So. Yesterday, I go down to Lufkin to get the truck unloaded.  Welp, 6 other trucks ahead of me, informed by other drivers that some of them had been there 3 hours.  Geeze. Wish I had known that before I went down there, I would have just stayed home a couple more hours.  But, it was "only" 2 plus hours later and my truck was unloaded. 

But you see, in this world of trucking, they dump you with your next load long, for the most part, long before you are even unloaded with the current load, sometimes before you even get to the destination to do the unloading.  Which in my view is dumb.  Because, stuff like this comes up.  They make these appointments for the next trip which are totally unattainable because of the holdups at the docks.  Same yesterday.

I was sent a text message from the dispatcher saying appointment for next pickup is at 4:00 pm.  I looked at the clock, it was 4:08 pm, still hadn't gotten unloaded yet, showed up there half an early to boot. So I lol'ed back at him.  Dude, I'm not even done here yet, how can you send me an appointment that has already passed?  Not to mention this appointment is 132 miles away!  Whatever the case, I shot straight up the the flour plant in Mount Pleasant, they got the truck loaded quckly. It was late, not many trucks there.  Then I did the math. No way on earth to take a 10 required break and get there in time to get unloaded.  But, the 10 hour break was a given, I had to do it. 

So, I drove straight there, all 357 miles of it, until 2:00 am.  I had the truck unloaded early - like 2 hours before the appointment time, which was fine by me.  Cheating a bit, not really supposed to be doing anything truck related while on your off time, but the Feds can go crank it.  They continue to come up with ridiculous rules that dump on everyone for the actions of a few.  The Hours of Service is the biggest contention with truck drivers you will find with any of them.  If you have been out here a while, you can remember back to simpler days without much Federal intrusion. 

Anyway, the fun part is sitting here for hours. There are no stores so I can neither buy anything to eat nor fill up the truck.  I've got about 40 minutes left before the clock starts fresh again, I have the next load given to me at a place about 100 miles from here, I'll be stopping for fuel and food shortly after I leave here and....true to their word....they gave me a load taking me by the house and a delivery appointment time back in Lufkin that means I can take my 10 hour break at home.  Thank you. 

In reality, I would have been able to do that last night if I hadn't been held up at that loading dock in Lufkin for so long.  Ample time would have been given to get loaded, get home, get up in the morning and drive over here, not having to spend 10 hours in the truck in a parking lot.  Oh well.  At least they are trying to fulfill their word, I'll give them that. 

Last week's work period over, I should have another healthy paycheck coming this week. 

And, I am still on the hunt for that elusive tanker job.  Can't take a road test when there isn't a truck to take one with.  Okay. 

And it feels good to pay almost all of my bills and have money left over in the bank. At this rate, that leftover portion will grow and grow until it's more like a sizeable chunk of change versus "leftovers".  I have heard nothing from anyone about the old job.  Everyone that has left has completely washed their hands of the place - like a living hell over there.  I sometimes think about how it would have been nice if I could have stayed on - with good management.  But I will never miss that ahole boss and the miserable working conditions he created there not to mention cutting back our hours for the sake of corporate. 

Anyway, I guess I'd best get off of here, get my paperwork settled and get ready to move out of this place as soon as the clock resets.