So this is the pic of the motor of my truck. Isn't it lovely? And I'm finally getting used to the shift pattern in the Mack.

I haven't really gotten a lot of miles this week, but it is the first week and I only really got started on Wednesday late in the day. Hopefully this next week will be much better since I'll get a start on it on Monday this time. Yes! I am actually at home tonight! Relaxing in my own room...in my own bed...with my furbabies by my side.

Yesterday picked up at a Faygo plant in Detroit. Another backing job I did pretty darned good at. Although I kinda screwed up afterwards. After backing in I had to unhook from the trailer until they were done loading it. When I went to hook back up I didn't get the heights between the tractor and the trailer quite right and ended up with the pin going over the fifth wheel and down over the front of it. Crap...and it was stuck that way. I maneuvered little by little to the side as far as I could get the tractor to go but the pin was still caught on it by just a little bit. Thanks to the help of another friendly driver...we got it unstuck. By just using plank of wood, he had me pull forward and he maneuvered the fifth wheel with the wood so the pin could go back over it. Thought was the end of my problems. Nope...when I pulled out, I went to move my tandems back forward (as they were required to be all the way rear for loading) and the tandems were stuck! We ended up having to get a roadside service out to fix them since in Michigan you cannot legally run with the tandems all the way to the rear like that. After that was fixed I immediately went to the next truck stop I could find...with parking. Went to Motor City truck stop but it was tiny and completely full. So on to the next one...The Detroiter. Pulled in and wouldn't you know it...it's a pay-for-parking truck stop. But I was willing to do it as I was tired and needed to be off the road. Pulled in and the gal at the gate said to go on in...she let's the ladies park free so they can be safe. Well bless her! They will get my patronage again if I need somewhere to go up there again. After all...they have a built-in iHOP! Yum!

Anyway, delivered this load this morning to a Giant Eagle distribution warehouse in Bedford Heights, OH. As you can see...that is the view in my driver side mirror as I sat and waited for them to unload me. Had to keep an eye on that light so once it turned green it meant they were done. Then from there I was off to Erie, PA to pick up a load. Turns out it's a load of plastic crates that you see bread stored and moved in. So it's actually a light load...about 10k pounds. Not very often you get to haul a trailer that's FULL and weighs so little. 

So anyway...I'm home for the night AND tomorrow! Woohoo! Delivery isn't scheduled until noon Monday so I will actually get a 34-hour restart. I can get two good nights sleep two nights in a row! Next time I post I'll have a pic of the truck for you! I'll be out there tomorrow actually getting it setup for my comfort (as I've been missing all my "truck stuff"). 

First Day

First day on the road for Rush. They sent me by bus from Detroit to Cincinnati yesterday. Then I picked up my truck last night. I can with all honesty say it's not my favorite of all the ones I've driven. It's a 2010 Mack. It's kinda tiny inside compared to what I'm used to. There's not even a space for a fridge/cooler. So once I get by the house to get all my stuff...the cooler will have to sit against the bed while driving and against the gear shift when I'm sleeping. I won't go without it though. It's the only way to save money on food and drinks.

And of course it's governed at 62...yuck! Back to being passed by everything else on the road. Oh well...it's a job.

They had another driver bring me a loaded trailer he was under this morning for me to drive to Temperance, MI. It was a drop & hook. Been a long time since I've done one of those. Was kinda nice. :-)  What I found most amusing is when I called in I found out they had not expected me to even get done when I did. LOL. What can I say? I don't play around...I keep her moving and grooving. That's how you make your money. I did get a late start this morning but after riding by bus most of the day yesterday I wanted to get a good night of sleep. Riding the bus always wears me out. There's no napping on those things for me unless I'm totally exhausted.

So tonight I'm just outside Toledo, OH. They told me to go ahead and get my 10 hr break and they'll call me with something in the morning. Not supposed to idle the truck so I froze my ass off last night. Idling right now so I can use the computer, but I'll shut it down after I get done. I bought a small heater/fan so I won't freeze again tonight. It doesn't put out hot hair but it's warm air and it'll take the edge off of the cold. I can't wait till I can get all the rest of my "truck stuff" in here. I got a warmer blanket to put in here. Although not gonna need that for much longer.

So I guess it's time I got that rest. As Rush Trucking likes to say "Stay Safe!"

