Dad's coworker was at a hospital in PAS today, said all the roadways were jammed with traffic escaping and that local weather was advertising the storm surge could make it to I-10
I need a hat, a chain for my wallet & a can of snuff.
- Thread starter dpkimmel2001
- Start date
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I think this area that I'm at is not going to see what they originally expected. That's alright by me. I fear for those to the east of my location. It's going to be a tough night for many.
Just saw that I-10 is now closed from the border, to well into Louisiana.
Whizzer
Gig'em
Best wishes to all in the path of Hurricane Laura. Hope ou have zero to minimal damage. Stay safe!!!
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
DPK, you haven't posted anything on here in over a year and I know you are ok because I see you in other threads so I was just wondering if you are still doing long haul and how things have been going?
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Doing well. Just figured the trucking stuff may be getting old for some. I moved from hauling chemicals to another company that hauls Lubricants. Motor oil, hydraulic fluid and the like. Mainly from manufacturers like Exxon Mobil to various distributers across the country and up into and across Canada. Some loads to our southern border that other haul into Mexico. Just got back to western PA from Edmonton, AB. Turned around to head to Monahans, TX. Currently in Sullivan, MO.
Pay increased significantly with the move as did the available miles. Plan to do 3 week stints during the winter months when there's less to be done at home. I'm in the middle of a 3 week run now.
I never get tired of hearing about your driving adventures. Glad to hear you got a pay raise.
Keep hauling ExxonMobil --- I have a lot of shares in that company.
Keep hauling ExxonMobil --- I have a lot of shares in that company.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
No worries. I'm on time every time! Your dividends should continue to increase.
Whizzer
Gig'em
Glad to see your posts DPK!! I really like reading your adventures and travels. If you don't mind, keep them coming. I don't think I'm the only one who likes them.
Keep on trucking' !
Keep on trucking' !
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
A milestone of sorts reached yesterday..... For me anyway.
250,000+ miles driving.
Nothing compared to longtime truckers out there but it's a start.
My Garmin GPS keeps track of all my trips since I started in both summary and detail. Yesterday's summary. Started in the Pittsburgh, PA area and finished in Sullivan, MO. During that stint I surpassed 250,000.
250,000+ miles driving.
Nothing compared to longtime truckers out there but it's a start.
My Garmin GPS keeps track of all my trips since I started in both summary and detail. Yesterday's summary. Started in the Pittsburgh, PA area and finished in Sullivan, MO. During that stint I surpassed 250,000.
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And after 250,000 miles where has been your most pleasant places to be driving? @dpkimmel2001
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Here's a story for ya. It's entitled 'The Little Tree Bandit'.....
I often stop at Pilot and Flying J to fuel and down my nights. They, like other truck stops, provide Reward Cards. Basically, it boils down to this. I get rewarded for all of the fuel that I purchase to keep the truck running. The rewards are in a few forms..... If I purchase 1000 gallons of fuel in a month, I'm rewarded with 'Shower Power' for the following month. Unlimited showers at any of their locations. I shower every day so this is an awesome reward. Other things include free coffee, food from time to time and other little things. Their coffee isn't great and the food not to great either. I make my own coffee mostly and my food comes from home. The biggest reward, or at least equal to the showers, are points that I earn on each gallon. Up to four points per gallon. Points are converted over to a monetary value. I usually earn about $6.00 worth of points each time I refuel. I refuel most every day so it obviously adds up quickly. Points can be used for in-store purchases of anything that they sell.
Yesterday I stopped in Brazil, IN to refuel. After I got back on the interstate, I pulled up the app to check my points balance. My total was about 12,400. That converts to $124.00. $124 that I could use in their store for purchases. That was my balance plus the points for the fuel I just purchased. A lot of $'s..... right? Well, not if you expected it to be 56,000+. Yep, a whole lot of points missing. A whole lot of money missing. Damn!
