day average

so, figured that way 5days out for 2800 home 2 days-- looks pretty good

or 2729- 477= 2252 that's the actual (Monday-Friday morning miles)

now if I can find the (hometime) diamond to go along with that kind of pay- I may have discovered WHY drivers put up with all the B.S. around here.

All & all-- they haven't been "hassling" me yet.
At first my Fleet Manager seemed to be acting different on the phone than he did face to face-- actually the first couple calls-- he acted like a prick-- then again my #1 call from the road-- was looking for $$$ from the Heartland Cares Kiddy. But maybe now, he's had a chance to see I take my job seriously--professionally. Then again, maybe because I haven't given him a hard time- on these "test" loads--- a no schedule, a 5hours wait, a shag delivery, maybe he thanks I'm a "push over" dumb-ass that will take anything. When really, I'm just trying to be 100% corporative to give him and Heartland no excuses for WHY I didn't get the miles promised.

 

Another productive day..

It's nice to be moving everyday and not setting around-- with time on hands to crunch numbers and think about all the money/miles you're not making-- or the stuff you could be doing around the house-- if you were there.

Looks like Bo will dispatch me past the 2800 mile weekly figure-- remember the Heartland Cares program? well, one of the "clauses" is-- if you run over 2800 miles you don't get any of that $$$. But, 2800 is still a nice paycheck-- and tomorrow is Friday-- so It will be the first test of the Regional hometime policy.

Was a good day today- I messaged once with my best eta to consignee- Bo sent back "message received- Ok" and been left alone rest of day-- called the fuel desk again-- man what a sweet voice she has-- got po for fuel in Joplin-- told I'm averaging 5.5 mpg. which is wrong per
odometer vs gallons oh, at least this last fill up..
454670-453725=945/150gals= 6.3 mpg
453725-453059=666/100gals- 6.6mpg

hmm, 2680/500 gals = 5.36 overall that's crapy fuel mileage.

starting:
451990- olive branch, ms
452424-ft. smith, ar( with 100 miles out of rt to pick up stuff in Mountain Home--- hills + 45,000 pound load.

75 gals to fill= 434/75= 5.78 mpg

___________________________

75 gals in OKC
100 gals in Kearney, Mo
100 gals to fill in Mauston, Wi 453725 1301/275 = 4.73 mpg

hmmm, there was 1 day of setting in OKC, light load all the way to WI--

oh well.

 

Has Crete called you wanting to know when your coming back yet?

 

nope- don't think they will for a while-

but they are being a class act!!!-- got notice in mail that our Dental Insurance will be good through end of the month-- and got the sign-up form for Cobra to extend that insurance for 33.00 a week-- which is real nice since my Wife still had 900+ worth of benefit left aval to her.

got another letter giving me options for collecting/moving my litte $800 worth of profit sharing(or collect as a cash dispersment)

and even another check today for some Detention time from couple weeks ago. All and all, it's hard to continue to say bad things about them-- considering.

It's just a damn shame-- they went to zone dispatch"no body giving a crap if I'm setting or running-- there's just no point to being out there 7days straight- 18days--6weeks and not get more than 2500 miles a week average.

They got me home... bent over backwards to do it sometimes-- but that was mostly the Old Shaffer-- remember the one's who lost their jobs-- just 2 weeks after Christmas.

 

Week#1 Final:

2729+ 239(From final-stopping today)= 2988 paid HHG miles for week- a week which included 12hours Sat(by the house to load truck), Sunday Stuck in OKC all day+night(30hours at Sam's Club), 6 hrs waiting for load in Arcadia, Wi( Ashley Furniture)--- total non-productive 1.75 days

so really 2988 in 5.25 days= 569 a day. That's more like it--

on the way through the house now for weekend time off.

5.5 hours still to drive tomorrow to get home-- hit 14th hour here in Savanna, Ok 8pm- so lets say Noon tomorrow ETA home.

8.5 hours to delivery-- which is a drop by mid-night Monday- at Wal-mart, Mount Pleasant, Ia so maybe 34 hours home--- might squeeze in Monday morning sex, shower, breakfast-- and News & weather before Wife heads off to work 11am. Not the best plan- but if I don't reset hours Saturday evening & Sunday-- I'm only picking up 8.5 Sunday & .75 Monday!-- I'd be setting in Mount Pleasant for a day!

Discovered today-- the other two guys from Orientation that I'm in touch with--- I'm special-- their qualcoms don't work while moving-- this truck must have been a team truck previously-- or it's broken like :

the seat,
cruise control,
CB coax


Roy, one of the other system drivers-- cleared 2664 miles this week, by the house Sat-Sun to load gear.

and Lonnie -- who started off strong with a 1281 mile weekend out of orientation looks to be the "Big Dog" of the pack-- somewhere right at 3000 miles. He wasn't specific enough on phone about where in Mn he delivered/picked up- so I fudged factored St. Paul, and this evening he was just hitting the I-80/I-294 junction south of Chicago with 2 hours left on his 14. Heading to Ohio for Saturday delivery-- then setting out of hours.

Dwight, well-- he and I didn't get very "close" during orientation-- he hasn't called/ I haven't called-- but Roy says last time he spoke to him-- he ran into bad luck in Larado, Tx-- and set the weekend with a broken down trailer. But then again, He was the one saying he loved the mandatory inspections & through the yard everyday--- because that meant-- he'd never have to do an INSPECTION himself again....OK whatever.

 

I had a similar quallcom problem too....it was making a horendous screetch inside the cab when ever it felt like it. Turned out that the keyboard had a stuck key someplace and the noise it was making is the warning noise when you try and use it when moving. So I called corp data and they turned the keyboard lock off....so now it works whenever I want to use it and it doesnt screetch at me anymore

 

Speaking of strange noises--- this truck every once in a while will beep twice at me... not all the time...but one in a while-- just 2 beep's--- I've ruled out the qual-com beeping(button pushed(there's no holster)), i've ruled out low air --

only thing I can think of is --- coasting?

 

If your driving an Intertrashinal it could be anything.......

 

its the qualcomm telling your boss your speeding.....LOL

 

that's a no shiter--

they got the sensor tracs data blocked off-- so you can't read how you're doing--

idle time
over speed
excessive speed
hard brake
cold start

mpg, pto, idle gallons,

non of that data available; information is power-- and they don't want you to have any.