What a Rush

So...I am now officially a driver for Rush Trucking. Spent all day in orientation (why is a day spent in orientation feels like 2 days?) Did my inspection and road test first thing (first one out!). I nailed the inspection. And my driving was very good as well. But OMG! The shifting on the truck they had us use was awful! Truck was way older than anything I'd ever driven before and the shifting pattern different than all the ones I'd ever driven as well. Gotta say...my shifting for that test was a total embarrassment! Sure...I'm not beyond grinding gears some...but this went way beyond that. I couldn't get those gears to go in to save my life. I had to rev the engine higher than I'm used to to get in gear as well. But in the end...he didn't fail me so even though I'm thoroughly embarrassed over the shifting...it's all good.

I'm in the Super 8 motel in Canton, MI for a second night. They have a bus ticket for me leaving at 12:15 tomorrow afternoon to go Cincinnati, OH. That is where my truck will be waiting for me. I do not yet know what kind of truck it is. I might not be able to even get to the truck until the next morning since I won't arrive in Cincy until 7:30pm. Now...I wish they could have known in advance that I'd have to go to Cincy for my truck. I would have just driven my van up here and drove home tonight. Then have someone go to Cincy with me to pick up my truck and they could drive my van back home for me. But oh well...it is what it is (seems to be my mantra anymore). But anyway...onward and upward. A step closer to being back on the road again.

So since there isn't much else to share on this beautiful evening, I'll leave you with these:

I saw a video with a shifting setup that is interesting. Not something I'd want but interesting all the same.

And there was this doosey...all I can say is wow!

KABB Fox San Antonio :: Top Stories - 18 Wheeler Stuck On Tracks Facing Fines

 

Jitters

Now I'm a nervous wreck. LOL! I have orientation on Tuesday. Road test, pre-trip inspection test. What if I don't remember everything to the pre-trip? Test anxiety can do that to me. Lord help me...let me remember everything! I know I can do the road test okay...it's just that pre-trip that worries me. I have to state what I'm looking for as I do the inspection. How detailed do they want it? Like what I had to memorize for the cdl test? Or more general descriptions? Ahhhh!

Quick Update

Recruiter called me back today. Drug screen is okee-dokee (which of course I knew it would be). I'm setup for orientation next Tuesday the 23rd. I'll go up to Michigan the night before and stay at motel for the night (they are paying for it), they are going to reimburse me driving up (at an equal rate of what they would have paid for my bus ticket up) so my son is going up with me to drive my van home. Then I'll have orientation the next day and at the end of the day they should have a truck for me! I will have to of course pass a road test and hopefully I'll do okay. I do have a problem with test anxiety. 

But I'm so very excited. Gotta say...I am looking forward to not having to wear old clothes that I didn't have to worry about getting messed up. Now I can wear my better clothes and not have to worry about it! No touch freight, dry van (no reefer...yay!) Hoping I get a Cascadia as I know they have those and Volvo's. But I truly don't care that much...just get me behind the wheel again!

Good News & Bad News

Got great news! I got the call I've been waiting for and they are going to take me on! It'll be hauling a dry van which is absolutely fine with me! I still have my physical long form so I don't have to take another physical. I will have to take a drug test and he's checking for places in my local area where I can get one done. Then they'll have me go up to MI for paperwork and a short road test.

I needed this and not just for the income. I needed it mentally and emotionally as well. I was beating myself up really bad for being such a "fuck up" which for the past couple of months is what I've felt I am...and the feeling of being so useless. I need this.

The bad news? It's the same as everyone else's right now...the bombing of the Boston Marathon yesterday. Right before I got the call from the trucking recruiter I was reading The Onion which is a news satire site if you're not familiar with it. They have an article regarding the bombing and it's not their usual satire...they tempered it down for this occurrence which is only appropriate (good for you Onion!) The Onion - This What World Like Now And you know...the article is right on the money. We are still shocked when such occurrences happen, but it's gotten to be common place now. 

Saying that being completely shocked by an urban bombing is now a thing of the past, officials confirmed that it’s no longer outside the realm of possibility for a mother, son, daughter, or husband to leave home in the morning and not return at night. Moreover, we now reportedly live in a time and place where expecting the worst and feeling slightly afraid of what awful thing will happen next is the default state of being.

Sources added that it is a horrifying, volatile world where phrases such as “our thoughts and prayers go out to,” “responders are currently sorting through the carnage,” and “a child is among the victims” are lines that everyone is now, sadly, quite familiar with.

And the last line of the article is spot on...

“I guess the world’s a pretty fucked-up place, huh?” 

And I don't care if you support Obama or not...his response is appropriate!

 

Monday Update

Have heard from one of my references that he did get a call today. Fingers crossed!