I called customer service to see if they were having issues with their system only to find out someone had cashed in on some of my banked points. The lady on the phone started looking at my account. She could see all my points earned and the points I had spent. She asked if I had been in Louisiana recently. I told her I was about a month ago. She said what about this past Wednesday. I said I hadn't. She said it looks like you purchased an iPad and other various items for a total of $427.38 or 42,738 points withdrawn from my account! Again..... Damn!
Turns out that on the same day that I purchased 150+ gallons of diesel along with a cup of coffee in Michigan I was also in Louisiana purchasing an iPad. It is easy enough for them to tell that it wasn't me. They have to do their investigation but I've been assured that I'll be getting my points back in a week or two. How they got into my account, I'll never know. I have the card. There is only one and it's in my wallet. I've never handed it to anyone so you tell me.
I'm the meantime, here's the copy of the receipt from the Little Tree Bandit's purchase. Hopefully they catch his/her ass.
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dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I love the western states the most. The mountains are beautiful. Not a big deal that I can only climb the at 25mph. All the more time to take in the view.
The northeast, Maine and up into Canada is great too.
I've seen buffalo, elk, caribou and a moose. Ton of deer. Two of which didn't end well, for them. Both of which seemed to have a suicide pact deciding to run just in front of my trailer wheels. Majestic animals but dumb as rocks.
My brother says the same thing about the deer we see down here. Dumb as a box of rocks.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I saw a few this morning as I drove through your state. I'm west of Abilene now for the night. Headed a little further west in the morning to Monahans, TX where I'll deliver Monday morning.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
The Petro that is across the freeway from the Pilot in Brazil has a pretty good buffet with some pretty good down home cooking.
Whizzer
Gig'em
Not sure how they might go about catching the thief of your points but hopefully, they will. It makes me wonder how many other drivers have experienced a similar incident but might still be unaware they are being robbed.
Keep the updates coming, DPK!!
Keep the updates coming, DPK!!
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
It's my understanding from Pilot/Flying J that they have video of all purchases. In order to rule me out as the person that purchased the iPad, they'll compare a known purchase by me to the purchase of the iPad. They then look at the video of their pumps around that time to see if that individual purchased fuel. If they did, they would have had to use their card. They'll then know who it is. They couldn't use someone else's card for the fuel purchase as their truck#, trip# and odometer would have to match the card used.
It would be great if they catch the person but my main concern is getting my points back. They'll get it figured out. I made a fuel purchase 1082 miles away in Michigan the same day as the iPad purchase. I can drive a lot of miles in a day but not that many.
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dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Just got back to New Jersey from the Western side of Texas where I delivered Monday morning. Doing a 34hr reset here before heading to southern California. Getting in a lot of miles on this stint. 2713 miles on this next run.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
If you time it right you could stop off in Phoenix on the way back and watch the NASCAR championship race...and then drive back east with all of the NASCAR haulers.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
My California load got cancelled for yesterday. Apparently the product won't be ready until early Monday. In the meantime I took a load up to the Toronto, ON area. 500+ miles up yesterday. Delivered this afternoon and just got back to New Jersey. Starting another reset now too get ready to head West on Monday.
Drove through hard rain showers most of the way back from Canada. Rain at night is about as bad as snow anytime. Not a fan of either.
Resets are great on weekends. I've got a strong wifi signal where I'm parked and I'm ready for some football!
Drove through hard rain showers most of the way back from Canada. Rain at night is about as bad as snow anytime. Not a fan of either.
Resets are great on weekends. I've got a strong wifi signal where I'm parked and I'm ready for some football!
Whizzer
Gig'em
Where are you in NJ? Will you be taking I-80 or I-78 west when you get your load? Not that it would matter since my days of life in NJ ended and got a reset in NC in 1999 before coming to a stop in Florida in 2016. I think it is a stop. Heck, I might make another move but don't know where. Just that where ever it is it won't have anything to do with shoveling snow.
That's gotta suck driving in the rain and especially at night.
That's gotta suck driving in the rain and especially at night.
