It's All in the Timing

Yes, I am a truck driver. Yes, I do my fair share of complaining about certain things that occur in my day, career, life, etc....

One of the things I do not understand about other drivers, is the constant need to complain about traffic conditions, congestion in certain areas of the country, weather and accident delays. Really? How long have you been driving, Driver?

So you can imagine my delight when I am able to scoot through certain areas with minimal or no delays, just because I know a few tricks of the trade. For example...New York City, one of the most dreaded locations for a driver to be sent into. No problem for me, because I am usually going against the grain, I have secondary shortcuts and as a rule, I never take the EXPRESS LANES to the George Washington Bridge on a Sunday Night. Don't let that word EXPRESS fool you. And if I do get caught up in a major delay, well, it is to be expected.

Atlanta is another fabled area of major turmoil. I have heard all the stories... Oh, that city is always backed up... There is no good time to go through. The people drive like idiots. It is a freaking nightmare... Blah, blah, blah. Hey folks, I live near Atlanta and the rumors are not true, but I don't think I will ever be able to convince anyone else of that.

Atlanta, just like any other major city has its own flow. Yes, if you enter the perimeter after 6:30am, you will notice congestion starting to build, but that normally dissipates after 9:30. Lets call it Rush Hour. And surprisingly, 4:00pm to 7:00pm is fairly similar. As for the rest of the day, it moves reasonably well. Also, another tip to consider, the south side always moves much better than the northern stretch of the loop. Just sayin...

So, last Wednesday, I am flying south on 85, heading into Atlanta during Rush Hour. As, I approach Spaghetti Junction, I scan the horizon and what to my wondering eyes should appear... Traffic is at a dead stop in all directions on the Perimeter. Time to make a quick decision. Top Side, oh hell no!! Bottom Side, not looking too good either at the moment. So what do I do at 4:19 pm?

I slide left one lane and make the executive decision to shoot through the Middle of Town. I know, I know. All Thru Trucks Must Use 285. I have seen the sign a million times and from experience, I know that if I stay to the right and don't exceed the flow of traffic, I will be just fine. My only concern is that going downtown is one of those nightmares, drivers commonly refer too. The Grady Curve usually backs up and The Connector is always crawling during rush hour, but after weighing the odds, I had decided to chance it anyways. This based on the fact that 285 East should not be stopped so far north, I am thinking there must be an accident ahead.

It is 28 miles around the southern end of the loop to my exit. Even further around the top at 33 miles. Through the middle, it is only 26 miles, but is notorious for the worst in traffic snafus during Rush Hour.

Looks like my gut instinct was right !!

It only took me 25 minutes to go straight through town !!

After reemerging at the bottom end of the perimeter, I heard numerous complaints about travel times being an hour plus for the 28 mile route I normally take. What did you expect at Rush Hour? Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut, and once again, mine paid off for me! Woohoo !!

And as an added Bonus, just thought I would throw this at you. Heading into New York via the George Washington Bridge on a Monday morning at 6:00 am.... See folks, it is not as bad as people make it out to be !!

The Long Road Ahead

So I took Seabiscuit out for a "getting to know you" trot up in New England last week. I know, New England, right...

Or maybe you didn't know. I have not been to the North East in over 2 months.

Seabiscuit is the spare truck I took into the mid-west a few weeks ago, the one with the leaking coolant sensor. The one that put me on the side of the Interstate last Sunday. Because I do not hardly ever trust the Stooges diagnosis, I was prepared for the worst. After "repairing" the leaking fill cap, I managed to make my round of deliveries and decided to take some extra time off in Connecticut.

Okay, I didn't just decide, it was actually planned out in advance. You see, I have spent a great deal of time casually running into my favorite bedbugger (that would be a household mover, for those not in the know). And really, it was not too casually either. Well planned, in advance, "Fancy meeting you here, giggle~giggle" kind of casual.

