May Trucking, My Newbie Adventure begins

still here. been awhile since my last update.

jonathon51, worked for many different statins, and still own my own station in wyoming. KYOD iin Douglas.

since thanksgiving i've been running all over. i was also in the big storm in the northeast. stuck, literally, in payette for two days. had to have the forklift help me get unstuck, that's even with chains on.

 

i've been having QualComm issues that so far two of the terminals can't seem to fix. it keeps shutting down and resetting itself. after the last "fix" in payette, i gave up, because i was tired of sitting and needed some miles.

was sent on a trip to alabama to deliver in birmingham. my stay at the pilot in birmingham was my first experience with hookers knocking on the door all night. could have done without that.

plus, if you ever have a pickup in pennington alabama at the georgia pacific mill, don't expect to get out of there anywhere near on time. my supposedly pre-loaded trailer wasn't ready until 7 hours after i got there. had to sit in their holding yard because by the time the trailer was ready, i was out of hours.

that leads to today, on my way across louisiana my clutch on the fan broke, the fan came loose and threw shrapnel into my radiator. needless to say, i was dead, righhht there on the interstate.

it took three and a half hours for the tow truck to show. so long story short, i'm sitting in the super 8 in monroe, la waiting for a local shop to repair the truck. they sday it may be a couple days. sad part is, the hotel room bed is worse than my truck, which leads me to my next post...... read on newbies advice coming up!

clutch

 

Before I started I read many threads about what drivers do to outfit their trucks. Here is what I've done, and it makes even the worst place you have to park livable.

First off, May includes a "Cab Heater" or "Bunk Heater" iin their trucks that really works good, no need to idle to run it.

May allows a 1500 watt inverter, so long as they install it. Mines a cobra, and works great. I have a dorm, or home-bar style fridge in my truck (One of the cabinets was already gone, so I put it there) That is great for keeping sodas, and sandwich makings cold. I have a microwave, and most importantly, I replaced the standard mattress with a TwinXL size, perfect fit for the lower bunk, from Simmons Beautyrest. It was well worth it, I sleep better in my truck now than I do at home. Add some twinXL sheets, comfortor, and you're good to go.

Plus, don't waste your money on a 12 volt TV from the truckstops. Got mine at target, much cheaper, and an LCD draws very little voltage, acvtually less than a 12 volt model. Plus my fridge draws less power than one of those 12 volt thermo-electric coolers they sell at truckstops.

Well hopefully my truck will be ready to roll again soon. Hate just sitting, that means no money.

The adventure continues.....
Clutch

 

Clutch here. Still....in monroe Louisiana. I've been in this motel for 6 days. They say it will finally be ready tomorrow. GOTTA GET MOVING!

And Trucker Steve!!!! Have read your stuff for quite a while, love your videos, and subscribe to your website. Even told the folks in Layton, you were part of my reason for choosing May. Thanks for the post. You Da man.

Very anxious to get moving again. I'm trying not to let all of these breakdown issues get me down, but, it is getting old.
Why couldn't i have broke down in vegas for a week? LOL.

Another May driver came to get my trailer today, I was still under a load. So if i do get my truck back tomorrow, I don't have a destination yet.

Hopefully will get back to earning soon.

If i hadn't had these issues, i would have beenn on track to average 2500 miles a week, just like steve says. but alas, you never know when something's gonna rip apart.

here's to hoping the next few weeks are loaded with miles, and no breakdowns..

happy driving all.

the adventure continues....
Clutch

 

Well it's been over a week since my last post. Was back on the road the day after i got my truck back. was sent to LaComb Louisiana to folgers to pick up a load.

If only all shippers could be like folgers. I showed up the night before my appt, 20 hours early, and yet they already had my trailer loaded and ready. not to mention, you just pull up to a` marked lane, slide your tandems back, and leave your trailer. a yard dog comes and gets it right after you drop it. then you go to a numbered spot you were given at the gate, hook up, and go. i was in and out in under 45 minutes. that's amazing. Some other drivers were faster but i took the time to do a complete trailer inspection while there.

I wish they were the norm, but appear, from my experience so far, to be the exception. MOst shippers I've waited at least two hours at or more, many more.

That load took me into Southern California. San Bernardino. It had been raining for three days before I got there, and never stopped while I was there. Got unloaded at DSC, and then had to head to Walmart Campus Bldg #5 in Miro Loma to pick up a new load. I-215 was washed out from dirt they had piled up onthe side for construction. Stuck in traffic in Southern California, What a shock huh? LOL

If you ever get sent to Walmart Campus Bldg #5, it's not easy to find. No signs whatsoever, plus the directions from the company told me to turn on a street that was not marked at all. Like I said, no signs. Then at the entrance, the only sign there says "Schneider". I ran in to a US Express driver one street over also looking for it. He did what I did, saw the "Schneider" sign, and kept on going. WEll, turns out, thast was it. Told the Guard shack guy that they need a different sign out front. He couldn't have cared less. I was just wasting his time.

Anyway, dropped my trailer, and hooked up to a new one in a torrential downpour standing in what had now become a river, formerly their parking lot. Once I got my paperwork. Parked on the other side of the building and had to completely change clothes. Plus, glad I keep extra shoes handy.

Then it was off to Loveland, Colorado, via I80 through Wyoming. On the way stopped at Whiskey Pete's in Primm Nevada and donated 20 bucks to the casino. Ain't i sweet!

To make a long story short, I know too late, I was to drop in Loveland on December 23rd. Was hoping to get to take a 34 off so that I could drive home to wyoming to see the family on Xmas. no dice, being the new guy I had already missed out on being able to request Xmas off. I knew that from the beginning, was just hoping that being so close, it might still happen. No such luck. Had to go to coorts that day, pick up a load, drop at the May yard in Denver, then pick up a new load headed for North Carolina, due to Deliver on Monday the 27th. So I called the wife, had her throw the kids in the car, and she met me at the Denver yard, picked me up and we were at least able to have an early xmas togewther for a night in a hotel on Christmas Eve Eve.

THe family dropped me at the yard the next mornning, and off I went.

There is one really nice advantage to driving over the xmas hioliday. Well actually, two. First, all of the scales were closed. I didn't have to stop at a scale all the way from Denver to Henderson, North Carolina. Also, you can actually find a good parking spot at the truck stops, even late at night. Well at least there's one blessing for working on xmas.

So, here it is, Sunday night, Dec 26th, and I'm at a truck stop called Chex truck stop exit 120 off of I-85 in North Carolina. Gdet here at 2am their time. The store is closed, sign says no gas, no restrooms, no showers, open at 4:30. AND then a sign outside says I have to pay to park here. WHY!!!! I can't even use your freaking restroom!!! I'll be talking to the clerk in the morning. I aint paying when NO services were available.

Anyway, Deliver to another Walmart Dist Center tomorrow afternoon, and then we'll see where I head from there. Happy Driving all.

Clutch,

The adventure continues.....