Nov 9-19, 2004

Bobtailed to Carlisle, picked up an MT to take to Montgomery PA. Took a load of rolled steel & aluminum to Pharr TX.

Picked up an MT at Pharr & took it to Laredo, but got a frantic message from Schneider after dropping it at Laredo: "That trailer is still loaded!" Funny. I never considered three empty pallets as a load, so I called them on it. Turns out "the Mexican sub-contractor did not update the events log." OK.

In Laredo, we picked up a load to Columbus OH, then took a load from the same place in Columbus to Santa Fe Springs CA. We were 'sposed to take a loaded trailer from the same place (love those drop-&-hooks), but they needed an empty to do a live load. So, I waited for them to unload the trailer I had just brought in, then went to the dock foreman to say I was here. "Where's your empty!?", he gruffly said.  "Right there", said I, pointing to the trailer they just finished unloading. "That's YOUR empty?!", he asked with an attitude. I replied truthfully: "That is the trailer I brought in." There was no way I was going to bobtail around Los Angeles looking for an empty, like another poor soul had done. I was pulling out with my load just as he was bringing in his empty.

We took that load from Santa Fe Springs to Cincinnati OH. There was supposed to be a second stop in Columbus OH, but that part of the load was cancelled. So, instead of having to drop the final load in Columbus, find an empty, and go to our next load in Hilliard OH, we simply live unloaded in Cincinnati and took our empty to Hilliard. Same paid miles, just easier on us. 

Finally, we took a relay from Hilliard to Kimberly-Clark in Chester PA, then bobtailed "back to the house". 9000 miles in 9.5 days...not bad.

Oct 26 - Nov 06, 2004

My first weeks out were relatively easy. Carlisle PA to Rialto CA, Buena Park CA to Lakeland FL, Palatka FL to Charlotte NC, Charlotte NC to Buena Park CA, Buena Park CA to Breinigsville PA, then home. Almost 11k miles in 11 days.

One problem was the snowstorm that hit between Amarillo and Vega TX. DOT did not shut down the highway, and they should have. I ended up sitting at idle for two hours or so just west of Vega. I followed a local driver down the access roads that parallel just about every Texas interstate. We drove right past most of the backup, but got caught behind some stuck traffic ourselves.
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/110204/new_snow.shtml
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/110404/new_517895.shtml

Back on the road

After much deliberation and consultation with Lori and Jessica, I have decided to take to the road once more. Driving is the only job that I ever really came close to enjoying, and they both support me in my decision, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

So, on October 25, I took my rehire road test with Schneider. It seemed I had never left the driver's seat. Everything came naturally and, save for a few minor mistakes, I was given the green light.  While I was in Carlisle, I knocked out Winter Training as well.