So back to relaxing in Connecticut... I arrived early, and he was destined to show up mid-afternoon. After enjoying dinner and spending some time playing games with his 10yr old son, I decided it was time to hit the dusty trail. I had been keeping an eye on the coolant levels, but after the cap repair, it seemed all was well. That is until I decided to leave. We noticed a large puddle under the truck and sure enough, another leak had sprung. This time it was the line flowing from the reservoir to the radiator. The clip which holds it in place had stretched and was allowing a steady stream to poor from the innards of Seabiscuit. Grrrrrr !! I had already stayed longer than I should, but my Knight in Shining Chrome grabbed some supplies, climbed under the hood and made emergency repairs to get me safely home... Swoon !! You just have to love Zip Ties.

Upon arrival back at the ranch, I promptly wrote up that the sensor was still leaking....

Errr, um, I wrote up the real issues and was pleasantly surprised to find both repairs were made, 2 other repairs were acknowledged and there was even a promise of replacing some of the surface damages.

Maybe I should cut the mechanics some slack? Not in a minute.. I think the only reason the repairs were made is because I was able to pinpoint the exact problem and request the parts on my own.

Next week, I will tackle an air leak, seal leak, and the APU.

The Ending Of An Era

You may or may not be aware that in the past 3 years , I have been almost at my wits end with this series of Volvo trucks provided for us by the Company.

The first truck, Maggie, had an exhaust leak that I endured for nearly two years. It was never found, and was presumed to be a result of my sensitive snout. After becoming disoriented not once, but twice, I finally convinced the shop to issue me an alternate truck...

That is where Frankentruck entered the picture. I was ecstatic to claim him, but it did not take long to realize I had just swapped one problem for many more. The first being a suspension issue. The second being a mildew issue which caused me to be sick for nearly a year and a half. And amongst other smaller concerns, the third major issue was the discomfort my body was subjected to by the driver's seat. Numb legs were the first symptoms, but it quickly escalated to sever joint pain in both my knee and hips, plus a constant inflamed sciatic nerve. Needless to say, I have not been a happy camper for much of the past 3 years, but I have persevered.

Well, it is time to say goodbye to Ol Frankentruck. I just cant deal with him anymore. After driving 3 different trucks in one week and discovering that ONLY mine rode rough, only mine caused physical discomfort, only mine created instantaneous congestion...I decided to give him up. The mechanics AND the corporate monkeys are all fairly positive that all my problems are a figment of my imagination... I suppose I am only highly imaginative in my own truck, as the other two had none of the same problems.

...but I digress. This is not a post about the inadequacies and failures of my Stooges.

This is an Announcement Post !!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you....

SEABISCUIT

Looks just like Maggie or Frankentruck, doesn't he? I have named him based on the fact that he is a little truck with a big heart. He pulls fairly well, doesn't struggle too much and gallops in near perfect rhythm...Not too mention, his saddle is a good fit for me. But he is a little beat up !!

I really hate to drive a piece of equipment that has damages, but I think that physical comfort is more important, so I will embrace him for the little truck he is, scars and all !!

Full STEAM Ahead

I really want to blog.... I really, really do. In fact, my intentions were to get a few saved up posts published tonight for you to read. Pretty good stuff, actually.

But, after spending more than an hour and a half sitting in a back-up on 81 due to an accident, and then another hour or so on the shoulder of I-78....

Well, you get the idea. I am too pooped and with my first delivery scheduled tomorrow morning in the Bronx, I really need to de-stress and get some sleep

Oh, yeah, sitting on the shoulder of Interstate 78, you ask.

The truck I am driving this week has been written up for the past 5 weeks for a coolant leak. This is not my beloved Frankentruck. This is a spare. The write-ups were addressed by simply topping off the fluid. I drove this truck last week and also requested the repair. I was informed that the only thing wrong with this truck was the coolant sensor..

Oh yeah? Then why do I actually have to add coolant?

So, after about 600 miles into my trip, the sensor begins to indicate that my fluid levels are low. By 850 miles, the levels have dropped to critical and the engine shut down. I was able to coast to a stop on the shoulder where I let the old boy cool off as I searched for his malfunction. I checked clamps, fittings and hoses. Could not find the source of the leak as everything was wet, everything was stained, EVERYTHING !! I topped him off and proceeded to my destination, but the sensor was triggered again. This time I was able to get into a rest area and do a more thorough search.

