STRAYCAT’S DOGGONE BLOG

Life Day 21237: Albuquerque Aggrevation

September 3, 2005 on 10:40 am | In On The Road, Travelblogue | No Comments

On Saturday, the 27th, the MMM rousted me at about 0630. After their initial AM ‘doings’, I set up the computer and began waiting for a Pre-Plan. Being without a trailer I figured it would be difficult to get a decent load out of here. About noon, still w/out a load, I ‘pulled up stakes’ and drove back to the Terminal. As I was walking the MMM, I saw a couple of drivers who, like myself, had been around since yesterday. One was still in the Shop, and the other had a load, but it didn’t deliver in LA until Tuesday AM so he was in no hurry to leave. I thought to myself: GREAT, the freight situation here is BLEAK. After the walk, I went inside to the Dispatch Window. To my ASTONISHMENT, I was offered a load that was already in the Yard and delivered in Seattle, WA on Monday at 1000 (11 miles empty and 811 miles loaded). I was expecting to have to wait until tomorrow AM for a load, or to get one with short miles. It goes without saying that I accepted it IMMEDIATELY. I wasn’t going to give her a chance to change her mind. With paperwork in hand, I went ‘in search of’ my trailer. After locating it, doing the L-Call, walking the MMM, and running my truck through the Truck Wash a couple of times (the truck wash doesn’t really clean the truck, it just removes the “big chunks” and a few of the less obstinate bugs), I departed Lathrop at 1600. I drove to Redding, CA where I had dinner and, of course, walked the MMM. I left at 2200 and drove to the Randolph C. Collier Rest Area (about 10 miles from the Oregon border) where I stopped for the night. It was constructed along the banks of the Klamath River and is quite beautiful. I arrived precisely at ‘the Witching hour’. Of the 6.5 hours worked today, 6.25 were expended driving 309 miles.
Before leaving the Rest Area on the 28th, I snapped these photographs.

In the picture on the left, notice the truck “laboring” up the hill in the background, and also the “wild” Blackberries in the foreground. These berries choke off the banks of the Klamath River for almost its entire length. The fisherman hate them.
I left at 1030 and drove 5.75 hours to Aurora, OR. I spent an hour here for dinner, then drove to the Flying J in Tacoma, WA (the last “truck friendly” stop before Seattle) where I stopped for the night. I worked 9 hours driving 451 miles in 8.75 hours.
I drove the 23 miles to Seattle leaving at 1000 on the 29th. At 1130, I was given a door, backed in, then waited 4.75 hours being unloaded (my 14 hour clock ticking away). While I was waiting, the Planner offered me a load that picked up in Everett, WA and delivered in Fullerton, CA (28 miles empty and 1189 miles loaded). I accepted it, then finally left Seattle at 1645. I arrived in Everett at 1730. They needed my empty trailer immediately, so I spotted it in a door for them. Unfortunately, my load wasn’t yet ready, so I settled in to wait (again). About 1830, I went in search of nourishment. I found Marina Village about 2 blocks from the Shipper.

Marina Village is a small collection of shops and restaurants. I chose Anthony’s Woodfire Grill. The photo on the right is the patio of Anthony’s where I dined. It overlooks the Marina.

