Comments By CM59

MONTH. Woops

Hey, there’s drivers on all sorts of routes on here even though OTR is common. I want to get peoples perspective on what their week looks like. I found a niche that works well for me.

I run on a dedicated account with random loads in FL, GA, MS, AL, SC mostly. Short routes. Many dead head miles.

8/10 weeks I dispatch Monday and leave for my truck in the morning and am back Saturday afternoon or Friday night. Sometimes I get to the truck Sun night if I have an appt early. I usually would have been home since Friday in that case. It’s consistent and they aren’t afraid to deadhead a ways.

I average 7500 miles a week and I make a fair rate. I am accommodated with TO and PTO when I want. I generally take off July 4th, Christmas unpaid and a week PTO for vacation randomly.

Sounds like a average trip to the TA shop lol.

Oh lord I got one. Kroger DC somewhere near Fontana, CA. I’m about a month into driving. The line is blocks long just to get inside. It takes four hours to get inside and another 8 to get a door and get out.

I’m having to PC out at this point. The stage lot is full so I pull to a curb near the exit to run and get the bills. Guy says, you have the check for the lumpers? I say, no one has told me let me get one.

I hurry, write the check, go back inside and pay. I realize when I’m inside I don’t have my key. I run back in horror that I locked myself out, without my phone, and it’s 40 degrees outside with me wearing shorts and a shirt.

I ask everyone to borrow their phone. It’s the weekend, only one dispatcher on duty in my terminal. He won’t answer. The security guard is gracious enough to let me use his phone like 5 times calling anyone in my company. Operator, other terminal dispatchers. Finally I call road support and she tears dispatch a new one.

This whole process took over 5 hours for someone to bring me a spare. Mind you we have a terminal and day drivers constantly in and out of Fontana, 10 minutes away.

I was brand new so it didn’t phase me in the slightest. But damn did I get cold.

Bad day 1001 for me, had a blow out on trailer inside tire. Drove to rest area waited 3 hours for the tire guy! Guy pulls the tire, giant hole in the air bag. He says I’m not a mechanic just a tire guy. So, I drive down to the petro in Glendale ky, lady says 7 hour wait. So I’m waiting. It is what it is!

That’s what I thought but policy is policy. I offered to pay in full as well. It’s not a big deal, but went into effect right after waiting 4 hours for a flat tire on a loaded trailer I was picking up.

There’s something every week lately going awry with them or the broker. I grossed 48k in 2021 and this year is looking much worse.

Eh now I’m just complaining. It’s not their doing

Truck was turned down from top 65 to 61 today for 30 days. Definitely deserved, but honestly is making me feel even worse.

My trainer got up while I was driving to pee in a bottle next to the bunk. I guess he had confidence in my driving LOL.

Personally doesn’t bother me. There’s only so much privacy you can expect.

Haha I left my atlas in my last truck on accident. Trucker path is great for the driver reports but other than that I still plan the roads I’m going to take before taking them.

It’s GPS or most others will give bad advice. Even if you won’t hit a bridge you might provide the town some free landscaping.

GPS route has included several dirt roads. Nope

This is all I use. No phone, no app, no problems.

Trailer hinge mounts*

If anyone’s wondering repair was $564. No repairs needed to the trailer frame hinges. In line with what I thought. I had to get two hinges replaced on a trailer that a shipper damaged for $260.

Vanguard trailer

They documented but didn’t make a deal out of it. I’ve been with the company for almost a year and a half and we treat each other well. I don’t plan on leaving til maybe the three year mark.

Hey I did that once! it’s a preventable but maybe you’d get lucky and they wouldn’t put it on there. I’ve only had two incidents in 4 years and that was one of them but my fleet manager on the account I was on at Swift at the time decided to have the mechanics throw it back on and she swept it under the rug so it never showed up on paper.

It’s a valuable lesson in GOAL but thankfully nothing serious as long as it’s a one time thing