Meeting Nicole

I guess I’m not too brite these days, lol.

Looks like I will get the pleasure of meeting Nicole tonight. Working on some scenarios, will know more in a few hours.

I picked up a 40k load yesterday going to West Palm Beach Fl. Scheduled to deliver tomorrow. I had enough time by 2 hrs on my 70 so I took the load. Was told I can park at the customer if I get in early. Load pays well.

No one mentioned a hurricane will hit there late tonight and into tomorrow morning. Lucky me!!!

I’m sure hoping my headstone customer gets production back up very soon!!

Anyone in FL next couple days be safe!!

The weather channel started naming snow storms a couple years ago. I don't know the name of this storm that hit Donner's. It started Sunday and it still snowing. They have got a lot of snow. Yesterday was a boondoggle. I had parked at exit 124 on the ramp with an empty trailer, on my way to the house for home time.

Got 25 miles and had to chain up. As I was throwing my chains this young guy came up to me and asked me if I chained up before and I told him too many times to count. So he asked me to teach him. He was driving for a semi-large company and had been out on the road 2 weeks, was supposed to be dedicated down south and here he was on Donner's. So I proceeded to show him how. We draped the chains on my truck and trailer, six had to be put on. And then we went and did his truck/trailer. While doing his trailer a young lady walked up and asked if we could help her. She was in a small black car with front-wheel drive.

I told her cars were exempt if they had snow tires on. Nope, the sign behind us had cars chaining up also. That little car was harder than the semis to do! But she and I got it done and then she offered to help us with our semis! I told her our chains were far heavier than her little aluminum ones. But she got right in there and helped us get our trucks finished up and ready to roll. We all shook hands and told each other to be safe and parted ways.

I got to the Truckee chain removal spot and was able to remove chains... which is far easier to do. I had just got back in the truck, getting ready to roll when I got sideswiped by another truck that was dog tracking. He went up a quarter mile, stopped and I was thinking he was going to come back. Nope he took off. He took off my left side door mirror and Jarred the truck enough that the check engine light is on. So I'm 30 miles from the Freightliner and Sparks NV and I'm headed there. Then a long day to get home!! 😁 Our safety guy is going to pull the video from the camera on the truck and hopefully can see the company that did the hit and run.

When I woke up a little bit ago I checked caltrans app and I had to chain up. Then the office was texting with me and as I was getting ready to chain, I am now seeing trucks taking off their chains so I'm getting ready to roll and get to Freightliner.

You all have a good day!

Laura

PJ,

I replied to you in the post about the new team you helped out and didn't realize that you were coming into another hurricane here in Florida. Be safe and watch out for the winds. It seems like it is due to land over night so between 7pm and 7am will be the worse. Sounds like it will be minimal at best but none of these storms is a good one. Stay safe.

Looks like landfall around 0100 as a Category 1 between Ft Pierce and Melbourne from the tracks I have been looking at for the past several hours. Strong rains have been pounding the area, along with big surf (it's a full moon phase) for more than 12 hours already.

Hunker down and be careful. Prayers for everyone down there in Florida.

Nicole made landfall this AM around 5AM and was a strong tropical storm as felt here in Winter Haven. We've had gusts up to 55-60 and rain but not too bad. The eyewall passed over about 7AM and now we are getting the wind and rain from the backside or SW. It will probably be gone by noon thank God. Enough this year.

It’s a wide one so expect strong gusts throughout Florida.

I was in Ft Pierce, worst was around 0300. It woke me up. I just rolled over and went back to sleep. I left about 0745 this morning. Been windy and off/on rain all the way up 95 to St George SC.

Brevard County ran out of diesel. Loves at the 223 still had some, ran out after I got about a half tank.

295 east loop bridge was closed, no idea why but as high as it is maybe because of wind.

I’m going to bed and tomorrow is another day.