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.
Friday, July 9, 2010
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.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Recommendations and Stuff.
OK so I'm cool now. Got my Prepass and Bestpass stuff switched over (it's all on the Corp. I hate stopping for every weigh station and toll booth, and messing with reciepts.) Cancelled my old insurance. I'm placarded, IFTA'd, plated and briefed.
Never saw any of the people I deal with. Kristy, who principly handled my application, is a Compliance Officer or Safety Director at the central office in NC. I don't have a printer, so I had to email the hotels I was at, then help them open the files, print them, fill them out, and get them to fax the pages.
The first hotel charged me a buck a page at first, but I somehow made them feel sorry for me, and then acted like I just forgot, and they let me go. After all, they want me to come back and spend more money, and I let it show that I was irked.
Had to dig up some of my own stuff from various government sources on-line, and send them in. Found out I was delinquent on my road use taxes and paid them. It's been a hassle--but boy, it was worth it.
The main company provides authorities to the owner-operators, and assigns them to independant agents. (by the way--everybody including my agents is female. Which I like. I find women generally sharper and more reasonable than men. Generally, okay-so no PC BS. Reality is what it is-get used to it.)
My agents are in MD. I thought I'd have to go there for orientation or some sort of thing, but Courtney (one of the agents) told me no--they'll get me a trailer near where I am, and load me too. That's different...
Landstar has a similar business model, except they have a network of agents and are much larger. This company is, I believe, Texas-and-east regional.
With my former company, I didn't pay trailer rental, but made 3% less (72% of the load vs. 75%). That company owned its' trailers, but this one leases them from trailer companies. They don't have a company logo on them. After I've learned the ropes, I might consider buying my own trailer to save the 120/week, but doubt it.
When you own your own trailer, you have to pay for its' maintenance and insurance. Then, whenever you need to get away from it, you have to find someplace to drop it. Sometimes you have to pay for that--and if you don't, and it's not a well-lit secure location and it's stolen, your insurer won't cover it. You can't drop and hook, either, so it's like an anchor.
They sent me only 50 miles to get a 2007 from a trailer rental place. It had JUST been inspected and tuned up. Sliders slid like butter, too. Rusty, and wood chips inside, but I don't care. It's nice to know that the trailers are well-maintained.
Economic comment: See, the trailer rental companies compete with eachother. They know that if drivers get trailers with problems, they won't come back. They're MOTIVATED to keep them up, plus they're specialists. And why do they do this? To make money. Freedom works, understand?
Anyway, my former freight paid less than 2 bucks; probably 1.50 average going out, with a 1.00 backhaul. That is, until Jim took over the backhauls and dug up a bunch of 1.20-1.50 backhauls.
This company evidently hauls more high-value stuff, since per James, (the other owner-op who first told me about this company) (and who I owe a beer if I ever see him again), these "outbounds" gross between 3 and 4 bucks a mile.
I was told on this particular load that if I need to go back to the area I came from, I'll probably gross 1.00/mile on that.
However, I suspect that the agents haven't beaten the bushes like Jim did, and I know which brokerage he got his higher-paying backhauls from. I also have experience calling brokers and dispatching myself--during a really tough period in the industry. I'm being quiet until I get my feet wet here, but I think I can help them out with the backhauls a little later.
However, James--who is married and needs hometime sometimes, said that (after three weeks with the company), he actually has a sort circular "route" that he runs, with zero backhauls. That's what I'll be working on. Plus, I don't need home time. If not a route, I'll try to just run around and not go to the dead zones.
Backhauls for my former company were just the way they're set up. They only have one yard, and not that many trailers. Many of their loads are outbound, and they have to dig for stuff to bring you back.
I already know from this load that MA, and perhaps the upper northeast, is a dead zone for this company. (Actually it just is--like Texas). You can get a high-paying load there, but there are too many trucks always trying to get back out, and the market prevails.
