A bunch of useless crap
Published on November 16, 2010 By MasonM In Blogging

I am currently in Denver, CO. I drove out here over the weekend and had to fight a pretty strong wind storm through IA and NE. When I got to CO it was snowing. Yuck.

I delivered some snow removal equipment to two locations here yesterday and am now just waiting for them to find me a reload back out again.

Before I left out I had stocked up on food supplies. It's much cheaper to eat that way than in truck stops, and in Winter it is especially important to carry emergency supplies anyway.

Well, at lunch time yesterday I fired up my APU in order to heat something to eat in the microwave. The APU took a shit on me and I wound up eating in the truck stop anyway. I'll have to have it repaired when I get back to the yard.

Other than the Winter weather conditions there isn't really anything new going on. Just hauling stuff here and there.

I have been enjoying the fact that I can now scan my paperwork into the office right from my truck. The company had signed up for a scanning service called TransFlo a while back. With that service you typically stop at certain truck stops, carry your paperwork in and one of the cashiers scans it.

Well, I had mentioned to the office manager that they also have a TransFloNow service where one can download the free software and do the scan right from the truck, assuming of course one has a laptop and scanner, which I do.

She checked in to it and signed us up for it as it doesn't cost anything extra.

At our safety meeting last month the topic came up. It seemed that I was the only driver who knew about it and was using it. I answered a lot of questions from the drivers about how it works and what scanner to buy. Many of the drivers expressed interest in it.

The boss even told the drivers that if they turned in receipts for scanners of reasonable cost he would reimburse them the expense. I piped up and said "What about me? I've had mine for a while and didn't get reimbursed".

He said "Yeah, but you're a computer geek and would have one anyway." Laughter from everyone, including myself. "I'll reimburse your printer ink when you need it."

Good enough for me. I have a Kodak all in one unit and the ink is pretty cheap.

After I delivered these loads yesterday I immediately came to the truck stop and scanned in my paperwork. As long as they get it in the office before midnight on Monday I will get paid for it on Friday. That is the biggest advantage of scanning it in.

Ah well, time to walk back inside for more coffee.


Comments
on Nov 16, 2010

Re: The ink - given the prices of printers and scanners, the ink is the most expensive part.  Even for Kodaks (although I have heard they are better than HP and Lexmark on ink prices).

As for nothing new, it is a shame that another breakdown is nothing new.  You either got a bleeding edge truck, or a Monday truck with all the problems you have had.

Hope you get a load out soon.  Not a lot going on back east either.  I guess it is nothing new here also.

on Nov 16, 2010

Dr Guy
Re: The ink - given the prices of printers and scanners, the ink is the most expensive part.  Even for Kodaks (although I have heard they are better than HP and Lexmark on ink prices).

As for nothing new, it is a shame that another breakdown is nothing new.  You either got a bleeding edge truck, or a Monday truck with all the problems you have had.

Hope you get a load out soon.  Not a lot going on back east either.  I guess it is nothing new here also.

Thanks. The price of the ink cartridges for Kodak is quite reasonable in my opinion. Nothing  like the insane prices charged by some of the other manufacturers.

Well, the APU is actually a bolt on unit, not really part of the truck, but you're right in that the truck itself has been a lemon from day 1. The boss has already told me that mine will be the first to be traded in for a new truck next year. They had planned on replacing it this past Spring but the slow business of last year forced them to wait another year.

 

 

on Nov 16, 2010

The boss has already told me that mine will be the first to be traded in for a new truck next year. They had planned on replacing it this past Spring but the slow business of last year forced them to wait another year.

That is good news indeed!  I can understand the slow business, but it is nice at least that you are head of the line for the replacements.

on Nov 16, 2010

Hi Mason.  In Denver you are in my family's territory.  Lakewood, Boulder.  The snow is not good.  You could have had a good home cooked meal if I had known ahead of time.     I hope the weather clears for you.  Always good to see you.