Thanks to a quick phone call, it was suggested to me that perhaps the fill cap itself was stripped out because the moisture seemed to be coming from the top.... Ah ha!! So after donning a roll of electricians tape and wrapping the mouth of the reservoir, I was able to continue forward on my journey. I managed to use the tape just as a plumber would by insulating the threads of the cap... You would have thought that after 5 weeks, the mechanics would have figured that one out, but they insist that it must be coming from the overflow tube (where there are no signs of leakage). That is after trying to convince me that it is only a sensor problem.

This saved the day and hopefully my week, but I will be sure to let the Stooges know that the sensor is leaking again.... as if....LOL

You know, today was not so bad. Minor roadside repairs are and will always be a part of my job. But the level of frustration I feel when something like this happens is another story. This truck was written up for the leak five weeks in a row.. I should never have had to made the repair on the side of the Interstate !! But, then I would have not been able to make my deliveries either...

I am committed....or maybe I should be committed...

Crane, Crane... Take Me On Out Of This Town

So, what have you missed?

The past month, I have given up on flatbedding...

GASP !! No, I did not quit my job or get fired. I have in fact been pulling the Crane Trailer.

It is a pleasant change for me and as with everything else, I find a certain satisfaction in operating the crane, almost like playing with a new toy. There are however a few downsides to running the Crane. Number One being that during the summer, I am enclosed in an unventilated trailer for hours and it feels like a sauna. Within minutes, I am drenched in sweat...

Lucky for me, most of my customers are quick to make sure I have everything I need, such as plenty of water and Gatorade. I have had a few close calls where the crane would come off the tracks, rendering the task at hand to become stalled. Some quick work with the forklift and I am set to proceed with the unloading process.

There are plenty of opportunities for this trailer to cause mayhem for my work schedule. Any malfunction could send me home with a half loaded trailer... One such instance occurred last week.

You see, the Crane is controlled with a single battery powered remote control. There use to be a controller that plugged into the crane itself, but that has long since been removed from the trailer. Not sure why that was done, but I don't feel it was a very educated decision. So, with the single remote, not only do I have to worry about the actual crane, but a remote malfunction can send me packing as well.

Last week, at my first stop, the inevitable happened. While un-securing the crane, the remote was knocked down in amongst my load. Having fallen behind 5000 lbs of metal, against a wall, 4 ft below me, I begin to feel the first frustrations of the week. With much determination and struggling, I was able to retrieve the ONLY means by which I could offload my freight. But not before suffering a few minor injuries. Trust me, it is very hard to scurry into tight spaces with razor sharp edges at every corner and not come out with some blood loss.

It was not the struggle to retrieve the remote control that caused my angst. In fact, it is the decision of the Boss' to have only one remote available to me. There are a total of SIX remote controls for this trailer, but the Boss' have decided that a cabinet drawer in Georgia, is the best place to store the remaining FIVE. I had asked for a spare remote the previous week, but was denied. So after this little incidence occurred, I immediately called and ask for a reprieve. I explained how unfortunate it would be if I had to return to the plant with a loaded trailer because of a slight remote malfunction. The Boss, not sensing the true nature of my predicament, remarked that they could always send me one via Fed-Ex if that happened again. HAR DE HAR HAR..... Seriously folks, they would rather store the extra remotes in a locked drawer and ship one out to me, than just allow an extra one to ride along in the trailer.. Funny Stuff, but then nothing surprises me when it comes to the new bosses.

It has been a good month, and even with the blood, sweat and tears, I have really enjoyed pulling the crane. I do tend to get a little bruised up, so I try not to make it a habit to pull it too often.

after a typical unload....

And as an added bonus, I think I will throw in a little public service announcement at this point.

DONT EVER PULL OUT IN FRONT OF A MOVING TRACTOR TRAILER !!!!!

This is what my load looked like after another semi pulled off the shoulder of the highway directly in front of me. He was moving at about 10mph when he lurched into traffic. I was rolling along above 65mph. Thankfully, the fella beside was paying attention and let me have the left lane. But because of the sudden swerve to the left, my load fell over... Had I not swerved, I would not be here to tell you about it. Had the fella beside me not been paying attention, there could have been a major catastrophe. I did publicly chastise the driver of the other truck for making such an asinine decision. To this, he only remarked about silly women drivers, and a few other choice lewd remarks. Geeez, I love steering wheel holders...