For now, though, I stupidly told them that I'd deliver this load on tuesday instead of today, which I easily could have. I wanted to stay around Ohio where I was so I could get the rest of the money my former company owed me. The reason that was stupid was because Junior doesn't intend to stiff me at all, and I don't need to be there. He can send me the payments via comcheck.
...which...it's 1530, I just called, they're still in a meeting, it's friday.....
Well I'm not worrying about it. I'll get it eventually.
Anyway, so I just went ahead and took this massive 700 lb. load to this hotel that I'm fond of with a bar in it, and will reside here til monday. I'll be at the recievers at o800 tuesday, and see what I can get next.
This company doesn't use qualcom, which is cool. I opted to scan my bills in--7.50/week is worth it. I found out today that I'm supposed to call in my location each morning by 1100, which doesn't bother me at all. I get to show off for them, since I tend to get way ahead on every load.
That's one of my best motivations, by the way. I allow me to be a child and try to impress everybody. He hopes they hang up the phone and say to somebody else "Damn! He's 150 miles out already!", and that somebody else says "Guess we'd better keep him!"
It's juvenile, but the social instincts we've evolved have real reasons for them. They help you do your best.
Political comment: Our founding fathers (and Adam Smith) also understood this, which is why they designed a free and open economic system while creating the land of opportunity. Which marxism poisons and eventually destroys. GET IT? FREEEEEDOOOMMMM!!!
Anyway, they also didn't need to know the weight, count, who signed, etc. on the load like some other companies do. You know--like when you're trying to fill out the screen or read the bills while the yard dogs are telling you to get the hell out of here? (I wonder how many accidents are caused by red tape.)
I have only two issues remaining, really. First, the money I'm owed, of course. Second, I'll have to renew my PO box next month. I'll really need to move it, since I only chose it because it was near my former company's yard.
For the next few weeks, I'll feel around and determine what to do about that.
THIS time, I can take my time and pick a good spot. Maybe where I can drop a trailer, or near Cleveland (doubtful), or maybe at a place I deliver to or pick up from weekly.
But for now, I'm real happy. Everybody affiliated with my new company seems very nice, I know James told the truth about everything, and that this is the best company I've ever worked for. Now I'll take a shower...I'm going to the hotel bar...
Say.......I really like this hotel, so maybe if...they could take my mail...hmmmmm....
Oh yeah! I got a new bluetooth earpiece and love it. It's a Plantronics discovery 975. There's no loop. It just goes right in (not inside) your ear and sort of magicly sticks firmly (you get three earpieces to choose from). I could take a PUNCH and not lose this thing!
I don't like having my earpiece in all the time, though, but this thing has it's own little charging station. I mean: You charge the charging station, and then it charges your earpiece. It comes with a lanyard. I hook the lanyard to my keychain or my shirt, and put the earpiece in it. It has a quick release thing so you can get it out with one hand and stick it in your ear before the third ring.
Every pro driver should have one.
Okbye.
Never saw any of the people I deal with. Kristy, who principly handled my application, is a Compliance Officer or Safety Director at the central office in NC. I don't have a printer, so I had to email the hotels I was at, then help them open the files, print them, fill them out, and get them to fax the pages.
The first hotel charged me a buck a page at first, but I somehow made them feel sorry for me, and then acted like I just forgot, and they let me go. After all, they want me to come back and spend more money, and I let it show that I was irked.
Had to dig up some of my own stuff from various government sources on-line, and send them in. Found out I was delinquent on my road use taxes and paid them. It's been a hassle--but boy, it was worth it.
The main company provides authorities to the owner-operators, and assigns them to independant agents. (by the way--everybody including my agents is female. Which I like. I find women generally sharper and more reasonable than men. Generally, okay-so no PC BS. Reality is what it is-get used to it.)
My agents are in MD. I thought I'd have to go there for orientation or some sort of thing, but Courtney (one of the agents) told me no--they'll get me a trailer near where I am, and load me too. That's different...
Landstar has a similar business model, except they have a network of agents and are much larger. This company is, I believe, Texas-and-east regional.
