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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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2024 11 04 MN spending the nights at home Friday - We did nothing work related other than watch the load board. IA was still putting out a few RV's but not as many as yesterday. There were two that would have worked for us if we could have left before Tuesday. But we do want to leave ASAP after BB's appointment Monday so we went and early voted today. Line was about an hour long for us, longer when we left. Heard from one county that 42% have already voted. Friday's frustrating issue was that about 9 AM, the rental load board put out four trips from WI. The closest trip was less than 10 miles from my drop. $$$ :( That is the difference a day makes. The 2nd trip to Grand Forks was gone mid-day today. Without having a phone number for an after hours drop, if we would do it again, we would just plan a two day trip. Monday - BB had to appointments in the afternoon so we were watching for trips for leaving Tuesday. Then one of her appointments wanted a follow up on Thursday so that really put the limit on what we could take. Not that it made any difference. The RV shipper put out one RV all day and it was going to Canada. At one point there had been four rental trucks out of IA, one of them coming right back to home. But even that would have been cutting it close now that BB has an 8 AM appointment. So tomorrow we watch again, but not as closely. Load board - Monday US - 151 IA - 2/0 MN - 4 WI - 3 Load board - Weekend US - 151 IA - 0 MN - 2 WI - 0 Load board - Friday US - 157 IA - 0 MN - 3 WI - 0 2024 11 08 MN Friday update - We spent all week watching the load board. Monday there had been three going near the Los Angels are but not to the same location. But BB had an appointment on Tuesday so we passed as we couldn't leave right away. Then I think on Tuesday there may have been three all day. Wednesday there were -0-. Thursday there were a few to Canada, one of those didn't get taken until Friday AM. BB had another appointment on Thursday, but other than that we watched the board all day. Friday was another day with maybe five all day, never going to the same place. Load board - Friday US - 101 IA - 1/0 MN - 0 WI - 4 Load board - Thursday US - 167 IA - 3/2 MN - 7 WI - 4 Load board - Wednesday US - 196 IA - 2/0 MN - 9 WI - 5 Load board - Tuesday US - 180 IA - 3/1 MN - 7 WI - 8 2024 11 11 MN There were 3 about 9 AM and then about 10 at 1 PM. Including pairs both times going to CA. But we passed, BB was not feeling well, not ready to drive 500 miles a day and so far the CA ones have all been going to near Los Angles. But if we are going to stay off of I-80 we are going to have to take something to that area. If we find something tomorrow, we can pick it up Wednesday and then not have to drop until Monday so we don't have to make the 500 miles a day. And now we have shorter days ... Load board - Monday US - 114 (156) IA - 1/0 MN - 4 IA - 9 Load board - Weekend US - 99 IA - 1/0 MN - 1 WI - 4 2024 11 15 MN Weekend - The loadboard had been down in the 70's after dispatch closed Saturday but sometime Sunday someone added a few. Load board - weekend US - 92 IA - 1 MN - 2 WI - 2 Friday - They did put out over 10 today, other than two to Canada, there were still none that worked for us. No pairs, nothing in route. We have run out of time to head to the west coast so now anything goes. We even talked about skipping the holiday but there just isn't any work that works, RV wise and not even short trash trucks or rental units. I would have to see what the local carrier has but they have not been calling me either. Also some bad news on the RV front. California and six other states have new emissions standards going into effect Jan 1. RV's were expecting to get an exemption because most are only driving 3,000 miles a year where trucks average closer to 50,000 miles a year. That didn't happen, so effective Jan 1, <> no new RV's can be sold or registered in those states (because none meet the new requirements yet) Load board - Friday US - 81 IA - 2 MN - 5 WI - 2 Thursday - There were a few RV's at the end of the day. But we still sit. Load board - Thursday US - 127 IA - 1 MN - 5 WI - 2 Wednesday - Same as yesterday. They put out a couple in the AM and then about 2 PM they but out 15. There were two to FL and 1 to CA and a few to MI. BB had looked and there are NO cars out of FL right now. So we would have to find another way out. But we need to get work soon ... we are down to two weeks to Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, we have a few weeks until the end of December when we need to be back for family and my local companies quarter end. Then BB needs to be off most of the month for appointments ... I am be working local that month. Load board - Wednesday US - 119 IA - 4 MN - 4 WI - 5 Tuesday - They did put out about a half dozen today, no two going the same place or the same direction. Load board - Tuesday US - 114 IA - 0/0 MN - 4 WI - 6 2024 11 20 MN Wednesday - 3 loaded at 11 AM, 1 gone in seconds, 1 gone in a minute. Rental trucks had 4 in SD coming back to MN today. And one in IA going to CA and one to TX. I guess yesterday there was 1 truck in MN going to Santa Rosa CA but BB never mentioned it because we couldn't make it and back. About 2:30 they put out 4 RV's, 3 to Carson City NV ... I grab my phone and ... I remember. We don't have time to get there. And it seems that most people realize that. The other one was gone in a few minuets but the NV stayed on the load board for a half hour plus. ... if they had made the load board Monday we might have tried. Load board - Wednesday US - 94 IA - 1/0 MN - 