[henboy1]

I booked a load which would take me 4 days OTR.My pick up was from Athens , Ga to Raleigh , NC.That went smooth because it only weighed 22k ibs.Then I booked another load from Dunn, NC(on I-40) heading out to Johnson City , TN and this freight was motor oil from Warren Oil.I never knew this load would weigh soo much.If I had known the total weight I wouldn't have called this agent.It mentioned $35kibs when I booked it and so I never asked the agent on the phone.The BOL did list the weight of each item which was a long list.I asked the shipper the total weight but they didn't know.I started off on I-40 heading out to Johnson City, TN.I took I-40 to 421 to 321.This was about 100 miles of backroads.I always knew Tn had hills but I never knew I would be the one to be caught on such an adventure.The nightmare started when I started on 321 heading North.With a load of 43kibs I was going about 3-5 mph in 1 gear(definitely wouldn't be able to shift).My overheating light and buzzer kept coming on which made me pull over a few times.I pulled over numerous times to let the tired 4 wheelers who had been following me on this slow pace to pass by me.My Detroit 60 series hates hills and never again will I book a load like this going up in those mountains.It was also scary that 321 was soo narrow.My third load was gravy coming of of Conover, NC to Carrollton, Ga. Has anyone ever been on 321 heading out to Johnson city?
Detroit 60 with Eaton Fuller speed.

[Red Clay Rambler]

You didn't really "book a load up into those mountains", you just took the wrong route, one of the worst in the southeast. I guess by now you see that you should have taken I-26 up from Asheville. Shortest is not always best or fastest. I have driven that route in a car, never would in a truck. Lucky you haven't had worse problems so far, considering your lack of experience, and not knowing how to descend a grade properly, according to your posts about Monteagle.

43,000# is nothing unusual in OTR trucking.

[carolina trucker]

Interesting stuff.

If you don't mind my asking, how much did the load from Warren Oil pay from Dunn, NC to Johnson City, TN?

-- c t

[henboy1]

You are right about the lack of experience but then again one sometimes gains experience by going through the bad experience.I will take that as a good comment.
The pay on this load is $1.70 Gross(100%-2%=98%,68%X1.66cpm=1.12 to the truck))

[solo379]

Originally Posted by henboy1

Has anyone ever been on 321 heading out to Johnson city?

I've run US23, all the way to OH, from NC with 41,000lb in a 53' box! :shock:
So, i know what you mean, but i agree with R C Rambler, that was a wrong route choice! Still I'm kinda glad, i did it, was quite a challenge! :lol: 8)

[coastie]

Originally Posted by Red Clay Rambler

You didn't really "book a load up into those mountains", you just took the wrong route, one of the worst in the southeast. I guess by now you see that you should have taken I-26 up from Asheville. Shortest is not always best or fastest. I have driven that route in a car, never would in a truck. Lucky you haven't had worse problems so far, considering your lack of experience, and not knowing how to descend a grade properly, according to your posts about Monteagle.

43,000# is nothing unusual in OTR trucking.

I 26 unless something changed in the last few years was not legal for ALL trucks. It has a size restriction on it. In a cabover, and short trailer I was barely legal And it too has some hills and sharp curves.

[henboy1]

I got to Johnson City , Tn and found JT Hackney.I made the turn and parked on the side.I went inside and on the door it said "driver must unload".I was perplexed, and the lady comes outside and says, "door 4" and also tells me to come inside and unload.I asked if they had a hydraulic jack for me and she said yes.I am thinking it might be easy and I was wondering why the damn agent never told me.They actually showed me how to use one of those forklifts with the long handle and buttons.I had to stand on this lift and operate the long steerring handle.It was quite fun, then the lady started to instruct me.She was picky in where everything was and she had me separate all the oils on different skids.This required lifting.After lifting about 30 cases of motor oil I was feeling the pain.I finally finished and they gave me my paper work.
I then hurried out of there to a Walmart parking and got on my laptop to to find another load that would get me out of the mountains.That was when I found one from Conover, NC to Carrollton, GA.Then my phone kept ringing.I usually don't pick up #s that I am not familiar with becasue they could be some cheap freight that would eat up my minutes.The damn agent left a vm about the delivery.I then called her back and my vm message to her went like this.... "Sharon, it would have been nice if you would have told me about unloading when I booked this load and besides the point I had to wait at Warren Oil for 4 hrs all because you screwed up on the pick up date".The Canover , NC load paid $2.20 cpm Gross and that is about $1.50cpm to my truck.

[GMAN]

You learned some valuable lessons. Always ask a lot of questions about a load before booking it. We all make a lot of mistakes starting out. Hopefully, we learn by them and don't make the same ones more than once. I have been on 321 with about 45,000 pounds. Once was all it took for me. Unfortunately, it was the only way I could get to where I needed to go at the time. :x

[Red Clay Rambler]

Originally Posted by henboy1

I asked if they had a hydraulic jack for me and she said yes.I am thinking it might be easy and I was wondering why the damn agent never told me.They actually showed me how to use one of those forklifts with the long handle and buttons.I had to stand on this lift and operate the long steerring handle.It was quite fun, then the lady started to instruct me.She was picky in where everything was and she had me separate all the oils on different skids.This required lifting.After lifting about 30 cases of motor oil I was feeling the pain.I finally finished and they gave me my paper work.

You just experienced the standard unloading procedure used at most grocery/food/wholesale distibution houses. The breakdown/sorting/stacking of cases is a legendary hated aspect of hauling dry van and reefer freight. Somehow the trucking industry decided that is was OK to expect the driver to perform the tasks that warehouse people should be doing. Even more ridiculous is expecting the driver to operate POWER EQUIPMENT for them. Imagine the legal mess if a driver injures himself or someone else. Many of these facilities have a third-party company operating on the premises that supplies the labor to unload, known as "lumpers". (they will sometimes almost "look and act" like employees of the warehouse.) Of course, the driver/trucking company will have to pay extra for their services, or do the unloading themselves.

Such facilities are famous for delaying trucks and drivers for hours, even if you make your appointment time. If you're late, you'll be lucky to unload that same day at all. Maybe the recent trend toward the payment of detention time has helped, I don't know since I stay away from such places as much as possible.

We wish you well, henboy, I'm sorry to hear of some of your struggles. With a little more time, you will be doing OK. If you have any questions about routes/loads/delivery points, post them here, maybe even before you accept the load if you have time before you have to decide. Chances are someone here has been there and can help you.

Good luck!

[solo379]

Originally Posted by henboy1

The pay on this load is $1.70 Gross(100%-2%=98%,68%X1.66cpm=1.12 to the truck))

No offence, but I'd think hard, if offered twice that, for such run, not to mention extra for unloading! That agent owns you the big time! :wink: