I need a hat, a chain for my wallet & a can of snuff.

I can’t get a picture that can highlight what I’m seeing here today. Not sure if the wind shifted overnight but the smoke from the northern wildfires in Canada has moved in on this area. What I thought was fog is smoke. You can smell it as soon as you step outside.
 
So, apparently my load is going to be a trailer to trailer transfer. This happens when I haul a product that they don’t have a tank for. They schedule an empty trailer to arrive here at the same time so the transfer can take place. Today though, the empty is running late. I’m here a half hour ahead of schedule and the empty is running an hour and a half late. For me, not a big deal but we’ve got another driver soon to arrive at this location that is hauling the same product. His trailer load will complete the loading of this trailer we’re waiting on. Now, you may ask yourself, how can they possibly put the product from both tankers into one? In Canada hauling double trailers is the norm. They’ll offload our tankers into his/her doubles.

We allow customers two hours from appointment time to complete the load or offloading process. After that they are charged by the hour until the process is completed. As the driver, I receive a percentage of that fee. My appointment is for 0800. Their two hour clock will begin then. When that’s complete, I’ll start getting paid hourly until they complete my offloading process. Basically overtime pay.
 
The truck that they will be transferring my product to has arrived. How long it’ll take him to get that thing backed up into the building is another story. I don’t know how they do that with those doubles…..

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They sent me a pic of the truck they just bought to replace the Volvo in my avatar that I drove for 5 years. It is still pulling the same race car trailer though. They had to remove and reinstall the big generator and air compressor box behind the cab. Plus the EPU for air and heating. I’m kind of surprised because they just rebuilt the engine 2 years ago on the Volvo. But the Volvo had over 750,000 on it and this one only has 300,000.
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Made it to South Dakota. I’m parked now until Monday morning. I’ll deliver here and probably be sent to Chicago.

This current stint ends this coming Wednesday. Thursday will be a work at home day. Have to get the garden in and general yard work. Then, off to camp for a beer drinking and hell raising weekend with family and friends.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Made it to South Dakota. I’m parked now until Monday morning. I’ll deliver here and probably be sent to Chicago.

This current stint ends this coming Wednesday. Thursday will be a work at home day. Have to get the garden in and general yard work. Then, off to camp for a beer drinking and hell raising weekend with family and friends.
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Don't forget the double header next Sun. The 500 and 600. :dpepsi:
 
Went from Ohio to Pittsburgh, PA where I picked up a loaded trailer and hauled to Swedesboro, NJ. Picked up another loaded trailer that I’m delivering now in Liverpool, NY. Heading to Waverly, NY shortly to grab another loaded trailer that I’m delivering tomorrow morning in St Thomas, ON.
 
Grabbed another loaded trailer in Waverly, NY yesterday afternoon and headed right back up to Liverpool, ON.

The people that work here are awesome. They took me early yesterday and are doing the same today. I take advantage of any of those places with a flexible schedule like that. The earlier the better. Makes parking in the afternoon that much easier.

I’ve got 39+ hours left in my weekly clock. That will limit me on how far I can go but it should keep me moving throughout the weekend. My goal is always 3000 miles/week. Miles are money.
 
Finished up the runs to Canada. Headed back to Swedesboro, NJ where I picked up a loaded tanker that I moved to Pittsburgh. Bobtailed to New Middletown, OH where I picked up a loaded trailer that I delivered in Tonawanda, NY yesterday morning. Headed back to Pittsburgh, where I am now, loading a trailer that I’ll deliver tomorrow in Jackson, MO. Probably heading to Chicago after that.

I’m done with this stint next Wednesday. My wife and I are headed to the beach for a week starting next Friday.

Moon rising over the McKees Rocks loading racks…..

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dpkimmel2001 said:
Finished up the runs to Canada. Headed back to Swedesboro, NJ where I picked up a loaded tanker that I moved to Pittsburgh. Bobtailed to New Middletown, OH where I picked up a loaded trailer that I delivered in Tonawanda, NY yesterday morning. Headed back to Pittsburgh, where I am now, loading a trailer that I’ll deliver tomorrow in Jackson, MO. Probably heading to Chicago after that.

I’m done with this stint next Wednesday. My wife and I are headed to the beach for a week starting next Friday.

Moon rising over the McKees Rocks loading racks…..

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I hope all of your travels are safe and you have a great time at the beach.
 
Finished up in Missouri and headed to Chicago with the empty. Hooked up to a preloaded trailer there that I’m getting ready to offload in Saint Paul, MN. After this it’s back to Chicago again. I won’t make it back until about 4am tomorrow.
 
Left Chicago bound for Swedesboro, NJ where I dropped a trailer and hooked to a loaded trailer that I’m delivering to St. Thomas, ON tomorrow morning. I’ll then be heading back down to Waverly, NY to pick up another loaded trailer that I’ll be delivering in Toronto on Tuesday morning.