Unlike the sailboat pictures of my youth, the main focal point of these pictures are actually sailboats. The Sea Gull in the photo on the right was perched there for my entire meal.
For dinner, I had one of the Early Bird Specials. They included Appetizer, Salad, Entree, and Desert for $16.95. I selected Teriyaki Beef, Caesar Salad, Steak & Spicy Shrimp, and a Hot Fudge Sundae. It was delicious and the portions were generous.
After dinner, I drove back to the Shipper. My load still wasn’t ready. At 2200, I contacted the Shipping Clerk again. He still had no idea when my load would be ready, so I dedided to go to bed and get it in the morning. I worked 10 hours today of which I used 1.25 driving 57 miles.
On the 30th, as hurricane Katrina was ravaging the Gulf Coast, I “stormed” out of bed at about 0700 mentally ravaged by the boredom of waiting around for most of yesterday. Last evening, Swift sent a Company-wide message over the Qual-Com asking drivers to fuel before midnight if possible because of an anticipated sharp increase in fuel prices. I picked up my load and departed Everett at 0815. I drove to our Terminal in Sumner, WA for fuel. The prices had already gone up dramatically, and were expected to rise even more as the situation develops. Funny how fuel prices rise BEFORE the effects of a disaster are fully known, and drop ever so slowly, and NEVER to the price before the disaster. But “big oil” is absolutely, positively NOT gouging. I left Sumner at 1015 and drove to Chehalis, WA for lunch at The Rib Eye Steakhouse. After lunch, I drove to Rice Hill, OR. I took a 15 minute MMM relief break here, then drove to Central Point (Medford), OR. I topped of my tanks here again because Swift sent the same message about yet another fuel price increase at midnight. Because there was a Shari’s restaurant nearby, and I was able to find a parking space in the rapidly filling-up truckstop, I decided to stop here for the night. Of the 10.5 hours I worked, I used 9.75 hours driving 479 miles.
On the 31st, I ended the month with a full day of driving. I left Central Point at 1000 and drove to Corning, CA. I took a 1/2 hour break here then drove to good ole Santa Nella for dinner which, of course, means a visit to Split Pea Andersdons. While I was here, my DM offered me a load which picked up in Compton, CA and delivered in Secaucus, NJ (19 miles empty and 2788 miles loaded). I told her that I wanted the load, but I wouldn’t be able to pick it up until tomorrow afternoon and I might have some problems making the delivery on Tuesday the 6th with the status of my Log Book. She said that she could get an extra day if needed, so I accepted the load. After a good break here, I drove to Lost Hills, CA where I stopped for the night. I was out of hours for the day. I worked 11.25 hours using 11 of those driving 544 miles.
On the 1st, I left Lost Hills at 0830. I drove to Fullerton and dropped my loaded trailer. Unfortunately, for the first time ever in my experience with this Customer, they did not have an empty trailer for me. The New Jersey load requires Swift to spot an empty to pick up the load, so the saga of empty, empty, where the _______ (insert expletive) is an empty began. To sum things up, 6 hours, 68 miles through the ubiquitous LA traffic, and 5 Customers later, my DM cajoled an empty trailer from the original Customer in Fullerton. I finally arrived at the Shipper w/ empty at 1930. I did the drop/hook and departed at 2000. I drove to Barstow where I stopped for the night because my 14 hour clock had expired. I worked 8.25 hours, expending 7.25 driving 343 miles.
On Friday, the 2nd, after checking my available hours for the duration of this run, I told my DM that due to the lateness of yesterdays pick-up and the needless hours expended in finding an empty trailer, that I could not make the delivery until Wednesday. She said O.K. and I set off for Kingman, AZ at 1045. When I arrived in Kingman 4 hours later, I discovered that she could not get the load re-scheduled and that I was to T-Call it in Oklahoma City on Saturday so that it could be re-powered in time to meet the scheduled delivery time. I called her and told her that I couldn’t even get the load to OKC before Sunday AM because of my available hours for the next 2 days (3 on Saturday and 6.5 on Sunday) and suggested Albuquerque as the T-Call location because I could drop the load there late tonight. She agreed and made the arrangments. At this point, I decided to take the 34 consecutive hours off necessary to re-start my “70 hour clock”. After fueling, I drove to Flagstaff, took a half hour MMM break and then drove the remaining 5 hours to Albuquerque. I arrived at 2330, T-Called the load, and began the 34 hour vigil at 2345. This means that at 0945 Sunday AM, I’ll be available for Dispatch with a full compliment of hours available. Of the 11.75 hours I worked today, I expended 11 driving 648 miles.
Today, the 3rd, the MMM rousted me just after dawn. After their AM excursion, and a hearty breakfast at the Flying J (3 miles from our Albuquerque Terminal), I decided to get a motel room. There is a Microtel right across the street, and they have free WiFi there. As I was ‘moving in’ to the Motel, I noticed that the Planners had offered me a load that picked up at our Terminal and delivers in LA on the 6th. I accepted it. This being Labor Day week-end, I wasn’t expecting even this much. No work nor driving was done today that I need to Log.