Well last day of 7 days of hometime. Sometimes I think a week off every 5 weeks (7 this time) is great. Had to go to the doctor today for a blood pressure prescription renewal. Blood pressure was perfect. I also have had a sharp shoulder pain the last 6 months. Especially throwing straps and chains. Decided to ask for something for the pain. The doctor decided my job required an up to date tetanus shot and he wanted x-rays of my shoulder. While she examined me she found a lump in my throat that seems to be on the thyroid. She was very concerned and ordered immediate ultrasound and a complete blood workup. I never even noticed it and had no idea.:eek2: I asked her to take my blood pressure now:lol: Should get results tomorrow. :bow: If it is cancer it's highly treatable. After all this and showing my Blue Cross card I come home and find a letter from Arrow with our new health plan card effective 4 days ago. :angryblue: I couldn't believe it. No warning or advance notice!!!!!! Luckily my doctor takes the new plan (Aetna). I wanted to comment on the last load I hauled. There was 5 similar loads. The load was Valmont metal power poles from Mexico. These are shipped in half sections lenghwise with 4 sections laid on top of each other in 2 rows. I also had flat plates on pallets in the center. It seemed to me that the half shells could slide (metal on metal). I watched the other drivers secure. 1 strapped and 3 chained across the top. The poles sat 2 1/2' over the front and 3 1/2' over the back. Not one cross chained the front or back. I crosschained the front and wasn't going to do the back but then thought the tension on the front chain might force the shells back as the load vibrated in transit. I then decided to crosschain the back to prevent the front chain from getting slack. 1450 miles and many checks later nothing had moved at all. I also drove with confidence that myself and those around me were safe. I think that is a question we flatbedders always have to ask ourselves. Can this load move if the worst should happen?
Paul, you may need to get your truck to Tulsa for a complete checkup:lol: How soon was the repair paid for? I'm starting to wonder about this company we work for. There are 200 trucks and about 500 trailers sitting in Tulsa right now. I heard we are down to a thousand drivers. Arrow assigned me a load while on hometime that picked up on hometime. They also called me on my phone to get me to pick up a load on Saturday, 3 days early. I had to decline because of my doctors appointment. Now I'll probably wait. Be and drive safe.

 

Safety bonuses will be paid 4/24. Make sure your DM knows this and makes sure you're qualified. I just found out I made the Presidents fleet and am eligible for the bonus. I did have an issue with some damaged frieght I was unaware of though. Not ever mentioned when I unloaded. I quess it was a load of those metal studs used for building walls. Some were dented from the straps. Was told this would not be considered since it is so common with every load. :lol2:

 

OOOOOHHHHHH All HAIL :bow::bow::bow::bow::moon:

So now your Presidential..... does that mean you get a better stimulus check?

Just kidding... congratulations! I wont see that for awhile. Not with the mileage that I run.

On another note.... A few spots opened up on the regional board. Guess the drivers just turned in the trucks and walked.

 

Very funny dewercs2:lol2: Well good news is my thyroid is normal. Still have to see the doc when I get back and an Orthopedist for my shoulder. Pain killers are not working. I made sure whatever I was given had to be good while driving. Maybe not that powerful. Thanks for the heads up on regional. I might just sit tight for awhile. I have a parking problem in my city. The law says no overnight parking for big rigs on city streets. I can park in front of where my wife worked which is in the city in a commercial area but I take a chance unless I call the local police. They've always said okay and last time I was told it's a truck route so I can park there. I read your runs so keep it up. I'm sitting here in Dallas this weekend waiting for a load along with about 25 others. I picked up a container at Pacific Marine in Long Beach. What a pleasant experience compared to the one I picked up at a different terminal weeks ago. Everything was done on Arrows side. I waited 2 minutes for my day pass and was in and out of the Terminal in 1 hour. Everyone was so nice too. I had to deliver at 1400 on Friday (1450 mi). They called and asked if I could deliver early as they had to arrange for lumpers. I said I could be there 1000 with no problem. Lumpers were waiting at 0900 when I got there and I was unloaded in 90 mins. I was supposed to drop the container at another spot on Monday but had enough time to deliver Fri.:clap: That way I get at least 1 paid lay over day because I'm not under load. Still waiting for 6 days of garage pay. Get one excuse after another. New DM so I'm sure that's the prob.

 

Sounds like you had a good run.

Hopefully you get all better. Sucks getting old. Now if I only know what I know now when I was a teen. Hell... only... Now try telling that to my 17yr old. not happening. HE know's it all.... I'm just an old guy. Well this old guy is going to go take a nap. :zzz:

 

Quiet week so far.... Loaded in LA on monday with 3 other Arrow trucks and ran to Vegas. Stopped at the Wild West Truck Stop, It was ok, a place to stop for the night. On my way in I called an Ex Arrow driver who is doing local work there. He's running a day cab delivering steel to the various casinos that are being built. He took myself and another Arrow driver over to the Orleans Casino for a nice buffet.

