Many of you want to hang Eric Wright. Ever since, the Ravens game, you are seeing what you want to see. Ward is never late or out-of-position, the front seven are neve allowing quarterbacks too long, Wright is never assigned to cover a different reciever when he chases somebody around with the ball...
No, if he's visible on the TV screen, it's "Wright again!".
You see what you want to see. He's the fastest guy on the team, and he shows up near a lot of recievers--whether he was supposed to cover them or not.
Brian Daboll? Well, Hillis has been running over stacked fronts all season, and had been doing that in the first half here. You never expect this guy to get stuffed even twice in a row. I mean, you double-down on him--the defense tires and he breaks through.
You might pass some more with a two-legged quarterback. It gets harder when he can no longer escape the pocket, and you don't want to make his injury worse. McCoy completes many of his passes between the numbers when he's outside the pocket.
Objectively, rationally, the guy you finally get a legit shot at bashing is Mangini. Just as he put Delhomme back on the field when he was limping around on his plant-leg rather than use Wallace, last week he put peg-leg McCoy back out there rather than go to Wallace. In both cases, the injuries probably turned from one-game blips to several weeks out-of-action, and both quarterbacks were ineffective thereafter in their games.
Wallace was always effective coming off the bench, and he's been taking all the second-team reps in practice. He was about 90% last week and ready to go. What is it with Mangini's refusal to protect an injured quarterback? Why does he think that any physicly-handicapped quarterback gives him a better chance to win than Wallace, especially given what he's seen from the guy up close and personal?
And how can you clowns list the entire defense anywhere on the "goats" list when they scored about a third of the points in the game and stole the ball six times? They did all they could, and they wore down. Off the field--back on after three plays. Again and again and again. Yeah--it's all their fault! Ahh, shaddap!
I believe they would have won had McCoy been kept on the bench after his initial injury, and Wallace been used. Wallace is actually pretty similar to McCoy. He's not as accurate (but nobody is)--but he can scamble, and the same game-plan works for him.
As it was, the defense quickly adapted to McCoy's obvious lack of mobility and went instantly to kitchen-sink mode. Trapped in the pocket, he can't see as well. Max protection equals min. recievers.
Daboll knew it too. That's why he went to the big hammer, and stuck to it.
To me, it's remarkable that Hillis didn't ultimately break their backs.
On that front, it's partly the Cribbs factor. Cribbs on the offense has to be watched. He's quietly mutated into the Browns most reliable wide reciever, and takes handoffs sometimes. He makes it much more dangerous to run-blitze, and the back safety has to keep an eye on him. without Cribbs, they can kitchen-sink Hillis and the quarterback.
Harrison was being disruptive, so I can accept his trade. But what did James Davis do? Nice move, Heckert/Mangini/whoever! Davis could do some of what Cribbs did. Why does EVERY back have to be a big power guy? Davis was quick, made big plays, and was an excellent reciever. Now you lose ONE GUY (Cribbs), and see what you get!
See? I can bash Mangini too! But these are his only warts--overall he's a damn good coach. If you have to go overboard to extremes on everything, you're a simpleton. Black and white. People who use their brains think in color.
Daboll had to do what he did with McCoy's injury. It was Mangini's fault, because he had no Wallace. Hillis was stopped, because of that and because there was no Cribbs (or James Davis) to take heat off him. Also Mangini's fault. But the fight in the guys, the game-plans that beat the Pats Saints and almost the Jets? Overall good coaching DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
You guys are around the bend. The analysts who like Mangini are ex-players and coaches, and you call them "koolaid drinkers". My freaking God I tell everybody that if they need a new coach or GM all they need to do is hit any bar in Cleveland--there are thousands of them, and they're all smarter than all the ex-players and coaches.
OK--I believe Mangini lost this game, but should not be fired.
I got my fingers crossed with Delhomme. He actually looked pretty good til HE was injured, and he knows this team. Think we'll win.
Revised W/L prediction: 9-7.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
One of Those Days
0800: Wake up at rest area in Oka-something, AR. Brush teeth etc. and do pre-trip. Got flat trailer tire. Fortunately I'm 17 miles from TA in Prescott, and am well ahead of schedule for my deilvery in Texas.
0830: I get in line for the service.
0930: They get me pulled in. We find another flat trailer tire, and three more appear to be leaking. I must have driven through "something. I'm hauling 44,000 lbs. and this could have turned into a major problem, and I'm glad I caught it now.
OK so I'm now paranoid about my truck tires, and sure enough an inside drive is flat.
I tell the guy as long as he's doing that, better give me a pre-alignment check. That shimmying problem is driving me nuts, and the mechanic said he'd "never heard of" a broken radial belt in a tire causing it (as another mechanic--unable to find anything wrong--told me last week).
1300: The trailer tires are knocked out. None of them needed to be replaced, so the company saved a bunch of dough. But MY tire had a hole in the sidewall and needed to be replaced. Brand freaking new tire. Figures.
Okay so they're busy, and I have to wait three hours to get it in for my inspection/alignment.
They immediately find a shot wheel bearing.
Am I mad? Not really. I'm glad that the problem has been identified, and even gladder that it didn't ruin my life by getting me into a huge wreck (and catching fire).
I once had a wheel bearing go out on me. fortunately it was at low speed, and by some miracle I was able to get stopped without hitting a bunch of parked cars. The right wheel was tilted out at at least a 25 degree angle, and tried to pull me into the cars.
The grease inside the bearing was also on fire, so I got to use my fire extinguisher, which was cool.
I was lucky then, too. Not only did I not hit any cars, or have it happen at 65 mph, but I also put out the fire before my tire or wiring caught.
Ok--I've got til 1300 tomorrow to get about 700 miles, so I'm not worried about it. I have the money to pay for the repairs...
1800: "You have an oddball wheel bearing. We don't have it in stock. We can call Freightliner tomorrow, or we can put it back together and let you go".
Well, I call Korena immediately to ask her if we can move the appointment time back. I'm kind of fanatical about being dependable and early all the time, and for me this is about as bad a thing as can happen. But Korena wasn't troubled at all and said no problem.
So now I feel much much better. She's going to move it back til monday.
This would also bother a lot of drivers--they aren't making any money for the down-time. But me? I get to pick out someplace enroute and watch the Browns game.
I think...I'm going through the boonies--maybe outside Houston...
Anyway now that I'm doing the long runs, I'll make up for the lost time pretty quick. On longer runs, you can cover up to 800 all;eged miles in a day. I could do more, but of course don't since regs prohibit that.
Anyway, this is going to cost me money, but not as much as a huge accident and tow would have cost (assuming I survived). I won't have to worry about the bearing anymore, I'll be aligned with ten good tires, I'll watch the Browns (I believe) whup the Jagwires.
I'm adaptable. I can outrun everybody, but I have equal talent at being lazy.
In hotel room. time to conquer the world in Sid Meyer's Civilization again. Okbye.
0830: I get in line for the service.
0930: They get me pulled in. We find another flat trailer tire, and three more appear to be leaking. I must have driven through "something. I'm hauling 44,000 lbs. and this could have turned into a major problem, and I'm glad I caught it now.
OK so I'm now paranoid about my truck tires, and sure enough an inside drive is flat.
I tell the guy as long as he's doing that, better give me a pre-alignment check. That shimmying problem is driving me nuts, and the mechanic said he'd "never heard of" a broken radial belt in a tire causing it (as another mechanic--unable to find anything wrong--told me last week).
1300: The trailer tires are knocked out. None of them needed to be replaced, so the company saved a bunch of dough. But MY tire had a hole in the sidewall and needed to be replaced. Brand freaking new tire. Figures.
Okay so they're busy, and I have to wait three hours to get it in for my inspection/alignment.
They immediately find a shot wheel bearing.
Am I mad? Not really. I'm glad that the problem has been identified, and even gladder that it didn't ruin my life by getting me into a huge wreck (and catching fire).
I once had a wheel bearing go out on me. fortunately it was at low speed, and by some miracle I was able to get stopped without hitting a bunch of parked cars. The right wheel was tilted out at at least a 25 degree angle, and tried to pull me into the cars.
The grease inside the bearing was also on fire, so I got to use my fire extinguisher, which was cool.
I was lucky then, too. Not only did I not hit any cars, or have it happen at 65 mph, but I also put out the fire before my tire or wiring caught.
Ok--I've got til 1300 tomorrow to get about 700 miles, so I'm not worried about it. I have the money to pay for the repairs...
1800: "You have an oddball wheel bearing. We don't have it in stock. We can call Freightliner tomorrow, or we can put it back together and let you go".
Well, I call Korena immediately to ask her if we can move the appointment time back. I'm kind of fanatical about being dependable and early all the time, and for me this is about as bad a thing as can happen. But Korena wasn't troubled at all and said no problem.
So now I feel much much better. She's going to move it back til monday.
This would also bother a lot of drivers--they aren't making any money for the down-time. But me? I get to pick out someplace enroute and watch the Browns game.
I think...I'm going through the boonies--maybe outside Houston...
Anyway now that I'm doing the long runs, I'll make up for the lost time pretty quick. On longer runs, you can cover up to 800 all;eged miles in a day. I could do more, but of course don't since regs prohibit that.
Anyway, this is going to cost me money, but not as much as a huge accident and tow would have cost (assuming I survived). I won't have to worry about the bearing anymore, I'll be aligned with ten good tires, I'll watch the Browns (I believe) whup the Jagwires.
I'm adaptable. I can outrun everybody, but I have equal talent at being lazy.
In hotel room. time to conquer the world in Sid Meyer's Civilization again. Okbye.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Phoenix, AZ
First I need to mention this: Among the "failed policies of the past" were massive spending increases, including bail-outs, originated by a Republican congress and rubber-stamped by George Bush. They betrayed conservatives, and were punished by them for it, including/especially John McCain.
The real failed policies of the past gave the new President the "mess" he inheritted. Hard to imagine how much worse it would have been had the Bush tax cuts not nearly doubled revenues to the treasury.
All the same, government interferance protracted and worsened a normal cyclic recession, as it did under Hoover, FDR, and Carter.
Another point: There is no such thing as a general welfare clause in the US Constitution. "In order to promote the general welfare--" is the preamble to the list of ennumerated powers, which specificly and clearly lists what the federal government can do. It says, finally, that whatever isn't listed here falls to the states--leaving the states their sovereignity, within the confines of the Constitution.
Texas has no income taxes, and not a lot of regulation on business. Over 350 businesses left California for Texas so far this year alone. California would get it's head out of it's butt in short order if they didn't expect Uncle Sam to take money from states like Texas and give it to them. This is the larger version of welfare. Hey Jerry Brown--you got two years to get a damn job.
The constitution isn't living and breathing. That is a code-phrase for "inconvenient". And the founders look smarter and smarter every freaking day.
OK...I deliver monday and I got here sat. afternoon. I had found several sports bars in the area on the internet, and went to the reciever. This is another tricky one. The reciever is a construction company located in a predominantly residential neighborhood. It's definitely not set up to recieve big trucks.
So I parked on the street, and walked a half mile to the nearest sports bar to see if I could watch the Browns game there today. I could. Then I ask if there's someplace closer that I could park a big truck.
A guy speaks up and says "yeah". He's a fellow trucker. He gets up and takes me for a ride in his pickup to first show me where to park, then take me back to my truck. How cool is that?
Anyway, this is right behind a Red Roof Inn and point-blank 30 yards away from a better sports bar.
When I got back here, the last parking spot had just been taken. I was able to slide in next to the sidewalk at the side of the lot, near the front--sort of like starting a new row in front, right? Except there wasn't enough room behind me for trucks to make a turn out of their slots. I was okay because the truck on the end behind me could get by me when he left with just a little turning.
I wake up this morning and there's an moron next to me and an idiot next to him. They are both blocking the truck behind me, and probably the truck next to him as well. I had intended to look it over this morning myself, and back into any slot that had cleared, but now I can't do that, either.
The lowest common denominator will always fill up any available space, eventually, and make it hard on everybody.
The authors of the Constitution understood this, as well.
However, unless the blocked-in drivers are dumb enough to call the cops and get us ALL kicked out, I'm good here.
Meanwhile, I checked on ceramic engine coatings again and turned up Xado again. The lrice has come down, and I can re-coat my engine for 400 bucks (instead of 2 grand).
The ceramic additive is slicker than glass and more heat-tolerant than metal. It actually sinks 30 microns deep into metal, and fills every scratch and pit to restore compression and cut friction, restoring factory tolerances.
I first checked on it because when I forst checked out HHO generators, there was an assertion that the gas could cause corrosion inside the engine--an assertion I now think was false. However, the additive is worth it.
It lasts "up to" 65,000 miles. In context, those of us who run synthetic oil normally change the oil every 35-40,000 miles, and it costs more than the Xado treatment. I have an optimized purification system which extends that change interval much further.
Because I invested this 1,200 bucks into my truck, I can now keep my truck ceramic-protected for much less money than I would have had to spend on oil-changes. AND this will give me back some power, increase my mpg's, and greatly extend the life of my engine.
The fuel savings will probably be nominal, since my truck's still in good shape inside. But .1 mpg's is not at all unrealistic or insignificant.
I found out that I'm supposed to add distilled water to the HHO generator I'm going to finally get each time I fuel, but that the catalyst additive is only added one time, so that thereafter just plain distilled water is good.
But I talked to the big boss on the phone, and he said that I could have it all put together in a steel box, per my specs.
This got me to thinking that I could maybe have a bigger reservoir and have it inside my cab woth a tube running to the generator. I wouldn't have to refill it as often and could do so before I went to bed every other night or so. It gets cold outside and I'm lazy.
I've already got the money for the Xado and probably the HHO Generator too, but I'm holding back a little in case I break down or something.
Speaking of which, my wheels sometimes act like they want to fall off, shimmying terribly. I had it checked and re-checked, and all the linkages etc. are good, so I think I snapped a belt in one of my steer tires. The new wear pattern looks like it--dammit.
For now, I can stop it by tapping the brakes or accellerating, and it only happens occasionally.
The real failed policies of the past gave the new President the "mess" he inheritted. Hard to imagine how much worse it would have been had the Bush tax cuts not nearly doubled revenues to the treasury.
All the same, government interferance protracted and worsened a normal cyclic recession, as it did under Hoover, FDR, and Carter.
Another point: There is no such thing as a general welfare clause in the US Constitution. "In order to promote the general welfare--" is the preamble to the list of ennumerated powers, which specificly and clearly lists what the federal government can do. It says, finally, that whatever isn't listed here falls to the states--leaving the states their sovereignity, within the confines of the Constitution.
Texas has no income taxes, and not a lot of regulation on business. Over 350 businesses left California for Texas so far this year alone. California would get it's head out of it's butt in short order if they didn't expect Uncle Sam to take money from states like Texas and give it to them. This is the larger version of welfare. Hey Jerry Brown--you got two years to get a damn job.
The constitution isn't living and breathing. That is a code-phrase for "inconvenient". And the founders look smarter and smarter every freaking day.
OK...I deliver monday and I got here sat. afternoon. I had found several sports bars in the area on the internet, and went to the reciever. This is another tricky one. The reciever is a construction company located in a predominantly residential neighborhood. It's definitely not set up to recieve big trucks.
So I parked on the street, and walked a half mile to the nearest sports bar to see if I could watch the Browns game there today. I could. Then I ask if there's someplace closer that I could park a big truck.
A guy speaks up and says "yeah". He's a fellow trucker. He gets up and takes me for a ride in his pickup to first show me where to park, then take me back to my truck. How cool is that?
Anyway, this is right behind a Red Roof Inn and point-blank 30 yards away from a better sports bar.
When I got back here, the last parking spot had just been taken. I was able to slide in next to the sidewalk at the side of the lot, near the front--sort of like starting a new row in front, right? Except there wasn't enough room behind me for trucks to make a turn out of their slots. I was okay because the truck on the end behind me could get by me when he left with just a little turning.
I wake up this morning and there's an moron next to me and an idiot next to him. They are both blocking the truck behind me, and probably the truck next to him as well. I had intended to look it over this morning myself, and back into any slot that had cleared, but now I can't do that, either.
The lowest common denominator will always fill up any available space, eventually, and make it hard on everybody.
The authors of the Constitution understood this, as well.
However, unless the blocked-in drivers are dumb enough to call the cops and get us ALL kicked out, I'm good here.
Meanwhile, I checked on ceramic engine coatings again and turned up Xado again. The lrice has come down, and I can re-coat my engine for 400 bucks (instead of 2 grand).
The ceramic additive is slicker than glass and more heat-tolerant than metal. It actually sinks 30 microns deep into metal, and fills every scratch and pit to restore compression and cut friction, restoring factory tolerances.
I first checked on it because when I forst checked out HHO generators, there was an assertion that the gas could cause corrosion inside the engine--an assertion I now think was false. However, the additive is worth it.
It lasts "up to" 65,000 miles. In context, those of us who run synthetic oil normally change the oil every 35-40,000 miles, and it costs more than the Xado treatment. I have an optimized purification system which extends that change interval much further.
Because I invested this 1,200 bucks into my truck, I can now keep my truck ceramic-protected for much less money than I would have had to spend on oil-changes. AND this will give me back some power, increase my mpg's, and greatly extend the life of my engine.
The fuel savings will probably be nominal, since my truck's still in good shape inside. But .1 mpg's is not at all unrealistic or insignificant.
I found out that I'm supposed to add distilled water to the HHO generator I'm going to finally get each time I fuel, but that the catalyst additive is only added one time, so that thereafter just plain distilled water is good.
But I talked to the big boss on the phone, and he said that I could have it all put together in a steel box, per my specs.
This got me to thinking that I could maybe have a bigger reservoir and have it inside my cab woth a tube running to the generator. I wouldn't have to refill it as often and could do so before I went to bed every other night or so. It gets cold outside and I'm lazy.
I've already got the money for the Xado and probably the HHO Generator too, but I'm holding back a little in case I break down or something.
Speaking of which, my wheels sometimes act like they want to fall off, shimmying terribly. I had it checked and re-checked, and all the linkages etc. are good, so I think I snapped a belt in one of my steer tires. The new wear pattern looks like it--dammit.
For now, I can stop it by tapping the brakes or accellerating, and it only happens occasionally.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Calhoun, GA
Found a Days Inn here where I'm parked right outside my room, and it's got a Mexican restauraunt which serves boose attached to it. I deliver to Jacksonville on monday, and it's saturday, so I'm taking my 34 hour reset here. Korena says she'll get me back near my PO Box (and old company, which still gets the packages that can't go to the box), and from there to California.
I love it.
And now that I'm saving some money, I ordered some stuff, hoping it will get there in time for my check-in. I'm supposed to be getting a new BestPass box (my battery is dead), some carb-blocker...
I also did a new search for commercial truck fuel saving devices and found the hydrogen generators again. I'm pretty excited about it, since they've found a newer gas mix that's 3.5 times as effective as the old hydrogen-oxygen mix.
Along with corrosion and, in some cases, daily refilling, the issue before was the anemic (for a big truck) 6 litre per-minute production, and the fact that the alternator would have a prodigeous load on it--so I'd be replacing alternators every couple months.