All is well, that turns out well. It is a great big world, with lots of exciting stuff going on. Pay attention people, it could be my life you are saving. And on that note, I think I will take the convertible out for a ride....

Please Enjoy The Music While Your Party is Being Reached...

Hey Kids, just wanted to stop in and let you know I will be back.

In fact, tomorrow I am actually having the Interwebs piped directly into my new home. I have been living on insufficient signal for far too long, and well, I have missed blogging!

Lots of things have happened in the past few months and hopefully I will be able to get everyone caught up on the going's on in the life of this here Little Trucker, that is...if you are still interested!

Thanks so much for stopping by...

Happy Fathers Day

A Bad Case of the Mondays

My goodness, where have I been....

I have been busy indulging in the simple things in life and enjoying every moment of it. But that doesn't mean that all is well with trucking.

During the course of the past few weeks, I have endured several teeth gritting, nerve grinding incidences.

On Monday, May 31st, I awoke at my first customer of the week in Norfolk, Virginia. My mood could not have been better and as is par for the course with new to me customers, I was getting alot of attention. Good attention, compliments, and "OMG, I cannot believe you drive that big ol thing". After I backed into the unloading area, I noticed this....

I have no idea how it got cut. The tire was fine when I left the yard and I had no problems with it while driving the previous night.

The next occurrence in my list of Manic Mondays involves the reason I have been feeling so poorly the past 16 MONTHS !! It seems every week, when I climb into Frankentruck, I can make it about a day and a half before I start to lose my voice and my chest becomes overwhelmingly congested. I have suffered thru this everyweek while at work and notice signs of improvement after spending a few days at home, but then the vicious cycle continues as soon as I head back out on the road. I have spent numerous hours trying to find the cause. I am allergic to the little pine tree air fresheners, so I have stripped the truck several times looking for one that was perhaps hidden by the previous driver. I have checked for exhaust leaks and APU problems. It was then that my Dad reminded me of the water leak that flooded my flooring approximately 16 months ago, and suggested I may have a mold or mildew problem... BINGO!!

So, on Monday, I pulled back the flooring to check and my fingers reeked of the smell of mildew. After checking the webs, I came to the conclusion that this was indeed my problem. My symptoms were textbook for prolonged exposure to mildew. The shop has been approved to order an entire new interior for my truck, complete with all flooring, seats, bed, and curtains. That was 2 weeks ago , I am still waiting !!

Next up, Monday, June 7th. This was an exceptional case of the Mondays !! It started with the load being reversed in order, therefore causing difficulties for the customers to unload. But the real load issue was a very bad balancing act.

With the help of one of my customers and 2.5 hrs hours of tugging, pulling, prying, fussing and cussing, I finally got the load secure enough to travel. It still took extra precautions to get the trailer open and the items safely removed the next morning.

But it doesn't end there !! Monday followed me into the next day and after finishing up my Carolina deliveries, I ventured forth into Virginia where the DOT decided to pull a full inspection on me at the weigh station. I am actually glad they did because it got me a much needed repair that could have left me stranded further down the road, but the 2.5 hour delay caused me to add an additional day to my weeks journey...Oh well, all is well that ends well.

All of this just after the Monday I spent sitting on the side of the road after blowing out the duct work on the air compressor. So, it is Sunday and I am sitting in Kenly, North Carolina, anxiously awaiting to see what tomorrow's Monday might have in store for me. Wish Me Luck?

There Is Always A Silver Lining...

sometimes you just have to look a little harder to see it.

Last week, I set forth on another east coast short haul. The short haul is not exactly my favorite route because it will place me on I-95 long before I get into New Jersey. I despise the stretch between Richmond, Va and Delaware, so I avoid it at all costs. And I have good reason to feel no love for the section of asphalt. It is where all things bad will happen to me! Like, for example losing a drive shaft..Or having to camp out in a motel where "security" walked me to my room for safety. The traffic delays here are to be expected, but still leave me with feelings of anxiety... I just don't like it there!!

So the week begins with an early morning delivery to Richmond, Virginia. Next up is a quick trek through the woods to Orange. The ride from Orange will take me onwards to Elkridge, Md and I love a good two lane, so my morning is off to a wonderful start...