With my former company, I didn't pay trailer rental, but made 3% less (72% of the load vs. 75%). That company owned its' trailers, but this one leases them from trailer companies. They don't have a company logo on them. After I've learned the ropes, I might consider buying my own trailer to save the 120/week, but doubt it.
When you own your own trailer, you have to pay for its' maintenance and insurance. Then, whenever you need to get away from it, you have to find someplace to drop it. Sometimes you have to pay for that--and if you don't, and it's not a well-lit secure location and it's stolen, your insurer won't cover it. You can't drop and hook, either, so it's like an anchor.
They sent me only 50 miles to get a 2007 from a trailer rental place. It had JUST been inspected and tuned up. Sliders slid like butter, too. Rusty, and wood chips inside, but I don't care. It's nice to know that the trailers are well-maintained.
Economic comment: See, the trailer rental companies compete with eachother. They know that if drivers get trailers with problems, they won't come back. They're MOTIVATED to keep them up, plus they're specialists. And why do they do this? To make money. Freedom works, understand?
Anyway, my former freight paid less than 2 bucks; probably 1.50 average going out, with a 1.00 backhaul. That is, until Jim took over the backhauls and dug up a bunch of 1.20-1.50 backhauls.
This company evidently hauls more high-value stuff, since per James, (the other owner-op who first told me about this company) (and who I owe a beer if I ever see him again), these "outbounds" gross between 3 and 4 bucks a mile.
I was told on this particular load that if I need to go back to the area I came from, I'll probably gross 1.00/mile on that.
However, I suspect that the agents haven't beaten the bushes like Jim did, and I know which brokerage he got his higher-paying backhauls from. I also have experience calling brokers and dispatching myself--during a really tough period in the industry. I'm being quiet until I get my feet wet here, but I think I can help them out with the backhauls a little later.
However, James--who is married and needs hometime sometimes, said that (after three weeks with the company), he actually has a sort circular "route" that he runs, with zero backhauls. That's what I'll be working on. Plus, I don't need home time. If not a route, I'll try to just run around and not go to the dead zones.
Backhauls for my former company were just the way they're set up. They only have one yard, and not that many trailers. Many of their loads are outbound, and they have to dig for stuff to bring you back.
I already know from this load that MA, and perhaps the upper northeast, is a dead zone for this company. (Actually it just is--like Texas). You can get a high-paying load there, but there are too many trucks always trying to get back out, and the market prevails.
For now, though, I stupidly told them that I'd deliver this load on tuesday instead of today, which I easily could have. I wanted to stay around Ohio where I was so I could get the rest of the money my former company owed me. The reason that was stupid was because Junior doesn't intend to stiff me at all, and I don't need to be there. He can send me the payments via comcheck.
...which...it's 1530, I just called, they're still in a meeting, it's friday.....
Well I'm not worrying about it. I'll get it eventually.
Anyway, so I just went ahead and took this massive 700 lb. load to this hotel that I'm fond of with a bar in it, and will reside here til monday. I'll be at the recievers at o800 tuesday, and see what I can get next.
This company doesn't use qualcom, which is cool. I opted to scan my bills in--7.50/week is worth it. I found out today that I'm supposed to call in my location each morning by 1100, which doesn't bother me at all. I get to show off for them, since I tend to get way ahead on every load.
That's one of my best motivations, by the way. I allow me to be a child and try to impress everybody. He hopes they hang up the phone and say to somebody else "Damn! He's 150 miles out already!", and that somebody else says "Guess we'd better keep him!"
It's juvenile, but the social instincts we've evolved have real reasons for them. They help you do your best.
Political comment: Our founding fathers (and Adam Smith) also understood this, which is why they designed a free and open economic system while creating the land of opportunity. Which marxism poisons and eventually destroys. GET IT? FREEEEEDOOOMMMM!!!
Anyway, they also didn't need to know the weight, count, who signed, etc. on the load like some other companies do. You know--like when you're trying to fill out the screen or read the bills while the yard dogs are telling you to get the hell out of here? (I wonder how many accidents are caused by red tape.)