This one produces 5 litres of the superior mix per-minute for 65 amps. But I'm clueless about electricity and aren't sure what that means. I don't know how many amps my toaster oven, mocrowave, or running lights pull, even.
But if it's acceptable, that's it. This thing comes with a two year warrantee. They claim to have solved the terminal corrosion and plate-deposit issues, and it won't freeze down to 30 below.
It's 3 grand, plus I'd go to a shop to have a real mechanic install it (about 400 more).
Fuel prices are now temporarily stabalized, until our enemies decide it's time to rachet them up again. They know us well. Two months after 911 the war was being questioned. Today we've promised our enemies we'll withdraw. All it took was no domestic attacks, and letting higher fuel prices sink in for a few months. And we, of course, blame the oil refiners for that.
Likewise, at first everybody wanted a hydrogen generator and other fuel-savers. Then the prices dropped back maybe 13% from their peaks, and everybody (except me) said "whew!" and stopped looking.
Well, now even after I've slowed down to 67 mph even in 75 mph states, I average about 6.5 mpg's (I got through mountains and high altitudes a lot). With a generator, I can really, truly expect to get over EIGHT. My fuel savings for a week could easily be over three hundred bucks.
I don't care what fuel prices are. I'd still be trying to get a working, reliable hydrogen generator if fuel cost a dollar less at the pump.
I never understood most other people. Like, when the lottery gets beyond ten million or whatever, people who don't normally buy tickets start buying them. Why? Two million is chump-change? To me, it's just insane.
It's also scary. It's an american weakness. Our enemies, which do indeed include the people we buy our oil from, treat us like the frog in the pot. As long as the temerature change is gradual, we'll sit there grinning happily until we boil alive.
Money is money, people. If you can give yourself a 300.00 a week raise, I recommend doing so. If you don't, simply because fuel prices are temporarily barely tolerable, you are a moron.
WHEN our enemies decide it's time to rachet prices up to an unprecedented level again, if I have the generator, I should be able to survive. You? You'll be blaming the people who BUY the oil from those assholes for making an average freaking 5% profit--and going out of business.
...I was gone for awhile, but I'm back now.
Getting over eight mpg's, I could go 70 mph in the fast states. The added power would help me stay in higher gears in the mountains, and offset the thinner atmospheric density. The greater range would let me be more selective about where I do fuel, saving me maybe another nickel per-gallon. I wouldn't have to stop as often (and that costs a ton--the slowing down and speeding up--wow).
Meanwhile, my prepass seems irrelevant. I get a red light at almost every open weigh station. This time I've got 3,000 lbs. elbow room on every tandem, but they still drag me off the road. Except Tennessee--thank you Tennessee for not making me burn a whole lot of extra fuel for nothing.
Well, just in case anybody ever checks this site, I'll include a link to the hydrogen generator company in the next blog--if I do decide to get one.
I love it.
And now that I'm saving some money, I ordered some stuff, hoping it will get there in time for my check-in. I'm supposed to be getting a new BestPass box (my battery is dead), some carb-blocker...
I also did a new search for commercial truck fuel saving devices and found the hydrogen generators again. I'm pretty excited about it, since they've found a newer gas mix that's 3.5 times as effective as the old hydrogen-oxygen mix.
Along with corrosion and, in some cases, daily refilling, the issue before was the anemic (for a big truck) 6 litre per-minute production, and the fact that the alternator would have a prodigeous load on it--so I'd be replacing alternators every couple months.
This one produces 5 litres of the superior mix per-minute for 65 amps. But I'm clueless about electricity and aren't sure what that means. I don't know how many amps my toaster oven, mocrowave, or running lights pull, even.
But if it's acceptable, that's it. This thing comes with a two year warrantee. They claim to have solved the terminal corrosion and plate-deposit issues, and it won't freeze down to 30 below.
It's 3 grand, plus I'd go to a shop to have a real mechanic install it (about 400 more).
Fuel prices are now temporarily stabalized, until our enemies decide it's time to rachet them up again. They know us well. Two months after 911 the war was being questioned. Today we've promised our enemies we'll withdraw. All it took was no domestic attacks, and letting higher fuel prices sink in for a few months. And we, of course, blame the oil refiners for that.
Likewise, at first everybody wanted a hydrogen generator and other fuel-savers. Then the prices dropped back maybe 13% from their peaks, and everybody (except me) said "whew!" and stopped looking.
Well, now even after I've slowed down to 67 mph even in 75 mph states, I average about 6.5 mpg's (I got through mountains and high altitudes a lot). With a generator, I can really, truly expect to get over EIGHT. My fuel savings for a week could easily be over three hundred bucks.
I don't care what fuel prices are. I'd still be trying to get a working, reliable hydrogen generator if fuel cost a dollar less at the pump.
I never understood most other people. Like, when the lottery gets beyond ten million or whatever, people who don't normally buy tickets start buying them. Why? Two million is chump-change? To me, it's just insane.
It's also scary. It's an american weakness. Our enemies, which do indeed include the people we buy our oil from, treat us like the frog in the pot. As long as the temerature change is gradual, we'll sit there grinning happily until we boil alive.
Money is money, people. If you can give yourself a 300.00 a week raise, I recommend doing so. If you don't, simply because fuel prices are temporarily barely tolerable, you are a moron.
WHEN our enemies decide it's time to rachet prices up to an unprecedented level again, if I have the generator, I should be able to survive. You? You'll be blaming the people who BUY the oil from those assholes for making an average freaking 5% profit--and going out of business.
...I was gone for awhile, but I'm back now.
Getting over eight mpg's, I could go 70 mph in the fast states. The added power would help me stay in higher gears in the mountains, and offset the thinner atmospheric density. The greater range would let me be more selective about where I do fuel, saving me maybe another nickel per-gallon. I wouldn't have to stop as often (and that costs a ton--the slowing down and speeding up--wow).
Meanwhile, my prepass seems irrelevant. I get a red light at almost every open weigh station. This time I've got 3,000 lbs. elbow room on every tandem, but they still drag me off the road. Except Tennessee--thank you Tennessee for not making me burn a whole lot of extra fuel for nothing.
Well, just in case anybody ever checks this site, I'll include a link to the hydrogen generator company in the next blog--if I do decide to get one.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wells, NV
Got here yesterday packed with 43k. I get to the reciever and the first thing he tells me is that he won't let his guys in my trailer and doesn't have a dock.
The load didn't pay well to begin with, and now I'm supposed to unload over half of it manually? For free?
The guy in charge here said that he specified a tailgate load, right? OK, so the shipper just ignored that and negotiated based on a typical industry-standard no-touch load, and stuck Korena and me with it.
This is bushwacking. I had to do it, or just sit there with half the load in my trailer indefinitely. And it was backbreaking labor--the soft materieals and projections between the pallets bound and hung up. I'm stronger than average--a lot of drivers could never have got it done. I mean, I was launching myself physicly to shake stuff loose! Hell, I couldn't have done it if I wasn't overweight!
Rediculous! Korena says she'll take care of the pay part, but she over-promises. That's a new negotiation and she lacks leverage. We'll see. THAT driver assist was freaking priceless, dammit.
Wells this time of year is colder than hell. It's in a wind-tunnel formed by the Rockies. I'm sure that the original settlers were people who wanted to be alone and didn't want to fight for land. Tough, though. Tougher than hell.
You can't grow anything, and there's not enough to feed cattle. It's really pretty, in it's way, but inhospitable.
Not the people, though. I'm at the Motel 6. Went to the casino last night and accidentally won 50 bucks fooling around with the video poker thing at the bar. I had two drinks and fled with a to-go dinner. Which was good.
I'd normally have wanted a pickup today, but dammit if Korena didn't burn up my hours! First time that's happened to me in years (ps running out is a good thing. It means your running hard and making money).
I din't think they could do it, since I know where all the wormholes and temporal distortions are! I could have kept going in a different situation, but here I'm at one end of a pendulum-swing, and will be again running full-tilt all day every day when I resume, and that would shut me down.
So I shut myself down for 34 hours here.
Korena gets that, and is lining me up for a lucrative Jerome, ID-to Florida load tomorrow.
Good. I don't want to cross Wyoming again--I think it's going to snow, and there's a big section of it that gets drifted under (another wind tunnel). I can take a more southerly route to FL.
Close to checkout time. I'll hang out in my truck til my 34 is up, then get to Jerome tonight. I'll load then if I can, and get a night's sleep, or will be all set for a morning load.
Finally set up periodic transfers from my corp-to-personal account. I owe myself 26k that I loaned the Corp. to buy the truck and APU...maybe more, I'm not sure. Finally got a small safety margin in the Bus. account. Finally on my feet again.
OKbye
The load didn't pay well to begin with, and now I'm supposed to unload over half of it manually? For free?
The guy in charge here said that he specified a tailgate load, right? OK, so the shipper just ignored that and negotiated based on a typical industry-standard no-touch load, and stuck Korena and me with it.
This is bushwacking. I had to do it, or just sit there with half the load in my trailer indefinitely. And it was backbreaking labor--the soft materieals and projections between the pallets bound and hung up. I'm stronger than average--a lot of drivers could never have got it done. I mean, I was launching myself physicly to shake stuff loose! Hell, I couldn't have done it if I wasn't overweight!
Rediculous! Korena says she'll take care of the pay part, but she over-promises. That's a new negotiation and she lacks leverage. We'll see. THAT driver assist was freaking priceless, dammit.
Wells this time of year is colder than hell. It's in a wind-tunnel formed by the Rockies. I'm sure that the original settlers were people who wanted to be alone and didn't want to fight for land. Tough, though. Tougher than hell.
You can't grow anything, and there's not enough to feed cattle. It's really pretty, in it's way, but inhospitable.
Not the people, though. I'm at the Motel 6. Went to the casino last night and accidentally won 50 bucks fooling around with the video poker thing at the bar. I had two drinks and fled with a to-go dinner. Which was good.
I'd normally have wanted a pickup today, but dammit if Korena didn't burn up my hours! First time that's happened to me in years (ps running out is a good thing. It means your running hard and making money).
I din't think they could do it, since I know where all the wormholes and temporal distortions are! I could have kept going in a different situation, but here I'm at one end of a pendulum-swing, and will be again running full-tilt all day every day when I resume, and that would shut me down.
So I shut myself down for 34 hours here.
Korena gets that, and is lining me up for a lucrative Jerome, ID-to Florida load tomorrow.
Good. I don't want to cross Wyoming again--I think it's going to snow, and there's a big section of it that gets drifted under (another wind tunnel). I can take a more southerly route to FL.
Close to checkout time. I'll hang out in my truck til my 34 is up, then get to Jerome tonight. I'll load then if I can, and get a night's sleep, or will be all set for a morning load.
Finally set up periodic transfers from my corp-to-personal account. I owe myself 26k that I loaned the Corp. to buy the truck and APU...maybe more, I'm not sure. Finally got a small safety margin in the Bus. account. Finally on my feet again.
OKbye
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Salt Lake
Finally got one out here. It doesn't pay very well. It's a small load, and they tried to get me a piggyback, but I guess they couldn't.
It's troublesome, because Korena said she got Fedex and auto parts loads (these pay very well) to/from the coast "all the time."
At the time, she was trying to get me back after losing me to Medallion. I've learned to expect exhaggerration, so I defaulted "all the time" to "sometimes". But I did ask if she could yo-yo me back and forth from the west and back every week, and she said yes she could.
It's pretty early to draw any conclusions, but I get the impression that they were moving me around the region (with high-paying, usually light loads that I can't complain about) while trying to find me a high-paying load out here.
I didn't get this until I asked where all those loads out west she talked about were. They lowered their pay-standards to get it--in other words, for a couple weeks now, no auto parts or Fedex out of VA, PA, OH, CT, WV. That's what bugs me.
Well, this was light, and if I had been able to get a piggy-back partial it would have paid great. I am here (got here two days early), in Utah.
I could check in at the reciever today (24 hours before my 103o monday appt. time). However, the Browns are playing the Stoolers, and I want to watch it. So I'll take my 34 hour reset and deliver this one on-time. If my agents planned anything for me, it's based on that anyway.
So I'm at the Quality Inn 5 miles away, and I'll catch a shuttle to a Sports Bar later this morning. Great deal here! 39.00 trucker rate!!!
I had to park nose-in in a corner, because some gaping rectum dump truck driver parked just well enough to prevent semis from parking in front of or behind him. But I'm cocked so that I'll be able to back into a clear driveway to get out...unless another gaping rectum parks in the middle of a driveway, which just might happen.
Ya know, I feel able to still kick somebody's butt, but my age is irrefutable, and a figure I'm opptimistic. Besides, I'd have to do lethal stuff, so either I get my butt kicked or I hurt or kill somebody and go to jail, so I no longer even track these scumbags down or raise hell.
I mean, a couple weeks ago, this UPS guy was parked in a truckstop driveway and was inside the stop. He'd left ONE lane for two-way traffic to squeeze by him. A bus parked and unloaded NEXT TO him, and those people were taking their bloody time.
The bus driver apologized to me. Okay a dumb mistake and now she was stuck with it. OK. Then the UPS diver comes back and I say "this is your fault"--pointing at the trucks behind me on the street--the traffic jams on both sides.
He gets out to confront me, saying the bus driver did it. "Man, look where you're parked!"
I mean, he was half the problem, right? He was obviously wrong, and no doubt realized it AFTER arguing with me.
How are you raised? "Stand up for yourself", or "be a man"? I'm sick of this--right or wrong, you come back at me. When you're wrong, you're wrong, and being a MAN is about being straight, and admitting that!
And I get so downright adrenalized over this idiocy that I just can't let myself say anything anymore. Some idiot who was taught to stand up for himself but never taught HONOR will get physical.
You assholes first park in other peoples way, drop your garbage in our world, and then get all worked up when somebody points it out to you. You should all burn in hell. When you're wrong, you're wrong. BE a man about it...freaking PUNKS.
But I digress. Anyway my direct deposit finally got set up so I transferred money to my business account.
Update: It's monday and I spent fgour hours trying to get stuff signed and faxed for my Prepass change-of-credentials. First my company didn't get the fax, then they did on a different line, then the hotel fax was broke...then I left a message for the company to fax the authorization to Prepass instead and tried to fax my papers but THEIR fax number didn't work...
...and I had to abort the mission and deliver this load. which I probably could have delivered four hours ago. I really, really...nevermind.
I was surrounded by Stoolers fans watching the Browns game, but it was Utah and they were cool.
Well anyway I'm ion a door now and in good shape with my laundry done and a free hot breakfast in me so it's still all good, except some truckstop will gouge me on the faxing.
It's troublesome, because Korena said she got Fedex and auto parts loads (these pay very well) to/from the coast "all the time."
At the time, she was trying to get me back after losing me to Medallion. I've learned to expect exhaggerration, so I defaulted "all the time" to "sometimes". But I did ask if she could yo-yo me back and forth from the west and back every week, and she said yes she could.
It's pretty early to draw any conclusions, but I get the impression that they were moving me around the region (with high-paying, usually light loads that I can't complain about) while trying to find me a high-paying load out here.
I didn't get this until I asked where all those loads out west she talked about were. They lowered their pay-standards to get it--in other words, for a couple weeks now, no auto parts or Fedex out of VA, PA, OH, CT, WV. That's what bugs me.
Well, this was light, and if I had been able to get a piggy-back partial it would have paid great. I am here (got here two days early), in Utah.
I could check in at the reciever today (24 hours before my 103o monday appt. time). However, the Browns are playing the Stoolers, and I want to watch it. So I'll take my 34 hour reset and deliver this one on-time. If my agents planned anything for me, it's based on that anyway.
So I'm at the Quality Inn 5 miles away, and I'll catch a shuttle to a Sports Bar later this morning. Great deal here! 39.00 trucker rate!!!
I had to park nose-in in a corner, because some gaping rectum dump truck driver parked just well enough to prevent semis from parking in front of or behind him. But I'm cocked so that I'll be able to back into a clear driveway to get out...unless another gaping rectum parks in the middle of a driveway, which just might happen.
Ya know, I feel able to still kick somebody's butt, but my age is irrefutable, and a figure I'm opptimistic. Besides, I'd have to do lethal stuff, so either I get my butt kicked or I hurt or kill somebody and go to jail, so I no longer even track these scumbags down or raise hell.
I mean, a couple weeks ago, this UPS guy was parked in a truckstop driveway and was inside the stop. He'd left ONE lane for two-way traffic to squeeze by him. A bus parked and unloaded NEXT TO him, and those people were taking their bloody time.
The bus driver apologized to me. Okay a dumb mistake and now she was stuck with it. OK. Then the UPS diver comes back and I say "this is your fault"--pointing at the trucks behind me on the street--the traffic jams on both sides.
He gets out to confront me, saying the bus driver did it. "Man, look where you're parked!"
I mean, he was half the problem, right? He was obviously wrong, and no doubt realized it AFTER arguing with me.
How are you raised? "Stand up for yourself", or "be a man"? I'm sick of this--right or wrong, you come back at me. When you're wrong, you're wrong, and being a MAN is about being straight, and admitting that!
And I get so downright adrenalized over this idiocy that I just can't let myself say anything anymore. Some idiot who was taught to stand up for himself but never taught HONOR will get physical.
You assholes first park in other peoples way, drop your garbage in our world, and then get all worked up when somebody points it out to you. You should all burn in hell. When you're wrong, you're wrong. BE a man about it...freaking PUNKS.
But I digress. Anyway my direct deposit finally got set up so I transferred money to my business account.
Update: It's monday and I spent fgour hours trying to get stuff signed and faxed for my Prepass change-of-credentials. First my company didn't get the fax, then they did on a different line, then the hotel fax was broke...then I left a message for the company to fax the authorization to Prepass instead and tried to fax my papers but THEIR fax number didn't work...
...and I had to abort the mission and deliver this load. which I probably could have delivered four hours ago. I really, really...nevermind.
I was surrounded by Stoolers fans watching the Browns game, but it was Utah and they were cool.
Well anyway I'm ion a door now and in good shape with my laundry done and a free hot breakfast in me so it's still all good, except some truckstop will gouge me on the faxing.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Fredericksburg, VA
I transferred to this new company just so I could stick with Korena and run her loads. I haven't gone to the west coast yet, but think that once I do, she can keep me on it, as she'll have days to look for loads and can grab them sooner.
At least that's my theory.
In the meanwhile, my average pay per-load has gone up, I got the trade show gig, and I've finally got some money.
One thing I didn't mention are the fuel discounts this new (bigger) company gets. With Pilot and some others, they're a flat 5 cents 3 cents; the biggest I've had. But with Loves and TA, they vary, but in general are much higher. I mean like 13 cents, 31 cents--even higher!
Well, I don't know about Loves, because they don't want my latest edition, newly updated Adobe Reader to be able to read their listing. My diagnostics said it was on them. And until they fix it, I can't buy a drop from them. Wonder how much money market share they've surrendered?
Now I trim my fuel searches to these chains. Almost always--(because Loves won't fix their problem)--I go to TA. I now pay about a dime less per-gallon for fuel than I paid before.
