After delivering in New Jersey on a Friday, we sat until Tuesday waiting for the next load. Surprising to sit that long in that area, but okay with us. We needed a break.
Tuesday we headed to Hazelton, Pa for a load going to Auburn, Ga. After that it was a load picking up in Duncan, South Carolina delivering in Columbia, Mo. Pretty routine on all pickups and deliveries.
After that, we again got to go to the dreaded chemical plant in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. It was just as frustrating this time as it was the first time. The load we picked up delivered in Eau Claire, Wi. That made me happy because I love the scenery in that area. As long as it's not winter time anyway.
We made our delivery and found a truck stop to park, shower and eat. After all those things were accomplished, we still didn't have a load so we both laid down to sleep. In the middle of the night, dispatch called with a load offer picking up in Roberts, Wi and delivering in Duffield, Alberta, Canada. Not knowing where that was, I had to pull out the map. I wasn't thrilled with what I saw.
I turned the load down and the negotiations began. Again, another driver had a load going to Canada, but the driver doesn't go there. I really had no interest in going that far out of our freight zone so I kept turning it down and the dispatcher kept after me. Finally, he wore me down and we agreed on an amount. The amount included a return trip to St. Paul, Mn empty. I was shocked that he agreed to it, but apparently the load was paying well enough that they could afford it.
I had to wake John up and tell him where we were going. He was less than thrilled. It was a 1300 mile trip, each way. We got to the swap point and took over the freight. The other driver was in a tractor trailer and the freight was one pallet. What a waste! I guess it's not my problem though. We took off and drove and drove and drove. Made it across the border with no problems. I guess the reason it seemed like such a long trip is that most of it was done in Canada. No cell phone and no internet. Makes for a really boring trip.
We eventually got near our delivery point and I was having trouble figuring out the exact place we needed to go to. I called dispatch and was advised to stop and ask the locals. Great. I went to a truck stop and asked the guy working there and he was no help either. I took back off and drove around in BFE until I spotted the lights of the power plant. I kept working my way closer and closer and we finally got there. Got unloaded and began the long drive back to the US.
We were getting so close to the border and getting excited about being back in the US when dispatch called. Unbelievably they had another load that needed to be picked up from a driver who doesn't do Canada, going back to Alberta. This time the load picked up in Fargo, ND and delivered in Calgary, Alberta. I tried to tell them no, but they kept pressuring me and finally I agreed to do it for the same deal as the first one. The trip had to include return mileage back to St. Paul, Mn. They agreed.
We went to Fargo and stopped off for a shower and a meal before heading over for the swap. We got the freight and once again started the journey. This time was even worse because we were tired and we already knew what the route and all the scenery was going to look like. It was a long boring trip. We got there and it turned out to be a mall that was undergoing renovation so there were no docks and total chaos. Luckily John handled it and got us unloaded. We went to the nearest truckstop and slept for 14 hours straight. After that, we started the drive back to Fargo. We took our time and enjoyed the sights along the way. This time we decided to exit Canada thru Sweetgrass in Montana and then drive across to Fargo. It added some miles to the trip but was worth it to us. On the way down to Sweetgrass we had the Rocky Mountains to our west. This was our first time to ever see them and they were impressive!
Driving through Montana seemed like we had gone back in time to the Old West. I don't think things have changed much there. All in all, it was an enjoyable drive because we took our time and got to see some places that we had only heard about before that.
Hopefully, there are no more Alberta loads waiting on us when we get back!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
New Brunswick & Bangor
We made the beautiful drive up to St. John, New Brunswick. I had no idea where this was even at when dispatch called us about the load. I had to get the map out and look it up. I wondered about the possibility of getting another load out of that area, but it was someplace we hadn't been to before and I wanted to see it. So of course, we took it.
The drive was pretty hectic going up through the northeast until we got into Maine, and then traffic died down and the landscape became more and more remote. It was really incredibly beautiful. Along the way, we got a phone call from our carrier who informed us that we needed a permit to go to New Brunswick. She had already taken care of it and was wondering how to get it to us. We have internet service in our truck along with a laptop and a printer. I signed up for efax service so she was able to fax it to us and I printed it out. Technology is great!
We crossed over into Canada with no problems. The scenery got better and better the farther north we went. We eventually made our way to the consignee and had a little bit of a headache getting into the place. It was in a tricky area with a lot of traffic congestion but thanks to the drivers being courteous and stopping to allow us in and out, we made it.
After delivery, we decided to head back to the US. The nearest large city was Bangor, Maine, so that's where we headed. We got there and made our way to a truckstop called Dysart's. I pulled into the fuel lane and was going to get out and fill up. A worker came up to the door and told me that he would take care of it. He also washed my windows. You don't get that kind of service just anywhere!
We got parked and went inside for showers and food. I talked to the cashier a little bit and asked her about my favorite author, Stephen King. I know from reading his books that this is his hometown. She did indeed know him and she knew exactly where he lived. For some reason, I thought it was awesome to be there in his town!
