Oct 29, 2011
The weather is starting to turn to winter here in New Jersey. We arrive friday and the weather was nice, we would have walked a couple of blocks to eat dinner but there was no sidewalk and it was busy 4 lanes near the on ramp to the turn pike. We ordered pasta and boy was it good. I had chicken Parmesan and saved half of it to take with us in the truck. Your right I forgot it..
Today its snowing. And snowing hard. It's a Nor~East'r. Its starting to get windy too. Most of the trees are weighted down with snow on their branches because not all of the leaves have fallen off.
They sent us a load to Houston, first we were just going to ignor it and not even answer it, but then we saw the weather report and thought we'd better take anything that gets us out of the north east on a saturday, before we end up hanging out here all weekend.
Since we are 3 hours ahead in New Jersey we got up and had to check out of the hotel, check out time was 10am. Now we are just sitting in the truck finishing The Gangs of New York. Got a good find at the truck stop the other day seasons 1 & 2 of Northern Exposure. Some of you may have to explain to the youngsters what a cool show that was.
Our load from new jersey is to houston. That didnt go to bad. Still had to wait to be dispatched but after Houston we got a load to Salt Lake City. This time it didnt cancel.
I did have to stop on the turnpike in New Jersey and get a sweat shirt. I only have just my summer jacket. Who knew winter would come in October. Either need to get home to pick up our heavy clothes or find a Cabellas.
Nashville, showing off it's colors
I get to drive through Moab. I like when we hit Moab and its my shift. A very pretty place. All times of the year. Even for the desert, which you wont here me say to often.
We have been arguing with swift for about 4 weeks now on some empty miles we were never paid for. we have 51 miles when we got to the shipper the load was canceled at LAX. And we have 494. thats the one that hurts. I have messaged our dm first 3x a week then last week once a day . With no resolve. I talked with the fleet manager, and he said he would look into it and get back to me.
Nothing yet.
Besides losing the .81 cents a mile, the 494 miles really affected our fuel rebate. That is 494 miles not included in the total trip miles but miles we burned fuel. When I called the rapid response center they told me that our home termianl took those miles off. Said they were un authorized. When I confronted our driver manager she assured me that Troutdale did not take those miles off. I said thats good to hear, but if Troutdale did not take those miles off us, then where is our money
that's what I said
The part that really burns me is, beside it happening in Houston, I never thought to take a picture of the load when it is sent to us. To prove we were dispatched those miles. The whole day was screwed up. We delivered in Houston, hooked to an empty trailer only to be told they assign empty's there. Some places do but most make it a free for all, you see one grab it. So we unhooked, went up front and said we need an empty. We were told they didnt have any. What about the line of empty's, we just hooked to one. Oh those are already spoken for. Ok what ever. So we bobtailed out and went down to the truck stop to wait for a load.
They stacked 3 loads on us. Sometimes the loadplanners do that because they want you to do the crappy one and they are showing you a good one to make up for the crappy one.
I called our dm and complained about the first one. It was a pick up at a rail yard and the trailer was going a big 24 miles, to walmart. Where we pick up another load going a couple hundred miles to arkansas. Then we go to Jenks, Oklahoma and take it to Dover Delaware .
after compalianing about the waste of time the rail yard was. And how the swift yard would not give us an empty. I gave in , and she told me just to bobtail to the rail yard. It was only 5 miles away, but because of road construction, Houston being Houston and a train blocking the tracks it took 45 min. To get there.
Houston traffic jam
When we get there I wait in line and get up to the front and the guard tells me only one driver allowed in the yard. Someone will have to wait out side. I said what, but it is my husbands sleeper time, you want me to wake him up and make him stand out here. Forget it cancel the load. I called our dm and she said that was crazy, just head to our next load.
Next on my list was walmart 24 miles away. When I arrived there, waited in line only to hear, you cant come in with out an empty. I said our last load was cancelled and that was going to be our trailer. The guard said that doesnt matter, Icant pickup a loaded trailer unless I exchange it with either a full or empty.
So I called our dm again, and she was gone for the day now but the guy that answered said walmart was not our next pickup we should have headed to Jenks Oklahoma. I said ok there was a little confusion. I guess our dm knew that walmart would not let us in without a trailer and just canceled it, unless im giving her too much credit. I told him we still didnt have an empty I didnt want to get to Oklahoma just to find out they wont let us in, and he said no your good.
Yeah good and screwed is what he should have said.
I take a picture of our detention notices. they come in handy when they say they dont have a record of us responding to the notices. As soon as I say i have a picture what is your email, they suddenly say oh here it I see it now. But i never thought to take a picture of our dispatched miles, you bet I do now.
And while I'm complaining, all the crapy roads in Texas and Oklahoma bounced the life right out of our refrigerator and of course it took all the food with it. That had to be replaced.
Just Bleeding money on that trip.
And while I'm complaining, all the crapy roads in Texas and Oklahoma bounced the life right out of our refrigerator and of course it took all the food with it. That had to be replaced.
Just Bleeding money on that trip.
So now that I got that off my chest.
We are sitting in Salt Lake City waiting for a load. Why do we have to wait they know we're coming. Why do I bother putting in our projected time available. They did send us a load to Dallas. I turned it down, this time dont being so polite, I said
NO ALWAYS GET SCREWED IN TEXAS.
(and not in the good way) ***sorry kids**
NO ALWAYS GET SCREWED IN TEXAS.
(and not in the good way) ***sorry kids**
Of course they put us in time out for having the nerve to turn now the wonderful load. No load offers for 1 hour. “bad driver”
well hope everyone had a safe Halloween
I love and miss you all