Since I buy around 450 gallons a week, my savings are about 45.00.
I can go overboard about nickles and dimes, but all these little things add up. The 45 is 75 with the cheaper trailer rental. I should save about 5 bucks/week by dropping my trip envelopes in groups. I spent 160 bucks for my fuel magic additive, but that's saving me a good 5 bucks/week (plus getting me to recievers faster.)
What I mean by that last is that the fuel magic increases my horse power. I can more often hold a gear and maintain speed going up mountains.
Without the Fuel Magic, 30,000 lbs. pretty much kill me on a 5-plus percent grade. With the stuff, I can sometimes stay in ninth or tenth, and on lesser grades am passing other trucks.
It can make a huge difference. I arrive earlier, making customers happier (and more loyal). I can get empty sooner, hence get a new load sooner. ALL the little things add up.
Besides, I do splurge quite a bit, and want to offset it.
I'm even checking out some of those wind/turbulance-cutting shields I've seen on trailers. I rent mine, but since with this company I'm married to it anyway, might try to buy it.
One device I checked out is mounted underneath the trailer near the back, and costs over four grand. I ran away as fast as I could.
Especially since the far simpler, sail-like plexiglass shields which angle out along the bottom sides of trailers probably work at least as well.
For that matter, I won't do it myself, but I know exactly how to tell technicians working with plexiglass to duplicate both devices. Four grand--are you freaking kidding me? I'm sick of these crooks. I need a thin correctly sized piece of plexiglass, 2-4 brackets, and some nuts and bolts. Mine won't LOOK fancy, but will do the same damn thing.
I COULD even do the work myself. I've worked with fiberglass and plexiglass before, and with the tools know how to cut, drill, mount, etc. That's how I know crooks when I see them.
But I don't have the tools, don't want to buy them, and am lazy.
For some weeks I'll do some research, a little at a time, and come up with a plan. If the side-shield types are reasonably priced--which I doubt--I'll see about negotiating the purchase of this trailer so I can invest in it.
Anyway, I'm here in Fredericksburg, awaiting a load.
Hey! Think us descendants of Union guys maimed and killed here can get reparations from the descendants of the slaves they freed? I just saw a black driver walk in--excuse me gotta go---
At least that's my theory.
In the meanwhile, my average pay per-load has gone up, I got the trade show gig, and I've finally got some money.
One thing I didn't mention are the fuel discounts this new (bigger) company gets. With Pilot and some others, they're a flat 5 cents 3 cents; the biggest I've had. But with Loves and TA, they vary, but in general are much higher. I mean like 13 cents, 31 cents--even higher!
Well, I don't know about Loves, because they don't want my latest edition, newly updated Adobe Reader to be able to read their listing. My diagnostics said it was on them. And until they fix it, I can't buy a drop from them. Wonder how much money market share they've surrendered?
Now I trim my fuel searches to these chains. Almost always--(because Loves won't fix their problem)--I go to TA. I now pay about a dime less per-gallon for fuel than I paid before.
Since I buy around 450 gallons a week, my savings are about 45.00.
I can go overboard about nickles and dimes, but all these little things add up. The 45 is 75 with the cheaper trailer rental. I should save about 5 bucks/week by dropping my trip envelopes in groups. I spent 160 bucks for my fuel magic additive, but that's saving me a good 5 bucks/week (plus getting me to recievers faster.)
What I mean by that last is that the fuel magic increases my horse power. I can more often hold a gear and maintain speed going up mountains.
Without the Fuel Magic, 30,000 lbs. pretty much kill me on a 5-plus percent grade. With the stuff, I can sometimes stay in ninth or tenth, and on lesser grades am passing other trucks.
It can make a huge difference. I arrive earlier, making customers happier (and more loyal). I can get empty sooner, hence get a new load sooner. ALL the little things add up.
Besides, I do splurge quite a bit, and want to offset it.
I'm even checking out some of those wind/turbulance-cutting shields I've seen on trailers. I rent mine, but since with this company I'm married to it anyway, might try to buy it.
One device I checked out is mounted underneath the trailer near the back, and costs over four grand. I ran away as fast as I could.
Especially since the far simpler, sail-like plexiglass shields which angle out along the bottom sides of trailers probably work at least as well.
For that matter, I won't do it myself, but I know exactly how to tell technicians working with plexiglass to duplicate both devices. Four grand--are you freaking kidding me? I'm sick of these crooks. I need a thin correctly sized piece of plexiglass, 2-4 brackets, and some nuts and bolts. Mine won't LOOK fancy, but will do the same damn thing.
I COULD even do the work myself. I've worked with fiberglass and plexiglass before, and with the tools know how to cut, drill, mount, etc. That's how I know crooks when I see them.
But I don't have the tools, don't want to buy them, and am lazy.
For some weeks I'll do some research, a little at a time, and come up with a plan. If the side-shield types are reasonably priced--which I doubt--I'll see about negotiating the purchase of this trailer so I can invest in it.
Anyway, I'm here in Fredericksburg, awaiting a load.
Hey! Think us descendants of Union guys maimed and killed here can get reparations from the descendants of the slaves they freed? I just saw a black driver walk in--excuse me gotta go---
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Plainville, CT
I'm kinda ticked. This run delivers monday 0900. It's non-standard; the particular people who loaded these machines (trade show display models) onto my trailer in Chicago have to be there to unload me here in Plainville. Early delivery wasn't an option.
I reconned the facility I'm supposed to unload at, and it's going to be hairy.
Anyway, before I thought about it, I asked Korena to set me up for 1400. I wanted to watch the Browns game on the way, and of course drink some beer. She said it was 0900. I had just talked to the guy who would be personally unloading me, and he thought it had yet to be determined.
My first reaction was anger--I suspected that Korena was lying to me. This rapidly gathered steam, and I called back two minutes later and left a message on her machine whining about it.
Then I thought. I hadn't been thinking. I hadn't slept much. I remembered that this was an awesome-paying load. And that she had got it to give me time to clear up my loose ends. It was already snail-slow. And I should be grateful.
THEN, I did what I should have in the first place, and searched for Sports Bars and hotels near my reciever in Plainfield. The Browns game is sunday, and all I wanted was a place to sleep after watching it.
Enroute, I got my APU PM'd at Sapp Brothers In Clearfield, and at long last got my cab shocks changed. I mailed my insurance check. The money has started hitting my Comdata account. All the loose ends are tied.
...until my EZ Pass was invalid. I must owe them money--and I need to chenge my carrier information with them. Could be either. I told my email program to send all correspondance from them directly to a special file...then forgot to check the file...I haven't yet. I'll more likely just call them monday and deal with it.
Anyway, thanks to modern technology, these perpetual loose ends I can tie up without slowing or stopping, and overall I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
Anyway, I digress. So I pinned down a Sports Bar. I didn't call them to ask if they had the NFL ticket. Shouldn't have to. It's a Sports Bar. The last one I walked a mile and a half to get to didn't have the NFL Ticket--but they must surely have been the only SPORTS BAR in the US that didn't have the NFL Ticket during football season, right?
So: I DID call the hotel to ask about big truck parking. The Indian lady said sure sure. I looked at the aerial photos to confirm that there was a big open space behind it.
So after reccing my reciever, I get ready to turn into the hotel and alarm bells go off in my head "abort-abort!!!" I continued on about one block and got lucky with this Bowling Alley. Plenty of space to park, and I got permission.
I walked back to the hotel to look it over. There's the Indian woman pointing at where I should park.
The field is big enough, but it's grass. If it rains, there is mud, and the grass offers the same traction as permafrost. Even if it doesn't, there are holes I can't see, and a potentially soft surface I could get stuck in anyway.
I could easily have manuevered into the field, even past the parked cars, but I would then have to turn around in the field of tall grass, and the turn would be tight. Tight turns can take your drives off the ground, and the trailer fights you whenever it's own wheels don't turn freely. You get further resistance when your steer tries are jacked to the side. I've been stuck--often. I'm an expert.
A couple years ago, I might have risked it, but not anymore.
However, here I am at the Bowling Alley. One mile from the reciever, and three blocks from the Sports Bar, with permission. There's even a Walgreen's I can walk to to look for one of those as-seen-on-tv eyeglass repair kit so I can patch my scratched vipers.
I'll hang out here and then do a foot-recon in the afternoon to confirm that this SPORTS Bar has the NFL ticket during football season. Meanwhile I got a good signal so I'll watch the last couple games on the laptop.
0900 is best: She'll have me preplanned and I can get out of the area before tuesday. I hope that one will go all the way to the west coast, but more likely she'll have to get an intermediate load to move me.
Life is good.
I reconned the facility I'm supposed to unload at, and it's going to be hairy.
Anyway, before I thought about it, I asked Korena to set me up for 1400. I wanted to watch the Browns game on the way, and of course drink some beer. She said it was 0900. I had just talked to the guy who would be personally unloading me, and he thought it had yet to be determined.
My first reaction was anger--I suspected that Korena was lying to me. This rapidly gathered steam, and I called back two minutes later and left a message on her machine whining about it.
Then I thought. I hadn't been thinking. I hadn't slept much. I remembered that this was an awesome-paying load. And that she had got it to give me time to clear up my loose ends. It was already snail-slow. And I should be grateful.
THEN, I did what I should have in the first place, and searched for Sports Bars and hotels near my reciever in Plainfield. The Browns game is sunday, and all I wanted was a place to sleep after watching it.
Enroute, I got my APU PM'd at Sapp Brothers In Clearfield, and at long last got my cab shocks changed. I mailed my insurance check. The money has started hitting my Comdata account. All the loose ends are tied.
...until my EZ Pass was invalid. I must owe them money--and I need to chenge my carrier information with them. Could be either. I told my email program to send all correspondance from them directly to a special file...then forgot to check the file...I haven't yet. I'll more likely just call them monday and deal with it.
Anyway, thanks to modern technology, these perpetual loose ends I can tie up without slowing or stopping, and overall I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
Anyway, I digress. So I pinned down a Sports Bar. I didn't call them to ask if they had the NFL ticket. Shouldn't have to. It's a Sports Bar. The last one I walked a mile and a half to get to didn't have the NFL Ticket--but they must surely have been the only SPORTS BAR in the US that didn't have the NFL Ticket during football season, right?
So: I DID call the hotel to ask about big truck parking. The Indian lady said sure sure. I looked at the aerial photos to confirm that there was a big open space behind it.
So after reccing my reciever, I get ready to turn into the hotel and alarm bells go off in my head "abort-abort!!!" I continued on about one block and got lucky with this Bowling Alley. Plenty of space to park, and I got permission.
I walked back to the hotel to look it over. There's the Indian woman pointing at where I should park.
The field is big enough, but it's grass. If it rains, there is mud, and the grass offers the same traction as permafrost. Even if it doesn't, there are holes I can't see, and a potentially soft surface I could get stuck in anyway.
I could easily have manuevered into the field, even past the parked cars, but I would then have to turn around in the field of tall grass, and the turn would be tight. Tight turns can take your drives off the ground, and the trailer fights you whenever it's own wheels don't turn freely. You get further resistance when your steer tries are jacked to the side. I've been stuck--often. I'm an expert.
A couple years ago, I might have risked it, but not anymore.
However, here I am at the Bowling Alley. One mile from the reciever, and three blocks from the Sports Bar, with permission. There's even a Walgreen's I can walk to to look for one of those as-seen-on-tv eyeglass repair kit so I can patch my scratched vipers.
I'll hang out here and then do a foot-recon in the afternoon to confirm that this SPORTS Bar has the NFL ticket during football season. Meanwhile I got a good signal so I'll watch the last couple games on the laptop.
0900 is best: She'll have me preplanned and I can get out of the area before tuesday. I hope that one will go all the way to the west coast, but more likely she'll have to get an intermediate load to move me.
Life is good.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Chicago
I got my first trade-show load. It's slow, but pays a ton. Waiting for them to finish loading me so I can get out of here--Chicago is murder.
C/K set me up with this to let me get to my mailbox and do some stuff, but I managed to knock some of it out on the last load. Now I can stop at Sapp's in Clearfield, PA and get my cab-shocks mounted and preventive maintenance on my APU.
Meanwhile, I can stay at the Super 8 there, which has a bar in it.
Maybe I can also get new CB antannas and get that fixed--although I've been fine not using the damn thing for a few months.
What happened? Some cowardly scumbag sometime climbed up on my truck and ripped my antenna off. No--I mean literally. It was useless to him the way he tore it off--pure maliciousness.
You remember when a tree or something takes your antenna down. It never comes off all the way--it has to be twisted off, or the wires won't break. And when you have to go near trees, that's the first thing you try to avoid.
Another time, somebody broke one of my mirrors.
I'm courteous--the way I drive. But I spend a lot of time growling and cursing at dumbasses who bother me and get in my way. Not on the CB, though--I just vent inside my truck to relieve stress. Somebody might have seen my angry face or read my lips...I dunno...but that's worth taking the time and risk to vandalize a truck?
I park right. Sometimes I get hung up at a fuel desk, so I can't get off the island and out of the next guy's way in a timely manner. But that's not often, and any driver with a brain knows it happens to everybody sometimes.
Anyway, this trip will let me tie up all my loose ends.
Still no settlement monies. I filled out the trip sheets wrong--hadn't been to orientation. Had to rescan the first two, and this morning I found that they never got one of them.
The others, I dropped in the boxes (you put your logs, paperwork, and fuel reciepts in a coded envelope and drop them in a "trip pack" box at truck stops. Trip Pack is like a Post Office for carriers, and gets them to your company for you. Some greedy capitalist had an idea, and....)
C/K set me up with this to let me get to my mailbox and do some stuff, but I managed to knock some of it out on the last load. Now I can stop at Sapp's in Clearfield, PA and get my cab-shocks mounted and preventive maintenance on my APU.
Meanwhile, I can stay at the Super 8 there, which has a bar in it.
Maybe I can also get new CB antannas and get that fixed--although I've been fine not using the damn thing for a few months.
What happened? Some cowardly scumbag sometime climbed up on my truck and ripped my antenna off. No--I mean literally. It was useless to him the way he tore it off--pure maliciousness.
You remember when a tree or something takes your antenna down. It never comes off all the way--it has to be twisted off, or the wires won't break. And when you have to go near trees, that's the first thing you try to avoid.
Another time, somebody broke one of my mirrors.
I'm courteous--the way I drive. But I spend a lot of time growling and cursing at dumbasses who bother me and get in my way. Not on the CB, though--I just vent inside my truck to relieve stress. Somebody might have seen my angry face or read my lips...I dunno...but that's worth taking the time and risk to vandalize a truck?
I park right. Sometimes I get hung up at a fuel desk, so I can't get off the island and out of the next guy's way in a timely manner. But that's not often, and any driver with a brain knows it happens to everybody sometimes.
Anyway, this trip will let me tie up all my loose ends.
Still no settlement monies. I filled out the trip sheets wrong--hadn't been to orientation. Had to rescan the first two, and this morning I found that they never got one of them.
The others, I dropped in the boxes (you put your logs, paperwork, and fuel reciepts in a coded envelope and drop them in a "trip pack" box at truck stops. Trip Pack is like a Post Office for carriers, and gets them to your company for you. Some greedy capitalist had an idea, and....)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Cincinnati
Well, I left the last company to rejoin Korena and Courtney. It turns out that Korena was the one supplying the high-paying loads, and that she can run me to the west coast and back with auto parts and Fedex stuff.
The new carrier's trailer rentals are cheaper. I can access a load board, but couldn't compete with Korena so why bother?
My new trailer is excellent! No trouble from it at all.
I of course had to set up a new comdata account and direct deposit, and it's taking some time, so I'm still about broke (bills flooded me when I was down.)
She had to give me some dogs to get me to company orientation in Baltimore etc., but now I'm getting good pay--this one I'm waiting for is good-the next one is outstanding, and will give me a few days to get stuff out of my PO Box and take care of some other stuff.
Then, she says, I'll be doing the coast and back. Oh yeah.
Fixed my own oil leak. Got all my tires--eight new ones and two used in decent shape. Changed my tranny fluid, ordered more Fuel Magic (worth every penny. I lost almost .5 mpg's as soon as I ran out).
I'm broke, but have 6 settlements coming--I'm delaying the mailing of an insurance check, but paid my fuel tax shortage (after a check bounced. Got a money order this time.)
This company pays per-load-right away. Never thought I'd care about that; if you live like that you're doing something wrong. But right now? It could keep me out of trouble.
I found a forum online in which the vast majority of drivers bash my current carrier. But they don't have Korena and Courtney. They go on the board and get their own loads, or have agents who rely on brokers.
As mentioned awhile ago in this blog, I was hustling my own loads for awhile, and couldn't compete. I think people like Korena get the best loads themselves, dealing directly with shippers. Then they won't let a load hit the board until they know they can't put it on one of THEIR drivers.
But I AM glad that this same carrier refused to sign me on when I tried a couple years ago.
Something else is the general tenor of that forum: "They don't care about their drivers" always make me do a double-take. The carrier is just the carrier. The loads come from agents and brokers, who make or split eight percent commissions.
So who's "they", and why do you want to be cared about? It's business! When I was struggling for my own loads, the brokers I called didn't care about me. The company that had my authority but stopped giving me loads didn't care about me. I didn't expect them to. And too, they make it happen, and they're entitled to their percentage.
Their authority, their bookkeeping, their collections, their money in advances, their employees integrating everything. And to hear some of these posters, they're supposed to do all that stuff for free, plus give you 2.00 loads every time.
Oh, but I'm lucky. Korena DOES care about me! But it's still business. I perform, and make her job easier. I don't expect anything until I prove myself.
Some of those company-bashers had legit gripes. Some are pinkos. Others are young, and will learn. But none of them had a great agent with great loads...AH-HAHAHA finally....finally......I'm all kerflempt here...
The new carrier's trailer rentals are cheaper. I can access a load board, but couldn't compete with Korena so why bother?
My new trailer is excellent! No trouble from it at all.
I of course had to set up a new comdata account and direct deposit, and it's taking some time, so I'm still about broke (bills flooded me when I was down.)
She had to give me some dogs to get me to company orientation in Baltimore etc., but now I'm getting good pay--this one I'm waiting for is good-the next one is outstanding, and will give me a few days to get stuff out of my PO Box and take care of some other stuff.
Then, she says, I'll be doing the coast and back. Oh yeah.
Fixed my own oil leak. Got all my tires--eight new ones and two used in decent shape. Changed my tranny fluid, ordered more Fuel Magic (worth every penny. I lost almost .5 mpg's as soon as I ran out).
I'm broke, but have 6 settlements coming--I'm delaying the mailing of an insurance check, but paid my fuel tax shortage (after a check bounced. Got a money order this time.)
This company pays per-load-right away. Never thought I'd care about that; if you live like that you're doing something wrong. But right now? It could keep me out of trouble.
I found a forum online in which the vast majority of drivers bash my current carrier. But they don't have Korena and Courtney. They go on the board and get their own loads, or have agents who rely on brokers.