John had to buy a tshirt that read Dysart's and then under that it said Bangor, Maine. In his twisted dirty mind, the Bangor part gives him the giggles. Do men ever really grow up?
The lady who owns the truck we drive had told us we were crazy for taking this load because we could end up sitting a very long time waiting on the next load. At the time, we didn't care because we were again exhausted. We were okay with sitting a few days. Who knew? Maybe if we sat long enough, I could go look up Stephen King?
As usual, it didn't work out that way and we got a load the very next day picking up just a short ways away in Waterville, Maine. We got there and found out we were picking up a load of paper plates. We do expedited freight so paper plates seemed pretty ridiculous to us. Not that it matters moneywise, we got paid our regular rate. We were taking the plates to a Costco distribution center in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Only thing I can figure is that they desperately needed those plates to pay the rate we got.
The drive was pretty hectic going up through the northeast until we got into Maine, and then traffic died down and the landscape became more and more remote. It was really incredibly beautiful. Along the way, we got a phone call from our carrier who informed us that we needed a permit to go to New Brunswick. She had already taken care of it and was wondering how to get it to us. We have internet service in our truck along with a laptop and a printer. I signed up for efax service so she was able to fax it to us and I printed it out. Technology is great!
We crossed over into Canada with no problems. The scenery got better and better the farther north we went. We eventually made our way to the consignee and had a little bit of a headache getting into the place. It was in a tricky area with a lot of traffic congestion but thanks to the drivers being courteous and stopping to allow us in and out, we made it.
After delivery, we decided to head back to the US. The nearest large city was Bangor, Maine, so that's where we headed. We got there and made our way to a truckstop called Dysart's. I pulled into the fuel lane and was going to get out and fill up. A worker came up to the door and told me that he would take care of it. He also washed my windows. You don't get that kind of service just anywhere!
We got parked and went inside for showers and food. I talked to the cashier a little bit and asked her about my favorite author, Stephen King. I know from reading his books that this is his hometown. She did indeed know him and she knew exactly where he lived. For some reason, I thought it was awesome to be there in his town!
John had to buy a tshirt that read Dysart's and then under that it said Bangor, Maine. In his twisted dirty mind, the Bangor part gives him the giggles. Do men ever really grow up?
The lady who owns the truck we drive had told us we were crazy for taking this load because we could end up sitting a very long time waiting on the next load. At the time, we didn't care because we were again exhausted. We were okay with sitting a few days. Who knew? Maybe if we sat long enough, I could go look up Stephen King?
As usual, it didn't work out that way and we got a load the very next day picking up just a short ways away in Waterville, Maine. We got there and found out we were picking up a load of paper plates. We do expedited freight so paper plates seemed pretty ridiculous to us. Not that it matters moneywise, we got paid our regular rate. We were taking the plates to a Costco distribution center in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Only thing I can figure is that they desperately needed those plates to pay the rate we got.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Jamestown & Emporium Nightmares
After Jessie's Graduation party, we made our way on down the road to Sydney, Oh to get our load of foam delivered to the good people of Whirpool. I was in the factory and was able to see the end part of the conveyor belt and it is mind boggling to see refrigerators, one after the other constantly rolling by on that belt. Do they really sell that many? I can't imagine it. And that's just one brand. Think of all the others in the world and it's hard to believe that every day there are that many of anything that gets sold.
From there, we came back into Indiana to Fort Wayne and picked up a load heading to Jamestown, Ny. This was a hazmat load but we do a lot of those so it wasn't anything special. The special part was waiting for us when we made the delivery. Once again, our carrier instructed us to be there at a time when the consignee was not even open yet. Luckily there was an empty lot across the street and we parked there and got some good sleep in a non moving truck. The best!
When the warehouse opened, we checked in and got to special part number 2. Their dock was located inside. Uphill. In a tiny narrow space just big enough for us to get in. And we had to block the street while we were backing in. Fun times.
That accomplished, it was time for special part number 3. This was mostly special for John. The place we delivered to was doing experimental research on the new International Windstar trucks. They are beautiful unique looking trucks. Apparently they are having issues with running hot so this place was figuring out a solution to the problem and that is the reason we were there. We brought them 4 55 gallon barrels of coolant. They gave John a tour of a couple of the trucks and he was a happy boy.
The downside to all of this is that we were predispatched on two more loads and due to the delays getting this one delivered, there was no way we were going to make our next pickup on time. I called dispatch and advised them and they said don't worry about it, just get there as quick as you can.
We finished up and headed out to Emporium, Pa. What a freaking nightmare. Up up up into the twisting winding moutain roads. I think our average speed was probably around 45 mph. This isn't good when you are trying to make up for lost time. We did our best and found the place, got loaded and headed out.
We were so far behind schedule now that we knew we definitely couldn't make the next pick up on time either so again I contacted dispatch and relayed the information. Their answer was again, just get there as quick as you can. We were both getting grumpy because this meant no time to stop to eat and bathroom breaks were kept to a minimum and very rushed.
