Bird One

Thats good to hear, how's it feel pulling that tanker?

I had 20k lbs of some hazmat liquid in totes last week and it definitely felt different while stopping.

To be honest I love pulling tankers. For the most part were fully load. So I really don't feel much of a surge. I've pulled some half loaded tankers though of whole milk and feel it more. When I'm pulling reefer its almost always 18 pallets of milk in crates totaling 41k and some days I feel its easier to come to a stop in a tanker than the reefer. That's strictly my opinion though.

Sorry, just found out today they are bringing in 3 people who were furloughed from other terminals to replace the 3 that got fired. So we won't be hiring at this time ill pass along the info again the next time something opens up, just in case.

But it sounds like things are going better in your neck of the woods. I know we have gotten extremely busy as have other companies.

Hey things going over there Bobcat? How busy are you guys? I’m curious what have your start times been over the years and what times do you typically finish? I know it depends on route but ball park if you can.

We are very busy, every day they have uncovered loads, sometimes upto 60 of them.

I started a new run 2ish months ago. My gate time is 1:45 am runout to Richmond IN meet another driver and come either straight back to my terminal or go to Indy or Chicago. If I come straight back I'm usually done by 11:30 am, if I go to Chicago or Indy I'm usually done by 1:30 pm. Unfortunately the traffic on 65 and 70 has been a pain so its usually taking about 30 to 45 minutes longer than it should.

I've also had 3 am, 10 am, 10 pm and 9:45 pm start times since I've started. Most of our runs start between 9pm and 2 am. With as busy as it has been it seems 12 hour days are the normal for most people. When it was slower you could go to either Indy or Fort Wayne and come straight back and be done in 8 hour but now they need you to go other places most of the time.

When link up with the Richmond driver are you meeting him at a terminal or somewhere else? At what point do you know you will need to go to another location? What are you doing exactly when you do have more work? Are there multiple drivers going to say Richmond or is it just you?

Thanks a lot man by the way for answering these man if it’s getting to be to much let me know lol.

I meet her at a truck stop, at this particular meet location there are 2 more runs out of my terminal later in the day that meet there. Some meet locations have neumous drivers meeting there at once.

I know when the meet driver gets there, I get a trip sheet basically that says what terminal I need to go to or I can look it up on my phone if dispatch entered it before she arrives. Generally I can tell where I'm going to have to go based on the final destination of the trailers.

More work for us is just having to stop at multiple terminals in a day and break and hook a set, which pays $8 each so it does add up fast. Say you go to Indy they route you to Chicago most people want to go home then but since Chicago is busy they will want you to go to either Des Plaines, South Chicago, Montgomery or LaSalle.

It's no problem, it's nice to have someone asking about Linehaul on here. You starting to kick tires again?

Unfortunately yes I am kicking tires again. I really wish I wasn’t. But the bottom line is I can’t afford the slow down we’re having much longer. Maybe it’s because I think milk in general is going down hill. Kids don’t even drink it anymore. I don’t think we’re going to be busy again. Especially after the Deans bankruptcy and sell off. But my wife just gave birth to my second daughter and I need to get things figured out already. And it’s hard to ignore the numbers you have posted on here from your yearly earnings. I know I’m capable of that.

I completely understand, I am currently averaging just over 2k a week gross. We definitely have plenty of work, if you want to come in a work a 6th day you can they will let you pick where you want to go. Working a 6th day and taking a Des Moines if one is available pays about $340 at the starting pay rate.

Plus if you don't mind dock work you can take one of the runs that require it and collect your normal driver rate which starts at $25 an hour.

Unfortunately yes I am kicking tires again. I really wish I wasn’t. But the bottom line is I can’t afford the slow down we’re having much longer. Maybe it’s because I think milk in general is going down hill. Kids don’t even drink it anymore. I don’t think we’re going to be busy again. Especially after the Deans bankruptcy and sell off. But my wife just gave birth to my second daughter and I need to get things figured out already. And it’s hard to ignore the numbers you have posted on here from your yearly earnings. I know I’m capable of that.

Congrats on the NEW ADDITION, Bird One!

I wish I had something else to offer, but all i've got is a hope & a prayer.. you could always go drive for Tom's place, right near you.. sure, it'd be a paycut, I get that. Still, something to put food on the table. Tom went from tanks to FAB.. its how it played out. $1073 last check. Can't compete with y'all tankers & LtL and HH .. but, Don is happy there, as well.

Just an open 'out of the box' (haha, nope! all boxes,.. totally!!) idea..

Sorry to hijack y'alls thread.

Wish you the best, man.

~ Anne ~ (& Tom)