As mentioned awhile ago in this blog, I was hustling my own loads for awhile, and couldn't compete. I think people like Korena get the best loads themselves, dealing directly with shippers. Then they won't let a load hit the board until they know they can't put it on one of THEIR drivers.
But I AM glad that this same carrier refused to sign me on when I tried a couple years ago.
Something else is the general tenor of that forum: "They don't care about their drivers" always make me do a double-take. The carrier is just the carrier. The loads come from agents and brokers, who make or split eight percent commissions.
So who's "they", and why do you want to be cared about? It's business! When I was struggling for my own loads, the brokers I called didn't care about me. The company that had my authority but stopped giving me loads didn't care about me. I didn't expect them to. And too, they make it happen, and they're entitled to their percentage.
Their authority, their bookkeeping, their collections, their money in advances, their employees integrating everything. And to hear some of these posters, they're supposed to do all that stuff for free, plus give you 2.00 loads every time.
Oh, but I'm lucky. Korena DOES care about me! But it's still business. I perform, and make her job easier. I don't expect anything until I prove myself.
Some of those company-bashers had legit gripes. Some are pinkos. Others are young, and will learn. But none of them had a great agent with great loads...AH-HAHAHA finally....finally......I'm all kerflempt here...
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Erie, PA
HAL went into a coma yesterday. Again. I never get rid of the loose ends. Now I have to get him someplace to get him fixed. Then I have to go back and get him. Again.
Ignoring that little piece of crap paperweight that also fried itself 5 weeks after I bought it, I dug out Gramps here. He needs a new power cord, but I'm able to stabalize him with a BMF Clamp. He also needs a battery--I think---and if his power is disrupted for a nanosecond he gets narcoleptic.
Gramps is slow, and I don't have Sid Meyer's Civilization on him, but fortunately I can route, search for cheap fuel, use Mapquest to recon shippers and recievers, get my load info, etc. on him. Man, if I go without a laptop it's like going blind.
This one was a hospital delivery, and man...the entrance and dock aren't designed for anybody as big as me, plus it's like all the other vehicles are deliberately parked to make me hit them. I had to get real creative to get in here...
THEN the guy comes out and says he can't unload me. I'd called during the day and said I'd be here--she said go ahead and hit a door, but didn't tell these guys. Now I'm praying that securtiy doesn't come kick me out and make me do this again during rush hour (0800 appt.)
I'm pretty ticked about my left front steer tire--it looks like somebody carved it badly with a hatchet. I haven't checked my accounts for settlements yet (due today), but I've already got it spent. Got to pay my road taxes, get new steers, get another alignment, and make sure whatever chewed up my damn steers is fixed. And get HAL fixed. Or replaced.
If they tell me it's the mother----ing board again I replace him. My bro Eman went through hell (and 500 bucks) replacing the board less than 3 months ago. I'm not even thinking about asking him to help me out again.
I've asked Courtney to take me through Van Buren or Garland so I can drop him off at a joint I know/trust. They may be able to determine the issue quickly, and if it's the board I'll see what they have to offer.
Hal is like 3 years old now, and by this time I bet I can get something pretty good then and there.
This time I deadheaded less than a mile--that's like the third time. I'm doing great here--not just making a higher rate, but also cramming more work into available time and (comparatively) saving a ton in deadhead fuel.
Well, now I'll try to get Gramps to my bunk so I can read about the Browns and play internet poker. Means I have to unclamp his power cord. Wish me luck.
Ignoring that little piece of crap paperweight that also fried itself 5 weeks after I bought it, I dug out Gramps here. He needs a new power cord, but I'm able to stabalize him with a BMF Clamp. He also needs a battery--I think---and if his power is disrupted for a nanosecond he gets narcoleptic.
Gramps is slow, and I don't have Sid Meyer's Civilization on him, but fortunately I can route, search for cheap fuel, use Mapquest to recon shippers and recievers, get my load info, etc. on him. Man, if I go without a laptop it's like going blind.
This one was a hospital delivery, and man...the entrance and dock aren't designed for anybody as big as me, plus it's like all the other vehicles are deliberately parked to make me hit them. I had to get real creative to get in here...
THEN the guy comes out and says he can't unload me. I'd called during the day and said I'd be here--she said go ahead and hit a door, but didn't tell these guys. Now I'm praying that securtiy doesn't come kick me out and make me do this again during rush hour (0800 appt.)
I'm pretty ticked about my left front steer tire--it looks like somebody carved it badly with a hatchet. I haven't checked my accounts for settlements yet (due today), but I've already got it spent. Got to pay my road taxes, get new steers, get another alignment, and make sure whatever chewed up my damn steers is fixed. And get HAL fixed. Or replaced.
If they tell me it's the mother----ing board again I replace him. My bro Eman went through hell (and 500 bucks) replacing the board less than 3 months ago. I'm not even thinking about asking him to help me out again.
I've asked Courtney to take me through Van Buren or Garland so I can drop him off at a joint I know/trust. They may be able to determine the issue quickly, and if it's the board I'll see what they have to offer.
Hal is like 3 years old now, and by this time I bet I can get something pretty good then and there.
This time I deadheaded less than a mile--that's like the third time. I'm doing great here--not just making a higher rate, but also cramming more work into available time and (comparatively) saving a ton in deadhead fuel.
Well, now I'll try to get Gramps to my bunk so I can read about the Browns and play internet poker. Means I have to unclamp his power cord. Wish me luck.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Someplace in NC
Stopped at this Motel 6 en route to 'Bama and just came back from the Sports Bar. Literally a few feet away. It used to be a Wendy's, but three young black guys converted the building into a Sports Bar three months ago. Crawling distance from three hotels, and I was able to park my rig...
Aint that America (with a "c", comrades)?
Their mom/aunt was the bartender and told the story. Grandpa was as white as me; she has green eyes. She's from Jersey. We talked race and politics. It was great. I love to see the american dream in action, especially when they're the descendants of slaves, or are legal immigrants.
And why the hell are we subsidizing non-citezens and not our own people? We don't need all our hotels, convenience stores, etc. owned by the rest of the world, do we? (Sorry I can't leave this to chance: We DON'T).
Anyway, My last pickup was close to Courtney's office in Delaware. It was supposed to be an 8 am load, but took til 1945. She was angrier than I was about it. That's a good sign for me, since I'm used to it, and apparantly she's not.
OK--most drivers get really upset about loads not being ready on time. Many company drivers and some owner-ops are compensated for the down-time to some extent contractually, but most of THEM still bitch and moan about it.
I'm a little different, because I've got the internet and Damian. I also have been doing this for awhile, and have been through it a lot--shit happens, and crying about it is useless (except in a blog which is designed to be your shrink--OK?)
Anyway, Courtney actually stopped by on her way home to drop off a couple log books for me, and to meet me in person.
Homina-homina! She's a BABE! Brains and beauty--wow. (And I'm not just writing this because I think she might read it.)
OK but anyway, she said she's going to get us some compensation for the wait-time--maybe not much, but something, anyway. And she also said that she thinks she'll try to get me on a sort of "route" away from the east coast.
James, her driver that I met at a TA who told me about the carrier and her, said that he had a sort of route too. He lives in SC, I think: She gets him home weekly, and he still makes great money.
Cool. I don't know how she does it, but it's just great.
She also told me that I was just about square with the "company store", and should start getting paid (that is the rest of my settlements after the 35% advances) now.
JUST IN TIME! I've called and made arrangements with my internet/cell, prepass, et al people about giving me time, and now I'll be funded in time to avoid cancellations and other problems. If I do get the bulk of my next settlement check, I can also knock out my road use taxes. I might even be ready to replace my steers (and diagnose the uneven wear problem)--although I think I can stall that a little longer.
So I'm pretty bouyant right now--back on my feet and looking down a smooth stretch of road.
Time to play internet poker and watch Steve Segal kick butt,
Aint that America (with a "c", comrades)?
Their mom/aunt was the bartender and told the story. Grandpa was as white as me; she has green eyes. She's from Jersey. We talked race and politics. It was great. I love to see the american dream in action, especially when they're the descendants of slaves, or are legal immigrants.
And why the hell are we subsidizing non-citezens and not our own people? We don't need all our hotels, convenience stores, etc. owned by the rest of the world, do we? (Sorry I can't leave this to chance: We DON'T).
Anyway, My last pickup was close to Courtney's office in Delaware. It was supposed to be an 8 am load, but took til 1945. She was angrier than I was about it. That's a good sign for me, since I'm used to it, and apparantly she's not.
OK--most drivers get really upset about loads not being ready on time. Many company drivers and some owner-ops are compensated for the down-time to some extent contractually, but most of THEM still bitch and moan about it.
I'm a little different, because I've got the internet and Damian. I also have been doing this for awhile, and have been through it a lot--shit happens, and crying about it is useless (except in a blog which is designed to be your shrink--OK?)
Anyway, Courtney actually stopped by on her way home to drop off a couple log books for me, and to meet me in person.
Homina-homina! She's a BABE! Brains and beauty--wow. (And I'm not just writing this because I think she might read it.)
OK but anyway, she said she's going to get us some compensation for the wait-time--maybe not much, but something, anyway. And she also said that she thinks she'll try to get me on a sort of "route" away from the east coast.
James, her driver that I met at a TA who told me about the carrier and her, said that he had a sort of route too. He lives in SC, I think: She gets him home weekly, and he still makes great money.
Cool. I don't know how she does it, but it's just great.
She also told me that I was just about square with the "company store", and should start getting paid (that is the rest of my settlements after the 35% advances) now.
JUST IN TIME! I've called and made arrangements with my internet/cell, prepass, et al people about giving me time, and now I'll be funded in time to avoid cancellations and other problems. If I do get the bulk of my next settlement check, I can also knock out my road use taxes. I might even be ready to replace my steers (and diagnose the uneven wear problem)--although I think I can stall that a little longer.
So I'm pretty bouyant right now--back on my feet and looking down a smooth stretch of road.
Time to play internet poker and watch Steve Segal kick butt,
Friday, August 6, 2010
Middletown, DE
A certain problem I had has somehow corrected itself, but having learned to be superstitious, I don't dare mention it.
Anyway I've crept back ahead a little on my fuel card cash balance...but have determined that I will need steer tires next, because of uneven wear, despite balancing, alignment, inspection, and centromatics.
I hope that the initial bad wear was there before I changed my shocks, and that new tires won't wear out so fast...at any rate I have to get an alignment and have the joints inspected when I get them. I might want new springs too. I really try to take excellent care of Herbie, and he and the DOT appreciate it.
Speaking of which, I just hope I don't get inspected anytime soon, because they'll nail me for that left steer.
I should have them right now, but have to wait.
I haven't crunched any numbers or asked yet, but I have to think that I'm just about square with the company now, and should get at least some of my next settlement check. The original combined hotel, repair, and unrealized advance pay have been knocked out for sure, but I know there's a 360 trailer rental, maybe 200 insurance, 150 security escrow, and more weeklies that slow the process down...like I said I haven't crunched numbers.
I'm very pleased--almost shocked--by how I've been running. Now that I actually told Courtney that I like long trips and don't like the northeast, I've already been to Laredo, then around St. Louis, and now I'm here in Delaware (but avoided every toll except the one coming over a bridge).
From here I'm going over 1,000 miles to Alabama.
There's a trade-off. I'm making less money. The northeast loads pay more, for the very reasons that most truckers hate them--and because fuel is more expensive.
By the way, that's because of fuel taxes. That's your government soaking the fatcats for your sake, comrades.
Yeah--and the carriers have to charge higher fuel surcharges on those loads. The shippers then have to charge their customers more for their freight. The Distributors and warehouses then have to charge the retailers more for their freight (again, since they put it on other trucks to pass it out).
The retailers then have to charge YOU more, and conratulations: YOU have just paid that tax on the fatcats, just like you pay the rest of them.
Adam Smith and Ben Franklin knew this. Karl Marx and...well anyway he didn't care.
By the way, please notice next time you see a logging truck, or a flatbed loaded with lettuce or live chickens or melons. Burning diesel. Paying taxes. Now you want another VAT tax?
The Fair Tax would be perfect. Even illegals would have to pay it. You buy something, you pay tax. You don't get your income taxed. Rich people buy more stuff. Duh.
Hell with it. Back to being like everybody else: MEMEME.
I was gone for awhile, but I'm back now.
Anyway I've crept back ahead a little on my fuel card cash balance...but have determined that I will need steer tires next, because of uneven wear, despite balancing, alignment, inspection, and centromatics.
I hope that the initial bad wear was there before I changed my shocks, and that new tires won't wear out so fast...at any rate I have to get an alignment and have the joints inspected when I get them. I might want new springs too. I really try to take excellent care of Herbie, and he and the DOT appreciate it.
Speaking of which, I just hope I don't get inspected anytime soon, because they'll nail me for that left steer.
I should have them right now, but have to wait.
I haven't crunched any numbers or asked yet, but I have to think that I'm just about square with the company now, and should get at least some of my next settlement check. The original combined hotel, repair, and unrealized advance pay have been knocked out for sure, but I know there's a 360 trailer rental, maybe 200 insurance, 150 security escrow, and more weeklies that slow the process down...like I said I haven't crunched numbers.
I'm very pleased--almost shocked--by how I've been running. Now that I actually told Courtney that I like long trips and don't like the northeast, I've already been to Laredo, then around St. Louis, and now I'm here in Delaware (but avoided every toll except the one coming over a bridge).
From here I'm going over 1,000 miles to Alabama.
There's a trade-off. I'm making less money. The northeast loads pay more, for the very reasons that most truckers hate them--and because fuel is more expensive.
By the way, that's because of fuel taxes. That's your government soaking the fatcats for your sake, comrades.
Yeah--and the carriers have to charge higher fuel surcharges on those loads. The shippers then have to charge their customers more for their freight. The Distributors and warehouses then have to charge the retailers more for their freight (again, since they put it on other trucks to pass it out).
The retailers then have to charge YOU more, and conratulations: YOU have just paid that tax on the fatcats, just like you pay the rest of them.
Adam Smith and Ben Franklin knew this. Karl Marx and...well anyway he didn't care.
By the way, please notice next time you see a logging truck, or a flatbed loaded with lettuce or live chickens or melons. Burning diesel. Paying taxes. Now you want another VAT tax?
The Fair Tax would be perfect. Even illegals would have to pay it. You buy something, you pay tax. You don't get your income taxed. Rich people buy more stuff. Duh.
Hell with it. Back to being like everybody else: MEMEME.
I was gone for awhile, but I'm back now.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
South Texas-Shades of Tennessee Ernie
Well, Junior at my old company told the dispatcher to have me call at 10:30 saturday. It sounded like he wanted to talk to me. So I did. And again at 10:45. And at 11:15. At 12:00 Brian said he'd give Junior my number and have him call me. Thinking that he actually might, I accepted that.
At 3:30 I blew a tractor tire. It was a retread I'd had to take when I got the truck; one of four I'd intended to replace as soon as I saved enough money. The tread only came 75% off, so it was flopping like a clown-shoe, and tore my front splash-guard mostly off (I had to finish that), bashed my APU's exhaust pipe down and tore it out, and beat the hell out of it's housing. (I was going 70).
Road service was a last resort for me--I had a little over 400 bucks. And I couldn't drive faster than 10 ir 12 mph or I'd tear the APU's exhaust the rest of the way off and out. plus scour a hole through it's housing and into it's guts.
Oh, I was tempted! Damian has given me holy hell over the years, and subconsciously I want him dead...but we have to think with our cortexes. Also, if the rest of the tread tore loose, it could blow the tires behind it or tear the air lines and/or cause an accident.
Thanks to another trucker I ran into (since my CB is broke), I found out that the Pilot I'd passed 3 miles back had a Wingfoot and two other tire places around it.
I love Texas! Much of I-35 has access roads parallelling it, and they're two lanes! I could limp at 10 mph all the way back there, ("FAP-FAP-FAP"), at 10 mph without causing a traffic jam. I called my former comany, thinking if I could get any money at all, now would be the time. Junior had gone home.
Yep. So I get to Wingfoot and they don't have used tires. That was a massive problem, since you have to match tread-depths...it meant that I'd have to buy two NEW tires. (Later, I did run around, finding other places closed on weekends--no used tires to be had anywhere).
So I had to call Courtney and borrow 700 MORE bucks to get two new tires (and patch a third, and move everything around.)
This was not a ripoff compared to other places. I got open-shouldered Michelins for 450 bucks each. These were the tires I'd intended to replace my four old ones (and eventually the others) with anyway. I would have got something cheaper, but (inexplicably), these WERE their cheapest drive tires!!! (Well, Dunlops were a little less, but he only had one).
Michelins are better than ALL other truck tires, for both durability and mpg's!!! So there was good news to go with the bad news: I now have only two tires to replace, and know where to get them.
I'll have a decent week as-is, or a monster week if I'm able to get this load delivered monday (a day early) and scan the paperwork in.
The carrier is still keeping my settlements to get all the money they fronted me back, and now I've just added 700 to that total.
It can be deceptive, ya know? Okay I get 35% advances loaded onto my fuel card, for fuel and road expenses. The majority of that does indeed go into the fuel tanks. You tend to forget that what you get in settlements is now only 65% of what the load pays.
I was well on my way to working with this, however. I was pretty shocked to average over 6 mpg's hauling 44k through hills and towns, then to get over 7 with this 42k load to Laredo. I also beat the lowest internet fuel price I'd found on the internet by a nickel.
So now I had a little traction, and knew that I'd get to Texas with over 400 bucks on my card and 150 in my pocket, plus 600 miles of range; the next advance would put me farther ahead, and by the trip after that maybe I could get some money into my business account to avoid cancellations and pay my road taxes.
Then POWfapfapfapfap...
Even Junior...I think he might offer me a percentage of the new company. I threw the idea out last time. I just want this episode over with, and if 2 or 3% could pay me a couple hundred a month or something, I could deal with that.
Anyway, I had intended to treat myself to a night in a hotel with a bar nearby. Damian was refusing to air condition me and I was momentarily defeated. (He just wears you down. This owing my soul to the company store/being unable to collect what I'm owed even in emergencies, no call-backs, 10 calls per-day, getting Damian fixed, loose end after loose end unpaid bills--yeah I'm worn down a bit).
After paying the tire bill, thanks to the guy knocking off the labor on the tire-patch, I found myself with 130 bucks. Still planned to do it. But this guy says it's 79/night inc. taxes.
It's okay. With renewed vigor, I went after Damian again, and figured out how to make him cough up the cold air. This lot is shared by the Mexican Restauraunt and hotel, so I'm parked here 80 miles from Laredo. I can't show up at my consignee before 1200 monday anyway, so tonight I'll go over there and drink some beer or margaritas or something, and just sleep in Herbie.
The reasons I stay in hotels when I can are the sense of space and normalcy. I can catch up on all my TV shows, take a bath, and (in a bar) meet new people and get away with misbehaving. It's even partially offset financially, as I don't burn fuel or put more wear-and-tear on Damian.
