Sunday, October 26, 2003
Oct 24, 2003
From the Flying J, I continued north on I-95, to the Washington DC beltway. I took it, I-495, north into Maryland, where I took I-270 northwest to Frederick MD. From there, I took US-15 north into PA to the I-76 Turnpike eastbound. At exit 247, we got off the turnpike and took SR-283 east for two miles or so to Middletown. We dropped TA947217 at the Sears DC there.
They did not have an empty for us, so we bobtailed over to the Quaker plant across the street & picked one up there, TA727615. Lori drove it up to Bradford PA while I slept.
In Bradford , she dropped the empty and picked up a loaded one of cardboard boxes from the Georgia Pacific plant, trailer TA938094. She drove it to our home OC in Seville, arriving there at 1630. We dropped it there for another driver to take on to Piketon OH while we enjoy our time at home (TAH).
But, before TAH, I had to write up problems with the tractor/power unit: no brake lights to the trailers, suspension bottoms out, bunk heater works only on high speed.
Lori and I each drove our own vehicles to the Casa Del Rio restaurant in Wadsworth. We eat there often our first night home.
Oct 23, 2003
Finally, at 0215, my load was ready. I hooked up to TA688271 and, after replacing a side marker light that was missing, hit the road at 0245. The load was going to the Wal-Mart Distribution Center (DC) in Hope Mills NC, so I would be heading back south on I-77. I made it only as far as Caldwell, the same Pilot at which Lori & I switched out last night. I got there at 0430. Lori drove out at 0500.
I woke up in NC, just before Lori got onto I-95 south near Fayetteville. I navigated us in to the DC. We dropped the loaded trailer and picked up empty TA945407. We took that up to a Bridgestone/Firestone plant in Wilson NC after stopping for a shower & dinner in Kenly. We dropped the empty & hooked up to TA947217 bound for the Sears DC in Middletown PA.
From Wilson NC, I started north on US-301 to Rocky Mount, where I took US-64 west to I-95 north. After sitting through a traffic jam due to construction, I stopped at the Flying-J in Ruther Glen, actually Carmel Church, VA just after midnight. I got some coffee, and did my paperwork.
Oct 22, 2003
From Bowman SC, I drove west on I-26 to Columbia, where I took I-77 north. At 0215, I pulled into the Charlotte OC.
I topped off the fuel, parked, and took our dirty laundry bags into the laundry room in the OC. Every OC has a laundry room, with free front loading washers and free dryers. Since we were still low on hours, and had time on the load, it made sense to do some laundry now. I also took my laptop computer inside, signed on to AOL, & updated this journal somewhat. Lori woke up & came inside around 0430. By 0600, I was in the sleeper.
I awoke in Beckley WV at the Tamarack plaza. We went inside for a break, & I got a hamburger from Burger King. Lori continued driving into Ohio. She stopped at Caldwell OH, & I took over.
I continued north on I-77 to I-70 west to I-270 north around Columbus. Lori stayed up with me until I arrived at the consignee, The Limited. I dropped TA931613 & picked up empty TA942051. I drove that north on I-71 to US-30 east to the Rubbermaid Home Products plant in Wooster OH. I dropped the empty and, since my load would not be ready "for a few hours", parked, and did my midnight paperwork.
Oct 21, 2003
Continuing south on US-27, I picked up I-75 again just east of Alligator Alley and took I-75 south into Hialeah. I dropped TA944765 and picked up empty TA942476 there, which I then drove to Hellman Worldwide Logistics in suburban Miami 11 miles away. I was there a few hours before they opened, so I parked in their open lot, & went to sleep.
Lori dropped the empty TA942476 and picked up pre-loaded TA931613. It was bound for Columbus OH, and had only 4 pallets inside, weighing less than 5,000 pounds. Nice & light, again! She drove straight up I-95 after fighting the Miami morning rush hour.
Lori stopped driving in Brunswick GA & fueled at 1700. We were getting low on legal hours to drive, so took the time for a sit-down dinner in the restaurant. We also each got a shower. Back in the truck, we watched a little TV until 2030, when I hit the road.
I continued north on I-95 into SC, where I picked up I-26 west. I took a break in Bowman SC at a Pilot and did my paperwork to complete the day.