I have only two issues remaining, really. First, the money I'm owed, of course. Second, I'll have to renew my PO box next month. I'll really need to move it, since I only chose it because it was near my former company's yard.
For the next few weeks, I'll feel around and determine what to do about that.
THIS time, I can take my time and pick a good spot. Maybe where I can drop a trailer, or near Cleveland (doubtful), or maybe at a place I deliver to or pick up from weekly.
But for now, I'm real happy. Everybody affiliated with my new company seems very nice, I know James told the truth about everything, and that this is the best company I've ever worked for. Now I'll take a shower...I'm going to the hotel bar...
Say.......I really like this hotel, so maybe if...they could take my mail...hmmmmm....
Oh yeah! I got a new bluetooth earpiece and love it. It's a Plantronics discovery 975. There's no loop. It just goes right in (not inside) your ear and sort of magicly sticks firmly (you get three earpieces to choose from). I could take a PUNCH and not lose this thing!
I don't like having my earpiece in all the time, though, but this thing has it's own little charging station. I mean: You charge the charging station, and then it charges your earpiece. It comes with a lanyard. I hook the lanyard to my keychain or my shirt, and put the earpiece in it. It has a quick release thing so you can get it out with one hand and stick it in your ear before the third ring.
Every pro driver should have one.
Okbye.
I'm Back
Well, my company started bouncing checks again 12 weeks ago--same two twice. My Business account got restricted even before it shrank to nothing. I went "on strike" and shut myself down. Stayed in hotels while they paid me a little at a time through partial payment company checks and comchecks.
They STILL owe me 2700 bucks.
Your first impulse is to blame everybody, but the situation here is more complicated. Minority owner Junior can't see the books for some reason, and doesn't know where that (from a LOT of freight they moved) went. The woman who does the accounting and payroll came in with the new "money" partner--which is when checks started bouncing.
Junior is reorganizing with Ed and others. They'll form a new company, and Junior will oversee payroll and make damn sure everybody gets paid first.
I believe Junior. The new company will be as solid as he is.
Unfortunately, while I was down I had plenty of time to interrogate other drivers about where they worked, and to send out applications.
I got rejected by Liberty Transportation again, despite the terminal manager's efforts on my behalf. The damage that some scumbag(s) did to my DMVR while running around like maniacs with MY CDL was still there. You can't fix it without an attorney and 8-12 grand.
(By the way, these are the lowest of the low. The very reason they need to destroy other people's driving records is because they are the most reckless, dangerous idiots on the road. THEY are the ones the Safety and Compliance officers are intending to keep away from their loads and equipment. WORSE: Because they screw guys like me up, they're on the road and I'm NOT. Burn in hell!
Only later, I discovered that one of the tickets (which was mine) was the one time in seven years I missed a weigh station. That's not a moving violation, and shouldn't have even been ON my DMVR. A phoney ticket will also drop off my record in 9 days, and another in two months, leasing me almost sparkling clean. I'll only have one legit conviction and one BS one.
SO, 5 weeks after Liberty, I tried a new company that another owner-operator drove for. He told me about it while we were standing around waiting for repairs at T/A.. I applied. They leased me on, and now here I am on my first run. 836 miles, less than 1k, 1600 to the truck!!! Direct deposit--no bounced checks.
I set it up to send 60% to my corp. account, 20% to my SEP IRA, and leave 20% on my Comdata card.
The 20% is paying my ungrateful employee, me. He loaned the corp. over 29k to buy the truck and APU 3 years ago and was never repaid. Up until now, his compensation was peanuts, as a lot went into truck repairs and enhancements, and the business.
However, me the driver got to stay in hotels, use the coprporate internet and laptop to fool around, got all his meals and cash whenever he needed it. All the other drivers make more than he does, however, and I'm sick of his whining.