Anyway, Damian's exhaust pipe is pointed down and dangerously close to the ground. I was able to beat it snug to the block with my BMFH (one-handed sledge hammer), but the brackets are partly torn out, and I couldn't bend the pipe back up--I'll need a torch for that. Until then, I've got to be really careful, because of it hits the ground it's gone, and I won't know it.
I just have to keep plugging. A month from now I know I'll have my life back. It'll feel good to get square with the company, and I'll have the new harness and all but two of my tires. I'll be making more than I even made before (possibly with dividends from the new, well-managed trucking company augmenting it), and get trips to Texas or maybe other places when I ask for them---or even ongoing.
Courtney: I didn't know that she had to call the company--actually I'm not sure, but I think Korena--to get me the money for repairs.
See, I'm a contractor and the truck is all on me. To fix a trailer--that's not an issue. But owner-ops are rightfully expected to fix their own equipment. I know that Korena, for her part, has to get to some VEEP or something to get approval on the stuff I've incurred. And I can imagine this person throwing their hands up and saying "why not?" by now.
But it was neccessary. I'd exhausted the alternatives, and the load needed to get there. Anyway, I would hope the company considered the fact that NEW tires are an investment, making a breakdown far less likely on that unit.
I personally would have paid me half my settlements, however, since then I could have knocked this out without bothering them.
But hell--their books aren't set up for this stuff. they have a maintenance budget--only for trailers. For MY stuff, they had to open a separate file and put me off to the side. They can just close the file when they get their money back. They probably don't want to carry it over into the next fiscal quarter--they can't be certain that I won't just bug out and leave them stuck for the balance--yeah I get it.
So I sure hope I can get this in and scanned by monday night. I got to pay this off ASAP.
Well time to conquer the world and blog some more and drink margaritas and stuff okbye.
Post script: I have lost APU a/c again and haven't been able to correct it. It's 103 degrees and I think I'll burn twenty gallons idling before I get to the consignee. Oh--and of course I have to get the bastard fixed again. And pay for it. Somehow.
I'm not a gypsy. I have a family that I need home-time for. His name is Damian, and he came from hell.
He might work fine an hour from now, but that's just so he can get my hopes up again.
It just never stops.
At 3:30 I blew a tractor tire. It was a retread I'd had to take when I got the truck; one of four I'd intended to replace as soon as I saved enough money. The tread only came 75% off, so it was flopping like a clown-shoe, and tore my front splash-guard mostly off (I had to finish that), bashed my APU's exhaust pipe down and tore it out, and beat the hell out of it's housing. (I was going 70).
Road service was a last resort for me--I had a little over 400 bucks. And I couldn't drive faster than 10 ir 12 mph or I'd tear the APU's exhaust the rest of the way off and out. plus scour a hole through it's housing and into it's guts.
Oh, I was tempted! Damian has given me holy hell over the years, and subconsciously I want him dead...but we have to think with our cortexes. Also, if the rest of the tread tore loose, it could blow the tires behind it or tear the air lines and/or cause an accident.
Thanks to another trucker I ran into (since my CB is broke), I found out that the Pilot I'd passed 3 miles back had a Wingfoot and two other tire places around it.
I love Texas! Much of I-35 has access roads parallelling it, and they're two lanes! I could limp at 10 mph all the way back there, ("FAP-FAP-FAP"), at 10 mph without causing a traffic jam. I called my former comany, thinking if I could get any money at all, now would be the time. Junior had gone home.
Yep. So I get to Wingfoot and they don't have used tires. That was a massive problem, since you have to match tread-depths...it meant that I'd have to buy two NEW tires. (Later, I did run around, finding other places closed on weekends--no used tires to be had anywhere).
So I had to call Courtney and borrow 700 MORE bucks to get two new tires (and patch a third, and move everything around.)
This was not a ripoff compared to other places. I got open-shouldered Michelins for 450 bucks each. These were the tires I'd intended to replace my four old ones (and eventually the others) with anyway. I would have got something cheaper, but (inexplicably), these WERE their cheapest drive tires!!! (Well, Dunlops were a little less, but he only had one).
Michelins are better than ALL other truck tires, for both durability and mpg's!!! So there was good news to go with the bad news: I now have only two tires to replace, and know where to get them.
I'll have a decent week as-is, or a monster week if I'm able to get this load delivered monday (a day early) and scan the paperwork in.
The carrier is still keeping my settlements to get all the money they fronted me back, and now I've just added 700 to that total.
It can be deceptive, ya know? Okay I get 35% advances loaded onto my fuel card, for fuel and road expenses. The majority of that does indeed go into the fuel tanks. You tend to forget that what you get in settlements is now only 65% of what the load pays.
I was well on my way to working with this, however. I was pretty shocked to average over 6 mpg's hauling 44k through hills and towns, then to get over 7 with this 42k load to Laredo. I also beat the lowest internet fuel price I'd found on the internet by a nickel.
So now I had a little traction, and knew that I'd get to Texas with over 400 bucks on my card and 150 in my pocket, plus 600 miles of range; the next advance would put me farther ahead, and by the trip after that maybe I could get some money into my business account to avoid cancellations and pay my road taxes.
Then POWfapfapfapfap...
Even Junior...I think he might offer me a percentage of the new company. I threw the idea out last time. I just want this episode over with, and if 2 or 3% could pay me a couple hundred a month or something, I could deal with that.
Anyway, I had intended to treat myself to a night in a hotel with a bar nearby. Damian was refusing to air condition me and I was momentarily defeated. (He just wears you down. This owing my soul to the company store/being unable to collect what I'm owed even in emergencies, no call-backs, 10 calls per-day, getting Damian fixed, loose end after loose end unpaid bills--yeah I'm worn down a bit).
After paying the tire bill, thanks to the guy knocking off the labor on the tire-patch, I found myself with 130 bucks. Still planned to do it. But this guy says it's 79/night inc. taxes.
It's okay. With renewed vigor, I went after Damian again, and figured out how to make him cough up the cold air. This lot is shared by the Mexican Restauraunt and hotel, so I'm parked here 80 miles from Laredo. I can't show up at my consignee before 1200 monday anyway, so tonight I'll go over there and drink some beer or margaritas or something, and just sleep in Herbie.
The reasons I stay in hotels when I can are the sense of space and normalcy. I can catch up on all my TV shows, take a bath, and (in a bar) meet new people and get away with misbehaving. It's even partially offset financially, as I don't burn fuel or put more wear-and-tear on Damian.
Anyway, Damian's exhaust pipe is pointed down and dangerously close to the ground. I was able to beat it snug to the block with my BMFH (one-handed sledge hammer), but the brackets are partly torn out, and I couldn't bend the pipe back up--I'll need a torch for that. Until then, I've got to be really careful, because of it hits the ground it's gone, and I won't know it.
I just have to keep plugging. A month from now I know I'll have my life back. It'll feel good to get square with the company, and I'll have the new harness and all but two of my tires. I'll be making more than I even made before (possibly with dividends from the new, well-managed trucking company augmenting it), and get trips to Texas or maybe other places when I ask for them---or even ongoing.
Courtney: I didn't know that she had to call the company--actually I'm not sure, but I think Korena--to get me the money for repairs.
See, I'm a contractor and the truck is all on me. To fix a trailer--that's not an issue. But owner-ops are rightfully expected to fix their own equipment. I know that Korena, for her part, has to get to some VEEP or something to get approval on the stuff I've incurred. And I can imagine this person throwing their hands up and saying "why not?" by now.
But it was neccessary. I'd exhausted the alternatives, and the load needed to get there. Anyway, I would hope the company considered the fact that NEW tires are an investment, making a breakdown far less likely on that unit.
I personally would have paid me half my settlements, however, since then I could have knocked this out without bothering them.
But hell--their books aren't set up for this stuff. they have a maintenance budget--only for trailers. For MY stuff, they had to open a separate file and put me off to the side. They can just close the file when they get their money back. They probably don't want to carry it over into the next fiscal quarter--they can't be certain that I won't just bug out and leave them stuck for the balance--yeah I get it.
So I sure hope I can get this in and scanned by monday night. I got to pay this off ASAP.
Well time to conquer the world and blog some more and drink margaritas and stuff okbye.
Post script: I have lost APU a/c again and haven't been able to correct it. It's 103 degrees and I think I'll burn twenty gallons idling before I get to the consignee. Oh--and of course I have to get the bastard fixed again. And pay for it. Somehow.
I'm not a gypsy. I have a family that I need home-time for. His name is Damian, and he came from hell.
He might work fine an hour from now, but that's just so he can get my hopes up again.
It just never stops.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Montgomery, AL
Ok I found out that is was the carrier (to whome Courtney, my agent, is contracted), who fronted me all that money while I was down. Korena, who works with Courtney, is something like a liason between the carrier and Courtney, and it was she who went to bat for me.
Remember: this is business, and they could have left me stuck there without a carrier, flat broke, and...I don't want to think about it.
Anyway, my first settlement check was kept by them to get some of that money back. I can't argue with that. But Korena is now trying to get them to pay me half of my checks til my balance is paid. I've got bills piled up, and owe road-use taxes.
What I actually spent was a little over 3k, but meanwhile I was racking up the weekly charges, and I had been advanced money on the load I never delivered.
Among the weekly charges are trailer rental, insurance, a 50.00/week (to 1k) bond deduction, transflo, and some other stuff.
However, after my most recent Damian APU repair, they've been running me pretty hard. I remember that Central Hauling (owner-operator side of Cal-Ark) was pretty damn efficient, but these guys take the cake. The load before last, I loaded twice within five miles of the truckstop I landed at. On the last load, I had to downright hustle about 14 miles from that delivery to get the load taking me to Midland GA.
That one paid peanuts, but now I know they probably have good freight out of this area. That was a backhaul, and they use those only to get you from point a to point b for a "real" load.
I also asked if they went to Texas e voila--they're planning to send me there. If that one delivers monday, I'll have a monster week.
NOW: I finally at long last got to my PO Box and got my "Thirty-Second Smile" electric toothbrush. It has two opposing sets of bristles: One for your uppers, and one for your lowers. The brushes are "U"-shaped, to sort of wrap around your teeth, and the bristles are angled accordingly. They wrap around your teeth, see?
You need to hold it between your thumb and one finger, as it sort of needs to move in your grip to work right.
Anyway, I tried it and was pretty shocked. I was bleeding from my gums. The thing had scoured some of my back teeth to the roots...which were partly exposed because my gums are trying to recede. Plus, I felt it get all the way behind my back teeth.
COOL! My sonic care toothbrush never got into that area, no matter how hard I tried. So I guess I had those nasty bacteriae mining away with impunity! Not anymore--this thing WORKS!
Of course, now my teeth hurt again. But this time I knew it was a good hurt. I rinsed with ACT, and resumed my aloe-vera gel treatments.
Aloe Vera is not snake oil. It kills just about all bacteria, and penetrates all seven layers of skin. This is one of the reasons it works so well for healing: without infection, you heal faster. It came in handy for me recently when I burned myself on a hot pipe. Second degree: I've had this kind before, and a major infection set in almost immediately.
But with this, I just perieodicly rubbed some aloe-vera gel on it and never had to worry. It's true.
Anyway, I get the Gel. "Juice" can legally be less than one percent real aloe. Gel, legally, has to be mostly real aloe-vera.
I rinse with it and then swallow it. Then I put a little in my tea. You've got to be careful because it's like Ex-lax and you can get in trouble with too much. I'm convinced that aloe-vera is a big reason I've kept all but one of my teeth.
A day later, my gums/teeth don't hurt anymore, and my gums didn't bleed this time. Thirty-Second Smile really works, and so does Aloe-Vera.
Texas...cool.
Remember: this is business, and they could have left me stuck there without a carrier, flat broke, and...I don't want to think about it.
Anyway, my first settlement check was kept by them to get some of that money back. I can't argue with that. But Korena is now trying to get them to pay me half of my checks til my balance is paid. I've got bills piled up, and owe road-use taxes.
What I actually spent was a little over 3k, but meanwhile I was racking up the weekly charges, and I had been advanced money on the load I never delivered.
Among the weekly charges are trailer rental, insurance, a 50.00/week (to 1k) bond deduction, transflo, and some other stuff.
However, after my most recent Damian APU repair, they've been running me pretty hard. I remember that Central Hauling (owner-operator side of Cal-Ark) was pretty damn efficient, but these guys take the cake. The load before last, I loaded twice within five miles of the truckstop I landed at. On the last load, I had to downright hustle about 14 miles from that delivery to get the load taking me to Midland GA.
That one paid peanuts, but now I know they probably have good freight out of this area. That was a backhaul, and they use those only to get you from point a to point b for a "real" load.
I also asked if they went to Texas e voila--they're planning to send me there. If that one delivers monday, I'll have a monster week.
NOW: I finally at long last got to my PO Box and got my "Thirty-Second Smile" electric toothbrush. It has two opposing sets of bristles: One for your uppers, and one for your lowers. The brushes are "U"-shaped, to sort of wrap around your teeth, and the bristles are angled accordingly. They wrap around your teeth, see?
You need to hold it between your thumb and one finger, as it sort of needs to move in your grip to work right.
Anyway, I tried it and was pretty shocked. I was bleeding from my gums. The thing had scoured some of my back teeth to the roots...which were partly exposed because my gums are trying to recede. Plus, I felt it get all the way behind my back teeth.
COOL! My sonic care toothbrush never got into that area, no matter how hard I tried. So I guess I had those nasty bacteriae mining away with impunity! Not anymore--this thing WORKS!
Of course, now my teeth hurt again. But this time I knew it was a good hurt. I rinsed with ACT, and resumed my aloe-vera gel treatments.
Aloe Vera is not snake oil. It kills just about all bacteria, and penetrates all seven layers of skin. This is one of the reasons it works so well for healing: without infection, you heal faster. It came in handy for me recently when I burned myself on a hot pipe. Second degree: I've had this kind before, and a major infection set in almost immediately.
But with this, I just perieodicly rubbed some aloe-vera gel on it and never had to worry. It's true.
Anyway, I get the Gel. "Juice" can legally be less than one percent real aloe. Gel, legally, has to be mostly real aloe-vera.
I rinse with it and then swallow it. Then I put a little in my tea. You've got to be careful because it's like Ex-lax and you can get in trouble with too much. I'm convinced that aloe-vera is a big reason I've kept all but one of my teeth.
A day later, my gums/teeth don't hurt anymore, and my gums didn't bleed this time. Thirty-Second Smile really works, and so does Aloe-Vera.
Texas...cool.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Owner-Ops Only
Everybody else will be bored.
OK I'm taking on loose metal turnings in Worcester and expect to carry 42,000 lbs.
I plotted two routes to Buffalo. One is US 20, and I avoid most of the tolls. I haven't been on 20, but I see some meanderings which usually indicate hills. It's also upstate New York, and I bet it goes through a lot of towns.
It's tempting--in fact it looks a lot like the 20 I take through Ohio to avoid I-80 tolls. I might try it.
If I take 90 I know what I'll have. With 42k I should average 6.2 mpg. Taking 20 will cut that down, as I'll be hitting hills slow and stopping/starting a lot. On 90 I'll get there fast, whereas 20 takes me at least two more hours.
53.29 is my EZ Pass rate. What about fuel?
Well, with 42k and assuming the worst (lots of stoplights and a few bad hills) I reckon 5.2 mpg. It's 416 miles so that's 80 gallons. The toll road would give me 6.2 mpg's and I'd burn twelve fewer gallons. Just using the lowest rate alonmg that route, which is 2.99 cpg, that rounds off to 36 bucks. The difference is about 17 bucks.
But wait! There's more! The twelve gallons give me about eighty miles of range. This might mean the differnce between paying 2.99 now, a lower price later. Plus, the cheapest fuel on this route is ON I-90, so I'd have to get up there anyway.
Also, I consider wear and tear. 90 is smooth. 20 would abuse Herbie much more. I want to preserve him.
Then there's the chance I can deliver later today rather than tomorrow if I take the fastest route. (I won't bother checking. I like surprises.) Get empty early and I can get to the next pickup early--if Courtney has it ready for me yet, or can at least give me a city.
Then there's the variables: Traffic and construction on 90. That plus terrain and obstacles on 20. (I also haven't ckecked for low bridges and weight restictions either. On that road a re-route up to 90 isn't hard).
I also estimate conservatively. 6.2 are the lowest mpg's I get on I-90; I could get up to 6.4. 5.2 on the low side is a guess. Probably a safe one. And then there are probably a lot of cops on 20 waiting for a hill to tug me up over the speed limit on 20.
Then there's my mental health. I see myself getting angrier and angrier every time I have to use up my brakes going down a hill I should be using for momentum--because there might be a cop waiting for me. Then angrier when I hit the bottom of the next hill at near the legal speed limit and am going 30 mph at the top...knowing I've just burned a whole extra gallon of fuel for no good reason.
Angrier at the clown in front of me who thinks physics is what you do in the bathroom, and stifles me going up a hill. Stopping and starting and stopping and starting...
Guess which way I'm going. It's worth the extra 17 bucks.
So there.
CORRECTION: I completely forgot the MA. tolls. Probably another 22 bucks or so. Call it an extra 40 bucks I paid to avoid insanity.
But now I go from here to Philly, know all those roads, and know I can avoid the tolls without beating Herbie up or burning all my fuel.
OK I'm taking on loose metal turnings in Worcester and expect to carry 42,000 lbs.
I plotted two routes to Buffalo. One is US 20, and I avoid most of the tolls. I haven't been on 20, but I see some meanderings which usually indicate hills. It's also upstate New York, and I bet it goes through a lot of towns.
It's tempting--in fact it looks a lot like the 20 I take through Ohio to avoid I-80 tolls. I might try it.
If I take 90 I know what I'll have. With 42k I should average 6.2 mpg. Taking 20 will cut that down, as I'll be hitting hills slow and stopping/starting a lot. On 90 I'll get there fast, whereas 20 takes me at least two more hours.
53.29 is my EZ Pass rate. What about fuel?
Well, with 42k and assuming the worst (lots of stoplights and a few bad hills) I reckon 5.2 mpg. It's 416 miles so that's 80 gallons. The toll road would give me 6.2 mpg's and I'd burn twelve fewer gallons. Just using the lowest rate alonmg that route, which is 2.99 cpg, that rounds off to 36 bucks. The difference is about 17 bucks.
But wait! There's more! The twelve gallons give me about eighty miles of range. This might mean the differnce between paying 2.99 now, a lower price later. Plus, the cheapest fuel on this route is ON I-90, so I'd have to get up there anyway.
Also, I consider wear and tear. 90 is smooth. 20 would abuse Herbie much more. I want to preserve him.
Then there's the chance I can deliver later today rather than tomorrow if I take the fastest route. (I won't bother checking. I like surprises.) Get empty early and I can get to the next pickup early--if Courtney has it ready for me yet, or can at least give me a city.
Then there's the variables: Traffic and construction on 90. That plus terrain and obstacles on 20. (I also haven't ckecked for low bridges and weight restictions either. On that road a re-route up to 90 isn't hard).
