DAYTON, NJ to McCOOK, IL: 915 miles + detention time (803 loaded + 112 deadhead + $225)
Monday August 31st, this was my first assignment after a week staycation. I started my day at 10:00am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck then I fueled and added DEF. Though the shipper was only 112 miles away there’s always traffic in the New York-New Jersey area and the trip took over three hours. I arrived at the shipper at 1:45pm. It took a couple of hours to load the cargo and it was a heavy load. When I pulled out of the dock doors I noticed that they had put all the pallets toward the nose of the trailer therefore the drive-axle was going to be over the maximum DOT Regulation of 34,000lbs. I went back inside and spoke to one of the managers that apologized and understood that the weight had to be distributed evenly. I had to pull back into the dock and they readjusted the pallets which meant another hour of loading. The total weight of the load was 77,280lbs and after the adjustment the axles were evenly weighted at 33,000lbs each, confirming my assessment. I drove five hours and shut it down at 9:00pm.
Tuesday September 1st, I started my day at 9:30am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck. I drove four hours to the Petro Truck Stop in Girard, OH and had lunch. Afterwards, I topped off the fuel along the way, drove another four hours and shut it down for the night at a Travel Plaza an hour east of Chicago.
Wednesday September 2nd, I started my day at 7:30am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck. I drove an hour to the consignee passing the Chicago White Sox stadium and arriving at the appointment time of 9:00am EST. I maneuvered the truck into the dock door and after a short while one of the managers came out and stated that the load was being rejected because they had spotted bugs in one of the pallets therefore the entire shipment could be contaminated. I advised my dispatcher who needed to alert the broker of the deal to see how to proceed. I waited for four hours until I was instructed to deliver the load to a different warehouse about thirty-minutes away. The alternative consignee had a very tight yard and it was difficult to maneuver the truck into their docks but I managed. I was compensated $225 for the detention time and the additional stop.
BOOK REVIEW: Strike Season, The True Story of a Team that Played On When the Coaches Walked Out by Michael Eck (2026), NON-FICTION – RATING (*****)
A true story of Michael Eck’s high school football senior year season that was hindered by the teacher’s 1979 strike in Pennsylvania. The narrative details how the players coached themselves for the first six games of the season while being vilified by the teachers’ union for breaking rank. The difficult position their coach faced juggling his livelihood as a teacher and the loyalty to his players.
It’s a story of perseverance and determination by a bunch of teenage boys to fulfill their lifelong dreams of playing football. It highlights the importance of their senior year season leading to playing college ball and even being able to afford it through the pending scholarships. The book also focuses on Eck’s family dynamics.
It’s an inspirational story told in a heartfelt tone.