Sitting in London, ON now. Figured I’d see lots of smoke from the fires here but the wind must be blowing the other way. No smoke here.
 
Finished offloading in St. Thomas yesterday morning. Took that empty to Waverly, NY where I picked up a loaded tanker that I’m delivering now in the Toronto area. Taking this empty to Pittsburgh, PA later today dropping it there. Going to then bobtail to Triadelphia, WV to have some tire issues looked at tomorrow in the am. Then it’s back to the house where I’ll be then heading to the beach for a short vacation. I’ll probably be going back out on the 26th.
 
The life of an over-the-road truck driver is not an easy life. You deserve a lot of credit for what you do. Sounds to me like you are in for a well deserved vacation.
Take Mrs. DPK and relax in the sun by the surf. You.ve earned it!!
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Finished offloading in St. Thomas yesterday morning. Took that empty to Waverly, NY where I picked up a loaded tanker that I’m delivering now in the Toronto area. Taking this empty to Pittsburgh, PA later today dropping it there. Going to then bobtail to Triadelphia, WV to have some tire issues looked at tomorrow in the am. Then it’s back to the house where I’ll be then heading to the beach for a short vacation. I’ll probably be going back out on the 26th.
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I just returned from a little 6 week vacation and it was great. I hope you have a lot of fun because you work very hard and you deserve it.
 
Back out today after a mini vacation. Only going out for the week being as next weekend will be our 4th of July camping weekend.

Starting out today with a four compartment load. Loading in McKees Rocks, PA, just downriver from Pittsburgh. The different products. Each requiring me to have to load and then scale out before they start loading the next product. Each product is being loaded from septate locations in the plant. A lot of moving around and tight parking with each load location. Wouldn't be that bad but this place was built a long time ago for trucks much smaller than today's rigs. I'm in position for the 3rd and final product now. Once loaded, and the paperwork is produced, I'll be heading to Chicago Heights, IL where I'll offish in the morning. Most likely to be routed too Chicago afterwards.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Back out today after a mini vacation. Only going out for the week being as next weekend will be our 4th of July camping weekend.

Starting out today with a four compartment load. Loading in McKees Rocks, PA, just downriver from Pittsburgh. The different products. Each requiring me to have to load and then scale out before they start loading the next product. Each product is being loaded from septate locations in the plant. A lot of moving around and tight parking with each load location. Wouldn't be that bad but this place was built a long time ago for trucks much smaller than today's rigs. I'm in position for the 3rd and final product now. Once loaded, and the paperwork is produced, I'll be heading to Chicago Heights, IL where I'll offish in the morning. Most likely to be routed too Chicago afterwards.
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I hope you had fun on your well-deserved mini vacation. I just got back from one a few weeks ago that was going to be a week or two and it ended up lasting six weeks, and now I just left yesterday to go back again for another one. I guy just can't get too much relaxation...man I love retirement. :D
 
Nitro Dude said:
I hope you had fun on your well-deserved mini vacation. I just got back from one a few weeks ago that was going to be a week or two and it ended up lasting six weeks, and now I just left yesterday to go back again for another one. I guy just can't get too much relaxation...man I love retirement. :D
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Yeah, it was awesome. Only a couple days of bad weather. We are rv'ers. We've been going to the same beach location for a long time now. We normally do two weeks in June and two in September. Someday I hope to have that empty calendar that you seem to have.
 
Was rerouted back to Pittsburgh with the empty trailer where I picked up a preloaded trailer yesterday afternoon. Delivering just east of Pittsburgh this morning. Taking that empty back to Pittsburgh where I'll pick up another loaded trailer that I'll deliver tomorrow morning in Elmira Ontario. I'll be staying there tonight. Looks like the smoke is pretty intense up there. Canada's basically on 🔥

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Kinda weird today. All of western PA, western NY and just above the border into Canada were greatly affected by the smoke from the Canadian fires. I'm now parked further north, closer to the source and the sky is clear as can be. Alright by me. My eyes have been burning all day.
 
Clutch said:
We are doing Route 66 in sept from Chicago to Santa Monica…..prolly see you on the road 😁

detouring to Graceland for a night

3 weeks in an RV. Fun I’m sure.
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Be prepared for Graceland. The "mansion" is smaller than you might anticipate. That is, smaller by todays standards of grandiose mansions but for the time Elvis owned it, it was pretty luxurious. It is an interesting place. My Bride and I visited there about 20 years ago and as we walked to the gravesite of Elvis, it took me by surprise as I got choked up. He was such a bright star and used so badly by Colonel Parker. There are few performers who carry such strong emotions to generations even though he has been gone for over 40 years.
 
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