I left San Antonio about 1pm yesterday to pick up a load in Rockdale TX. I get there about 4:30pm. I have a 1900 or 7pm load time appointment. The material is due in Evansville IN Wednesday morning at 8am. After getting on the scale for my MT weight, then checking in with security, I took a 15 minute "power-nap", did some "house cleaning" and had a light dinner. There are about 25 trucks waiting to load, some of which arrived hours before their appointment time. Many asked if they could get in earlier, and "no" was the response. This is a "mega" sized manufacturing complex, but for flatbeds, there is only 1 loading door, and they only load 1 truck at a time. Forget asking why, you just have to accept it.
7:35pm. Security calls me on the CB to come to the front gate and sign in. Got a map and directions where to go and followed two other trucks who were n front of me. Even with a map we almost take a wrong turn toward a "restricted" area. Since we don't want to risk the chance of being thrown off the property, we all stop - I check the map, redirect the convoy and we get to the appropriate location. The lead truck is flagged inside the loading area. Four pieces are placed on his deck and then comes 4 of the most dreaded words in flatbed trucking - "THE CRANE IS BROKEN!"
8pm. 9pm. I send in my two-hour detention warning. 10pm, 11pm - midnight. I'm now listening to the repeat of the Bill O'Reilly show I heard earlier at 8. 1am. I can't keep my eyes open. I hate falling asleep and then have someone bang on my door. The crane could be repaired in a few minutes, in a hour or later in the day. Right after the bang, and the shock of figuring out where I am - I would have to jump in the drivers seat and back this 80 ft sucker into a tight dock door to load 24 tons of material.
As an aside - what part of this does the DOT and FMCSA not understand? Everything. Maybe the FMCSA wants me to take a little jog while I'm waiting. Where I am, if I "stray" from the truck off the property into the "prairie", I might never be seen again.
For dinner, I ate a microwaved can of soup, Ritz crackers and chocolate milk. Darn, I asked security when the "roach coach" with the apples, bananas, egg whites and whole grain bread is coming, but then this is TEXAS, not downtown San Francisco. Can you say "barreeeeto" with hot sauce and Hawaiian Punch?
I lay down in the bunk. Engine off. Nice cool night. "The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of...." I'm having trouble settling down. My brain is going 100 miles an hour. Why didn't I do my nightly 2 mile run. LOL. I open my eyes. I sit up. The first truck that had to get out of the dock so they could fix the crane is back in. The truck in front of me has moved up. It is 4:45am. The crane is working again. I'm having trouble focusing. I spray some cold water in my eyes. A little better. No time to make coffee.
5:45. I'm loaded. Now I have to find my way back to the main gate. It is pitch black. There are no signs. A billion dollar multinational corporation and not one freak'n sign to direct me to the exit. I go slow - real slow - brights on. I remember a left turn here and go through what looks like the inside of an aircraft carrier. Yea, I've been on a few. Ahhh, LAND HO!, the security building is dead ahead. Only one truck in and out at a time. Channel 19. Ok to proceed.
Now across the street to the incredibly tight not well lit scale to reweigh. 71.5K lbs. Not bad. Thought I was heavier. Channel 19 to call in the weight. Park the truck. Walk back across the street, back to the security building to get the paperwork. At least I didn't have to wear all that safety (PPG) gear. Just drive in, stay in the truck, load and leave.
The sun is coming up. Speak to Mrs. Grumpy on her way to work. I'm really tired. Qualcom in the detention data, send in a loaded call and tell my DM that after strapping and tarping, I IS GOING TO BED. That's after I do my jumping jacks, walk around the truck 100 times and drink my V-8. NOT.
I have defied my biorhythm. I have been up most of the night. Did I say that I'm really tired?I'll get about an hour of sleep - an "extended" nap and might be good to go. It's all bullshit. It's not safe. It's not healthily. But I'm a OTR truck driver. Welcome to my world!
PS/Are you the least but curious how I logged all this? I tell you later, maybe.
PS2/After my 2nd "nap", I left Rockdale TX and drove 471.7 miles and repowered this load in Tulsa OK. It is not 9:58pm. Last night at the same time, I was waiting for the crane to be fized. I've had about 4-5 hours sleep in the last 24 hours.