That is until about five minutes after I reemerge onto I-95. What is it about that stinking road? I find myself having to dodge and dart through traffic, making my way to the first of several delays in my very near future. While slowing to a crawl, I notice a noise coming from my truck. As it begins to escalate, I lower the window to pinpoint its proximity. My first impression was that of a grocery sack fluttering in the wind, perhaps clinging to some portion of my little white Volvo. But as the noise began to increase in intensity, I also noticed the rhythm was in sync with my rpms. Not a good sign.

Within minutes, Frankentruck was screaming in protest. WARNING!! Pull over now or suffer my wrath! I made a mad dash to the shoulder just before the air supply was extinguished and his trailer brakes locked up tight. I had just blown the metal duct work out of the front of the air compressor, and no matter how hard I tried, the bastard was not going to move. Not exactly the best spot to break down. And ironically, I was only 2.4 miles from where I lost the drive shaft a couple of years ago, but at least I was not sitting in the back-up AND traffic had obliged me rather well when I made my blinking amber request to exit the travel lanes (from the center of the roadway).

I called into maintenance, explained my dilemma and was assured that someone would be out to rescue me in no time (which could be hours). I was mildly surprised when after only 15 minutes, I received an automated call confirming that a mechanic had been dispatched and would arrive in approximately 75 minutes. This sounded like a dream come true, because the last time I was stranded only 2.4 miles further north, it was well over 4 hours before my knight in shining grease was able to whisk me off to safety. You can imagine my exhilaration when after only 13 minutes, my highway hero made his appearance.

In a short matter of time, he had me pieced back together in order for me to be able to press onward and drive into a shop. But after only 9 miles, I was sitting back on the shoulder, a little dismayed. But wonders never cease!! The mechanic had decided to follow me, just to be on the side of caution. So after he left me, he then made a U-turn and crept back up behind me in order to watch my progress. After the second set of warning bells, I was tickled pink to see him ready to assist again without another phone call. This time, it was decided that the repairs should be made on the spot and the calls began in search of necessary parts. No luck, however, as the only parts available were going to have to be shipped in overnight. With that knowledge in mind, it was then decided that we would have to resort to alternate measures.

There are 3 things that I believe every Truck Driver should carry.... Gorilla Tape, baling wire and industrial strength Zip Ties. With an ounce of ingenuity, good ol Frankentruck was able to finish his chores and made it back to the yard where new parts where awaiting his arrival.

The silver lining, you ask. Well, lets think about it.

I did not break down and block a two lane highway for 4 hours. (total amount of down time)

I did not have to wait 75 minutes for help.

I did not have to call in for a second repairman because the first mechanic thought twice about leaving me.

I did not have to sit overnight waiting on parts to be shipped in.

And even though I did manage to accumulate 4 hours of breakdown time, I was able to still make all my deliveries in a rapid fashion, beating the original schedule that had been laid out before me.

There it is..that silver lining. And who knows, maybe it has something to do with all that shiny metal I drag around with me, creating my own silver lining everywhere I go.

As, an added bonus, I was dispatched on another run that week ( in a spare truck) and was able to officially make the acquaintance of 2 fellas I have befriended on the Interwebs. Brian and Geoff. Both men seem to share my passion and drive for being in this industry and I consider myself lucky to have met them both firsthand.

A Change of Pace

Just a little something different this week.

Loads are dispersed based on seniority here, and every week I sit with baited breathe to see if my beloved New England route is available. Actually, because there is only one other driver willing to take my run, it is not so much baited breathe...but rather, waiting to see if I need to put on the steel toe boots and do some shin kicking. When the Crane Trailer route lacks mileage/stops, my best bud AA will jump on the New England flight like a fat kid on a candy bar. That is what happened this week.

With only 5 deliveries and 1800 miles, it fell into my lap.

I love the fact that my job has many available facets to polish, and running the crane to me is like playing with big boy toys! So, I set out for 2 days of playtime.

Back at the ranch on Tuesday night means I will be looking for more work towards the end of the week, and as luck would have it, I am just about out the door to make a quick trip down to Medley, Florida. This is a regular drop and hook run, so that means no waiting!!