[tootie04]

Hey clint,

Have ya recovered yet?? waiting to hear your adventures here....

Glad to see you are happy

tootie

[devildice]

Originally Posted by tootie04

Hey clint,

Have ya recovered yet?? waiting to hear your adventures here....

Glad to see you are happy

tootie

Hey tootie, we're waiting to hear your adventures too

[samael9]

Originally Posted by tootie04

Hey clint,

Have ya recovered yet?? waiting to hear your adventures here....

Glad to see you are happy

tootie

:lol:

Yup. Needed the restart. Stayed in the truck on the first night. Didn't have the mustard to do anything but....

Today was spent in the shower, for like, 45 minutes. I did some rearranging of my securement in the morning, just for the sake of organization and exercise. After that, and the major hot-water fix, I went back to Betty for a nap. Then I spent some quality time with my fellow Swifty's. Continually impressed with the prevailing tone of satisfaction floating around the driver's lounges.

Spoke to a bunch of lease operators. They do pretty well! The trainers do extremely well as do the teams. It still looks a toss-up for the solo runners though. Clearly, there are certain tax breaks for leasing a truck. But the increase in income still seems slim, given the additional paperwork and accounting. I'm thinking about it, but have yet to come to any firm decision regarding that kind of thing.

After a nice chat with my DM, it looks like I'll get loaded out either Saturday or Sunday. Coming out of PHX, flatbed freight is a bit weak. I may get to pull a van to get back into the loop in the East. That would be kinda fun, just for "old time's sake". ops:

After the afternoon update and nap, I decided tonight would be a good hotel evening. I booked a massage, went to Rock Bottom out on Shea, had a great rib-eye and bob'd it back to the hotel, where I sit writing this post.

I just updated my .mac blog, where I will continue to do most of my story telling. You can subscribe to the blog using the RSS button.

Week three, and it feels more and more like I am here to stay with Swift. I love what I am doing and how it is all "just happening". I have some ideas for the division, and in my creative brain, I am going to develop some marketing ideas for expanding the division's scope of practice. We will see how far I get with it or where it goes. Ahh, the brain cells never cease..... 8)

'Til next.

[tootie04]

Originally Posted by devildice

Hey tootie, we're waiting to hear your adventures too

I will be updating tonight with some pics!!

tootie

[tbogle05]

Clint, whats the hometime like there at swifty? thought about them before and never gave it a second chance. Now you got me interested.

[samael9]

Originally Posted by tbogle05

Clint, whats the hometime like there at swifty? thought about them before and never gave it a second chance. Now you got me interested.

Hi tbogle,

I haven't gotten to the home-time thing yet. I haven't cared about it. I have a home, really I do. But when I go there, I get really bummed about my dog. So I haven't been back in a while. And likely, the next time I go back, it will be to move out.

From what I gather 'round the various campfires at the Swifty lounges, people get to do pretty much what the want. Granted, most of the good folks I've spoken with are van-haulers. I think that they may have more latitude in this regard, as there are like 20,000 of them. And from what I hear from fellow flat draggers is altogether different. Seems like we flatties don't like/want to go home. But my flat-bedding chats are much fewer in number. We are an obscure bunch, or so it would seem.

I don't get to sit much either. I did one restart in Laredo and now one in PHX. The Laredo restart was drawn out by one extra day by my own "bad". I got a pre-plan to Gaffney, SC. I had four days to deliver on a 2 day run. I woke up late that morning (thankfully) and ran to Target to do some shopping. On my way back to the yard, the DM in charge gave the trip to an owner/op. I got an identical load the next day though. So one extra day of rest? Who could complain.... The only other time I sat was for precisely two hours after my drop in Pendergrass, GA. Then boom, off and running.

Funny thing: The psychic hotline was up and running today. Having not forgotten how quickly you can loose a pre-plan, I woke up in my hotel room at 0630 to run out and check my quaaly. Nothin'. So back to bed with a phat cup of coffee and more Weather Channel. Come 0900 a little bug in my ear told me to go out to the truck again.

No sooner did I turn on the key to cycle the quaalcom... three beeps. Viola! 1700 mile run with 8, count 'em, 8 stops. At 40 bucks per stop, plus mileage, I'm at $850 for the trip! Cool. I sent in my macros so fast, it probably shocked the DM who gave it to me.

Home time, you ask? You are asking the wrong guy. Soon, I'll be a permanent resident of Casa de la Betty and vacationing in whatever city I choose.

Oh yes, Speaking of Betty. Much to my surprise, I am just about to roll 10,000 miles with the Swedish Queen. My, how time and miles doth fly...

[inmate1577]

I've seen a few Swift flatbeds but I guess its not a large division.
I did have a chance to talk to a Swift flatbed driver in Kennesaw, Ga. It was via the CB and it was only to tell her that here trailer lights didnt work. I saw her later on in Brunswick, Ga and reminded her again.....
that her trailer lights didnt work.

[samael9]

LTL flatbed drop-and-stop. Yup, that's the name of the game on this trip! Boy; I am getting really quick at tarping. Didn't quite make Wichita last night. Too much fog coming across US 54 in KS. I bailed into the Wal-Fart lot in Pratt, KS for the evening. Nice of them to have a McDonald's on the other side of the hotel. The coffee is very good.