NOW, he's going to get 20% of the net in addition to his expenses and bennies. However, for his own good, I heve to lock it into his SEP IRA. This of course means that the Corp. earns 20% less, but I have to repay the money I owe me eventually, with interest, and I've decided that half of his 20% will be payments on his original loans. So, as I've already heard from him, he STILL makes less than the other guys. Can't make the guy happy!
Now me still gets his hotel stays and grub and clothes and stuff, plus 20% of the net. He's terribly irresponsible, and putting in into his IRA is for his own good. Me is about to turn...what is it--54--so we gotta get some dough in there ASAP.
For no charge, I am going to manage me's IRA portfolio for him. Me has seen my track history and is screaming about that, but I insist. I promise him I'll be more responsible this time, and take fewer risks than I did as a trader. We're several weeks away from any unconventional moves in that area, and I'll do some more home-work and check out various strategies. I'll keep at least 40% in interest-bearing or high-yield investments, leave the Gold microcaps alone, etc. and only trade in weeks or months to reduce slippage and commissions.
What's screwed up here is that I had to set up a Huntington bank account in Me's name to simplify cashing company checks which might bounce. I needed a brick and mortar bank, and chose the one that my old company used to write their checks on.
E-Trade...wow...
First off, when these checks TO the account bounced, the account was restricted. I mean, I didn't WRITE any bad checks. There was no hint of impropriety. Checks TO the account bounce, and it gets restricted!
In order to lift the restriction, the guy at E-Trade has to get me in a 3-way call with the company that bounced the checks, and they have to say why the checks bounced on a recorded line! Whywhywhy?
After setting up the Huntington account and getting some debt-payments from my lessor into it, I linked the accounts and transferred money to fund my E-Trade Corp. Account. They never acknowleged reciept. It was mailed, so I cancelled those checks and re-submitted another one.
E-trade never acknowleged this either.
THEN, they found out that my restricted account would not let any money IN!!! I told them: "Those checks were cancelled. They're gone. Here's money for the account. Why are you doing this to me? Are you insane?"
Of course, they just work there, and policy is policy, no matter how idiotic. Finally got BJ on the phone (Junior is ALWAYS too busy). She doesn't directly handle payroll, and was naturally not about to get herself in trouble. But I did get her to say that there was a cash-flow problem, and several of us got stiffed. There is was--the reason for the bounce on the recorded line.
Isn't this just freaking...I mean...
So NOW, here comes another E-Trade issue: I and only I own my corporation. MY NAME is on the debit card and checks. So when I set up the SEP IRA for me and tried to move funds into it, I was not allowed to.
Why? Another E-Trade policy...I can't link the accounts. Apparantly they're afraid I'll steal from the other shareholders (myself and I) or something.
So NOW, I will have to transfer the money from the Corp. account to me's Huntington account, and trust that irresponsible bastard to transfer that money into his IRA. It's assenine.
More later.
They STILL owe me 2700 bucks.
Your first impulse is to blame everybody, but the situation here is more complicated. Minority owner Junior can't see the books for some reason, and doesn't know where that (from a LOT of freight they moved) went. The woman who does the accounting and payroll came in with the new "money" partner--which is when checks started bouncing.
Junior is reorganizing with Ed and others. They'll form a new company, and Junior will oversee payroll and make damn sure everybody gets paid first.
I believe Junior. The new company will be as solid as he is.
Unfortunately, while I was down I had plenty of time to interrogate other drivers about where they worked, and to send out applications.
I got rejected by Liberty Transportation again, despite the terminal manager's efforts on my behalf. The damage that some scumbag(s) did to my DMVR while running around like maniacs with MY CDL was still there. You can't fix it without an attorney and 8-12 grand.
(By the way, these are the lowest of the low. The very reason they need to destroy other people's driving records is because they are the most reckless, dangerous idiots on the road. THEY are the ones the Safety and Compliance officers are intending to keep away from their loads and equipment. WORSE: Because they screw guys like me up, they're on the road and I'm NOT. Burn in hell!
