First week at the home front in the books
- Nicole Rodriguez
- Nov 4, 2022
- 3 min read
First week back at the homestead!
Hey y’all! Hope everyone had a great week! Here at Virago Transport LLC we’ve been pretty busy! My office view has definitely changed, is a little less visually stimulating lol But I got a sweet office phone that I have no clue how to use, but it beats wandering around the house asking if the person on the other line can hear me....Verizon sucks.....Samsung Ultra 22 whatever we have sucks lol
Daryl and I are happy to report that our first full week running independently of each other (him in the truck and me back at homebase) was productive and didn’t completely blow up in our faces LOL. He and Drake went to pick up from a shipper over the weekend, spent 3 hours waiting to get loaded (for free).Thankfully the broker was able to get us some detention pay, but alas, the pay they gave didn’t nearly compensate for the time sitting…..Yay trucking! But it was good for Daryl and Drake to spend that time in the truck together (or in general lol). Drake got to experience toileting in the truck when a restroom isn’t available (ahem... peepee bottles lol) and was so excited to do so!
We’ve run 3 loads since we came back in:
Roanoke, TX to Saint Bernard, LA with electrical boxes/fittings
Mobile, AL to Minot, ND with some metal sheets
Currently under load from Beulah, ND headed to Ogden, UT with some flexifloat barges.
Bless Daryl’s heart, he’s not nearly as enthusiastic about getting photo footage of this whole process haha So I’ll post what he was able to capture LOL
I know he’s glad to get to spend time alone in the truck and get back to his creature comforts and routine. That is his happy place of functioning without my crazy shenanigans all up in that tiny space LOL
This week has definitely been a challenge for me personally as I’m stepping back into the role of doing all the things that I do on a daily basis: homeschool, housewife, soccer mom, company owner…Basically the overall keeper upper with all of the stuff and things that need to be maintained in and around the home, kiddo, etc.
Drake and Derek’s soccer fall season started back up which means 2xwk practices and
games along with the coordination of everything that goes along with team momming both of their teams, prospecting for the Angels of the Highway sisterhood, oh yeah and then there is that little role of being the CEO and co-owner of our company LOL Surprisingly I was able to manage all of it without fumbling too terribly, screwing up anything major, no one died or was injured and everyone is getting paid, so we are all good on that front LOL I’m so thankful for Trello, meticulous planning, notebooks, alarm clocks and flexibility.
Overall I think we are doing pretty good at developing a flow for everything and I figure in about a month's time we will be pros at all of this. Daryl has done an amazing job at keeping our regulatory/safety/and general truck stuff running smoothly. I’ve been learning more about market trends, negotiating with brokers to meet our break even (and with luck getting more), learning to navigate our computer system for dispatching and loadboard monitoring. I’m still incredibly amazed at the similarities between healthcare and trucking. The lights are staying on for another few weeks LOL and we are still in operation for another few weeks LOL
On a personal note, I definitely miss being out on the road, as much as I love everything that is at home and my crazy hectic life. My gypsy soul was fed by our maiden voyage. I feel that desire to be on the road strengthening, it really does get in your blood and draw you in. I’ve heard my dad and Daryl describe it, but I feel it and man, it’s powerful stuff! Once Drake is older and through school, I fully see myself going out part time with Daryl, whether he likes it or not LOL Bye-bye Wife is moving in!
So a little did ya know about trucking edition (in keeping with tradition): I recently ready an article that I will include in the posting….I find it kind of confusing after being out on the road with Daryl, talking with drivers along the way, and literally being knee deep in it…A survey was conducted to measure the impact of awareness/education among American motorists on drivers and trucking in general, and the results don’t seem to reflect the reality of what really happens out there in the real world….I don’t know, you read the article and the comments and let me know what you think.
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