Oct 20, 2003
From Knoxville, I drove in to Nashville, where I was supposed to drop the trailer relay at A B Collier Wrecking yard for another driver to pick up later. When I got there at 0300, on a small side street along the railroad tracks, I had to park in the middle of the street with my left turn signal on & find a person. There was one there, sleeping in his idling tow truck. Uneasily, I knocked on the passenger side window, and he awoke with a start. I put my hands up to indicate I was unarmed, and he rolled down the window. "We don't let Schneider drop trailers here any more. They tore up our fence and knocked down our gate." That explained why a truck was blocking the gateless entrance. I said OK, & he told me where I could turn around. I ended up turning around where there was a vacant lot on one corner, carefully climbing the curb & turning my semi-trailer combo left around a telephone pole without touching it, emerging 270° from where I started, then turning 90° to the right after exiting the vacant lot to complete my turnaround. Thank God it was 3am and not the middle of the day. Leave it to Schneider to tell me to drop a trailer somewhere I can't.
I took the load to the next place Schneider told me to go, Ten Met Trailer Repair, also in Nashville. Since they had told me to pick up empty TA692238 there, I assumed they knew about A B Collier not taking drops and intended me to drop the loaded TA946625 there, so I did. In the morning, Lori told Charlie, our STL, what had happened, & he told Customer Service. Unfortunately, my MAC19 did not help Ops, as they messaged us later asking where the load was. I guess as far as they knew, it was "still moving in Georgia", along with the empty trailer sitting in Charlotte.
We dropped the empty in Gallatin TN, & picked up TA944765 destined for Hialeah FL, near Miami. Lori drove out of Gallatin, & I hit the rack.
I took over in Lake Park GA & continued down I-75, fueling in Ocala FL before exiting at State Road 44. I drove 44 east through Wildwood to Leesburg, where I picked up US-27 south, and stopped for a break in Haines City FL at the Commercial Truck Plaza.
Oct 18, 2003
Just after midnight, 0015 on the 18th, I stopped at the Little America in Flagstaff AZ. There, I started the new day's log, took a break and bought a cup of coffee. I was back on I-40 eastbound at 0045, and drove to Gallup NM. Along the way, I passed by Meteor Crater, where I took my children way back in 1999.
Lori took over in Gallup, and I hit the bunk. I again took over in Sayre OK.
I stopped for a break in Seminole OK and again in North Little Rock AR, where there is a Citgo station that shares a big parking area with a McDonalds at exit 142. McDs was still open, so I bought a hamburger and a hot fudge sundae.
I did up the new log, and continued on to our OC in West Memphis.
Oct 19, 2003
Sunday. I arrived at the West Memphis OC at 0230. I fueled up, then parked. Lori woke up, and we went inside for a break and some food. West Memphis is the only OC whose cafeteria is open 24/7, and the lady on the midnight shift is always pleasant and willing to take special orders. I went to bed at 0300, & Lori drove out sometime after that.
I next awoke in North Carolina, and took over driving in Saluda. I drove us in to the Charlotte OC on Starita Rd. We dropped our loaded trailer there for some other driver to take into its final destination on Monday. We were supposed to pick up empty trailer number TA936507, but the fuel desk guy said the computer showed it had never made it here, and that it was still moving somewhere in Georgia. So, we sent a message to customer service indicating such, found an empty trailer on our own, TA943202, and hooked up to it. We sent in MAC19, Trailer Verification, to that effect, and started driving out of the yard. On the way down one row of trailers, we saw TA936507 sitting there. Obviously, it was not moving somewhere in Georgia. Oh well.
I drove TA943202 over to Kimberly Clark in Hendersonville NC, dropped it there, and picked up pre-loaded trailer TA946625. I drove I-26 to I-40, and stopped at the TA west of Knoxville TN near midnight.
Oct 17, 2003
From Dunnigan, I drove through Sacramento to the Pilot in Madera. Lori woke up, and since we had an hour to spare, we went in for a shower. Once nice and clean, I went to bed, and Lori drove the rest of the way to Sears Distribution Center in Delano, where Lori dropped trailer TA944230, and picked up an empty to take to our next shipper.