Oh Don't Worry...It Happens All the Time

Will I ever get to drive again? I don't know. I hope so. I love the job. But it is questionable now isn't it? I made a mistake and it cost me my job. 

On Monday I took out a trailer that was new to me as I had never hauled a conestoga wagon before. My first load took me to Indiana to deliver a load at a construction site and this happened with no incidence. As a matter of fact it was a very difficult drop to get out of it. Getting in wasn't much of a problem, getting out was a whole different story. It was the same construction site I'd been to early on with Sugarcreek. It was difficult then and I didn't even have to drive as far in to the site as I did this time. This time I had to drive way down in and there is no place in there to turn around. The guy unloading me had to have me move back and forth several times in order to get to all of the load in the area where they wanted to store the bricks. I had to back up to within about 5 inches of their mortar towers at one point so that I could move over just enough for their dump truck to get past me. And then I had to back out of the site onto a very narrow road (it's on a college campus and you know those roads are not very big at all!) But again...one more tough spot that I got out of with no damage to person or property.

I was then sent to a shipper to pick up coils. Normally I am side-loaded for this type of load. The gentleman who was handling the shipping office on that day admitted he did not have any real experience with handling the shipping aspects of the business. Apparently he was filling in. He decided to have me dock the trailer rather than side load as a flat-bed would be loaded. I let him know that I didn't think that was a good idea as the conestoga is a little wider than your typical flat-bed or dry van (which makes the view for backing different than it was for a regular flatbed). But he wanted it docked so I pulled out of the bay to back into the docking area. These bays of course are setup for a standard size dry van rather than the trailer I was hauling. I docked as far to the right as I felt comfortable doing but because of the width of the trailer it left it offset at the docking door. The gentleman said I needed to move it further to the right. Which I attempted to do without hitting the entrance to the docking area without scraping the side of the doorway. Again he said it needed to go further right even though I had only a couple of inches between my trailer and the side of the doorway. I made one more attempt and in doing so my trailer did make contact with the side of the doorway which caused the vinyl covering and one of the covering metals braces to catch on the doorway edge which in turn caused damage to that metal brace and tearing the vinyl covering. I literally cried knowing that most likely this meant the end of my job. The guy at the dock said not to worry...it happens all the time (which I'm sure it does)...Doug wouldn't fire me...blah blah blah. Sugarcreek wanted me to try to drive the trailer back to the yard. In order to be able to drive the trailer back to the yard in Ohio, we had to do further damage to move the tarp assembly to the front of the trailer so it could be strapped forward to be driven back to the yard. 

And the next morning...I was unemployed again. 

It tears me up because I really am so very cautious. And I think of all the tight places I was in with the flatbeds that could have been disastrous and yet I got through them with no damages. I've been in a couple of traffic situations that someone could have gotten killed, but I managed to make the right decisions and moves so that I was able to avoid hurting anyone or anything. I've backed into tight areas and never hit anything (even if meant me pulling up and back 20 times). And
had this trailer been a regular flatbed...there would have not been any damage.

I've applied with another company now. Can my accident be forgiven? Can I even forgive myself? I don't know. It sucks to have been so careful and accident free for so long and then have this happen. I look at my mistakes (although they were all minor and none had any property damage) and each one I have learned from and then they never happen again. 

I hope I'll get to drive again. I miss it. I run my ass off when I'm in the truck. And I feel so useless now that I'm out of the truck. 

Oh yea...I almost forgot to mention...Sugarcreek has a thief in their midst. I was so upset when I pulled into the yard Monday night that when unhooking the trailer I had left my personal keys hanging in the side door. Being out of legal hours and exhausted, I parked in the yard for the night. I had not realized I left my keys in the side door. When I woke up the next morning I took their log books and fuel cards into them and I drove home. When I got home I was looking for my keys and couldn't find them. I looked in my passenger side window and there they were hanging in the lock. Doh! I'm amazed they stayed in that lock the whole way home. But anyway...I opened the side door since I was cleaning my stuff out of the truck and wouldn't you know it...someone had stolen a few of my things. Instead of being a decent person and just knocking on the truck to tell me that I left my keys hanging out there...they opened it up and stole all my water bottles and my jug of Rain-X window washer fluid. Really? Are you kidding me? I kinda understand the Rain-X but the bottled water? I just don't get people. 

What is the biggest safety threat?

Brought to you by Overdrive Magazine

Hitch Up Your Wagon and Ride!

