A Break From Flatbed

I haven't posted much in awhile and many of you may not have seen any of my posts before so I will go back a little first. Went through CDL training with Knight Transportation in Olive Branch MS, Oct. 2013 and completed their Squire program and transferred to their newly start SAPA dedicated flatbed account April 2014. My plan was to stay for one year and get the first year experience.

Well, it took me until April 2016 before I found a job that I wanted to give a try. Knight had been a fantastic company to work with and I even recruited a driver to the SAPA account. Ya'll know him as "Old School" a frequent poster and great resource when you need him. I actually came across this job while fueling at the Flying J in Oklahoma City. Started talking to the driver at the next pump, called him 2 hours later for an interview and was basically hired then. They wanted me to start right away as the truck was empty, but I told them I wanted to give Knight a 2 week notice and then I wanted to take 2 weeks off for a cruise with my wife and get some appointment taken care of that had been neglected since being on the road so much. To my surprise, they agreed and let the truck sit idle until I got there.

Several of you have asked about quitting jobs and giving or not giving notice. For me it worked great giving the 2 week notice. My DM , same as Old Schools, kept me running just as hard. My 70 hour clock was getting low with poor recaps coming back, so we agreed to take the truck to the terminal and turn it in 2 days early. That worked best for both sides. I still get calls from the terminal manager, trying to rehire me, every time there is an opening on the SAPA account.

So, back to the subject line of the thread.

I left off on the Flatbed Variety thread with this picture...

This is the last load that I picked up with my flatbed. I had to get this off of one of the trailers that was being staged in Phoenix and bring it to Primm NV. There it was added to my partners trailer to go to LA for show.

I then dropped my flatbed and picked up a production trailer. The other trucks the company owns are not CARB compliant, so my partner and I have to meet them and run the trailers to the shows in California for the next couple of weeks.

Here is my trailer and some of the cargo for the shows.

Currently, we are set up for a show at an off road vehicle park just south of Folsom CA. This is what is giving me some time to complete a couple of posts. Arrived last night and setup, the stall do the training show for the dealers in the area, then reload the trailers. We transport them overnight to the next show, south of Barstow, then repeat to deliver to the show in LA for the weekend.

I'll post more pictures and we do the various shows.

You poor fella, that looks like all work and no play!

I just might decide to come over there and join up with you if they'd let me ride one of those dune buggys in the sand dunes every now and then!

I was looking last spring at joining Knight's squire program at Gulfport so I met with them for 2 days. I really wanted to get into the SAPA acct. Afterwards.

Finally, another break in the action...

Completed the previous stop at 1800 Monday, tear down and loaded the demo units, then drive over night to next stop. TA in Barstow, CA. In order to get to next stop that evening to scout demo ride area, I need to take an 8 in the sleep while the demo guys clean and repair the four demo units. The other driver takes the flatbed with four units for the Sand Sports Super Show to Costa Mesa for in-loading at the show grounds.

Off to second dealer training area, there is no address, but the GPS coordinates are 34.555155/-116.770702.

Dooh, not good.

And away we go. Only six miles farther now.

Finally, we can scout trails for tomorrows training.

Here is the setup for the day of dealer training.

After the training, its load up and return to TA in Barstow for clean and polish of both trucks and trailers, and the four units that are going to the Super Sports Sand Show. Little Sisters truck wash really helped us out. A nights sleep, then down to the Orange County Fairgrounds and Event Center to unload and set up.

I thought I would be able to get a good break and do some sight seeing around LA and beaches, but nope, flying to Phoenix with the other driver to reposition 4 other tractor/trailer units from Phoenix to Glamis CA for different dealer training and demo shows coming up.

We moved the upper two trucks on the first trip as they were the ones that started. The others required jump starts as the batteries were dead, before we could relocate those the following day. Dropped off one tractor trailer, dropped the other trailer, and bobtailed to El Centro to get a rental car to get back to Phoenix to get remaining trucks started and run down to Glamis.

Only got a pic of one of the last two trucks. Again drop one truck and trailer, and bobtail with the other to El Centro to get the rental car, then 2 trips back and forth to get the tractors back to the trailers in Glamis. Then back to Costa Mesa for a much needed 34 hour in a motel before load-out after the show.

I got a similar on my gps message when delivering to Amish country in Ohio lol. Told Abe I never wanted to see him again