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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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230320 MN-MN 3 tankers truck to Lake Elmo MN (all staged) 1 tanker truck to Janesville WI (Tuesday) ... spending the night at home Saturday I called and got a duplicate of a receipt that I had left in my truck. On that trip I get reimbursed for the cost of the fuel. Actually, Saturday I had called an the young person was able to find it and print it out within a few minutes. They thought the day shift could email it to me on Sunday. No, they can only fax it. So on Sunday when I called, the person took a picture with their phone and messaged it to me. That worked (and could have been done Saturday) but glad I didn't have to drive 200 miles to get it. Today ... We got to the office about 8:30 as planned. Saw one of the old time drivers that was heading to Crookston. One driver, end of the month, almost. Not sure what is going on up there. That driver is another one who has been there for years and is now just doing local, no overnights. We pick up our paperwork and head to the shipper. 1st stop is the shipper in Plymouth. I see my contact as we park, but he heads in the building a few feet ahead of me even though I think he saw me. When he gets to his office he goes in and closes the door ... it's not quite closed and I knock. I saw I'm here to pickup a truck and he says that is not his job anymore. He does say who I need to talk to. Almost seems like it is a sore subject to him. I find the right person and they give me the keys. Turns out to be the wrong keys so I need to go in again. The next truck, the correct one, still needs a 'done' type logo on it and some office paperwork. All little things that take time. 2nd stop is the back at the office where I am staging all the trucks today. This time we are just there long enough for me to park and drop the keys. I leave the truck on 1/8th of a tank ... but it will be my truck on Wednesday so I hope the driver doesn't complain. :) 3rd stop is the Chik-fil-A for lunch. At 10:30 it is almost quick. I get a sandwich as it is easer to eat than dipping nuggets as I am driving. 4th stop is the shipper in Plymouth again. This one is not my truck but I have a range of 150 miles so I plan of filling in near the office. Two miles down the road and the low fuel light comes on '6 miles to E.' I get off at the next exit with fuel. BB has no idea why but does follow me. 5th stop was a Speedway in Brooklyn Park. Small station and all pumps are full, the one I pick to wait for the people get in the car and don't move. I finally move to another one after blocking traffic for a few minutes. My fuel gauge was still at 1/4 but I had no way of knowing which one was correct so I errored on the side of safety. When the tank was full, I still only had a range of 47 miles so I'm guessing the miles to E was wrong and the gauge was correct. 6th stop was the office again. This time I had to go in to get paperwork for the 3rd truck. We were not sure how many we would get moved today so after the first two we did them one at a time. At this point I call and make an appointment to get a haircut. Turns out I can get it tonight so that frees up tomorrow. One of my grandchildren is going to school there. $5 on Monday nights :) Otherwise I am mostly a walk-in kind of person. 7th stop is back at the shipper. This time it is a big truck with the low fuel light on. I will stop across the street. Usually there is no other activity at the shipper when I am there. This time they are 'over full' of trucks ready to be shipped, and besides me pulling them out, each time I am there there is also a flatbed. OK, the first time the flat bed was hauling more trucks in ... The 2nd time the flatbed had one truck on it and that driver asked where I was going with mine. That truck I was driving was going to within 12 miles of his house and we got started talking. I had forgotten the routine at this shipper in most cases if the customer is getting one truck, we drive it. If the customer is getting two trucks, they get hauled. So this guy does haul a lot of trucks out, but this time he is hauling one truck. An electric one. He has been hauling in to shows and for demo's. It has a range of 140 miles and costs $400,000. Not sure who can afford it. I'm also not sure how much the trucks I drive cost so maybe the cost isn't too out of line, but the miles would be. ... then the third time I am there they are loading two for Gary, IN. Unique color. 8th stop is the Holiday in Plymouth. After fueling I call dispatch to let them know I can now work tomorrow. I have to stop at the dentist in the AM but it is to talk only so my meds won't be an issue. My haircut is tonight, not tomorrow so that won't be an issue. So we will likely leave town before noon tomorrow. 9th stop is the office to park/stage the third truck. It is too late to do a fourth truck and still make it to the barber tonight. IF I wanted to be picky, I could have asked to do two of the trucks I picked up today. My other company now has two trucks that would tie nicely with these tankers. I do call the other company and find out the pay and now they are asking WHEN I can do them. I'm still looking at the IF. Load board (weekend) US - 161 IA -0- MN - 7 WI - 19 Load board - Monday US - 179 IA - 1/0 MN - 5 WI - 21 Plan is tomorrow to leave for Janesville WI with one of the tankers. There is still two more tankers at the shipper that need to be picked up but I said I would leave that for someone else. And one of the dispatchers asked if I could do a trash truck yet this week. Not sure who does all this work when we are out of town for weeks at a time. |