I also estimate conservatively. 6.2 are the lowest mpg's I get on I-90; I could get up to 6.4. 5.2 on the low side is a guess. Probably a safe one. And then there are probably a lot of cops on 20 waiting for a hill to tug me up over the speed limit on 20.
Then there's my mental health. I see myself getting angrier and angrier every time I have to use up my brakes going down a hill I should be using for momentum--because there might be a cop waiting for me. Then angrier when I hit the bottom of the next hill at near the legal speed limit and am going 30 mph at the top...knowing I've just burned a whole extra gallon of fuel for no good reason.
Angrier at the clown in front of me who thinks physics is what you do in the bathroom, and stifles me going up a hill. Stopping and starting and stopping and starting...
Guess which way I'm going. It's worth the extra 17 bucks.
So there.
CORRECTION: I completely forgot the MA. tolls. Probably another 22 bucks or so. Call it an extra 40 bucks I paid to avoid insanity.
But now I go from here to Philly, know all those roads, and know I can avoid the tolls without beating Herbie up or burning all my fuel.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Cookin (Worcester, MA)
Well, I just added up what I've made so far and feel much better now. I've had a couple 60+ mile deadheads, but the average is actually lower than I had at USA. With my former company...sometimes 300 or more miles (no I aint kidding).
Don't like it much up here. It's like somebody kicked over an anthill. And the ants all drive cars.
Oh, and you can ignore the speed limits here. You can go 20 miles over or 15 miles under if you want, in any lane you want. Just match speeds with a big truck, set the cruise, and wait for the turn signal as he closes in on the guy going 50 mph in front of him. Great fun! You get to watch him hit the brakes and holler at you!
Tolls everywhere. That's a drawback--I'm learning that the company moves a lot of freight up here in New England. Many drivers reguse to drive the northeast because of the tolls and stupid ants driving cars. And having to run over curbs on ancient streets built for wagons.
But this is just my first couple weeks. Courtney did mention a twice weekly from Ohio to here, for example. After I've run around randomly for awhile, I'll ask about that, or something like it. If a lot of their business is up here, then that's that, but...
Well, here: If I drove out here from Ohio and back twice a week, I could take I-76/I-80 (etc.) and avoid a lot of the tolls--and even most of the ant-hills full of careening spastic cars. But then James, the driver who referred me to Medallion and Courtney, said he's got a sort of circular regular route, and that sounded great.
I just had to tell her I need to get back to Ohio when it's convenient. I ordered some stuff and got a phone call informing me that I had enrolled in a money-saving program for only 24 bucks a month and if I didn't like it all I had to do was call the number in the mailing to cancel--otherwise they'd just take the money off my card.
Yeah. So I need to cancel that.
"But it doesn't cost you anything just to look---"
"I didn't want this! Cancel it right now!"
"--have to do is call the num--"
"No-take me off right now!"
"--?"
"Wait what did you ask me? NO! Nevermind! What's the freaking number I gotta call to cancel?"
"--certificate from Wal-Mart--"
And of course there's the stuff I DID order. And of course Damien has stopped charging my batteries again. Yeah it's about three months. That's about right for his alternators. It's under warrantee, but I have to get to Sapp Bros or Colyer's to get it fixed. That's Clearfield PA between here and there, or Cincinnati.
...where I got my POS trailer, which I'll probably need to take back before I can replace it. No rush on that, though. After I got some grease on the sliders that part got better, and I think the pins partly stuck because of all the rust. 2 pitted surfaces stick more. I left about half a pound of rust at my last pickup. Had to wear my wraparound shades or I might be in a hospital with rust in my eye. That's real bad.
Boring. I know.
Anyway, I'm still happy. Best deal I've ever had. My next one picks up tomorrow morning, goes to Buffalo, and pays really well. No cheap fuel between here and there, but I've still got some range...damn I'm boring my own self!
Speaking of which, when I need to sleep I turn my Sirius radio to the classical music station. Knocks me out. Plus I'm reading a pretty boring book. Almost like I wrote it!
I guess adversity does make you stronger. Damien's alternator going out hardly bothered me this time. Plus I've changed some stuff. Like I've plugged my microwave and toaster oven into him, bypassing both his alternator and my batteries. If I cook something while I'm rolling, I can reach behind me and turn him on and off.
Plus now I can toast a Tortino's pizza without overheating my inverter.
Since he's been reliable as for a/c for some time now, I don't even hate Damien much anymore. Maybe this alternator will be the one to outlive it's warrantee! Yeah...positive vibes...
-Yawn- yeah...sorry. Okbye.
Don't like it much up here. It's like somebody kicked over an anthill. And the ants all drive cars.
Oh, and you can ignore the speed limits here. You can go 20 miles over or 15 miles under if you want, in any lane you want. Just match speeds with a big truck, set the cruise, and wait for the turn signal as he closes in on the guy going 50 mph in front of him. Great fun! You get to watch him hit the brakes and holler at you!
Tolls everywhere. That's a drawback--I'm learning that the company moves a lot of freight up here in New England. Many drivers reguse to drive the northeast because of the tolls and stupid ants driving cars. And having to run over curbs on ancient streets built for wagons.
But this is just my first couple weeks. Courtney did mention a twice weekly from Ohio to here, for example. After I've run around randomly for awhile, I'll ask about that, or something like it. If a lot of their business is up here, then that's that, but...
Well, here: If I drove out here from Ohio and back twice a week, I could take I-76/I-80 (etc.) and avoid a lot of the tolls--and even most of the ant-hills full of careening spastic cars. But then James, the driver who referred me to Medallion and Courtney, said he's got a sort of circular regular route, and that sounded great.
I just had to tell her I need to get back to Ohio when it's convenient. I ordered some stuff and got a phone call informing me that I had enrolled in a money-saving program for only 24 bucks a month and if I didn't like it all I had to do was call the number in the mailing to cancel--otherwise they'd just take the money off my card.
Yeah. So I need to cancel that.
"But it doesn't cost you anything just to look---"
"I didn't want this! Cancel it right now!"
"--have to do is call the num--"
"No-take me off right now!"
"--?"
"Wait what did you ask me? NO! Nevermind! What's the freaking number I gotta call to cancel?"
"--certificate from Wal-Mart--"
And of course there's the stuff I DID order. And of course Damien has stopped charging my batteries again. Yeah it's about three months. That's about right for his alternators. It's under warrantee, but I have to get to Sapp Bros or Colyer's to get it fixed. That's Clearfield PA between here and there, or Cincinnati.
...where I got my POS trailer, which I'll probably need to take back before I can replace it. No rush on that, though. After I got some grease on the sliders that part got better, and I think the pins partly stuck because of all the rust. 2 pitted surfaces stick more. I left about half a pound of rust at my last pickup. Had to wear my wraparound shades or I might be in a hospital with rust in my eye. That's real bad.
Boring. I know.
Anyway, I'm still happy. Best deal I've ever had. My next one picks up tomorrow morning, goes to Buffalo, and pays really well. No cheap fuel between here and there, but I've still got some range...damn I'm boring my own self!
Speaking of which, when I need to sleep I turn my Sirius radio to the classical music station. Knocks me out. Plus I'm reading a pretty boring book. Almost like I wrote it!
I guess adversity does make you stronger. Damien's alternator going out hardly bothered me this time. Plus I've changed some stuff. Like I've plugged my microwave and toaster oven into him, bypassing both his alternator and my batteries. If I cook something while I'm rolling, I can reach behind me and turn him on and off.
Plus now I can toast a Tortino's pizza without overheating my inverter.
Since he's been reliable as for a/c for some time now, I don't even hate Damien much anymore. Maybe this alternator will be the one to outlive it's warrantee! Yeah...positive vibes...
-Yawn- yeah...sorry. Okbye.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
In My Humble DaVinci-like Opinion
1: Quit calling football players "labor". That's pretty insulting, when the rank and files of most unions can't afford to attend a damn football game. Sure they work out hard for several months a year, but they're millionaires living a dream. Give me the league minimum for two years and I own a tavern or a couple apartment complexes or something. Labor? Wow.
2: Owners buy, build, and run businesses. They market, lease, account, pay taxes, etc. and make it possible for employees to be employed. Jobs come from the private sector. Risk-taking entrepreneurs and very smart people create them.
In this country, you get to own things. You make it or buy it, and it's yours, period.
NFL owners are entitled to make as much of a profit as they want. The head of the Players Association hears them complain of diminishing returns and pending losses, and he says he'll be reasonable and invites them to open up their books to him.
This guy is not a real american. He's an employee, and thinks he has the right to stick his nose in his bosses books and determine what he should be paid. No doubt, he intends to generously permit his boss to keep two percent of the dividends if he takes a salary cut as CEO. Maybe he'll even be able to net the league minimum!.
Yes, the owners want an eighteen percent reduction in pay. That's because the last deal was horrific and the employees "own" two thirds of the revenues!!! The owners got screwed, and want it to stop!
Kevin, you have NO RIGHT to see your owner's books. You have a right to force a lockout and blame the owners for it. You have a right to wreck football. But you have no more right to your boss's books than you do to barge into my house and help yourself to my TV. I bought the house and TV. It's mine. Your boss bought the team. It's his.
3: I wouldn't have you on my team either. They need players, not uninvited partners. PLAYers.
2: Owners buy, build, and run businesses. They market, lease, account, pay taxes, etc. and make it possible for employees to be employed. Jobs come from the private sector. Risk-taking entrepreneurs and very smart people create them.
In this country, you get to own things. You make it or buy it, and it's yours, period.
NFL owners are entitled to make as much of a profit as they want. The head of the Players Association hears them complain of diminishing returns and pending losses, and he says he'll be reasonable and invites them to open up their books to him.
This guy is not a real american. He's an employee, and thinks he has the right to stick his nose in his bosses books and determine what he should be paid. No doubt, he intends to generously permit his boss to keep two percent of the dividends if he takes a salary cut as CEO. Maybe he'll even be able to net the league minimum!.
Yes, the owners want an eighteen percent reduction in pay. That's because the last deal was horrific and the employees "own" two thirds of the revenues!!! The owners got screwed, and want it to stop!
Kevin, you have NO RIGHT to see your owner's books. You have a right to force a lockout and blame the owners for it. You have a right to wreck football. But you have no more right to your boss's books than you do to barge into my house and help yourself to my TV. I bought the house and TV. It's mine. Your boss bought the team. It's his.
3: I wouldn't have you on my team either. They need players, not uninvited partners. PLAYers.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Yay (Apex NC)
They finally fixed it, but hang-ups with the invoice (it was like they just had to kick/stomp me a couple more times) had me scrambling for the load Courtney had arranged. (It was 1600 friday, and I gather they don't get a lot of weekend stuff--I would have been stuck).
So far, by the way, I've only run (in one case partly run) three loads for them, but I don't think I've deadheaded over 35 miles once. Plus, the next loads are lined up in advance. This is too small a sample to be definitive, but so far they're the most efficient people I've run for.
When the other day another driver took my load, he told me my trailer was crap. I was surprised, because I was used to hauling junk worse than that. I was also pleased--Courtney had already told me that he'd told her that, and is going to send me someplace to get a better one.
My trailer is functional but has a freakish amount of rust for an '07, and some old sidewall repairs that he said were substandard. The company wants to look good: cool. More practicly speaking, the corrosion came into play vs. me when I tried to move the sliders with a load on. First I had to beat the pins out with my sledge hammer, and then it took a running start to make them slide.
Common enough for any trucker--but one with a newer-looking undercarriage usually slides better.
Anyway, I made it to the shipper 30 minutes before they closed despite horrendous traffic and a bad route I plotted because I had no time to waste (ran over some curbs, bullied spastic 4-wheelers, etc.) (OK I just mean that I had to take wide turns and they had to stop short when they saw me; you have to move quickly sometimes to make sure they see you before they seal you off from the rest of your turn).
This one came from Lansdale, PA here to Apex NC. It delivers monday. I'd planned to hit a truckstop, but got bad info (plus failed to do my normal research-my bad) and my truckstops had no parking for me.
It's a real nice area with woods, though. I'm secure here near their back fence. I'd prefer to be inside and on a door already, but it's fenced off, so I'll have to wake up at 0645 monday. Probably later I'll search for Wal-Marts so I can restock my food (I'm out). This is a secure drive with the reciever's company trailers parked in it, so I can slap a padlock on it and drop it for an hour or so.
This load paid about a buck a mile. That's a backhaul rate, but Courtney needed to get me to a better area, plus to get me to the next load she wanted me on--which pays a great deal more.
Plus, her buck a mile isn't the same as my former company's buck a mile. When they said it's a buck a mile, they meant gross. I'd do the math in my head for 72% of that. When Courtney gave me the total pay (which I calculated at 1.00/mile), she meant "to the truck"--what I would get paid. So far, my two backhauls paid 20% more than the ones I got from my old company.
My former company finally responded to my email in which I warned them that I was about to go to the Attorney General and seek other legal remedies. "Warning" is the right word, since they're embroiled in a civil war there, and my side was chosen for me. Junior is owed 90k, for example--and he's the guy I'm bugging for money.
I was finally able to talk to him, and found this out. He's also apparantly re-checked my application, as he was careful of what he said, like I might be taping him or something. When I asked him: "Would my going after them from the outside help you or hurt you?", he said "I'd never tell you what to do, but basicly all that would happen would be all the creditors would come in and it's get broken up." "Bankruptcy?" "Yes, that's what the assholes would do".
Junior is trying to hold onto at least twenty company trucks as they dissolve the old company and form a new one in which he has bottom-line authority and control of the books. He needs those trucks so he can hold onto certain of his contracts. If I sic any dogs on them, it probably means they lose all the trucks and trailers, too.
AND we probably never get paid anyway.
All the same, I did get 250 from them, which I was able to put on my repair bill. I still asked Courtney for 1800, because I was close to empty, and the 35% I'd get put onto my fuel card (like a debit card, plus we use it at the pump) wouldn't be enough to keep me out of trouble. Plus I'd had a flat re-inflated, and if it didn't hold air I'd need to get it patched.
I'm still running underwater here, flat broke, in debt, etc., but feel great. I made it all the way here without any electrical issues, so at least Philly Freightliner did a proper job of it. The new harness is warranteed. My APU is running fine. Got a load right away and a high-paying one monday. Can go shopping tomorrow and be all set.
I haven't added everything up yet, but I know I owe Courtney 827 for the tow, 1800 for the repair, and at least 500 for the hotel. They were very interested in when I'd mailed in my first bills, and I get the distinct impression I've really dented their operating fund; they need that cash-flow.
I want to have them just intercept all of my settlement checks til I'm square, but I got my monthlies coming due--however half would be no problem. All I need is enough to retain internet/prepass for weigh stations, BestPass for tolls, Driver's Legal, Lifelock, etc., and otherwise don't spend much (except for hotels--which I won't for now, and hope I'll be too busy to consider.)
They haven't addressed that with me yet. I could also send them a check or e-check. That way I could calculate my balance and bills and send them everything I wouldn't need. They might not have an easy way to intercept monies to drivers for legal reasons or something.
I don't care! Repaying them is priority one and who cares how? And I CAN--I just love being in control again!
When I get my next load, I'll feel even better. So far, I haven't been able to "shop around" (http://www.findfuelstops.com/?gclid=COmQ45mB0ZkCFR9hnAodCVnytw) for my fuel. Last time I got 60 gallons and paid an extra 20cents per gallon because I couldn't make it here.
My next load will put enough on my fuel card (paid when you pick up the load--a kind of advance) to top of here where it's cheap. This will give me a 1200-1400 mile range, and I should be off and running; all set for controlling my fuel costs from then on.
Junior and Ed at my former company appear to be more sympathetic to me now, and Ed said to call back monday, as they expect to have some larger payments ready by then.
I've heard that before, and the reason I was angry enough to try to take them down was the fact that I've heard it about eight times, and each time...nevermind old news. But now I'm quite sure: The assholes promise Junior. He promises me. They stiff Junior. He stiffs me. I blame Junior, but it's not him.
Now I feel bad about ever yelling at anybody there. Except Dee, the bookkeeper. She and her boss are corporate raiding crooks.
I was tempted to ask for a small percentage of the new company in lieu of what I'm owed, but hate complications, and want to keep my head down.
Anyway, I'm just so lucky. Yeah the last couple weeks were hell, but they didn't cut me loose and now my harness is solid from top to bottom. Now I'm back and running--and I'm GLAD that awhile ago I got rejected by other companies, because these guys pay better, keep deadheads low, and so far keep me really busy. No Qualcom or other BS.
Yeah it'll take awhile to rebuild my maintenance fund and stuff, but every mile I run takes me closer. Life is good.
So far, by the way, I've only run (in one case partly run) three loads for them, but I don't think I've deadheaded over 35 miles once. Plus, the next loads are lined up in advance. This is too small a sample to be definitive, but so far they're the most efficient people I've run for.
When the other day another driver took my load, he told me my trailer was crap. I was surprised, because I was used to hauling junk worse than that. I was also pleased--Courtney had already told me that he'd told her that, and is going to send me someplace to get a better one.
My trailer is functional but has a freakish amount of rust for an '07, and some old sidewall repairs that he said were substandard. The company wants to look good: cool. More practicly speaking, the corrosion came into play vs. me when I tried to move the sliders with a load on. First I had to beat the pins out with my sledge hammer, and then it took a running start to make them slide.
Common enough for any trucker--but one with a newer-looking undercarriage usually slides better.
Anyway, I made it to the shipper 30 minutes before they closed despite horrendous traffic and a bad route I plotted because I had no time to waste (ran over some curbs, bullied spastic 4-wheelers, etc.) (OK I just mean that I had to take wide turns and they had to stop short when they saw me; you have to move quickly sometimes to make sure they see you before they seal you off from the rest of your turn).
This one came from Lansdale, PA here to Apex NC. It delivers monday. I'd planned to hit a truckstop, but got bad info (plus failed to do my normal research-my bad) and my truckstops had no parking for me.
It's a real nice area with woods, though. I'm secure here near their back fence. I'd prefer to be inside and on a door already, but it's fenced off, so I'll have to wake up at 0645 monday. Probably later I'll search for Wal-Marts so I can restock my food (I'm out). This is a secure drive with the reciever's company trailers parked in it, so I can slap a padlock on it and drop it for an hour or so.
This load paid about a buck a mile. That's a backhaul rate, but Courtney needed to get me to a better area, plus to get me to the next load she wanted me on--which pays a great deal more.
Plus, her buck a mile isn't the same as my former company's buck a mile. When they said it's a buck a mile, they meant gross. I'd do the math in my head for 72% of that. When Courtney gave me the total pay (which I calculated at 1.00/mile), she meant "to the truck"--what I would get paid. So far, my two backhauls paid 20% more than the ones I got from my old company.
My former company finally responded to my email in which I warned them that I was about to go to the Attorney General and seek other legal remedies. "Warning" is the right word, since they're embroiled in a civil war there, and my side was chosen for me. Junior is owed 90k, for example--and he's the guy I'm bugging for money.