Missed Devlidice being here...in LA.

Delivered on tuesday morning and then loaded again and ran down to Anaheim for a 7pm appointment. got there at 4;30 and was offloaded at 5;30. Thought what the heck, I'm going home...

Wednesday... Woke up went over to the truck, checked QC and called in. I was told nothing yet and 31 trucks empty in Cali, so I went back home for some breakfast. About noon wife came home from work for some lunch and then headed back out to work around 1245. I went back to the truck and still nothing. I sat in the truck for 45 minutes, QC my DM and talking to the guys at Fontana Office. Was told there was nothing, Heck.... went back home... Lets see what tommorrow brings. :roll: But atleast I'm at home and not sitting in the truck.

 

What do you guys use to track your daily/monthly mileage? anyone have a form they like?

 

I just used a note book and put in there...

load #
date
from-to
tarp (yes or no)
paid miles
actual miles
fuel (lease truck)
how much the load paid
tolls ect stuff to be re-paid by the company

we were in a lease truck so keeping careful records paid off several times....even after Arrow.....

I used a notebook just for this reason....of course I rode with Bo all the time so i had plenty of time to keep records. Bo was always in a habit of doing state miles too so I also kept a notebook with beginning miles and then noted fuel stops, state lines, work done on truck and where....ect.

There were SEVERAL times someone used our truck number to get stuff done to their truck....if we didnt watch our settlement sheets we would have lost seveal thousand dollars..I know you dont have to do this but I thought I would mention it anyway :-)

 

Gee dewercs2 thats not encouraging. I had a fairly good week. Monday I had a load of insulation panels for a cooler from Kysor in Fort Worth. I backed into the bay and saw stacks of these panels around it and wondered how they would get all of it on the trailer. Well they begin loading and put a 4 x 10 foot pallet 3 feet high close to the front. Then they do the same on the other side and tell me thats it. Total weight is 1100. 2 straps, single tarp, 30 minutes and I'm gone. The load goes to Omaha (748 mi) for Wed AM JIT. Get there early and am immediately unloaded. 1 hour later I get a load from Seward, Ne to Irving, Tx (709mi). I get there and I'm the 3rd truck in line. I'm waiting about 10 min when a forklift shows up with 10 pcs of 6in channel iron 10' long and sets it on my trailer. This is a 2' square load, 10 feet long with a weight of 2800. He then says "sign here" and no tarp:lol2: This is another JIT load for Thursday and of course I'm early. The fork lift was waiting for me to unstrap before I parked. Unbelievable! I go to the Dallas terminal and at 1700 I get a load from Fort Worth Tower to Lamar, Co (650mi) to pickup Fri. 1000hrs. I get there at 0800 and the preloaded trailer is ready (bummer losing my aluminum for a steel, hate the steel trailer) and it's to deliver Mon. AM JIT. I'm currently sitting at the Flying J in Amarillo watching 2 lot lizards at work. My wife said the doctor called and my shoulder xray showed no problems but I need to see the Orthopedist because I'm still having a lot of pain and the pills don't work. Well I hope my luck holds up. Take care and drive safe. dewercs2 don't forget your safety bonus next pay check.

 

All was going good till I got here and I had to stop and re read....:smokin: I guess I missed the period between the two sentences.....

The week was not good all I had was a 280.00 check. I was not happy:badmood:

This week is looking like a little better maybe 400.00 but still not good. I have heard a tidbit of info and not sure if it's true or not but I'm holding out for a couple weeks to see what happens.

I've been talking to a few drivers with more years under their belts and all are saying pull out of flatbed and get into a box fleet. I just don't want to have to bump a dock at 2am and wait 8 hrs to get loaded. I need to talk to more of these drivers, especially reefers to find out the scoop.

I met a new driver that came to the yard yesterday. He walks up and introduced himself and went on to tell me about how he was hauling dirt in belly drop trailers but the work has dried up.

He told me that he was in a orientaion class of 40plus people in Tulsa. :eek2:

He walked over to his truck and saw that he was missing all the chains, couldn't get into the tarp box and he had a couple bald drive tires. I tried to help him with the tarp box but it wouldn't open with the key he had. He spent the next couple hours bouncing between the office and truck. As I was pulling out of the yard he came over and told me that he was told he needed to take the truck to a tire shop and get the tires replaced but not to do this till monday since Arrow wouldn't have the money to pay for the tires. He told me he was starting to get a bad feeling about Arrow and that he might just quit now... I shook my head and told him good luck and drove off. I wonder what he will do....