I heard some drivers on the CB - I don't know why I turned it on - I must have been bored this past Sunday afternoon and need a brief distraction. Anyway, it was the usual red-neck 100 mile this and 400 mile that, but what stood out to me was the statement by one of them that they are making less money because the "company" turned down the truck from 72 to 68. What a bunch of baloney. This driver said he is running one trip less a month because he can't drive at the higher speed anymore. Horsefeathers. I don't see many folks driving around much slower than I did a year ago. Most trucks, especially owner-operators are flying past me faster than ever, certainly in the 70's. And here I am, lit'l 'ole me, crusing along at 60 mph. See wiz. I'm not making any less money because I'm not driving at 68 anymore. I'm moving. Some lanes are slow - others lanes are properous. NEWS FLASH - stay away from the slower traffic lanes! Run Indiana and Illinois to Virginia and the Northeast and back and you'll be doing fine. Texas is ok. Forget California. You all know NYC always pays good. Toughen up. Get in there early deliver your load and pick up in Jersey or PA and head back to Indiana. I just got a load from Joliet IL to Ft. Lauderdale FL. Deadhead 117 miles, loaded 1304. That's 1421 paid miles not including my tarp pay. I'll take a few days off - one day to see my new doc - and get another load from Tampa back to North Carolina then down to Laredo. All at 60 mph. Ya'll sitting around? Well, ya'll is doing somTING wrong. And slow down, please. Especially you HAZMAT trucks. That's a V. Grumpy photo of Clearwater Beach at sunset.
Monday, August 11, 2008
There's no freight - waaaaa...
I heard some drivers on the CB - I don't know why I turned it on - I must have been bored this past Sunday afternoon and need a brief distraction. Anyway, it was the usual red-neck 100 mile this and 400 mile that, but what stood out to me was the statement by one of them that they are making less money because the "company" turned down the truck from 72 to 68. What a bunch of baloney. This driver said he is running one trip less a month because he can't drive at the higher speed anymore. Horsefeathers. I don't see many folks driving around much slower than I did a year ago. Most trucks, especially owner-operators are flying past me faster than ever, certainly in the 70's. And here I am, lit'l 'ole me, crusing along at 60 mph. See wiz. I'm not making any less money because I'm not driving at 68 anymore. I'm moving. Some lanes are slow - others lanes are properous. NEWS FLASH - stay away from the slower traffic lanes! Run Indiana and Illinois to Virginia and the Northeast and back and you'll be doing fine. Texas is ok. Forget California. You all know NYC always pays good. Toughen up. Get in there early deliver your load and pick up in Jersey or PA and head back to Indiana. I just got a load from Joliet IL to Ft. Lauderdale FL. Deadhead 117 miles, loaded 1304. That's 1421 paid miles not including my tarp pay. I'll take a few days off - one day to see my new doc - and get another load from Tampa back to North Carolina then down to Laredo. All at 60 mph. Ya'll sitting around? Well, ya'll is doing somTING wrong. And slow down, please. Especially you HAZMAT trucks. That's a V. Grumpy photo of Clearwater Beach at sunset.