I was finally able to talk to him, and found this out. He's also apparantly re-checked my application, as he was careful of what he said, like I might be taping him or something. When I asked him: "Would my going after them from the outside help you or hurt you?", he said "I'd never tell you what to do, but basicly all that would happen would be all the creditors would come in and it's get broken up." "Bankruptcy?" "Yes, that's what the assholes would do".
Junior is trying to hold onto at least twenty company trucks as they dissolve the old company and form a new one in which he has bottom-line authority and control of the books. He needs those trucks so he can hold onto certain of his contracts. If I sic any dogs on them, it probably means they lose all the trucks and trailers, too.
AND we probably never get paid anyway.
All the same, I did get 250 from them, which I was able to put on my repair bill. I still asked Courtney for 1800, because I was close to empty, and the 35% I'd get put onto my fuel card (like a debit card, plus we use it at the pump) wouldn't be enough to keep me out of trouble. Plus I'd had a flat re-inflated, and if it didn't hold air I'd need to get it patched.
I'm still running underwater here, flat broke, in debt, etc., but feel great. I made it all the way here without any electrical issues, so at least Philly Freightliner did a proper job of it. The new harness is warranteed. My APU is running fine. Got a load right away and a high-paying one monday. Can go shopping tomorrow and be all set.
I haven't added everything up yet, but I know I owe Courtney 827 for the tow, 1800 for the repair, and at least 500 for the hotel. They were very interested in when I'd mailed in my first bills, and I get the distinct impression I've really dented their operating fund; they need that cash-flow.
I want to have them just intercept all of my settlement checks til I'm square, but I got my monthlies coming due--however half would be no problem. All I need is enough to retain internet/prepass for weigh stations, BestPass for tolls, Driver's Legal, Lifelock, etc., and otherwise don't spend much (except for hotels--which I won't for now, and hope I'll be too busy to consider.)
They haven't addressed that with me yet. I could also send them a check or e-check. That way I could calculate my balance and bills and send them everything I wouldn't need. They might not have an easy way to intercept monies to drivers for legal reasons or something.
I don't care! Repaying them is priority one and who cares how? And I CAN--I just love being in control again!
When I get my next load, I'll feel even better. So far, I haven't been able to "shop around" (http://www.findfuelstops.com/?gclid=COmQ45mB0ZkCFR9hnAodCVnytw) for my fuel. Last time I got 60 gallons and paid an extra 20cents per gallon because I couldn't make it here.
My next load will put enough on my fuel card (paid when you pick up the load--a kind of advance) to top of here where it's cheap. This will give me a 1200-1400 mile range, and I should be off and running; all set for controlling my fuel costs from then on.
Junior and Ed at my former company appear to be more sympathetic to me now, and Ed said to call back monday, as they expect to have some larger payments ready by then.
I've heard that before, and the reason I was angry enough to try to take them down was the fact that I've heard it about eight times, and each time...nevermind old news. But now I'm quite sure: The assholes promise Junior. He promises me. They stiff Junior. He stiffs me. I blame Junior, but it's not him.
Now I feel bad about ever yelling at anybody there. Except Dee, the bookkeeper. She and her boss are corporate raiding crooks.
I was tempted to ask for a small percentage of the new company in lieu of what I'm owed, but hate complications, and want to keep my head down.
Anyway, I'm just so lucky. Yeah the last couple weeks were hell, but they didn't cut me loose and now my harness is solid from top to bottom. Now I'm back and running--and I'm GLAD that awhile ago I got rejected by other companies, because these guys pay better, keep deadheads low, and so far keep me really busy. No Qualcom or other BS.
Yeah it'll take awhile to rebuild my maintenance fund and stuff, but every mile I run takes me closer. Life is good.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Reality Is
Believe it or not, the rest of my harness was alledly delivered today, but of course the work wasn't done, so here I am again.
Big surprise: At 4 pm Ed at Jamestown tod me Junior was gone. I said "Oh--we're doing this again?" and Ed hollered that I should call "that bitch from hell" and hung up on me.
Ed's explosion didn't bother me--that's just Ed. It told me, however, that he himself was boiling over, because the intra-company cabal was STILL screwing everybody!
I did just what he suggseted, and called the bitch from hell. I told her that at noon tomorrow I was calling the attorney general and tha they were about to get investigated. (Ed might have made a mistake hanging up on me.)
Afterward, when Brian the desk guy at Philly Freightliner (which should be avoided at all costs) almost predictably informed me that my truck wouldn't be ready til tomorrow--I called Courtney.
While updating her and asking for more money (dammit), I also asked her: If she were stiffing her drivers, who would scare her. (She knows all about my situation. Since she's shelling out for all this, I'm sure she's kinda irked too). She conlulted her associate Corina, who I gather has some legal background. They'll get back to me.
Meanwhile, I can't trip over nickels on my way to dollars, and will focus on running all the loads I can get for them.
They can't get away with this. It's war now. But I can do what I need to on the internet and phone without losing one precious mile. I care less for the money now than I do about justice.
I emailed Randy and Brian--I don't know if my actions will help or hurt the good people at my former company, and I'm asking them to either tell me to back off, or to help me.
Since all along Junior could have at least approved some smaller payments, I think I'm being about as reasonable as I can. 100 drivers got stiffed. That's a class-action suit, aint it? What am I missing here?
Big surprise: At 4 pm Ed at Jamestown tod me Junior was gone. I said "Oh--we're doing this again?" and Ed hollered that I should call "that bitch from hell" and hung up on me.
Ed's explosion didn't bother me--that's just Ed. It told me, however, that he himself was boiling over, because the intra-company cabal was STILL screwing everybody!
I did just what he suggseted, and called the bitch from hell. I told her that at noon tomorrow I was calling the attorney general and tha they were about to get investigated. (Ed might have made a mistake hanging up on me.)
Afterward, when Brian the desk guy at Philly Freightliner (which should be avoided at all costs) almost predictably informed me that my truck wouldn't be ready til tomorrow--I called Courtney.
While updating her and asking for more money (dammit), I also asked her: If she were stiffing her drivers, who would scare her. (She knows all about my situation. Since she's shelling out for all this, I'm sure she's kinda irked too). She conlulted her associate Corina, who I gather has some legal background. They'll get back to me.
Meanwhile, I can't trip over nickels on my way to dollars, and will focus on running all the loads I can get for them.
They can't get away with this. It's war now. But I can do what I need to on the internet and phone without losing one precious mile. I care less for the money now than I do about justice.
I emailed Randy and Brian--I don't know if my actions will help or hurt the good people at my former company, and I'm asking them to either tell me to back off, or to help me.
Since all along Junior could have at least approved some smaller payments, I think I'm being about as reasonable as I can. 100 drivers got stiffed. That's a class-action suit, aint it? What am I missing here?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
DAMMIT
Now they say that MOST of my new engine wiring harness was delivered, but not all of it! And they can't find the rest of it! OK I got an 'o4 and it's a Mercedes I got that this harness isn't common anymore--but...now I got part of it but not all of it...
I've been aware that THEY have been out to destroy me ever since in some past life I did something real bad or something...but...are you KIDDING ME? Every freaking time I think it can't get worse it DOES!
The guy told me that if the "rest of" the harness doesn't show up in a second Fedex "overnight" shipment tomorrow, it could take up to another WEEEEEEKKKK to get the rest of it! They can't "find" it on the internet. They say it "doesn't exist, unless that's because it's in transit...but it did exist when we ordered it, but didn't show up with the rest of the harness"...
Nothing makes my blood boil more than a bunch of people kicking and stomping somebody after they've stopped moving. I mean, it's just so evil and sick. The cruelty is beyond my comprehension.
Goddammit get up off me you bastards!
I've been aware that THEY have been out to destroy me ever since in some past life I did something real bad or something...but...are you KIDDING ME? Every freaking time I think it can't get worse it DOES!
The guy told me that if the "rest of" the harness doesn't show up in a second Fedex "overnight" shipment tomorrow, it could take up to another WEEEEEEKKKK to get the rest of it! They can't "find" it on the internet. They say it "doesn't exist, unless that's because it's in transit...but it did exist when we ordered it, but didn't show up with the rest of the harness"...
Nothing makes my blood boil more than a bunch of people kicking and stomping somebody after they've stopped moving. I mean, it's just so evil and sick. The cruelty is beyond my comprehension.
Goddammit get up off me you bastards!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
I Think I See Light...
What I'm owed:
Ok friday, saturday, and yesterday I made a project of getting some part of the 2,600 my old company owes me. I called at 9:30, then: I was told they had to wait for Junior to get there. Then I was told that he was on the phone and they hadn't had a chance to ask him yet. I was told this five or six more times, then was told that Junior was gone for the day.
Now yesterday was different. Brian told me they were waiting for a big cash transfer. Until he was gone for the day and I was told to call back this morning.
This morning Brian said the transfer went through, but he has to ask Junior how much of it I can get. First and second time, Junior wasn't there yet. Now Junior is there, but Brian hadn't had a chance to talk to him. HERE WE GO AGAIN.
I emailed Randy, who does their hiring and compliance stuff and is a trucker himself. I asked him to print the email out and put it on Junior's desk.
It's obviously a shell-game, but I'm pretty sure Randy will do that for me. Brian kind of confirmed it by telling me that he was alone at dispatch today, so it would "be awhile". That meant it would be never. Junior will be on the phone or in a meeting all day, until finally he has gone home, and I'm out in the cold again--and all the money that was deposited will be gone.
Herbie needs a new wiring harness, plus an air valve blew out. They have to order it from Memphis. They'll get it done tomorrow afternoon sometime and the estimate is a little under 2 grand...which is 600 bucks less than what I should HAVE NOW, DAMMIT!
Courtney and Corina (or Korina--not sure) have been very cool about this, and will cover it as an advance if I'm not able to get some of the money I've been owed for over three months. It's infuriating.
I'll have no problem paying it back quickly once I'm running, though. The reason I see light is the fact that I'd been planning to replace the harness anyway. Herbie's got over 740,000 miles on him, and I've taken excellent care of him so he's in great shape. The problem is, there's not much you can do about wiring. It WILL corrode, and 700,000 miles is about where the problems start.
This is why I was "fixed", and then broke again. It wasn't the same connection. The corrosion is generally uniform. You see the condition of one connection, and you have a good idea of what the rest look like.
I see light because with a new harness, it's my major preventive maintenance issue knocked out for the life of Herbie, and should be Mister reliable again.
I got lucky on the air leak too: My gas-operated fifth-wheel jaws were failing to work, etc. and that's why: the line burst while they were working on it. For some reason, when compressed air failed to open the jaws, it locked up, and it took a lot of grappling and shifting to get out from under a trailer.
Courtney sort of shocked me by calling me saturday and asking if I was okay for money. In this business, dispatchers don't do that. They want to know about the equipment and stuff, but if you need help personally, you need to call them. Anyway, that was very cool.
I suspect that she may have read this or something--which would also shock me. I mean, my own brothers never read it.
Anyway, they've gone out of my way to tell me not to worry about the money, and that I'm not "going anywhere".
It's still just rediculously assenine that I HAVE TO get advances from them when...
The hell with it.
Ok friday, saturday, and yesterday I made a project of getting some part of the 2,600 my old company owes me. I called at 9:30, then: I was told they had to wait for Junior to get there. Then I was told that he was on the phone and they hadn't had a chance to ask him yet. I was told this five or six more times, then was told that Junior was gone for the day.
Now yesterday was different. Brian told me they were waiting for a big cash transfer. Until he was gone for the day and I was told to call back this morning.
This morning Brian said the transfer went through, but he has to ask Junior how much of it I can get. First and second time, Junior wasn't there yet. Now Junior is there, but Brian hadn't had a chance to talk to him. HERE WE GO AGAIN.
I emailed Randy, who does their hiring and compliance stuff and is a trucker himself. I asked him to print the email out and put it on Junior's desk.
It's obviously a shell-game, but I'm pretty sure Randy will do that for me. Brian kind of confirmed it by telling me that he was alone at dispatch today, so it would "be awhile". That meant it would be never. Junior will be on the phone or in a meeting all day, until finally he has gone home, and I'm out in the cold again--and all the money that was deposited will be gone.
Herbie needs a new wiring harness, plus an air valve blew out. They have to order it from Memphis. They'll get it done tomorrow afternoon sometime and the estimate is a little under 2 grand...which is 600 bucks less than what I should HAVE NOW, DAMMIT!
Courtney and Corina (or Korina--not sure) have been very cool about this, and will cover it as an advance if I'm not able to get some of the money I've been owed for over three months. It's infuriating.
I'll have no problem paying it back quickly once I'm running, though. The reason I see light is the fact that I'd been planning to replace the harness anyway. Herbie's got over 740,000 miles on him, and I've taken excellent care of him so he's in great shape. The problem is, there's not much you can do about wiring. It WILL corrode, and 700,000 miles is about where the problems start.
This is why I was "fixed", and then broke again. It wasn't the same connection. The corrosion is generally uniform. You see the condition of one connection, and you have a good idea of what the rest look like.
I see light because with a new harness, it's my major preventive maintenance issue knocked out for the life of Herbie, and should be Mister reliable again.
I got lucky on the air leak too: My gas-operated fifth-wheel jaws were failing to work, etc. and that's why: the line burst while they were working on it. For some reason, when compressed air failed to open the jaws, it locked up, and it took a lot of grappling and shifting to get out from under a trailer.
Courtney sort of shocked me by calling me saturday and asking if I was okay for money. In this business, dispatchers don't do that. They want to know about the equipment and stuff, but if you need help personally, you need to call them. Anyway, that was very cool.
I suspect that she may have read this or something--which would also shock me. I mean, my own brothers never read it.
Anyway, they've gone out of my way to tell me not to worry about the money, and that I'm not "going anywhere".
It's still just rediculously assenine that I HAVE TO get advances from them when...
The hell with it.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
It Just Keeps Getting Better!
When I called this Dealership from my stranded truck on the turnpike, they told me they could look at my truck the next morning. When I woke up as they opened their gates and went in, I was told that they were swamped. All day they never got my truck in, and now the weekend boss has informed me that they will get to my truck monday morning.
I had to call my agent and tell her this. She sounded weary. That's just peachy.
I called my old company six times yesterday dogging them for money. They gave me Dee's number. Dee is the "bookkeeper" for the intra-company cabal which has to be committing a crime by withholding the money, and left two messages for her begging for the money I'm owed.
I can't do anything about the late load, but my blood is boiling about the fact that I'm personally on life-support and will have to take advances from the people who gave me my first load for them about five days ago to bail out the trailer and truck! I swore I'd never be in this situation again, I did everything right, and now here I am! THREE MONTHS I held out--how can you get burned with a 90-day pad plus 1800 bucks I've spent for repairs? Are you kidding me?
I can't stay in my truck. They lock it in at night. I have to stay here at the hotel. I found just enough for one more night in my corp. account--so now my monthly billables will come up "nsf"--50 in my personal account, and 150 on my comdata card which I'm supposed to use for fuel.
I need to talk to Junior. He's not the bad guy and is caught in the middle of this (they owe HIM money too!). I don't want to hurt him, and need to find out if going after them legally will harm him, Ed, or the other good people who work there. I know it's too small an amout for a lawsuit, but maybe the Ohio Attorney General or some commission would be interested in auditing them.
After another call to Dee, restating my desperate situation and plea, I called Brian at my former company. I said I knew who the bad guys were and had called them. I asked for anything I could get. Brian was obviously busy because I got the "uh-huh" parade as I spoke. No doubt my situation is common knowlege there, and in reality the fact that I'm not with them anymore has probably put me at the bottom of the pay-list.
He said I should call back after 11:00.
I don't know that I've ever been in such an outrageous situation before. Yeah--the truck thing could have happened at any time and is just sort of an act of God. But my agents shouldn't have to cramp their budget to PAY for it TOO when...
Well, I'm being redundant again, and apologize to anybody who might accidentally read this.
Now I take a shower and go visit Herbie. I've got a fridge in the room so I can take food out of my truck's fridge and at least not pay for food. Plus I think I've got some change lying around.
I'll pay for saturday night with my Corp. Card and put it on ice, withdraw 50 and 100 from the ATM. If my former company can squeeze out any money for me in a comcheck, I can sign that over to pay part of my repair or tow bills.
Dammit.
I had to call my agent and tell her this. She sounded weary. That's just peachy.
I called my old company six times yesterday dogging them for money. They gave me Dee's number. Dee is the "bookkeeper" for the intra-company cabal which has to be committing a crime by withholding the money, and left two messages for her begging for the money I'm owed.
I can't do anything about the late load, but my blood is boiling about the fact that I'm personally on life-support and will have to take advances from the people who gave me my first load for them about five days ago to bail out the trailer and truck! I swore I'd never be in this situation again, I did everything right, and now here I am! THREE MONTHS I held out--how can you get burned with a 90-day pad plus 1800 bucks I've spent for repairs? Are you kidding me?
I can't stay in my truck. They lock it in at night. I have to stay here at the hotel. I found just enough for one more night in my corp. account--so now my monthly billables will come up "nsf"--50 in my personal account, and 150 on my comdata card which I'm supposed to use for fuel.
I need to talk to Junior. He's not the bad guy and is caught in the middle of this (they owe HIM money too!). I don't want to hurt him, and need to find out if going after them legally will harm him, Ed, or the other good people who work there. I know it's too small an amout for a lawsuit, but maybe the Ohio Attorney General or some commission would be interested in auditing them.
After another call to Dee, restating my desperate situation and plea, I called Brian at my former company. I said I knew who the bad guys were and had called them. I asked for anything I could get. Brian was obviously busy because I got the "uh-huh" parade as I spoke. No doubt my situation is common knowlege there, and in reality the fact that I'm not with them anymore has probably put me at the bottom of the pay-list.
He said I should call back after 11:00.
I don't know that I've ever been in such an outrageous situation before. Yeah--the truck thing could have happened at any time and is just sort of an act of God. But my agents shouldn't have to cramp their budget to PAY for it TOO when...
Well, I'm being redundant again, and apologize to anybody who might accidentally read this.
Now I take a shower and go visit Herbie. I've got a fridge in the room so I can take food out of my truck's fridge and at least not pay for food. Plus I think I've got some change lying around.
I'll pay for saturday night with my Corp. Card and put it on ice, withdraw 50 and 100 from the ATM. If my former company can squeeze out any money for me in a comcheck, I can sign that over to pay part of my repair or tow bills.
Dammit.
Friday, July 9, 2010
THEM
Happened again. On Jersey pike. Never break down on Jersey Turnpike. Towing restricted to certain contractors.
This time I had a load. Had to drop the trailer at the towing yard and get towed to a Freightliner in Philly. I was flat broke from the last time and had to get an 800.00 advance from Dispatch to bover the tow bill. Storage is 75.00/day. 400.00 of the tow bill was for the two from their yard to here: 14 miles, calculated by my truck-specific GPS router, which I took out of the truck and showed them. The boss's answer was to repeat "Four hundred".
Some people, when they know they've got you, take all they can get, and sleep like a baby. What a wonderful world this could be if we could weed them out. Put them on an island with others like them. Boy would THAT be a great reality show!!!
