Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

Reporting from Pueblo Colorado – that’s way South of Fort Collins where a 6 year old boy – Falcon Heene – is still missing after “allegedly” floating for two hours at/about 7000 feet in a “homemade” weather balloon. As I was crusin’ along I-25 today I, unfortunately, saw no sign of the airborne balloon nor the young man. Law enforcement is reporting that an “object” was seen falling from the balloon. At this moment, rescue crews are conducting an intensive search.

Ok, if you read my post from yesterday – ‘Another “Truck’n Day’, you’ll recall that I was to wake up bright and early this AM and call some quarry to come to escort me  – then load me with architectural rocks – a tarped load no less. So that’s exactly what I did, right at 7 AM. The unemotional person on the other end of the line says: “load? what load? oh, that load. That cancelled.” No other information was forthcoming. I send a QUALCOMM message to my people and then waited. Ring, ring – “Morning, this is the load planner, are you at the quarry?” I said, no, the load cancelled, why would they come out to escort me? “Alright, I’ll have to get with the broker.” Tick, tock, tick, tock. The moment I heard the word “broker”, I pretty much knew this “deal” was done for. An hour goes by. QUALCOMM message: “The broker says sit tight, the load is not cancelled.”

Tick tock, tock tick, 45 minutes pass. I send in a two hour detention warning. 30 minutes goes by. Ring ring. “The broker says the quarry’s forklift is broken and they can’t load you until maybe tomorrow afternoon.” The ‘ole forklift is down story – goes along with the flat tire, the driver is sick, the turbo blew, big accident closed the interstate and the dog ate the directions excuse. Hey, I wasn’t born yesterday. Ok, said I, I’m supposed to be home this Tuesday. You’re telling me to hold here until maybe tomorrow to maybe take a load 425 miles 11,500 ft. in the Colorado mountains. Let’s all say it together: NO WAY JOSE!  I’ve been out a month so (please) find something eastbound. Find some other driver who needs to be punished and you want to screw with, just not me.

Tick tock, tock tick. Ring, ring. “Well, I maybe can get you a load out of Pueblo Colorado pick up maybe tomorrow (Friday) afternoon going to San Antonio TX. San Antonio? What’ good is that going to do me. “Wait, wait, I maybe have something tomorrow maybe headed to Georgia, are you interested?” Hey, does Nixon’s upper lip sweat? Sure. “OK, at your convenience dead head to Pueblo.” It will be the first time that my truck has moved since Monday morning. It’s a 231 mile drive headed toward where the kid was allegedly floating in the balloon. Hoping I might spot him makes the boring trip bearable. I keep my binoculars at the ready.

Now we have two lessons here. #1 keep your kids away from weather balloons, #2 and if you know anything about trucking, this should be obvious to you – brokers are evil idiots. As a company driver, when my carrier gets desperate, it calls a broker, especially for “out of the way” freight, and 99% of the time, there will be a problem with the load. This load I told you about, the customer wanted an MT certified weight. There were no scales near the shipper. The customer did not want the driver to fill his tanks to be able to load 48,500 lbs. of material. Rocks sit out in dirt – the customer wanted them tarped. There was the phone call to schedule the escort to the quarry. Another loaded certified weigh ticket – somewhere. 1/2 of the trip is on single lane roads at 5-7% grades UP. There is no parking at the consignee. This is a perfect example of a broker load. I’m delighted that the broker screwed it up and I’m headed elsewhere.

BREAKING NEWS – HOT OFF THE PRESS – The boy was found alive hiding in a box in the attic of his parent’s home. He had released the ballon, got scared and ran inside the house to hide. At least this story has a happy ending.