STRAYCAT’S DOGGONE BLOG

DECEMBER

December 31, 2004 on 12:59 am | In On The Road | No Comments

12/1/4 (Wednesday):
Delivered the City of Industry load. The Planners gave me a load
that originated in Chino, CA and delivered in West Valley City, UT (17 miles empty and 653 miles loaded). The route was CA-60E to CA-71S to the Shipper, then CA-71N to CA-60E to
I-15N to Salt Lake City. then I-215Nto UT-201W. The trip went well.
12/3/4 (Friday):
Delivered the West Valley load at 7:30AM. The Consignee found 2 cases of paper towels that were damaged. Since the Shipper loaded the load, and the Consignee unloaded the load, the damage was not my fault. It was probably done during loading. They rejected the product, so I reported the damage to our Claims Department. They told me to turn the product in at our Terminal in Salt Lake City. The Planners gave me a load that picked up in Ogden, UT and delivered in Newnan, GA (39 miles empty and 1873 miles loaded). The route was I-15N to Ogden. After picking up the load, the route was I-15S to I-84E to I-80E through northern Utah, Wyoming, and into Nebraska. At Lincoln, NE, I took US-77S to NE-2E to IA-2E to I-29S into Missouri. At Kansas City, MO I connected with I-70E. I stayed on I-70E through Missouri and connected with I-64E at East St. Louis, IL. I took I-64E to Mt.Vernon, IL. There I took I-57S to I-24E. I took I-24E through Kentucky and Tennessee. At Chattanooga, I-24 ends and merges with I-75. I took I-75S to Atlanta, GA. There I took I-285S to I-85S around Atlanta to Newnan. The load was routine. No adverse weather or unusual events. I dropped the load at the customer about 10:00PM on the 6th.
12/7/4 (Tuesday):
The Planners gave me a load that picked up at our Terminal in Decatur, GA and delivered in Birmingham, AL (43 miles empty and 151 miles loaded). The route was
I-85N to I-285E to I-20E to Decatur. After feuling and picking up the load, I took I-20W to I-285W to I-20W to I-65N. I took this short trip because I burned up a lot of hours going cross-
country. This will enable me to have enough hours to get back west without having to take a day off.
12/8/4 (Wednesday):
After delivering my load, the Planners gave me a load that picked up in Pennington, AL and delivered in Ottawa, KS (138 miles empty and 735 miles loaded). The route was I-20/59W/S to SR-17S to SR-156E to SR114S to Pennington. After loading, the route was SR-114S to SR-156W to SR-17N to I-20/59E/N to US-78N to Memphis, TN. At Memphis, I took I-240W to I-55N to US-63N to US-60W to I-44W to SR-13 to SR-7N to US-71N to Kansas City, KS to I-435W to I-35S to Ottawa, KS. I delivered the load on 12/9 at about 10:00PM and went to bed. The trip was un-eventful and the weather was clear.
12/10/4 (Friday):
The Planners found a load for me that was already loaded and ready for pick-up at our Terminal in Edwardsville, KS and delivered in Ontario, CA (50 miles empty and 1531 miles loaded). The route was I-35N to I-435N to Edwardsville. After feuling and picking up the load the route was I-435N to I-70W through Kansas, Colorado, and Utah to I-15S through Southern Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California to Ontario. The weather was remarkably mild for this time of year, even through the high mountains of Colorado. It also took me through Las Vegas, so I got a day at home.
12/14/4 (Tuesday):
After delivering the load from Edwardsville, the Planners found me a load that picked up in Ontario, CA and deliverd in Las Vegas, NV (0 miles empty and 237 miles loaded). The route was I-15S to CA-60W to the Shipper. After loading, the route was CA-60E to I-15N to Las Vegas, NV. I delivered the load on the 15th at 1:30PM. After that, I took some ‘home time’.
12/18/4 (Saturday):
OK, here’s the PLAN. I’m going to try for the $250.00 Christmas Bonus by driving over the Christmas Holiday (2500 miles driven between Dec 22nd to Dec 29th). Therefore, i’m going to ‘hover’ between LA, Phoenix, and the Bay Area, taking short loads, until I can meet up with my brother who is meandering South from the Bay Area beginning today as well, or the 22nd, whichever comes first. Whenever we connect will be “Christmas”. There is no freight in the Las Vegas area today, so the Planner told me to Deadhead to our Terminal in Fontana. Once there, the Planner found me a load from Long Beach, CA to Phoenix, AZ (278 total miles empty and 347 miles loaded). The route was I-15S to Fontana, then I-15S to CA-60W to I-605S to I-105W to I-710S. After loading, the route was I-710N to I-105E to I-605N to CA-60E to I-10E through California into Arizona to Phoenix. This load is a “drop delivery” so I delivered it as soon as I got to Phoenix on the 19th. I arrived about 3:00pm.
12/20/4 (Monday):
After I delivered the load from Long Beach, I discovered that, because it was Sunday, there was no freight left. The Planners found me a load that picked up in Tolleson, AZ to Chula Vista, CA with an extra stop in San Diego, CA (7 miles empty and 348 miles loaded). The route was I-10W to Tolleson. After loading, the route was I-10W to AZ-85S to I-8W through Arizona and California to San Diego. Along the way, I stopped at a Rest Area right in the middle of Sand Dunes National Park. Here are a few photographs.