2 WI - Tuesday - Last night I had recorded 69 US trips on the load board. This AM it was up to 112 before 7 AM and already dropping. It was back down in the 80's by 8 AM. So there is work somewhere and there are drivers waiting to take them. Locally here, there was one 1 RV about 11 AM going to Seattle that no one took right away, weather maybe? Then about 1 PM my local dispatcher called to see if I could do a short trip. After I said no, I did ask what it was. Their short trips don't pay much and we can't be looking at the board when we are driving. There was 1 more RV on the load board about 3 PM going to Phoenix. And nothing else that works. Load board - Tuesday US - 99 IA - 1/0 MN - 7 WI - 3 Monday - Maybe five all day, I should start counting again. We are all packed, BB has her food all prepped. It is to the point now that we would likely take any truck going anywhere in the midwest as we don't have time for a cross country anymore. BB got her notice today that it's been 30 days since she's worked. Load board - Monday US - 69 IA - 0 MN - 5 WI - 0 2024 11 26 MN Tuesday - Nothing this AM, by this afternoon they started putting stuff out. When they put this many out it is hard to keep track of how many people took today. I'm guessing less than 10 day (?) If they called today they would have to leave tomorrow and I'm guessing most people who wanted to be gone over the holiday already grabbed their trips earlier in the week. There were 3 today going to IL that we could have done if we had been either down there or ready to walk out the door. If we were hungrier we might have been waiting south of the cities ... just in case. IF we decide to call in the AM, instead of 'waiting for something better' ... our 1st choice will likely be one to UT and then one to CA. That is the only one going to CA. The next closest are 2 to Medford OR. That is about 500 miles down to the buses in CA. Then there are 3 to Bend, but that is a lot of non-freeway for this late in the season. And off of these so far are towable so we don't get the bonus money on those trips, but the extra miles makes it worth it. There are some going to Seattle, but those would require chains and there are some going to ID, but those are a lot of extra miles to stay off the back roads. And now we are looking at 800 miles to the CA buses. There are 16 to FL, but not much for cars to get out and a long deadhead to get work. And there are 12 to Grand Junction, they are small enough we don't need to carry chains and on most of them we'd get the no-tow dollars. ... plus 30 to Frederick CO. Hard place to get out of and that place even makes Facebook and the message boards about how long it takes and how the dealer treats the drivers. We've never been there ... So lots of choices, if we decide we are going to jump right away or wait ... and there still will be plenty of work even if we wait. I'm going to guess that 25 of those Frederick will still be there tomorrow. Our place is to come home Thursday night and then head out on Friday AM. Load board - Tuesday US - 271 IA - 107/106 MN - 4 WI - 3 Monday - This AM they only put out 1 RV. Then finally about 2 PM they put out about 50 over the next hour. Nothing short enough to do tomorrow but lots of work. So about half of them were gone by the end of the day. Sometime today we realized that BB is going to be about 200 miles short of getting her six month bonus. It might have paid for us to do one of the towable trips last week, not sure what her bonus would have been. I have about 5 times what I need for the minimum bonus so not an issue here. After 4 PM I called the RV dispatchers, it now goes to a recording say all dispatchers are busy. When someone did pick up it was the boss, the one I wanted to talk to. We can not call in until Wednesday but he assured me a couple of times that they will be loading the board. Load board - Monday US - 159 IA - 27/25 MN - 3 WI - 0 Load board - weekend US - 113 IA - 2/0 MN - 0 WI - 0 Friday - Pretty much the same as yesterday. There were two regional ones we could have taken, but they were put on the board early and we were still hoping we'd get something worth taking. These we would have had to do leaving Sunday and trying to get back on Monday, and right now there is no work coming back. They would have gotten us current on our trips is about all. Load board - Friday US - 123 IA - 6/0 MN - 0 WI - 0 Thursday - 2 for Carson City were on the board by 8:30, not sure if they were two of the ones from yesterday or two new ones. Then by 9 AM there was one to Phoenix. Yesterday the 2 of the NV stayed on the load board for an hour, today it was only a few minutes. And today the Phoenix didn't even stay on the the load board long enough for BB to switch to that screen. There and gone. There might be a lot of stuff that is there and gone, we aren't hitting re-fresh at the right second. By then we had already done the math. We can't make it to Phoenix, or rather we can't make it back from a Monday delivery. We are looking at about 1,200 miles or less now. So no New England or west coast/rocky mt trips. SLC is doable if the weather is good. No FL either. Added two more at 10 AM, the Canadian was finally taken a half hour later. The other one was 'hot' and something in our mileage range and that wasn't taken for an hour. We didn't because for us it would be a break even run. The trip pays about what it would cost us in travel. ... and two more later in the day. I was an optimist, maybe today was going to be the day. Now we are thinking maybe we should have blown off the holiday (found out today that others peoples plans have changed) and taken one of those to CA or even this AM to NV. Load board - Thursday US - 134 IA - 1/0 MN - 6 WI - 0 |
