Argh, Im going to pos this even if it kills me. Driving me nuts. I don't know how many versions of this I have made, only to close them, shut the browswer on accident...argh. And fooey and all that.
Well I havent posted a thing since I started my new job basically. As a quick wrap up, I did training in CA, then training on the road in CO before going to Denver to take some more tests. I went back and forth between home and Denver for a week or two as I was doing my testing, then we took a truck up to Cheyenne where I got my CDL. That night, I rode with the route that brings my freight to me...that was my ticket home, lol. It was a good experience, that way, I get to see their route and learn it a bit so I know what they go through each night on their way to me. I then went out to my truck and looked it over and took her for a spin, getting used the way she handles. It has been assigned to me and had been sitting there for a couple of weeks waiting for me to finish training. The next day, I started running my route using my truck and over the next three days I memorized the six stops I make.
After that, I was on my own (guy who drove the route for a month filling in rode with me as I learned the route).
How has it been? A ton of fun actually. Learning every day about the biz. What I do is meet the team bringing me my trailer and we swap. They take the empty trailer that I used the previous day back to Denver. However, they empty all their remaining freight and empty cages and the like off of my new trailer onto the returning trailer. I try to move as quick as I can, getting their stuff off the trailer onto the return one...so I can then set up my first three stops. My first 3 stops are in the same town and if I work fast enough, takes only 15 minutes on a good day as they usually just have totes or a couple of pieces of freight. Sometimes it takes me 45 minutes, just depends on how much stuff they get. But usually I can set their stuff by the man door of the trailer so its quick and easy to drop the stuff off.
My fourth stop is where most of my freight goes as they have a wholesale business that orders the stuff that other businesses need. They even have a small fleet of trucks waiting for me to get there so they can deliver the stuff to their customers.
After that, I go down the road another 20 minutes or so and meet up with another driver and give him his freight as it's loaded in the nose of my trailer. I take his cages and anything else he needs to return and we put them on my trailer. At this point, it looks weird because now, the trailer is set up to go back to Denver outside of my last two stops. Its pretty empty in there as well, outside of the cages pushed to the nose and tied down. I then zip up the road a mile and make my fifth stop, usually a tote or a coupe of small pieces.
Finally, my last stop is another 30 minutes down the road. They get anything from an envelope to a tote or even some pieces, just depends. From there, I have a straight 3.5 hour drive home if I don't stop for fuel. With my route, I can get by and fill up every other day. I just try not to do it daily because it often takes me 30-45 minutes and Id just as soon get home.
I have the route memorized as well so I know how long it will take me to get from stop to stop. This helps so I can call my customers and let them know where I am...give them a heads up if needed.
I have been stuck in the weather as well. My trainer in CA almost guaranteed me I would drive a day cab with a pup trailer. However, because of the weather I drive in in the winter time, they assigned me with a sleeper cab. I also have a 48 foot trailer with a lift gate. On the way back a month or so ago, I got within 2 hours of home when they closed the interstate so I had to stay at a Wal Mart and parked with a ton of other trucks that funneled into that town. That was OK though, I just fired up the in cab heater and passed out in the bed, luckily I had planned and put a blankey and a pillow in there a week or two before.
Unfortunately, I have also gotten the truck stuck twice. The first time, was at a place where I normally don't drive to the back of the business as I usually just park out front. For some reason I can't remember, I decided to drive back there and I made it to the back fine, but on my way out, I took the same 90 degree turn and the truck started sliding towards a parked car. I stopped but couldn't get going back or forward. The thing is that I have good tires and such, so its not like the truck doesn't have traction. The best way I can describe it is that the truck and trailer weighs so much that the tires spin rather easily on flat surfaces / slight inclines. The rear tractor wheels were stuck in a dip in the corner. I monkeyed around and got er free a while later. Then this past Saturday, I tried the same thing again, same location. On my way to this business, I can see around the building pretty well so I can tell if my path is clear, so I started to drive towards the back again, only this time, a car was parked in a way that I couldn't even make the turn. I backed up but then got stuck in that same stupid dip again when I got out to look and see if I was clearing everything. It was frustrating because I wanted to try and see if I could get the truck back there and it backfired on me again. Thankfully some employees were there and they moved the parked car and I was able to clear it. I got the truck turned around and instead of chancing that dip on my way out, I just decided to do some offroading and went into another parking lot which had a clear exit to the street.
All in all, Im gone for about 11 hours a day or so. I drive for about 8 of those.
Can't think of anything else really. Not much changes from day to day. Im going to try and see if I can pick up some miles during my days off as well. That way I can pick up an extra $$ each week.