We made it to our delivery in East Syracuse, NY and things went pretty smooth there. We immediately headed out to the next pickup in Albany, NY. This one was a swap with another driver who had a load going to Canada. Only, the driver doesn't go to Canada. So we agreed to take it.
We met the driver at a cross dock and got the freight off their truck onto ours. We headed out then to St. John, NB. Hopefully, all will go well as we haven't been to this part of the country before.
From there, we came back into Indiana to Fort Wayne and picked up a load heading to Jamestown, Ny. This was a hazmat load but we do a lot of those so it wasn't anything special. The special part was waiting for us when we made the delivery. Once again, our carrier instructed us to be there at a time when the consignee was not even open yet. Luckily there was an empty lot across the street and we parked there and got some good sleep in a non moving truck. The best!
When the warehouse opened, we checked in and got to special part number 2. Their dock was located inside. Uphill. In a tiny narrow space just big enough for us to get in. And we had to block the street while we were backing in. Fun times.
That accomplished, it was time for special part number 3. This was mostly special for John. The place we delivered to was doing experimental research on the new International Windstar trucks. They are beautiful unique looking trucks. Apparently they are having issues with running hot so this place was figuring out a solution to the problem and that is the reason we were there. We brought them 4 55 gallon barrels of coolant. They gave John a tour of a couple of the trucks and he was a happy boy.
The downside to all of this is that we were predispatched on two more loads and due to the delays getting this one delivered, there was no way we were going to make our next pickup on time. I called dispatch and advised them and they said don't worry about it, just get there as quick as you can.
We finished up and headed out to Emporium, Pa. What a freaking nightmare. Up up up into the twisting winding moutain roads. I think our average speed was probably around 45 mph. This isn't good when you are trying to make up for lost time. We did our best and found the place, got loaded and headed out.
We were so far behind schedule now that we knew we definitely couldn't make the next pick up on time either so again I contacted dispatch and relayed the information. Their answer was again, just get there as quick as you can. We were both getting grumpy because this meant no time to stop to eat and bathroom breaks were kept to a minimum and very rushed.
We made it to our delivery in East Syracuse, NY and things went pretty smooth there. We immediately headed out to the next pickup in Albany, NY. This one was a swap with another driver who had a load going to Canada. Only, the driver doesn't go to Canada. So we agreed to take it.
We met the driver at a cross dock and got the freight off their truck onto ours. We headed out then to St. John, NB. Hopefully, all will go well as we haven't been to this part of the country before.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Jessie's Graduation
We are on such a good roll! I am still loving the fact that we got to visit Graceland last week! And now this week has turned out to be special as well.
After deliving the load in Evansville, In we next picked up in Murfreesboro, Tn. That load took us to San Antonio, Texas which was followed by a pickup in Laredo, Tx which had a delivery in Memphis, Tn. Then came the really good part. Our next pickup was in Southhaven, Ms when a delivery in Sidney, Ohio.
However, the Southhaven load picked up on Friday and didn't deliver until Monday and with just a few miles added on, took us right by my parents house in Indiana. It just so happened that my niece was having a graduation party this weekend and this load gave us the opportunity to attend the party.
Topping all that greatness off, our son, Johnny who is driving solo for Conway right now, happened to be in the same area as we were on our way up from Mississippi and we met up at a truckstop in Tennessee and spent the night there while he took his required 10 hour DOT break. He was on a load that was delivering to the same town that my parents live in and his load didn't deliver until Monday either. What are the odds of that? We convoyed up to Mom's house and parked the trucks and had a fantastic weekend visiting a lot of relatives that we wouldn't normally have gotten to see, but because of the graduation party, they were there.
I have to say it again, I LOVE the opportunities that this job is giving us!
After deliving the load in Evansville, In we next picked up in Murfreesboro, Tn. That load took us to San Antonio, Texas which was followed by a pickup in Laredo, Tx which had a delivery in Memphis, Tn. Then came the really good part. Our next pickup was in Southhaven, Ms when a delivery in Sidney, Ohio.
However, the Southhaven load picked up on Friday and didn't deliver until Monday and with just a few miles added on, took us right by my parents house in Indiana. It just so happened that my niece was having a graduation party this weekend and this load gave us the opportunity to attend the party.
Topping all that greatness off, our son, Johnny who is driving solo for Conway right now, happened to be in the same area as we were on our way up from Mississippi and we met up at a truckstop in Tennessee and spent the night there while he took his required 10 hour DOT break. He was on a load that was delivering to the same town that my parents live in and his load didn't deliver until Monday either. What are the odds of that? We convoyed up to Mom's house and parked the trucks and had a fantastic weekend visiting a lot of relatives that we wouldn't normally have gotten to see, but because of the graduation party, they were there.
I have to say it again, I LOVE the opportunities that this job is giving us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)