I remember when Coors couldn't go East of the Mississippi River and Strohs couldn't go West of it.
Really surprised about Coors plant in Virginia

 

Didn't they make a movie about that... :P

 

ya, It was called Smokey and the Bandit.

 

Good day today, driving all day long, and seeing some good friends along the way. I got up at 6am thinking that I would be able to get a quick breakfast and bathroom break before the sun was totally out, but I awoke to a nice bright day, so I did my pti, grabbed some coffee in the truck stop, a pack of pop tarts from the truck and hit the road.

I drove for a couple hours, and the coffee was running straight through me for some reason, so I called dispatch, told them I would be stopping at my good friends truck stop(Tonica) in about 30 minutes, and they should just fax me while I am there, since I already know the fax number and know the papers will be safe until I get there. Dispatch says they will send it, so I keep on trucking.

I made it to the truck stop, planning on a quick bathroom break, and to grab the paper work so I can get on the road again. But when I get there, the papers still aren't there, so I call back and ask what the hold up is, and they say they are going as fast as they can, just hang out, and they would get it sent asap. So I sit down and chat with my buddies, catching each other up on events that have happened since I was last through.

15 minutes go by, ok, they should be here any second. 20 minutes, I had him check the fax to make sure everything was turned on and working just in case. 30 minutes, and I have to call, c'mon, I have to get back on the road! Again, they are going as fast as possible, and it should be any minute.

45 minutes after arriving, I finally get some paperwork, but it isn't complete, just enough to get me to the Alabama state line, argh, oh well, that's a few hours away. I get back in the truck, and it is smooth sailing so I drive until I have to stop for fuel. I qualcomm and ask if they want to send me the rest of the paperwork while I am stopped. I get a message back saying call dispatch, ok.........

I call and he says that he is going to reschedule the load for Friday morning at 7am because they have to send me out of the way, something about Georgia giving them grief over coming down I-24 which would be about 100 miles shorter than they way they had me routed, going down I-65 until Birmingham, grab I-20, and go over to Atlanta, then back on I-75. :roll:

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, if they want me to drive around Texas to get there, it's no big deal, that's just more miles at 37cpm(and I believe these jobs pay hub miles at that!) and easy interstate driving. 8)


He also says that they don't have the paperwork ready yet, and they would get it to me some time tomorrow before I cross the state line out of TN. I just hope they are a little faster this time, since I am in KY on the TN line, and it won't take me long to reach AL.

So I finish my day driving, nothing exciting besides all the cops sitting in the "no fly zone" around Louisville, I counted 8 cops in the southbound lanes, and 2 in the northbound lanes, doesn't pay to speed through this area, and I am sure the driver they had pulled over would agree, I hope they didn't get him too bad.

Anyway, that's where I end my day, good day of just driving, I got around 600 under my belt today using all my 11 hours(well, had about 15 minutes left) and grabbed a good parking space that is a little deeper than average places due to how the lot was laid out, and was able to squeeze the truck back enough not to poke out into the lanes any, which I don't like to do, but have no choice since this sucker is longer than a usual van. So other than the paperwork and permits delay, it was a perfect day. Caught up with some friends and was able to drive all day with no major hiccups, cool 8)

 

BTW, I forgot to mention another really great part of my day. I found out what my paycheck was, a little over 2700 miles last week, whoo hoo baby! 8)

I grossed 929 and change, and netted a whopping 644 and change!! :shock: Now, this I can get used to, wow. I think most everyone within my experience level would agree that is some decent money!

 

Is it? I plugged it into the currency converter, thats over $100 less a week clear than what I make, and I'm home every other night at least, and have little to no grief. :?

 

Much of that may be supply/demand, with the oilfield buzzing up north.

I keep hearing rumours of O/O's in the oilfield pulling in well over $100k CDN/year. With unskilled labour on the rigs able to pull six digits, it does make sense. Of course, I also hear about two, or even three log books being run to avoid tickets...

To contribute to the big, cool oversized load discussion above, this was apparently the largest load moved by road in North America, I believe (if I found the right picture, and nothing bigger has been moved since)... there are four tractors pushing, and one pulling:


It is a big tarsands coke drum - used to separate oil from the thick oil/sand mixture that can be mined up north.

 

Yeah, but how long have you been driving Lady North? I haven't ever seen you mention it, but I have always assumed that you have been a driver for a long time, at least that's the way I picture you in my head from all the information you give on these boards.

Second question, I bet you don't work for a company as big as Roehl, you probably got hooked up with a really good job, as will I after I get another year under my belt, since nobody hires around here unless you have 2 years experience.(none of the good places anyway)

I realize that I bring home less than most on the boards, but to me, this is big money! I have lived my life thinking a $300 paycheck was big money and $400 a week is huge(and it is, heck, my dad doesn't make that much, or my little brother working at a sawmill, that is known for good pay).

So, I may be the "low man" on the totum pole, but I am pretty darn proud to be earning that much money. I could stay out for weeks at a time, and really sacrifice home time, if I was guaranteed to make that much money, that would change our lives literally. Of course, most weeks are in the 400 range, but that is still great money for me.

Now, if you ARE around my experience level, and you make that much, with that much home time, my only defense is, uh, well, you have to drive in snow all the time, and uh, it's cold, really cold, and, well, that's all I can think of, lol.

Besides, I will make more as my experience allows me, and who knows, I might be able to bring home a grand a week in 5 years, and that is just fine with me!(I am jealous though :wink: )

 

Nulldev, now that is a load, any information as far as weight?

One of the biggest reasons I want pull oversize loads was seeing a truck pulling a giant piece of metal. It wasn't big around, but the length was longer than I thought possible to manuever. It was at a rest area that used to be a chicken coop, so it was a straight pull off, not all the twists and turns normally associated with rest area's.

This thing literally took up the entire length of the rest area, like I said, I don't see how it would have made a turn off any off ramp, I would love to know where it was going, and what it was for. It didn't have a trailer, just tandems at the front, middle and rear. We were in our van coming back from a vacation in Florida when I seen it, and heard the escort team talking with the driver over the cb.

They were letting him know it was moving over, someone passing, bridge coming up, it was so cool to hear them act as a team, and when the driver said we'll stop here if I can get in, one of the escorts said, we can get it in there, we are the best for a reason. It was pure teamwork in motion, and from that moment on, even before I had my cdl, I wanted to pull over size loads, and "be the best" lol. It's childish I know, but that really influenced me in my career change. Anyway, I have to try to get back to sleep, I just can't shut my eyes for long tonight.

 

The longest things I ever pulled were 80' x 12' long trailer frames stacked about 4 or 5 high used on mobile homes. They have a carrier mid-way down around 40' and 40' of tail swing. Used to pull those through town everyday, real fun in the winter in Indiana.