Whew…. We have been out of the loop for a long time. For the last couple of months we agreed to a contract to provide outside services to UPS. Last year UPS got slammed mostly due to all of the huge winter storms and suffered a huge hit when they did not get all of your Christmas packages to you on time. They were determined it was not going to happen again so for the first time ever, they brought in outside drivers to help out at the UPS Worldport in Louisville Kentucky. This place is amazing. Over 160 UPS planes land, get unloaded, get reloaded and take off every day. Anne and I drove what we have always referred to as “Yard Dogs”, UPS calls them “Yard Birds” and “Shifters”. They are short, 2 axle vehicles that are used to move trailers around at manufacturers and shipping facilities. They are very maneuverable and they have a hydraulic fifth wheel arm to raise the trailers so you do not have to raise or lower the landing gear. The big news is……ANNE LEARNED HOW TO BACK A TRAILER!!!!! After 7 weeks of backing trailers into very tight spots she is a pro. Our job was to take the inbound trailers from over the road drivers and drive them to the other end of the airport where they would be put on a door at “The Core” where everything is sorted and some put on airplanes and some put back on trailers which we would then haul back to the other side of the airport for outbound trucks. We lived in an extended stay hotel so we had a full kitchen and a separate bedroom. We worked Monday thru Friday 10 hours a day. It was so weird having weekends off. We took advantage of it though by doing some sightseeing. Favorite thing was probably the Jim Beam Distillery Tour. It was very hands on and a lot of fun. We even bottled our own Single Barrel Knob Creek Bourbon which they engraved for free when we bought the bottle.
Farm2Fleet really stepped up to the plate with a great Christmas dinner for the F2F team working the UPS project. Bill and Lauren along with Ryan and Lili came up for Christmas day and took us all out to dinner. A great time. We then hung out in Louisville for a couple of evenings with them. What a great town.
We are planning on doing the same gig next year if they offer it and, Anne was so wonderful, how could they not. We made great friends at UPS and really hope it works out again.
I spent about 4 hours getting the truck started today. Turns out you cannot leave a truck for two months and expect the batteries to hold a charge. I had to take all of the wiring off and clean it and then jump the truck. Finally got it started and drove it to the Volvo dealer to see if they can figure out ….again…….why the cab suspension keeps going out. Hope to get out by the end of the week but we will see.
Really enjoying hanging with the kids and grandkids but I guess it is time to go to work. Driving the 10 miles to the dealer today felt really good.|
I am official now
Out with Bill and Lauren in Louisville
Playing on Christmas
Tyler spent Christmas with us
So is Anne
Christmas breakfast in our hotel room.
The Core on Christmas Eve, First time EVER it looked like this. No trailers at all
Christmas Eve and an empty ramp 9
Kinda close quarters
Ramp 11 in Louisville just before Christmas
Ramp 9 just before Christmas
Hanging with the guys
Ed again, being ED
Our own bottle
At Jim Beam
I love this girl
UPS is kinda cool
Hanging in th eYard Bird
Ed is still Ed
A Yard Bird
747-400 UPS Chartered 10 of these at $60,000 a day plus crews and fuel. I do not feel guilty about what they paid us
Long pant and boots. This shit just got serious
Anne & Craigs Great Adventure 