making a hustle on the road

by stephen palmore
(richmond va.)

Back a few hundred moons ago I worked for a flat bed outfit from Ala. great out fit.

My favorite run was a paneling run with extra stops. $25 bucks a pop and if you hustle you can knock down another $100 in a day , good money back then.

I drew the dreaded West Va. run . Little lumber yards hid all over the place , getting to 5 in a day would be a miracle much less deliver them too. well as luck would have it I pulled off 4 of them by quitting time.

I was pooped and ready for a quiet night beside the Ohio River. So I called Bama to let em know I had one left and would callem in the morning.

After I hung up I asked the guy at the desk where this next stop is. Sure just down the road about a mile, way cool!!

you know this guy there? Yeah we are cousins. Figures remember we are in West Va. LOL Could you call him and see if he can takes this tonight. Sure I'll call hi. He came right back and told me. " he's doing inventory tonight and he would rather count in the tonight than in the morning.

So i jump at the chance to finish off this load. An hour later I was ready to rock and dispatch in Bama is closed. MMMM lets see the map , Aha!! West Va. Steel is about 50 miles from here. So I buzzed down to the mill pulled up on the scale , walked into the shipping office , HORNADY here to pick up.

The dispatcher picks up some bills and , " you mean this one going to Bama? " thats the one and I claimed the load. I loaded up and was a little scared I could get fired for this. But when you are hungry you do what you gotta do.

I loaded up , and headed out, got out of the truck only once all night!! 7 AM I was on the spot and getting unloaded. I called dispatch and told them I was empty, and can give me that load # again I lost it , here the BOL# .

I was on hold for 20 mins while every one in dispatch scratched their collective head. I figure ohh well I'll be riding the grey hound home I can see it coming. Well I didn't get fired!!

A few months later at one of the stops our company flocked too. We were sitting around telling war stories and this one fellow piped up , you know some drivers just ain't right. Some one stole a load off me in West Va. and I spent 2 days there waiting for a load.

I had to tell him the truth you know. " NAWWW one of our drivers done that ???
I really did feel for him , well sorta any. I bought him dinner and never did fess u.

This be the red devil were down and on the side catcha on the flip.