Ah...Home! It feels good! However, it's short lived. I have to take off tonight to take my son back to upstate NY. It's been a rough week but I am determined that the next one will be better. I ended up spending last night in the parking lot of a mall (after closing of course) in a suburb of Detroit. Can you say...OH SHIT THAT WAS NERVE-WRACKING! But survived the night without anyone messing with me or my truck. And hit up the receiver first thing this morning. Went back to Toledo...picked up (and it was a tarped load...poor hand says OUCH!) and took to Massillon, OH. Then to the yard and swapped trailers. I've got a Conestoga trailer now...just cause I figured I'd give it a try. It should be interesting. Driving it home I noticed it's a little wider than the other trailers I've hauled. 

Tonight's post is gonna be short. I need to take a nap before we go to take off for NY! Laterz!

The Wheels on the Truck Went Not So Round, Not So Round...Not So Round

That's right folks...I was driving north on I-75 tooling along nice and steady and then the ride got rough. Thought it was just a rough patch in the road...God knows there are plenty of them. Then I saw something fly to the side...it was black...though it was a black bird. Then I saw more black things flying and realized it was chunks of rubber coming off one of my tires. Damn! Pulled over to the side of the road to check on it. It was the tire that was just replaced in March! State boy pulled in behind me and I explained to him the situation and told him I was going to drive slowly up the shoulder to the next exit. He said okay...good luck. 

So now I'm sitting on the side of exit 140 twiddling my thumbs. Just now got a call that said that roadside service should be here within the hour. Oh Goodie! And guess what? My legal driving hours just ended about 10 minutes ago. So this will put me way behind on getting to my receiver in the morning. I had already lost some time stopping to adjust one of the brakes on my steer tires. I wouldn't say this is one of my best days in the truck...although I can't say it's one of my worst either (Highlands, NC was probably THE worst so far). 

Are we having fun yet? Not so much! Think I might take me a nap while I'm waiting. Might as well!

Back on the Skateboard

After delivering my load this afternoon, the company had me go in. Of course my first thought when they said to come in was "Oh shit...what did I do now?" LOL. They just had me switch trailers. I'm back on the flatbed again! He asked me if I could handle strapping. I told him well like I told you last Friday...I can strap...I just can't lift the tarp right now. So it's all good! I gotta say though...I definitely found myself backing the van truck better after driving a split axle than I did before I drove it.

So they told me I could home for the night and head out in the morning to pick up in Rittman, OH.

That's all the excitement for today. :-)

Let me throw out a little endorsement. The Real Women Truckers Network has a weekly phone conference which is really helpful especially for those women who are new to the trucking industry. You can find the information for this conference at Women Truckers Network.

G'nite y'all!

Someone Opened the Bear Cage at the Zoo

So back on the road since yesterday. Things worked out just right that I got to sleep at home last night. Yay! And I had a very special passenger yesterday...my baby boy Zack. It just amazes me how much he has grown in height in just 2 years. He decided he would prefer to sleep in this morning so he opted out of going with me today. That's okay though. He's getting to spend time with everyone who loves him and that's what's most important.

Any way...the latest on the hand is that it still aches quite a bit. Had to grab some ibuprofen tonight when I got stopped. I am at this tiny "hole in the wall" truck stop called 99 Truck Stop. They have a restaurant named "Charlie Brown's Restaurant". LOL! Not a whole lot to look at here. Their "store" is smaller than my bedroom at home. But it's a place to stop for the night and it's the closest one to my morning pick-up in Piqua, OH. I initially stopped at the Wal-mart in Piqua, but alas...they had signs posted all over the place "no semi parking". Well fine...I was gonna go in and spend a little money but obviously I as a truck driver am not a wanted customer there. I will not spend my money at any Wal-mart that turns away truck drivers. Too many rely on places like that to park when there is no other place to go. Which ironically...the place I dropped off at in Marysville was a Wal-mart. Would have stayed there but I wanted to go ahead and get close to my shipper for the morning.

This morning I left home and headed for Cleveland for the receiver of my load (same load I'm picking up and delivering tomorrow). Lo and behold...I went from beautiful skies at home to SNOW in Cleveland. Yuck! But it did stop before I got to the receiver. So today I went from Mansfield, to Cleveland, to Shreve, to Marysville and then Piqua. Taking the long tour of Ohio. :-)




Now...the reason for the title of this post...yesterday and today the highways have been crawling with cops. At one point yesterday I saw 5 in a space of 2 miles. Someone seriously let the bears loose on society this week! So watch your rear ends this week friends...a bear might take a bite out of it.

I'll leave you with this amazing visual of my drive from Marysville to Piqua on Hwy 36. It was just gorgeous out today (aside from the snow in Columbus and the really cold wind)!  Night y'all!