Going Owner-Operator

[xDope]

Stunning camera work and shots!

[BK Vissers]

Love this!

[andrei383]

Thank you Dukeone, xDope, and BK!

Morning broke and I sleepily munched on a granola bar for breakfast, the smell of coffee filling my truck. As I pulled onto the highway, I noticed the dust cloud coming from trucks up ahead. I began accelerating to catch up to them. "1-9 radio check," I spoke groggily into the CB. "Loud n' clear, driver! Y'all heading northbound 93?" the cheerful voice replied. "Affirm, sir." "Well then, join up! We got a convoy headin' up 93!"

As much as I loved the quiet of being alone in the truck, at times it becomes a lonely experience. It was convoys like this that added a bit on humanity to trucking. US 93 went by quickly. aided by the lively conversation on the CB, and soon we approached Ely. I knew the fun had to end somewhere. "Alright guys, I'm headed up 93 to Elko."

"Take it easy, driver. I'll see you around," Alex, no longer just a voice on the CB, responded. "Drive safe!" Janet, the propane hauler from Kansas, added. With a final right turn, I disbanded from the convoy. I was alone yet again:

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The rest of the trip was even lonelier than ever. The roads empty ahead and behind, my CB filled with static, waiting for a voice:

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With the trailer dropped off, I felt the need for some human interaction again. I parked up at a local diner and pulled up a seat at the counter where a couple of off-duty detectives were eating. With burger in hand and smile on my face, I launched into a conversation with them...

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[andrei383]

With a full stomach, and some shared laughs with those detectives, I went to pick up a load. I needed one headed back for California as my truck's first service was due soon. Again TruckLOAD came to the rescue, alerting me of a load of car parts for Schneider National that just came off an intermodal train and headed for Reno. As quick as it was available, I had it booked:

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The drive was certainly a bit more hectic though, as traffic was building on the way to Reno. I found myself several times in the hammer lane, passing slower or heavier trucks, including a slightly faded Schneider straight truck...

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...and a beautiful Kenworth K100 hauling steel pipes. After a bit of talk on the CB, I found out that the driver, Dave, had his dad's old K100 rebuilt with an improved chassis and new drivetrain. I must admit, I was a little jealous:

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Yet again I found myself cutting it close with my driving hours. My e-log was screaming, constantly warning me of the minutes ticking away. I called ahead to Voltison Motors to tell them a load was coming in, and asked them to keep someone on hand at least to sign the paperwork. At last, Reno's skyline came into view, silhouetted by the fiery sunset:

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1 hour left of driving time and I was finally downtown. A few more intersections and I would be at the receiver:

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As I approached, I noticed the tight confines I would have to deal with. I pulled over into the inside lane to give me enough room to make the turn, unbeknownst to the drivers behind me, who annoyingly began to honk their horns:

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It was a tight squeeze as I pulled in around the back, the 53 foot trailer just clearing each corner. It didn't help that my driving hours were now driving minutes.

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With 27 minutes of driving remaining on my clock, I had the trailer backed in and dropped. A short drive to a parking lot later and my day would be done. Unfortunately for the guys working at Voltison, their day was now far from done:

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[BK Vissers]

Great write-up! You're getting creative composition to enhance the story. Well done! Lovely sunset shot as well.

Mind if I ask, where the Schneider straight truck comes from? Is that a mod?

[andrei383]

Thank you BK! The Schneider straight truck comes from Jazzycat's great Truck Traffic Pack (you can find it here)

[BK Vissers]

Oh, cool! Thanks!

Wish I could drive one rather than just see it!

[andrei383]

The next morning, I got a call from the manager of the Voltison Motors I delivered to the night before. "Hey, we've got a shipment of cars that need to be in Oakland today, the driver couldn't make it last night. Are you free to take it?" I couldn't pass on the opportunity. The load was on the other side of Reno, at their dealership. As I pulled in, a lady ran out of the office to greet me.

"Oh thank heavens you're here! You're taking the cars to Oakland right?" she exclaimed. Clearly she was stressed about something. "The cars need to be at the port before the ship leaves!"

Great, this was an expedited load, something the manager didn't tell me. The ship, the M/V Cascade, was set to depart at 13:30. With no time to waste, I quickly hooked up and did a quick load check:
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For some reason, when your under time pressure, everything seems to be against you. The traffic was building and even fueling took longer than usual, no thanks to a faulty pump:
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Despite all the pressure, it was still a beautiful drive. I80 was always one of my favorite interstates to drive, especially coming in from Nevada to California. The scenery was always mesmerizing, a definite break from the deserts of the south:
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As I got closer to Oakland, the pressure slowly eased off my shoulders. I was well within schedule, perhaps even early. Soon I noticed the skyline broken up by the huge cranes that worked the docks. Thankfully there was still a ship sitting under them:
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Arriving on site, I went into the office to get the paperwork sorted out. Being an export load there was significantly more paperwork than usual domestic loads. As the customs officer rifled through the papers, I noticed the destination: Hong Kong, China. "They sure like their American cars in China," I quipped.

"You'd be surprised how many we actually ship there. We send them cars, they send us iPhone and steel. Speaking of which, we've got a load."

"Is it headed toward Los Angeles?"

"Is Oxnard good?" he asked me, sorting through more paperwork. "I'll take it!"
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With the split-axle flatbed hooked, and the pile of import paperwork in hand, I pulled out of the port. Driving a flatbed like this reminded me of the time I worked for CRST Malone, leaving the company only because the jobs usually kept me on the east coast, too far from home. As the load only needed to be delivered the following day I called it quits. I needed to call Kenworth LA to book my service and, noticing a growling stomach, went to grab a bite to eat at the Andy's restaurant:
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The rest of the drive was uneventful, the roads empty as they usually were at this time of day. Load delivered:
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With no short haul load into LA, I bobtailed the rest of the way to the dealership. Memories flooded back of that special day when this journey began:
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When the garage opened, I drove into one of the bays. Just like clockwork, the mechanics began their work. I was in the rest area for about 15 minutes before the head mechanic walked in. "You the owner of the blue T8?" he asked.

"Yeah, is something wrong?"

"Well, you ain't gonna like this..."

[Blackspots]

Awesome story telling andrei383. Very engaging.

[BK Vissers]

Oh-oh..sounds ominous...

Love the "Our most valuable resource here" trailer!