Freightliner can't look at it til this afternoon. I suggested an exorcist. I'll have to borrow more to cover repairs and bail out the trailer. THEY must have read my last blog and been dissatisfied with merely breaking me--I'm real hard to bum out.
Meanwhile I owe Road use taxes and am collecting toll bills. I call my former company daily and am daily told that they can't pay me any part of the TWO THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED BUCKS they owe me.
I got one ray of hope this time. I smelled burning wires before the permafailure. It might have been another truck, but if it was mine, they'll find it quickly, and have a strong clue as to what caused it.
Oh...and I got a flat tire...one of the new expensive ones. It's intact, at least.
I found a few bucks left in one account and walked to this hotel. Dammit I sweated about two gallons, they don't have a shower, and lately people can't seem to stand looking at me. I think I look like a bad combination of rage and self-pity.
My agents aren't set up to subsidize drivers. They have a budget. This might be hurting them more than it does me, and I can't stand it.
I told the guy at Freightliner to make sure this wouldn't happen again. I'll wait til 2 pm and call my former company again. They'll tell me the same thing, and I'll do some arm-twisting and take what I can get. If/when I DO get a good chunk of what they owe me, at least I can repay some of what I'll owe the agent.
Otherwise, I already told them they could take half of my pay--probably more. I do need to cover those bills--and get two tires before too long, but I don't have other expenses. They seem to be able to keep me running--not many deadhead miles, nor much time between runs, so I should "get right" in a matter of weeks.
That's it. No Family Reunion, probably no Thanksgiving or Xmas. I'm running hard the rest of this year. What if I break down again? Beyond the bills, I have to be ready for stuff like this. I always was...til my former company stopped paying me and I "bled out"...dammit.
This time I had a load. Had to drop the trailer at the towing yard and get towed to a Freightliner in Philly. I was flat broke from the last time and had to get an 800.00 advance from Dispatch to bover the tow bill. Storage is 75.00/day. 400.00 of the tow bill was for the two from their yard to here: 14 miles, calculated by my truck-specific GPS router, which I took out of the truck and showed them. The boss's answer was to repeat "Four hundred".
Some people, when they know they've got you, take all they can get, and sleep like a baby. What a wonderful world this could be if we could weed them out. Put them on an island with others like them. Boy would THAT be a great reality show!!!
Freightliner can't look at it til this afternoon. I suggested an exorcist. I'll have to borrow more to cover repairs and bail out the trailer. THEY must have read my last blog and been dissatisfied with merely breaking me--I'm real hard to bum out.
Meanwhile I owe Road use taxes and am collecting toll bills. I call my former company daily and am daily told that they can't pay me any part of the TWO THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED BUCKS they owe me.
I got one ray of hope this time. I smelled burning wires before the permafailure. It might have been another truck, but if it was mine, they'll find it quickly, and have a strong clue as to what caused it.
Oh...and I got a flat tire...one of the new expensive ones. It's intact, at least.
I found a few bucks left in one account and walked to this hotel. Dammit I sweated about two gallons, they don't have a shower, and lately people can't seem to stand looking at me. I think I look like a bad combination of rage and self-pity.
My agents aren't set up to subsidize drivers. They have a budget. This might be hurting them more than it does me, and I can't stand it.
I told the guy at Freightliner to make sure this wouldn't happen again. I'll wait til 2 pm and call my former company again. They'll tell me the same thing, and I'll do some arm-twisting and take what I can get. If/when I DO get a good chunk of what they owe me, at least I can repay some of what I'll owe the agent.
Otherwise, I already told them they could take half of my pay--probably more. I do need to cover those bills--and get two tires before too long, but I don't have other expenses. They seem to be able to keep me running--not many deadhead miles, nor much time between runs, so I should "get right" in a matter of weeks.
That's it. No Family Reunion, probably no Thanksgiving or Xmas. I'm running hard the rest of this year. What if I break down again? Beyond the bills, I have to be ready for stuff like this. I always was...til my former company stopped paying me and I "bled out"...dammit.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Herbie wasn't brain dead. The problem took a lot of exploratory surgery to locate, but was a butt connector. I didn't think Herbie had a butt, and am going nuts trying to figure out what it's connected to, but I didn't ask.
I checked my accounts and found a total of 890 bucks between them. The bill was 855. So I made it without having to ask my brand new company to advance me money right away.
I personally get irked with drivers who need money immediately ASAP each and every week. How can you stand living like that? I never cared if it took 2 or 3 weeks--just get it in the pipeline, and meanwhile I'll get the one before it, and I've got some saved.
But this time it's different. My comfort margin is all gone. I got food for awhile...
They got me a load out here to western NY pretty quick. It was short, heavy, and I think pays peanuts, but I understand they're just moving me, and I'll get my better loads. The two I missed because of Herbie's siezure were good ones.
My former company still has not paid me any of the 2600 they owe me.
I checked my accounts and found a total of 890 bucks between them. The bill was 855. So I made it without having to ask my brand new company to advance me money right away.
I personally get irked with drivers who need money immediately ASAP each and every week. How can you stand living like that? I never cared if it took 2 or 3 weeks--just get it in the pipeline, and meanwhile I'll get the one before it, and I've got some saved.
But this time it's different. My comfort margin is all gone. I got food for awhile...
They got me a load out here to western NY pretty quick. It was short, heavy, and I think pays peanuts, but I understand they're just moving me, and I'll get my better loads. The two I missed because of Herbie's siezure were good ones.
My former company still has not paid me any of the 2600 they owe me.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
THEM again.
The ECU is the electronic control unit (module), or Herbie's brain.
After finding my first load to Cambridge undeliverable, being directed to an intermediary warehouse to deliver my one pallet, and heading out for my pickup going to WV, the stalling came back with a vengeance, and finally shut me down for good.
I had had it pegged as a bad connection, but after resetting the computer and turning the key to "on", the check engine light remains on, and the screen says "ECU 12 8". It's telling me that after shut down and reset, and without the engine running, the ECU is malfunctioning.
Herbie is brain-dead.
THEY did this, of course. Waited until I finally got a new job with a great company, and was on my very first load to trigger this failure. Well, THEY were a little late, since I delivered that first load (preserving my perfect record...I mean perfect except for the time my clutch went out). (I have NEVER failed to deliver...except then. Even when I had other breakdowns, I managed to get it fixed or else limp down the home-stretch. Once I even had a towtruck go out if it's way to drop my trailer at the reciever the night before the appt. time.)
The tougher part is this: My former comany still owes me 2600 bucks and has still not paid me, and I won't have enough to cover the repairs!!!
I hate this. After being the thing that wouldn't go away and becoming a trucker, I've never needed help. I took care of my own problems, and made sure I had the money saved to cover it.
Now I might well have to ask for a big advance from Medallion. I THINK they'll do it, but this is a hell of a way to start a new gig: In the hole.
Well the towtruck driver just called--gotta get ready. At least the place I found is only 7 miles away.
After finding my first load to Cambridge undeliverable, being directed to an intermediary warehouse to deliver my one pallet, and heading out for my pickup going to WV, the stalling came back with a vengeance, and finally shut me down for good.
I had had it pegged as a bad connection, but after resetting the computer and turning the key to "on", the check engine light remains on, and the screen says "ECU 12 8". It's telling me that after shut down and reset, and without the engine running, the ECU is malfunctioning.
Herbie is brain-dead.
THEY did this, of course. Waited until I finally got a new job with a great company, and was on my very first load to trigger this failure. Well, THEY were a little late, since I delivered that first load (preserving my perfect record...I mean perfect except for the time my clutch went out). (I have NEVER failed to deliver...except then. Even when I had other breakdowns, I managed to get it fixed or else limp down the home-stretch. Once I even had a towtruck go out if it's way to drop my trailer at the reciever the night before the appt. time.)
The tougher part is this: My former comany still owes me 2600 bucks and has still not paid me, and I won't have enough to cover the repairs!!!
I hate this. After being the thing that wouldn't go away and becoming a trucker, I've never needed help. I took care of my own problems, and made sure I had the money saved to cover it.
Now I might well have to ask for a big advance from Medallion. I THINK they'll do it, but this is a hell of a way to start a new gig: In the hole.
Well the towtruck driver just called--gotta get ready. At least the place I found is only 7 miles away.
The Other Shoe
Well, my cruise kept disengaging. Then the disengagements became stalls. I strongly suspect an electrical problem, since an issue presenting some of the same symptoms was repaired five weeks ago. Prior to finding that genius in Cincinnati, I'd been told that I needed to replace all my injectors and that they'd have to replace my wiring harness.
It was a plug/connection, but I don't know the exact location.
But I got here to Cambridge, MA.
Can't get the truck in. In seven years I have never failed to deliver, and here we go: My first load with this company, and I got mechanical issues AND can't deliver.
I don't get paid to unload, but would break it up and take it in piece-by-piece if I had one guy helping me--but they won't. Plus, it's 1200 lbs. I might not be ABLE to do it; the boxes might be too heavy, and insurance won't let an employee into my truck.
Jeez...and I already told the company about my stalling issues. They have me heading to west VA from here for a load going to Cinci, so that I can get the genius to fix me. I get the feeling that I can control the problem by shutting down every couple hours. You know--drive like most truckers do: from truckstop-to-truckstop).
The only other option would be a Freightliner, and they'd shut me down for awhile, plus hose me--and I haven't got much money yet.
The heat-wave up here doesn't help, since it seems like heat makes it worse.
Well, I called the reciever's emergency number, looked over the bay's equipment and found out nobody would help me even if I could break up the pallet, called dispatch, and now I wait.
It was a plug/connection, but I don't know the exact location.
But I got here to Cambridge, MA.
Can't get the truck in. In seven years I have never failed to deliver, and here we go: My first load with this company, and I got mechanical issues AND can't deliver.
I don't get paid to unload, but would break it up and take it in piece-by-piece if I had one guy helping me--but they won't. Plus, it's 1200 lbs. I might not be ABLE to do it; the boxes might be too heavy, and insurance won't let an employee into my truck.
Jeez...and I already told the company about my stalling issues. They have me heading to west VA from here for a load going to Cinci, so that I can get the genius to fix me. I get the feeling that I can control the problem by shutting down every couple hours. You know--drive like most truckers do: from truckstop-to-truckstop).
The only other option would be a Freightliner, and they'd shut me down for awhile, plus hose me--and I haven't got much money yet.
The heat-wave up here doesn't help, since it seems like heat makes it worse.
Well, I called the reciever's emergency number, looked over the bay's equipment and found out nobody would help me even if I could break up the pallet, called dispatch, and now I wait.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Other Stuff I Got
1: Electronic cigarrettes from AZsmokefree.com After getting stuff from truckstops and China on-line, I found a lot of them that didn't work well or consistantly. But the "pen style" vaporizers and batteries I got from this company were the best--at a competitive price.
The ones at Pilot Truckstops also work pretty well, but are a little pricier. If you look around and order from China, they're extremely cheap, but also extremely crappy. After just ordering five or more of everything in order to find one or three units that worked, I got sick of fooling around, and got lucky with AZ Smoke free.
These things vaporize a diluted nicotine solution, and you inhale the steam. It delivers nicotine. I first got one so that I could go to a hotel bar and smoke, but when I tried it, I instantly quit cigarrettes-automaticly.
The ones at the truckstops expect you to buy pre-loaded cartridges for an outrageous price. The cartridge (called "cart" in slang) is the mouthpiece. The vaporizer is the part which contains a heating element, and the cartridge is inserted into it. The end you insert contains padding, which is saturated with the nicotine solution.
You buy your own solution! Less than 20 bucks for 30 ml, which lasts me 6-8 weeks! Then you can just drip some more into the padding and re-use your cartridges. Eventually the cartridges get dirty, and you just replace them. I got a bunch of "blank" cartridges (from China--they're fine).
The tubular, cigarrette-like battery screws into the vaporizer.
The batteries I got from China had some sort of timing program, and they sucked. ALL of them.
I tried other types of electronic cigarrettes. The industrial strength "screwdriver" type worked great, but wore out quickly. On this type, you have to press a button to activate the vaporizer. Predictably, the switch wears out.
Another type has the cartridge and battery in the same piece. I don't like them. Not much vapor, and you get nicotine in your mouth. I always seem to come back to the pen style.
This company sells starter kits, of course. Personally, if I were just starting out, I'd augment these. I'd get extra blank cartridges and batteries, and make sure I got at least two vaporizers (nothing lasts forever). Also, a good supply for "e-liquid" (do a separate search to find the cheapest).
Always charge each battery for a full eight hours before the first use, regardless of what the charger-indicator says. If you don't, it's possible for the battery's "chip" to think it's charged when it's not, and not allow you to get a full charge.
Now, I don't have to clean my windshield weekly, smell like cigarettes, or burn holes in my shirts. Every smoker should do this--I never committed to quitting--just did. (Be real: I'm still addicted to nicotine, but that's not what kills people.)
2: I got a "shake-weight" for men. It's a dumbell-shaped thing that you shake. I hate it. But I hate it because it works. It's really painful--it burns and exhausts your muscles in no time.
You're supposed to do a 6-minute routine daily, but I do it every other day--like with weights. As a real OTR trucker, I can't always shower every day. If you have to shower every day no matter what, you've got OCD or something, and you sure couldn't keep up with me. I do when I can, like now--but I like to deliver early, every single time, and get the most out of my 14 hours.
But I digress: Anyway, doing it every other day lets my muscles recover. I'm trying to regain some of my mass, and after a week think I see a difference.
There is one side-to-side motion you can use to get your abdominals, sort of, but there's just not much help there. This works the upper body, mainly: Delts, traps, triceps, biceps, forearms. I watched the video. I don't do what it did; I sort of circuit-train with it, taking shorter breaks and going from one excercize to another, rather than doing one, resting for 15 seconds, and resuming.
There's a range-of-motion issue here. I just do "stiff" katas--extending the muscles fully and rotating and stuff, while resting between my two circuit-sets and afterward.
Truckers don't have room for home gyms and what-not, and these things are perfect.
3: I'm going to Wal-Mart today and getting one of those abdominizers again. I had one before but never replaced the battery when it wore out, and lost it. This one is better anyway.
But I do have experience, and can tell you: Hell yeah, the electroshocks do work your abs, just like they say!
But you have to be realistic. It will tighten your abs, but won't burn much fat. I'm probably 30 lbs. overweight, but if I can tighten my abs under it and get my upper body back to where it used to be, at least I'll look adequate, I think.
4: I just ordered 30smile.com I currently use a sonic toothbrush and am fighting gingivitis. I use a peroxide-based pre-rinse, the best toothpaste I can get, and ACT mouthwash.
But I saw this thing on the infomercial and instantly wanted it. The brushes automaticly wrap around both your upper and lower teeth, and some of the bristles angle up and down to the gums, both outside and inside. It's just about impossible to consistantly get into all those gaps with any other toothbrush.
Well, now I've got to do the shake-weights (also at Wal-Mart by the way) and pay for another night here.
The ones at Pilot Truckstops also work pretty well, but are a little pricier. If you look around and order from China, they're extremely cheap, but also extremely crappy. After just ordering five or more of everything in order to find one or three units that worked, I got sick of fooling around, and got lucky with AZ Smoke free.
These things vaporize a diluted nicotine solution, and you inhale the steam. It delivers nicotine. I first got one so that I could go to a hotel bar and smoke, but when I tried it, I instantly quit cigarrettes-automaticly.
The ones at the truckstops expect you to buy pre-loaded cartridges for an outrageous price. The cartridge (called "cart" in slang) is the mouthpiece. The vaporizer is the part which contains a heating element, and the cartridge is inserted into it. The end you insert contains padding, which is saturated with the nicotine solution.
You buy your own solution! Less than 20 bucks for 30 ml, which lasts me 6-8 weeks! Then you can just drip some more into the padding and re-use your cartridges. Eventually the cartridges get dirty, and you just replace them. I got a bunch of "blank" cartridges (from China--they're fine).
The tubular, cigarrette-like battery screws into the vaporizer.
The batteries I got from China had some sort of timing program, and they sucked. ALL of them.
I tried other types of electronic cigarrettes. The industrial strength "screwdriver" type worked great, but wore out quickly. On this type, you have to press a button to activate the vaporizer. Predictably, the switch wears out.
Another type has the cartridge and battery in the same piece. I don't like them. Not much vapor, and you get nicotine in your mouth. I always seem to come back to the pen style.
This company sells starter kits, of course. Personally, if I were just starting out, I'd augment these. I'd get extra blank cartridges and batteries, and make sure I got at least two vaporizers (nothing lasts forever). Also, a good supply for "e-liquid" (do a separate search to find the cheapest).
Always charge each battery for a full eight hours before the first use, regardless of what the charger-indicator says. If you don't, it's possible for the battery's "chip" to think it's charged when it's not, and not allow you to get a full charge.
Now, I don't have to clean my windshield weekly, smell like cigarettes, or burn holes in my shirts. Every smoker should do this--I never committed to quitting--just did. (Be real: I'm still addicted to nicotine, but that's not what kills people.)
2: I got a "shake-weight" for men. It's a dumbell-shaped thing that you shake. I hate it. But I hate it because it works. It's really painful--it burns and exhausts your muscles in no time.
You're supposed to do a 6-minute routine daily, but I do it every other day--like with weights. As a real OTR trucker, I can't always shower every day. If you have to shower every day no matter what, you've got OCD or something, and you sure couldn't keep up with me. I do when I can, like now--but I like to deliver early, every single time, and get the most out of my 14 hours.
But I digress: Anyway, doing it every other day lets my muscles recover. I'm trying to regain some of my mass, and after a week think I see a difference.
There is one side-to-side motion you can use to get your abdominals, sort of, but there's just not much help there. This works the upper body, mainly: Delts, traps, triceps, biceps, forearms. I watched the video. I don't do what it did; I sort of circuit-train with it, taking shorter breaks and going from one excercize to another, rather than doing one, resting for 15 seconds, and resuming.
There's a range-of-motion issue here. I just do "stiff" katas--extending the muscles fully and rotating and stuff, while resting between my two circuit-sets and afterward.
Truckers don't have room for home gyms and what-not, and these things are perfect.
3: I'm going to Wal-Mart today and getting one of those abdominizers again. I had one before but never replaced the battery when it wore out, and lost it. This one is better anyway.
But I do have experience, and can tell you: Hell yeah, the electroshocks do work your abs, just like they say!
But you have to be realistic. It will tighten your abs, but won't burn much fat. I'm probably 30 lbs. overweight, but if I can tighten my abs under it and get my upper body back to where it used to be, at least I'll look adequate, I think.
4: I just ordered 30smile.com I currently use a sonic toothbrush and am fighting gingivitis. I use a peroxide-based pre-rinse, the best toothpaste I can get, and ACT mouthwash.
But I saw this thing on the infomercial and instantly wanted it. The brushes automaticly wrap around both your upper and lower teeth, and some of the bristles angle up and down to the gums, both outside and inside. It's just about impossible to consistantly get into all those gaps with any other toothbrush.
Well, now I've got to do the shake-weights (also at Wal-Mart by the way) and pay for another night here.
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