Just as I was entering San Diego, my brother called and said that they had just arrived in San Diego as well. I was in heavy traffic, so I said that I would call them as soon as I was settled in at my 1st stop (a Costco with a big parking lot in which to spend the night). I called them and they (my brother, his wife and daughter) met me at the Costco. We went to a nice little Micro-Brewery with a really good menu right in the same Shopping Center . I had roast beef & garlic mashed potatoes. After dinner we walked around and I gave them my itinerary for the next day (make my delivery there, then deliver Chula Vista then meet up with them for the rest of the day). Alas, the day began very badly. I checked in at 5:30AM and immediately got a door. A half hour later, as they began to unload me, they discovered that the trailer had been loaded in reverse order (ie: the Chula Vista product had been loaded first, so all their stuff was in the nose of the trailer). They stopped unloading after taking off 4 pallets. After another half hour, the Manager said to put everything back on my trailer and send me to Chula Vista first. They said they would unload me as soon as I got done there. When I arrived at the Chula Vista store, I was the 3rd truck in line. To make a long story short, by the time I was unloaded at Chula Vista, the San Diego store was through unloading for the day. I called my DM and she in turn called the CSR who re-scheduled me for 5:30AM the next day. I went back to the same store as yesterday, parked my truck and called my brother to come pick me up. So, instead of meeting them for a late breakfast, it was more like 1:00PM before I was done. We spent the rest of the afternoon in a really nice Out-door Mall (the name of which escapes me now). I bought a new digital camera (an Olympus Stylus-410). We had dinner at the Mall in a little Diner (I can’t remember its’ name either) After that we went to the R.V. Park where they were staying and just ‘chilled’. I played with my new camera. Here are some of the 1st pictures that I took with it.