I awoke to two quick blasts of the truck's air horn. Lori was entering Los Angeles on I-5, and wanted some help in finding our next shipper, Performance Team in Santa Fe Springs, just south of Los Angeles. Anyone not from LA who has driven there can appreciate why. I navigated us in. Once hooked to our pre-loaded trailer, A425112, I went back to bed for a few more Zs.
I woke up in Barstow CA, where there is a McDonalds with truck parking. We both had Big Mac Meals, and I took over driving. One thing I like to do when in California is leave. I did not stop until I reached Kingman AZ. I fueled and took a short break, and continued on I-40 eastbound.
Oct 16, 2003
I departed Stanfield OR and drove the scenic (read curvy) I-84 along the great Columbia River, stopping at the TA in Troutdale. Oregon is another state that believes in 55 MPH for trucks, but along this stretch of I-84, I do not mind. Lori woke up, and helped me navigate to our consignee, DaimlerChrysler, in Beaverton near Portland. We arrived a few hours early, so I nosed up to the gate, & I went to sleep. Lori waited up front for the gate guard to arrive & to write down our next load.
In Beaverton, Lori dropped loaded trailer A422404, and picked up an empty trailer, TA944230.
I woke up near Central Point, where we stopped for lunch at Shari's Restaurant. It was similar to Perkins... a bakery, similar floorplan, etc. Nice, and inexpensive, and a short walk from the Pilot, where we fueled and parked. Lori drove us into Ashland for our next pickup, a small company that makes the Drill Doctor. We had to park on the street next to their historic warehouse. Driving in, we were not sure it was the right place because the streets were very small, and there was no sign on the warehouse indicating who occupied it. I asked around, and walked a few blocks down to the main offices. We were in the right place, I was assured, and they would be there to load us in a few hours. They loaded up 26 pallets to take to Sears distribution center in Delano CA. Weight? A mere 17,000 pounds. Again, no problem through the mountains. I started driving at 1915 EDT, 4:15pm local.
I stopped for a break, and to do up a new log, in Dunnigan CA. I wasn't sure exactly where I was at the time, so I had to ask where I was in Spanish: "¿Dónde estoy?" came out as "Donde esta aqui?", so the girl behind the counter had to ask, "¿Esta ciudad?". "Si", I said, and she told me "Dunnigan".
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Oct 15, 2003
After fueling in Cheyenne WY, I resumed my trek westward on I-80. Up, over, & down the pass from Cheyenne to Laramie. Up, over, & down the pass from Laramie to Rawlins. I only had to downshift into 9th from 10th once. Finally, down the divide to Wamsutter WY. Looks like Love's is building a new truck stop here. That will be nice. We normally stop at the Conoco. Lori took over driving here at 0400.
When I woke up, we were in Idaho. We stopped in Boise at the TA for fuel, food, & a shower. I got on the road at 1930, which was 5:30pm local time, rush hour in Boise. I was tied up in traffic for a good five minutes! Once through there, I drove straight to Stanfield Oregon, where I stopped for another 50 gallons of fuel at the Pilot. It was midnight eastern, 2100 local, and time to do up a new day's log.
Oct 14, 2003
I fueled up, then parked. I let Lori get ready for bed while the truck was not moving while I went into the OC for a shower and some coffee. I started driving at 0130.
I had a long night ahead of me because for some reason, Illinois, among other states, says that having trucks limited to 55 MPH (20% slower than cars) is a safe thing to do, despite mounds of evidence to the contrary. Actually, it is a revenue generating law. They know that most truck drivers are willing to break the 55 MPH limit in order to get to their destination faster, and they can fill their coffers with the ticket fine money.
And so it was. I made it to "The World's Largest Truck Stop" in Walcott IA. I always like browsing their store. I was tired, and decided to wait for Lori to wake up rather than getting back out on the road.
When I next awoke, we were in Lincoln NE. Lori pulled over for the final time today at the Bosselman Travel Center in Grand Island where I took over. After downing a Subway Coldcut Trio and filling up my 16oz TA travel mug with fully caffienated coffee, I hit the road.
Along the way, you would see the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. Stop if you can, but there is not much room for the big trucks.
I did not stop until the Cheyenne WY TA at midnight. Time to do the log up.
Oct 13-24, 2003
Monday. I stayed up last night so as to be ready to drive tonight. I left Deerfield for Seville at around 0900. I stopped by McDonalds for a sausage McGriddle, my favorite McDonalds food.
I first had a McGriddle in northern New York while they were still under their marketing test, and asked every other McDs I stopped at if they had them. They did not come out nationally until this year. Thank goodness they did, 'cuz I like 'em!
Anyway, I arrived in Seville near 1000, showered, brushed teeth, and hit the bunk. I awoke in Michigan on I-75 northbound, heading into Detroit. Lori informed me we were picking up a DaimlerChrysler load destined for Beaverton, Oregon. Yay! A long, cross country run--the best kind. We arrived at the pickup point at 1645 as scheduled and made the pickup. We had to make a second pickup down the street, too. At 1900, Lori drove us out of Detroit westbound on I 94, heading for Gary IN, where we would switch out.
We arrived at the Chicago OC in Gary IN at midnight.
Trailer A422404
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Oct 10-12, 2003
Time At Home - time off. No commercial driving.
We drove up to Rochester NY to visit with my mom, brother and his family. On the way up, we met mom at D&R Depot restaurant in LeRoy NY. I like their chicken pot pie, but opted for the pork chops this time. Next time, I'm getting the pot pie. I enjoyed conversing with mom so much that I forgot & left my Dale Jarret #88 NASCAR cap velcro'd to the chair! While there, I read an old article they had on display regarding retiring railroad people. One of them was based out of the Lincoln Park Station, the old station at the corner of Lincoln and West Ave down the street from where I grew up. The manager of D&R Depot knew one of the retirees, and I left contact info so I could find out more about the old Lincoln Park Station, which is long since gone.
On Saturday, I wiped my laptop & reinstalled Windows 98 from scratch. Don't ask why. If you have to ask, you're not a geek, & wouldn't understand why.
On Sunday, I watched the NASCAR race. My man Bill Elliott and his Dodge came in 4th!
Oct 9, 2003
I left West Memphis at 0130. I drove north on I-55 into Missouri where I picked up I-57. I took that north into Illinois, where Lori woke up. We switched out driving at an old abandoned truck stop in Mounds IL at 0400.
I woke up just before we got to Wabash IN, around 1200 noon.
At the consignee, Wabash Alloys, we scaled in, then dropped our trailer so that they could tow it around back where a big fork-lift type vehicle lifted up the nose of our trailer and shook out the scrap aluminum. I could see the front of our trailer over the top of a building. This thing looked like it was shaking out a salt shaker onto some scrambled eggs! Mind you, our trailer weighs in at around 8 tons empty, and we had over 20 tons of aluminum in there! Wow!
Back on the road at 1430 with our now empty trailer, I returned to the bunk for some more sleep. I awoke just before we got to the loop around Indianapolis. Back at the Indy OC at 1700, we dropped the empty, parked, went inside for dinner and a shower.
At 1900, I hooked up to our next load which was waiting for us there in the yard, a load of Sanyo TVs bound for a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania. We were to take it only as far as the Seville OH OC for our time at home (TAH), where we would drop-relay it for another driver to take on to its final destination.
At 1930, I was on I-70 heading east. I drove straight through to Seville via I-70, I-270 around Columbus, I-71 north to I-76 east. The Seville yard (Akron OC) is just off I-76 at Exit 2. I arrived there at 0030 on the 10th.
Oct 8, 2003
Arriving at the Dallas OC at 0230, I fueled and took a short stretch break. By 0315, I was back on the road. I made it to Temple TX at 0500, where I turned it over to Lori.
Lori drove our load in to its destination north east of San Antonio. By the time I woke up, she was on her way back to Dallas, where I took over. She had picked up a load of scrap aluminum which we were to take to Wabash IN.
After fueling in Dallas, I hit the road at 1715, took a break in Prescott AR, and continued on to West Memphis, arriving there at 0045 on the 9th.
Oct 7, 2003
From Wilmington OH, I drove through downtown Cincinnati and on to the TA in Florence KY. I arrived at 0215. It was very crowded. I was glad I was bobtail, as there was a spot right up front!
