My Prime Upgrade / First Month Solo Experience

6/3/22 continues

I’m done unloading and released at 09:48 CDT (10:48 EDT).

Parked waiting on my next trip assignment to come in. Blew out the trailer.

I’m over 3 hours into my split SB break #1. Waiting to see where my next 01 is located and appointment time to decide what to do.

My 11h clock is limiting at 2:41 available.

My gross pay for Week 3:

I messaged my FM today that 6/9/22 will be 28 days out. I would like to route back to Springfield at +/- 6/10/22 to take 4 days off at home.

PS. No lumper fee’

PS. No lumper fee’

Hahahaha!!

I was JUST gonna ask you what THAT cost !

Dang good NUMBERS on that PAPER THERE, man!!! Happy for you.

~ Anne & Tom ~

6/3/22 wrap

My next trip assignment came in.

I’m headed back to Gen Mills in Murfreesboro to D&H by 12:00 CDT on 6/4. I’m hauling the load to Gen Mills in Kalamazoo, MI to D&H anytime between 20:15 EDT 6/4 to 20:15 EDT 6/5.

I relocated to the I-65S rest area welcome center near Shepardsville, KY.

I’m doing my second split SB break which will end up being an 11 hours break from 13:00-24:00 CDT tonight. I’m doing the >7 hrs consecutive in SB to keep it legal. My first break was 5 hours.

I’ll have my full clocks when I start at midnight plus 13h 13m on my 70h available for 6/4/22.

I’m 187 miles to my Loc-01 customer with a fuel stop. I can do that in ~4hrs from prior experience.

The distance between the 01&90 is ~562 miles. I’ll probably drive half of that tomorrow for a combined total ~468 miles (187 + 281).

The fuel root has me going up I-69N to I-94W again. The exit ramp to I-94W was closed last week when I went that route. I’ll look ahead for an alternative.

I should deliver on morning of 6/5/22.

The dispatched paid miles are 676.

I was credited with 638 miles out of 1,123 for the trip that was re-powered on 6/2/22.

The handoff load that I just finished was 376 miles.

The combined total of the two is 1,014 miles. So I only lost 113 miles for same delivery dates. Plus I’m dispatched now on a fairly easy trip assignment in terms of schedule.

Anyway, only downside is two more drives through Nashville and the construction on I-65. I’ve already done it 6 times in past week.

I’m wide awake, but really need to sleep. Didn’t sleep well yesterday.

Following, wholeheartedly. Awesome, good sir.

You REALLY take me back, to 2003; when Tom was 'YOU.'

Get some rest; if you ever need an ear, you've got my email; and phone #'s can follow.

You really HAVE gotten the split down, rather mightily! Took Tom & I awhile to 'untangle' the 'methodology' ourselves, haha! Then, they switch it up!! Seriously, the 7/3 makes MORE sense than the 8/2 . . . at least IMHO!

Best always to ya, Dennis. (That's Tom's beloved brother's name!)

~ Anne & Tom ~

If not too much to ask could I get a rundown on the prime lingo. 01 and 90 etc

01 is your first scheduled stop. 90 is your last scheduled stop.

So a load with one shipper and three deliveries is 01, 02, 03, 90.

I actually had a load of onions that had two shippers so my 01 and 02 were shippers and my 90 was my delivery.

At each stop you send an "arrival" message showing that you've arrived at the scheduled stop and then when you leave you send a "departure" message. This keeps dispatch apprised of your progress on the load.

Thank you Chief. I can hum along now!

6/4/22 - Day 23 Solo

Today has worked out pretty much to plan.

I started driving at 00:01 and arrived at my Loc 01 shipper at 04:03 CDT (4h 2m includes a 35m fuel stop). Driving through Nashville at 3am on Saturday was a lot easier.

I spent 1h 57m at the shipper for a D&H! Should take ~1 hour. The extra time was mostly trying to get the tandem locking pins to release on the loaded pickup trailer.

Does anyone have a good tip for how to build up the trailer air pressure when first couple? That was most of the problem.

I drove from 05:57 to 11:37 CDT, with three short stops totaling 24m along the way. I’m parked at a rest area on I-65N mm73 in Indiana near Columbus.

I drove 475 miles today in 8h 45m driving for 54.3 mph avg speed. My On Duty time was 9h 13m, leaving me 4h available leftover to combine with a 9h 14m recap tonight giving me 13h 14m for 6/5. The bad news is that my recap tomorrow night is only 4h, so 6/6 will only be 8 or 9 hours available depending on how much I can save to carryover from tomorrow.

I’m 275 miles from my Loc-90 receiver. So about 5.5 hours to get there. I’ll wait to drive until midnight again.

The Lineage facility yesterday had geese family units parading through the yard in a line. One gander was acting as the security guard honking loudly at the trucks and drivers.

My wife’s dog sent me a message: “When are you coming home to play, Dad?”

One thing I do to get the air going to the trailer is after hooking up, check the jaws are locked on the fifth wheel, then hook up your air lines and electric cord. Immediately after, hop back in the cab and push in that red knob for the trailer air, then finish your trailer inspection and crank the landing gear up. You should have more than 110 psi by the time you get back into the cab.