Crazy Couple of Weeks

Sorry its been awhile...kinda got out of our rythm. We have been running good, back and forth several times. Some loads are due in 2 days and some we have 4 days to get across the country. We have been hauling mostly all reefer loads...Dole bananas, fresh picked strawberries from Oxnard, CA out east, we have done this one twice now. I am liking this area of California a lot. It's agriculture heaven, with fresh everything and close to the ocean to still enjoy fresh seafood. We found a great Mexican market and have had some yummy meals in the truck. The reefer freight is great heading east, but not so great heading back west. We have hauled...cigarettes, Nordstrom loads and picked up from other trucking companies, all in reefer trailers (not turned on of course) to get us and the reefer trailers back to the west coast. Freight is wierd. Just when you can get in a good pattern and the loads are going smoothly...everything changes.

Being the semi-control freak that I am (depends on who you ask) this has been good for me. I like to see myself more as A Planner, than a control freak. It's just easier when you have a plan and can stick to it. That rarely works in this industry because things are constantly changing. But I'be learned to accept it, I'm not embracing it yet...

I just can't hit a deer

It happened again last night. Taking the 74 across Illinois there it was, just standing on the white dotted line on a two-lane divided highway as I came around a bend. All of the things that you were taught start rushing to your brain...your supposed to speed up and stay in your lane, whether you hit them or not, never sacrificing a load by slamming on your brakes.

So...what did I do? I applied a safe amount of pressure to my brakes (to where Jeff didn't roll out of bed) and veered off into the rumble bar to miss the deer. He ran off the other way and disappeared. Exactly what I should not have done. After 2 1/2 years out here...I still can't do it.

Change in Plans

Now we are picking up our load in Oxnard and heading to Denver...Pennsylvania. Arrived last night and got checked in and told we wouldn't be loaded until early AM, so we dropped our trailer and headed to a Mexican restaurant called Cabo that another USX Team, Sandi and Bandit, raved about. Jeff and I have not had that good of a meal since Mexico. It was fantastic and since I was off the clock til the next day, I even enjoyed a yummy Pina Colada. We were just walking back to the truck and both of our phones rang at the sametime and we were told they ran out of strawberries, so we would not be loaded until tomorrow.

It is now 11 am pacific time and we are expected to be loaded around noon. Everybody here is so nice and all I can smell is strawberries. Life is good!

Stuck in Cali

I guess it could be much worse...like New Jersey! We have had the truck in the shop since Monday. Picked up our truck from Freightliner yesterday afternoon and got a call from the GM of the western region assuring us that we would be getting our 6000+ miles back a week and that there would be a reefer load ready and waiting for us in San Diego today heading to NY. We had to get from Ontario, CA down to San Diego, so we were assigned to pick up a load last night in downtown LA and head south. Needless to say, no load at the railyard to pick up so we headed back to Colton prison...our terminal. This morning we were told to bobtail over to Nordstrom's and pick up a reefer. While pretripping the trailer we had to add almost a full gallon of oil...wonder how long it had been since somebody checked that, then we were on our way to get the trailer washed out, and that reefer load was cancelled. It is Easter weekend so there have been many cancelled loads. So...after the trailer washout we are now heading back to Colton prison and will be taking a dry box up to Livermore, CA where we will be heading to Richmond, VA, but not until tomorrow. At least we can get half of our miles that were promised this week.

Ever since we went home we have not been able to get back into any type of rythm and it makes both of us tired and London keeps wondering why we keep driving, but still end up back at the same place we started b4 he went to bed. Can't complain about the weather, it has been beautiful and it was great to finally spend some quality time with Anne and Craig Leonard, our friends that brought us over to the company in the first place.

Looking forward to running the 40 and hopefully no tornadoes in our future. Cheers and Happy Easter to all. I hope the Bunny is good to you.