Since our load was not ready until 0600, I let Lori sleep without the truck moving while I went across the parking lot to the Waffle House, where I pigged out on one of their famous waffles, some crispy bacon (mmmm... bacon), and scrambled eggs. I bought a BLT to go for Lori when she woke up, which she did around 0430. At 0515, I drove us over to the shipper in Hebron, and turned the reigns over to Lori at 0545.
When I woke up, we were in western Tennesee. Lori drove us in to the West Memphis AR OC at 1745 where I took over. While there, we ate dinner. The "lunch lady" at the cafeteria there makes good bacon & BLTs.
I drove out of West Memphis at 1845 and stopped for a break at the Love's in Little Rock. If you think Pilots have small truck parking lots, visit a Love's! AT 2115, I finally got out of there, and drove on to our OC in Dallas TX, arriving there at 0230 on the 8th.
Oct 6, 2003
From OKC, I drove I-44 to Strafford MO TA, where we had breakfast (bedtime snack, for me) at 0445.
I-44 through Oklahoma is mostly toll. It costs $14.25 to travel from OKC to Tulsa and $14.25 to travel from Tulsa to the Missouri border. It also is the replacement for Historic Route 66. (I actually got to drive on the original Route 66 back in Barstow once!) Not much action tonight, but I did cover 539 miles this shift.
Lori stopped at our Indianapolis IN OC at 1500. We ate & took off at 1700. I took over driving at the TA near Eaton OH at 1845.
I pulled in to the Overnite facility in Columbus OH at 2045 and dropped the trailer. I should note that Overnite is a subsidiary of the Union Pacific railroad (see history) and the UP has considered selling Overnite.
Our next load originates in Hebron KY, and the company wants to make sure we encounter no problems in taking it to TX, so they authorized me to bobtail (no trailer) from Columbus. Not having a trailer sure makes finding a parking place easier!
By the time I reached Wilmington OH, it was near midnight, so I decided to stop there & do the obligatory logbook paperwork.
Oct 5, 2003
After updating my log for the new day at the Pilot, I continued on down the road toward Flagstaff AZ.
As I drove east along I-40, I enjoyed a wonderful view of the moon rising, at first red on the horizon, then slowly rising and turning to the more recognized white. I just can't beat the view out of my "office window", the windshield! :-)
I stopped at the Little America in Flagstaff at 0515. It's not as good of a truck stop as the original in Wyoming, but is a good enough place as any to stop. Lori took over driving here and I went to sleep. I woke up in eastern New Mexico, and took over driving again in Adrian TX at 1615.
I drove to Amarillo where we stopped at 1730 for fuel, food, and a shower. At 1945, it was back on I-40 eastbound.
I-40 between Amarillo & Oklahoma City (OKC) is very bumpy in spots. This is where we discovered our new truck needed new shocks. I stopped in OKC at 2330 for a break, some coffee, and of course, to update my logbook.
Oct 4, 2003
Positive things
Saturday, October 4, 2003
Goodbye 35902, Hello 59263
Maintenece took most of the day analyzing 35902's computer system. They were quite intrigued with one code that said the PTO (Power Take Off) was not working properly. This was interesting, because 35902 doesn't have a PTO. When 1500 (3pm) rolled around, and 35902 was still hooked up to the analyzers, we decided maybe it was time for a new(er) truck. We were supposed to have received a newer truck in July, but, well, it is Schneider, after all. Anyway, we noticed several new 2004s in the lot, and asked our STL to assign us to one of them. Of course, he said there is a magical list generated each Friday that determines who gets what, and surprise surprise, we were not on the list for a new truck. We could have an "upgrade" truck (not brand new, but newer than our present one). He told us to check out 59263.
59263 had one positive attribute that Lori and I both noticed immediately: it had never been smoked in! This was very rare, and we knew it. We took it. 59263 is a 2003 model with only 325,000 miles on it, about 100,000 less than 35902 had on it when we picked it up in Harrisburg PA. We spent the rest of the day (Oct 3) moving out of 35902 and into 59263. That was quite tiring.
