Postcards From The Road! (Post Yours Please!)

Makes a huge difference getting an assigned truck! No more being a nomad.

You ever make it to the OD yard is Des Moines? Now that I'm on the extra board I've been there a couple times and see a bunch of Hyvee trailers in the yard.

Makes a huge difference getting an assigned truck! No more being a nomad.

You ever make it to the OD yard is Des Moines? Now that I'm on the extra board I've been there a couple times and see a bunch of Hyvee trailers in the yard.

I'm just thankful I know my truck will be there when I come in everyday, unless someone takes it and has to layover Sunday night. This winter it's been bad with the truck they put me in for the day not being there so then I'm trying to find a truck off the extra list that nobody is assigned and hope one is still available.

I've driven past the OD yard several times, mainly when I worked at PFG heading over to the Facebook Data Centers. I'm not sure why Hy-vee has trailers over there, I've never been in the yard there and haven't seen it on our bids so I'm guessing it's one of the other DCs that are involved in that. Our yard is just down the street. If you take corporate woods drive to get back on I35 south the next light is Delaware. Take that north about a mile. We're across the street from Sam's club and Fleet Farm. Caseys main DC is also just across the interstate north of OD.

Do the trailers appear to be new? Maybe they're having OD deliver them. Trailers are all wrapped the same with the exception of some sports sponsorships but ours are 5 digits and start with the year (23), for some reason trailers registered to the Hy-vee DCs use 4 digit numbers, but have started using 6 digits this year with no apparent system like ours have.

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Now that I'm on the extra board

how did you end up back on the extra board?

I'm just thankful I know my truck will be there when I come in everyday,

It definitely makes the day less stressful when you don't have to worry about a truck. I hate when mine isn't back and I have to get with dispatch to get a list. Then hope whichever one I find is satisfactory.

Do the trailers appear to be new? Maybe they're having OD deliver them

I didn't pay enough attention, I just saw the first 6 or so dock doors had Hy-Vee trailers and was wondering if I had pulled into the wrong yard. We do deliver a bunch of new trailers especially for Hyundai, so that might be it. I think there was some truck "DC" something or other hooked to one.

This is from the main terminal in New Ulm during our part of the latest blizzard. I've been here for more than a week! First was for a scheduled truck repair, then we had to wait for new suspension parts, then I got laid low with a bad cold, and now the roads are closed for this three day snowstorm and post-event cleanup.

This is from the main terminal in New Ulm during our part of the latest blizzard. I've been here for more than a week! First was for a scheduled truck repair, then we had to wait for new suspension parts, then I got laid low with a bad cold, and now the roads are closed for this three day snowstorm and post-event cleanup.

PackRat, you’ve had quite a bad winter, weather wise. I don’t say this to gloat, but my travels have been almost free of normal winter weather. I’m in Fort Worth right now, heading for New Mexico, so I won’t have any bad weather on this trip, either. I have been lucky. I probably will never experience a better winter than this one. I hope you get going soon and avoid any more crappy weather.

how did you end up back on the extra board?

They fired 4 people back in January, including the guy who was 7th in seniority. So we had to do a rebid and I lost my scheduled run, if I wanted to stay with a daytime run it was really my only option. I don't mind it as I get to see places other than Indiana.

now the roads are closed for this three day snowstorm and post-event cleanup.

Mother nature sure wanted to let everyone up north winter wasn't over yet. We got lucky and just had a bunch of rain.

The snow has just about stopped here now. I think we got about 12-14 inches, but drifts in the lot are up to my knee. It took about 20 minutes to get most of it off my truck.

One trick I always do if parked for a big snow event is to move forward and backwards and side to side two tire widths every 6 hours. I've never gotten stuck in my parking spot so far using this method.

Adding this to my student knowledgebase, thanks for the great tip! I'll be driving primarily upper midwest. Thanks PackRat!

The snow has just about stopped here now. I think we got about 12-14 inches, but drifts in the lot are up to my knee. It took about 20 minutes to get most of it off my truck.

One trick I always do if parked for a big snow event is to move forward and backwards and side to side two tire widths every 6 hours. I've never gotten stuck in my parking spot so far using this method.

Add this one:

Snow, sleet, road salt, brine, etc. Once you get ready to roll again, Triple Check that all of your tires are rotating. These cold weather situations will lock up a brake easily. Mark your tires in some fashion, roll a couple feet, then visually check each tire again before you hit the road.