Only later, I discovered that one of the tickets (which was mine) was the one time in seven years I missed a weigh station. That's not a moving violation, and shouldn't have even been ON my DMVR. A phoney ticket will also drop off my record in 9 days, and another in two months, leasing me almost sparkling clean. I'll only have one legit conviction and one BS one.
SO, 5 weeks after Liberty, I tried a new company that another owner-operator drove for. He told me about it while we were standing around waiting for repairs at T/A.. I applied. They leased me on, and now here I am on my first run. 836 miles, less than 1k, 1600 to the truck!!! Direct deposit--no bounced checks.
I set it up to send 60% to my corp. account, 20% to my SEP IRA, and leave 20% on my Comdata card.
The 20% is paying my ungrateful employee, me. He loaned the corp. over 29k to buy the truck and APU 3 years ago and was never repaid. Up until now, his compensation was peanuts, as a lot went into truck repairs and enhancements, and the business.
However, me the driver got to stay in hotels, use the coprporate internet and laptop to fool around, got all his meals and cash whenever he needed it. All the other drivers make more than he does, however, and I'm sick of his whining.
NOW, he's going to get 20% of the net in addition to his expenses and bennies. However, for his own good, I heve to lock it into his SEP IRA. This of course means that the Corp. earns 20% less, but I have to repay the money I owe me eventually, with interest, and I've decided that half of his 20% will be payments on his original loans. So, as I've already heard from him, he STILL makes less than the other guys. Can't make the guy happy!
Now me still gets his hotel stays and grub and clothes and stuff, plus 20% of the net. He's terribly irresponsible, and putting in into his IRA is for his own good. Me is about to turn...what is it--54--so we gotta get some dough in there ASAP.
For no charge, I am going to manage me's IRA portfolio for him. Me has seen my track history and is screaming about that, but I insist. I promise him I'll be more responsible this time, and take fewer risks than I did as a trader. We're several weeks away from any unconventional moves in that area, and I'll do some more home-work and check out various strategies. I'll keep at least 40% in interest-bearing or high-yield investments, leave the Gold microcaps alone, etc. and only trade in weeks or months to reduce slippage and commissions.
What's screwed up here is that I had to set up a Huntington bank account in Me's name to simplify cashing company checks which might bounce. I needed a brick and mortar bank, and chose the one that my old company used to write their checks on.
E-Trade...wow...
First off, when these checks TO the account bounced, the account was restricted. I mean, I didn't WRITE any bad checks. There was no hint of impropriety. Checks TO the account bounce, and it gets restricted!
In order to lift the restriction, the guy at E-Trade has to get me in a 3-way call with the company that bounced the checks, and they have to say why the checks bounced on a recorded line! Whywhywhy?
After setting up the Huntington account and getting some debt-payments from my lessor into it, I linked the accounts and transferred money to fund my E-Trade Corp. Account. They never acknowleged reciept. It was mailed, so I cancelled those checks and re-submitted another one.
E-trade never acknowleged this either.
THEN, they found out that my restricted account would not let any money IN!!! I told them: "Those checks were cancelled. They're gone. Here's money for the account. Why are you doing this to me? Are you insane?"
Of course, they just work there, and policy is policy, no matter how idiotic. Finally got BJ on the phone (Junior is ALWAYS too busy). She doesn't directly handle payroll, and was naturally not about to get herself in trouble. But I did get her to say that there was a cash-flow problem, and several of us got stiffed. There is was--the reason for the bounce on the recorded line.
Isn't this just freaking...I mean...
So NOW, here comes another E-Trade issue: I and only I own my corporation. MY NAME is on the debit card and checks. So when I set up the SEP IRA for me and tried to move funds into it, I was not allowed to.
Why? Another E-Trade policy...I can't link the accounts. Apparantly they're afraid I'll steal from the other shareholders (myself and I) or something.
So NOW, I will have to transfer the money from the Corp. account to me's Huntington account, and trust that irresponsible bastard to transfer that money into his IRA. It's assenine.
More later.
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