It was a pleasant, albeit, short visit.
12/22/4 (Wednesday):
This is the 1st day of the Christmas Bonus driving period. I finally delivered that stupid load from Tolleson. After that, the Planners gave me a load to Denver. After conferring with my DM, I turned it down. I wanted a load with more miles so that I wouldn’t have to ‘hassle’ with a bunch of short loads in order to get the Bonus. The Planners then gave me a load that picked up in Garden Grove, CA and delivered in Fort Mill, SC (98 miles empty and 2366 miles loaded). Needless to say, I was much happier with this load. It delivered in the AM on the 27th, which would leave me 2 full days to get the remaining 134 miles that I need to ensure my Bonus. I love it when a Plan comes together. The route was I-8W to I-805N to I-5N to I-405N to Garden Grove. After I was loaded, the route was CA-91E to CA-57N to CA-60E to I-10E through California, Arizona, New Mexico, and into Texas. At the junction of I-10 and I-20, I took I-20E through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and into Georgia. At Atlanta. I took I-285N to I-85N into South Carolina to Fort Mill. In Las Cruses, it began to SNOW. When I got to El Paso, the DOT had closed the roads due to ICE and numerous accidents. I stopped there to let the SNOW “El Paso” over me (ha ha). This was some kind of freakish storm because it SNOWED in Houston, Corpus Christy and even Brownsville. The temperatures were 15-20 degrees below normal for the rest of the trip. I spent Christmas Morning in Tallulah, LA. I gave the ‘doggies’ the treats that “Sandy Paws” left for them. They tried to stay up and watch for him, but they didn’t make it. In the afternoon, I drove to Meridian, MS where I stopped for the night. No sense working too hard on Christmas Day. That put me within ’striking distance’ of my destination. I arrived in Fort Mill on the 26th at about 9:00PM.
12/27/4 (Monday):
The day started out well, but rapidly turned to TOTAL CRAPOLA. I delivered the load from Garden Grove on time. After that the Planner gave me a ‘local delivery’ load from Charlotte, NC to Mount Holly, NC. I dropped my empty trailer at the ‘drop yard’, hooked to the loaded one and proceeded to the Customer. When I arrived, I found the place locked up tight. In fact, it looked like they had moved. There was absolutely no activity at all. I called my DM. An hour later, I was told to return the load to the ‘drop yard’. When I got back there, I discovered that another Swift driver had taken my empty trailer. The planner gave me another load that picked up in Mount Holly, but, of course, I needed an empty because it was a ‘live load’. They then sent me to another Customer in Matthews, NC to get an empty. When I arrived there and got the trailer, I noticed in the Dispatch that the load had to be picked up before 4:00PM. Since it was already 3:00PM, and I had to drive clear across Charlotte during rush hour traffic and I was 40 miles away, I again called my DM and told her that ther wasn’t any way that I was going to arrive on time. The Planner told me to head over there anyway. I arrived a half an hour late and, of course, Shipping was long gone. I called my DM again. By this time she was as frustrated as I. The Planner finally gave me a load that picked up in Charleston, SC and delivered in Kansas City, MO (230 miles empty and 1067 miles loaded). The route was I-77S to I-26E to Charleston. I arrived there at 9:30PM, but had to wait until the next day to pick up the load because I was totally out of hours for the day after all the jerking around. The Customer had a big lot and was quite accommodating. On a brighter note, this load ensured my $250.00 Bonus. After picking up the load, the route was I-26W through South Carolina into North Carolina to Ashville. There I took I-40W into Tennessee to Nashville where I took
I-24W through Tennessee, Kentucky and into Illinois. At the junction with I-57, I took I-57N to I-64W to St. Louis, MO. There, I connected with I-70W to Kansas City, MO. I called my DM and asked her to Overnight all of the 2005 Permits available and a copy of my new Contract to our Terminal in Edwardsville, KS. I don’t want to be “caught short”on New Years Day with no Permits and no Overnight mail available until the 3rd. It rained most of the way, but did not snow. I delivered the load on the 29th at 11:30PM.
12/30/4 (Thurday):
The Planners gave me a load that was already loaded and sitting at our Terminal in Edwardsville and delivers on the 1st between 3:00PM and 7:00PM in Payson, UT (15 miles empty and 1073 miles loaded). My Permit packet arrived at 11:00AM. After picking up the load and feuling I departed. The route was I-70W through Kansas and into Colorado to Denver. There I picked up I-270W to I-25N through Colorado and into Wyoming. At Cheyenne, I hooked up with I-80W. I took that through Wyoming and into Utah to Salt Lake City. At the junction with I-15, I took I-15S to Payson. I spent New Years Eve in Fort Bridger, WY because it started to SNOW heavly and the DOT put the ‘chain law’ into effect. I stopped at about 8:00PM.
Comments:
I had 12 trips this month. I drove 932 miles empty and 10414 miles loaded for a total of 11346 and an average of 391 miles per work day. This is a lot better than I expected considering the Christmas and New Years Holidays. I worked all or part of 29 days this month and only had 2 full days off. This would explain the better than expected mileage total for the month, but the average miles per work day is a bit low. This means that i’m spending a lot of days away from home yet not making $$$$$. I would like to see the average miles per work day up around 450-475. The average miles per trip is 945. Not bad considering I had 7 trips under 700 miles. All in all, a good month.