It is now 0315 EDT (3:15am) on Oct 4. Lori is sleeping (finally) while I am writing this. She stayed up way past her normal bedtime of 2000 (8pm), and needs some solid sleep. I was awoken after only 4 hours of sleep this morning when the mechanic moved 35902 into the garage bay. He said I had to exit the truck while it was in the shop. So, I am in no shape to drive, but awake enough to type, and I wanted to maintain my late night schedule so I can drive tomorow night.
Friday, October 3, 2003
San Bernardino to Fontana: 0 miiles
The last few miles into Fontana were a bit unnerving: my speedo registered 0 MPH. I stared at the odometer, which read xxx,xx6.9 for what seemed was forever. If I had not known that 10th gear at 1300 RPM was 55 MPH, I'm sure the CHiPs would have pulled me over for speeding.
I took 35902 thru the "Express Bay" at the Fontana OC. They plugged a computer into the port inside the driver door, and gave me the bad news. I had to leave the truck "for observation". Lori and I had to take the load into LA with a loaner truck, which had obviously been used by a team of chain smokers, based on the stench inside. The company said we could move all our stuff into it and continue on with the next load: NOT! I told them I would return the truck to Fontana as soon as we made delivery.
The 72 MPH Schneider truck
I drove out of Phoenix heading west on I-10. We stopped at the Rip Griffen for a meal & shower. Again, westbound on I-10, Lori went to sleep and I drove into the sunset. I love the view out my office window. You just have to experience it.
Climbing some mountains, I experienced what Lori had earlier. The speedometer started showing that I was going slower and slower when I was not. The tach was still at 1500 RPM and I was in 10th gear, so I know I was doing 65 MPH. Then the cruise control tried to compensate for what it thought was a reduction in speed. I watched the tach climb clear up to 1700 RPM which I know from my times going downhill is about 72 MPH. Well, I wasn't about to stop it :-) Cool! But then, the speedo shows my speed increasing to 55, 60, and finally 65, where the cruise levels out. Then 70, 75, 80. By now the cruise had disconnected totally and I was slowing to less than 65 actual MPH (I can drive by tach alone). Forget this! I clicked the cruise switch off and put the hammer down. I drove like this the rest of the way to Fontana CA.
water + electricity don't mix
Last week we turned in 35902 for a PM (Preventive Maintenence). I wrote up that we had a slow coolant leak and an occasional low battery warning. The mechanic wrote up that he had a devil of a time replacing some contacts & bolts, and had to drill to install a new starter. (?) New starter, eh? Anyway, he also replaced a lower radiator pipe. That's it. We left Ohio with confidence because 35902 had been reliable as had the mechanics at Seville. All fluids were at proper levels.
The next day, I stop in Amarillo TX at midnight to fuel. Dutifully, I open the hood to check fluids. WTFO?! No coolant!? I look for a leak under the truck and see none. I plunk down $9.99 for a gallon and pour it in, followed by a gallon of water to bring the level up. Then I put in 126 gallons of #2 diesel, update my log book, fill my T/A mug with fully caffienated coffee, and continue west on I-40.
I make it to Santa Rosa NM. Lori took over driving and I went to sleep. When I woke up many hours later, Lori said the engine was suddenly and sporadically losing power up the hills. She wasn't going much slower than the other trucks, so I encouraged her to continue on to Phoenix (wouldn't want a late delivery now). Once at the consignee there, we popped the hood & took a look. Wow. Coolant was once again low, but was still "within spec" as the company likes to say. But there was now visible wetness under the overflow tank on the left side of the engine... and down in the wiring harnesses.
X190582
Cleveland OH to one stop-off in Phoenix AZ, then on to Vernon (Los Angeles) CA.
Paid miles: 2350 (1984 + 366). Actual miles to drive: 2432 (2065 + 367)
Yuck. A Roadrunner load. Those of you who have pulled for Roadrunner Freight Systems know well why I was not looking forward to this load: loads supposed to be ready by 2200 are not ready until 0500 the next day, but you are still expected to make on-time delivery. Well, surprise, ours was ready early!
Problems? Yep. Phoenix found "1 of 2" boxes and had to unload half the rest of the trailer to find "2 of 2" before we could go on to California. Meanwhile our old faithful truck, 35902, was leaking coolant onto the ECM computer, which caused some entertaining and scary moments in the mountains.