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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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210802 MN no where ... spending the night at home Plans today so we were not going anywhere. Originally I had told the local company I could work in the afternoon as I knew they had local drops and pickups today. Then I emailed them before they opened and told them that wouldn't work. But I do get a call from the local company about some 'damage' that was noted at my drop. They have not heard or gotten a bill from the drop and were wondering why. It was a 'scuff' on a truck that was already sold. I had missed it at pickup and but when I dropped it the shop noticed and noted it. First mistake was I missed it at pickup. Second mistake was I didn't call dispatch when they noted it on my BL. I had taken pictures at both the pickup and the drop and I could see it on both pictures. The truck had 800 miles on it and was quite dirty when I picked it up so it was hard to see. I sent both sets of pictures to the office and haven't heard anymore. Later in the day BB tells me there are short runs out of MN and then walks away. So I have to log in and look for myself. Once I have looked at them online, I call. Voicemail, 2nd time voicemail. Finally the dispatcher answers and the trip is gone. Nice short trip staying within MN. So we would have the extra 90 miles drive coming back. Not quite past our house but close. Same shipper had a 2nd trip going to IA but that was also gone the next time I hit re-fresh on the computer. We could do the Elkhart IN anytime we have two days but I wasn't thinking on those lines so BB and I didn't talk about it until after the close of business. With breaks it would be about a 10 hour trip one way and I would like to get going early if we do the trip. If we were going to leave tomorrow I couldn't talk to dispatch until 8 AM so it would likely be 9 AM by the time I got the paperwork and did my inspection. I'll find other things to do. Load board US - 145 IA - 35 MN - 5 WI - 5 I see on FaceBook that drivers are now having problems with flights. Delays, cancelations. 210806 MN-MN 1 city bus to Bloomington (Monday) ... spending the night at home I had called in for work for today, yesterday but they didn't have anything. But they did know they were going to have something on Monday, so today I called in and lined up the Monday trip. Short trip, I will drop the bus off about a block from where I picked up a truck last week. Last week I had forgotten my turn and ended up at this companies gate. If the gate is open it is possible to come in one side of their property and exit on the the street I wanted to be on. But the gate was closed last week. Later in the AM dispatch calls me back with a trip picking up in Hastings NE. Likely for the same company that I dropped the mixer a week or so ago. But no, I want to stay near home and get home things done. We are kind of on a time table now. Loose but things still need to get done. This trip would have worked good as our long haul company has an RV going to Lincoln. So only about 90 miles between trips. Paid both ways. Load board US - 194 IA - 73/70 MN - 1 WI = 10 Tow nice no-tows going to Gilroy. And CA dispatcher is looking for drivers. BB is not even watching the load board anymore. We aren't going anywhere. We will do metro on Monday and then my DOT Dr on Tuesday. I am not going to commit to more work until I have the 'passed' paperwork in my hand. 210809 MN-MN 1 city bus to Bloomington ... spending the night at home I get to the office lot early and the dispatcher and a driver are just walking back from my bus. The driver is there early so he has time to show me how to run the door's. This bus wasn't ready to ship, but it was shipped anyways. It has an appointment today to get worked on in the shop. All I learned from the driver was there is an issue. It was so finicky that it was trial and error to get things to work. Then there were other issues, I had to disconnect one thing, over-ride another and listen to the alarm. And drive with my four ways on because they would not shut off with all the issues. Not used to just switching lanes without signalling, no need to, the four ways are on. 55 mph, wasn't an issue for the 30 miles I had to go, the driver last night had to drive it 300. Dispatch had wanted me to fuel the bus ASAP, but I said I would trust it to the nearest truckstop, I didn't want to be fueling at the convenience store. But I had time to kill as we waited for the OK to drive as is so I stuck the fuel tank. It was over half full, so I got the OK to drive directly to the shop. I wasn't interested in stopping and trying to start this bus again. I got to the drop and the gate opened ... after I am moving someone comes on the speaker and asks if I know where I am going. I don't, I just plan on calling once I was stopped. Before I can call someone walks over to where I am parked and calls for me so I know where to park it. No-where, they want it in the shop right now. That means getting back out on the streets and coming in the other side of the building. I get signed and they are still trying to figure it out when I leave. There problem now. No more work for today. Load board US - 198 IA - 84 MN - 8 WI - 12 |