I hit both my drops before a different DM (out of PHX) even knew about what I was doing. It's kinda been *different* on this trip anyway. I had to leave the PHX yard on Saturday, go pick up the pre-loaded trailer, strap, tarp and run back to the PHX yard to hand in all the paperwork to be verified. While I was over at the "Jake Break" PHX's driver restaurant, the DM actually went out to inspect my securement and tarping. (Sneaky guy....) I got a nice compliment from him after all was said and done.

I got everything all squared away with Charolette. All the depart calls updated, eta's, etc. Cool. Off to Arlington, TX. I called ahead to check for an unload time and found out that they open at 0730. Nice. I could make the drop site this evening and be first in line for the opening bell. Good thing too, because I have two more drops in the area before heading for my final in Atlanta, GA. The total mileage will be in excess of my original trip data, because it didn't include all the drop site routing. I guess-ti-mate roughly 2200 miles by the time it's over.

Meanwhile: I checked in with Tootie and her Dear Husband, as I knew they went to Amarillo to deliver. Wouldn't ya know it? I called them 150 miles to the north of Oklahoma City and they were 100 miles to the west. I wanted to stop for a bite with them in O.C., but we missed each other by 45 minutes or so. As we talk on the phone so often, I really wanted to meet them and put faces to the voices. Oh well. DH has a lot of irons in the fire right now. But we run in the same areas, so it's just a matter of time before we hook up in person.

I figure I should hit my final in Atlanta on Thursday sometime. If things go the way I *think*, I'll likely get deadheaded to Gaffney again to pick up more chassis. This could very well be another killer week.

Me 'n Betty hit our first 10,000 miles today. Hard to believe that so many miles has gone by in such a short period of time.

Yes, Inmate1577. It is a small division. Approximately 500 tractors. But who cares? Not me, that's for certain. The division, or so I can tell, runs like a well-oiled machine. I never sit still, which is how I like it. I am making bank with these people. Everyone treats me well, compliments my work, and keeps piling it on. I don't know, firsthand, how it works on the van side, nor do I really care. This job rules....

[tbogle05]

sounds like your loving it over there clint. If i decide to jump ship where I am at and decide to go to swift in a few months Ill have to get your truck number so i can give it to them and get you one of those nice bonuses they give yall for referals. Just be sure not to candy coat it to get the bonuses. thx and keep us informed on your progress!

[samael9]

Originally Posted by tbogle05

sounds like your loving it over there clint.

OMG :shock: I made my final for this trip in Kennesaw, GA precisely eight minutes ahead of my ETA. My ETA was one and a half days ahead of dispatch. Nice one.... 2388 miles total.

I awoke at my first drop in DFW, TX yesterday morning @ 0700. They had the coffee ready by 0715 and we commenced the partial unload at 0725. Out, and off to drops #2 and 3. The fog was thick at that early hour. Even with the load fully tarped and a deck-long sheet of plastic beneath, the boxes were a tad soggy.

This load was all aircraft-grade extruded aluminum. And boy, these alu-folks are very picky. They inspect everything before taking it off the deck. That's cool.... I know it got the finest possible treatment from me. My drops all went smoothly and efficiently. Thank goodness for my GPS. Navigating DFW would have been a bitch without it.

Done with my drops, I head out of town well ahead of rush hour. I hit the Old Navy outlet store in Terrell, TX and realized how beat I was. In spite of the ease with which all the drops went, I forgot that I tarped and untarped, like, three times. I love the work-out, but it caught up with me by the time it was all over.

I hadn't had any time to do laundry lately, so that served as a great excuse to go shopping for some fresh threads. I barely made it across the parking lot to Applebee's for lunch and near passed out on the way back to the truck (lots of room for 18'ers here, BTW). Three hours later and we are back in business. Stopped for the night in Newton, MS. WallyWorld. The parking is in the back for trucks and it is clearly marked. Great little hide-away for an overnight crash. Food and coffee is all nearby.

Get up and haul balls to Kennesaw. I ETA'd my regional DM to 1500 CST sharp. Made it into the consignee at 1452. She was duly impressed and sent a really cool QC just to make sure my work was not going either unnoticed or unrecognized. Something about a positive service report... Funny; never heard of such a thing before @ well,,,, Anyway, the words felt good and this is so consistent with everything I have experienced with Swift to date. All told, this was about a $1000.00 trip to me.

And wouldn't ya know it? My DM hits me with a 1400 miler just as I was approaching my exit to my drop. I will easily surpass my earnings from two weeks ago by several hundred schmack-o's. This gig is amazing.

I shot up a bunch of pix on the way out here. When I get the bug, I will update my blog. Fun stuff along the way.....

I have a 330 mile dead-head to my pick up. I am waiting until the Atlanta rush quiets down before leaving. I got all caught up with my paperwork, did some cleaning and now getting interested in dinner.

I'll get loaded in the morning, make a drop in GA, then it's off to Oklahoma City.... again. I missed hooking up with Bo and Tootie. They were grilling last night. Bo called me just as I was heading for a shower at Love's somewhere along I-20. Could'a killed him (not really) for telling me about dinner. But, he redeemed himself when he told me he had two drivers from a mutually-disliked past employer getting their stuff moved into his trucks. <hehe> Go git 'em, coyboy! 8)

Food now.....