RacerrecaR
*Screams in DW*
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2015
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- 3,304
- Points
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Have you considered getting a chauffeurs license? Entry-level cab drivers in my small town are bringing in $80k annually and (obviously) home nightly. I've heard recently that cab/Uber/Lyft/etc drivers have been making BANK and in bigger cities a 100k net salary is realistic
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I'll be taking I-76. I'll be loading in Paulsboro, NJ early in the AM on Monday. Hope to stop in Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Jamestown, NM before arriving in LA on Thursday. I don't deliver until the filling Monday unless I can get that changed. In any event I'm going to have to do another reset before getting back to western PA the next weekend.
Some day I hope to get out of this truck and do that retirement reset but we'll probably stay in PA. Travel when we can but I'm good with the seasons. The snow is only a pain if you have to travel in it. Roads are normally cleared pretty quickly.
I'm doing a lot of runs to western Canada. It'll be interesting to see how this winter goes. They already had a little snow this week in the Calgary and Edmonton areas.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Haven't looked into that. I actually don't mind the driving I'm currently doing. It's great to see this country of ours while making some good coin. Hauling these tankers can be very profitable.
sdj
Just a race fan
Send us a photo of your current rig.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Gonna have to let me give it a bath first. She's not much to look at. Pretty ragged but still runs like a champ. The previous seat fillers didn't treat her too well. It's been struck on every corner and beat like a rented mule. The company has 150+ trucks on order but the chip shortage has hit the automotive & truck industry hard. They're slowly coming in but since I'm relatively new here, I'm on down the line of getting a new ride.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Gonna have to let me give it a bath first. She's not much to look at. Pretty ragged but still runs like a champ. The previous seat fillers didn't treat her too well. It's been struck on every corner and beat like a rented mule. The company has 150+ trucks on order but the chip shortage has hit the automotive & truck industry hard. They're slowly coming in but since I'm relatively new here, I'm on down the line of getting a new ride
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Whizzer
Gig'em
I forget about Paulsboro area. My thinking of petroleum and hydraulic products lead me to think of Linden and Atlantic coastal oil depots. I've probably mentioned more times than I should that my early life, pre-retirement, we lived in Sussex and Warren Counties. Beautiful parts of the state, formerly rich in agriculture and several state parks and forests, bordering the Delaware River.
Keep us posted on the travels and return home safe!!
Keep us posted on the travels and return home safe!!
RacerrecaR
*Screams in DW*
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2015
- Messages
- 3,304
- Points
- 443
I understand the traveling aspect. Lately I've considered getting a CDL because for my current job I had to travel through multiple states in order to attend a training session. It was really neat seeing new parts of this land and I caught the traveler's bug
(I don't mean catching something from a lot lizard)
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Half way to my destination. 1423 miles on the rear view. Just got to the west side of Oklahoma City. 1323 to go.
sdj
Just a race fan
I am curious as to how you like driving in California with the 55 MPH limit?
Also do you get hassled at anytime when in California, more so than most other states?
Also do you get hassled at anytime when in California, more so than most other states?
sdj
Just a race fan
I am and I feel others here also, would love to hear your take on the Trucking issue at the LA and San Diego sea ports of entry, that are backed up to hell and back.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Being a tanker driver, I don't really follow that story too much. It seems to be more of a dock worker shortage than a driver shortage. Nobody can look at truck stops at night and day there's a shortage of drivers. I tend to drive at night. Just got parked actually. There are a lot of trucks on the road all night long and truck stops, rest areas, or any other place that trucks park, are overflowing with rigs. Outside of dealing with idiots on the road, that's the worst part of tricking..... Where to sleep.
Drivers that I have heard talk about the docks echo the same thing. They are there waiting on cargo to haul. The truck stops near those dock locations are full of bobtailed rigs waiting on loads.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Made it to Gallop, NM today. About 10 more hours tonight and I'll be parked until I deliver Friday morning at 6am. Then I'll get the jack out of there heading east. I may head up towards Vegas to get in my reset or closer to Denver before I get it in. I wanted to be stopped for the football games on Sunday.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
Gallop is where I usually stayed on my first day out after leaving the shop and heading east on 40. If I was heading east on 10 it would be Lordsburg. I usually was going through the port of entry on either route between 11.30 pm and 1.30 am depending on what time I left the shop.