A word about attitude and persistence

Hi everyone,
I want to say something and this goes for ever one weather you're an OTR driver or City Driver new or seasoned pro.

Today I was out in the yard at my work after I checked in and did all my paperwork cleaning my truck. I was washing all the windows and emptying garbage that other drivers from far away land filled my cab up with and cleaning the dirt off my mirrors and so on and so fourth. The truck I drive is the only cornbinder left in our yard, it's ugly it's actually had an absolute ton of work done to it, but it's old tired, ugly and it's kind of a rag despite all the work done to it. I mean don't get me wrong it's dependable and can be used everyday, but it's not one of the fleets shinning stars if you will ha-ha!

Anyhow there's a 2007 Volvo and it's actually the truck in my avatar and that truck is awesome I love it. The driver who drove that truck quit a couple weeks ago and because my cornbinder was in the shop getting new tires put on I drove that truck Friday, Monday-Thursday of this week and last Friday and it was awesome I also got to drive that truck the first day it came from the Motor Pool and was assigned to our yard permanently and I thought, oh man this truck would be cool if it was mine. Well I figured no it'll never happen I'm going to be in this International until the company sells it off and then who knows what I'll get next. The company decided next year they are going to sell off a lot of the remaining Internationals that are left. I guess the company didn't have good luck with the Internationals and said forget it. They kept what they had got for 10 years, but there getting to the point where there through with them.

So today I was out in the yard after work cleaning my truck. My truck was at the Warehouse for the entire summer driven by only God knows who. Anyhow it came back a big mess and I can assure you it didn't leave the yard a mess, but it came back a big mess. So I was cleaning all the mirrors and the glass both inside and out. The dash parked it next to the dumpster so I could throw out all the trash. Cleaning up all the tobaco juice that missed the alleged cup that was supposedly in the cup holder. I'm not a smoker or a chewer I don't have a problem if people smoke or chew, I guess, but ehh oh well I clean up after it. Anyhow also they put new skins on the truck, but they don't use the same rims at our shop they have a huge wall of just tires mounted on rims so I have brand new rims on the back of my truck that are nice and shiny most of our trucks the rims are high gloss, but break dust and stuff builds up and if you don't keep up on them eventually the finish gets dull I think it's a matter of dumping the rim in some kind of cleaning bath and I think the shop does this, but I like my wheels shiny if they can be it's the truck I drive if it's a city truck I'm the only one that drives it. Actually I think just taking a paper towel and wiping the rims down and getting that break dust off is almost enough in it's self. All that break dust is abrasive it's not good.

So I'm outside cleaning and two of the bosses walk up to me and say "Hey that Volvo you like well we decided were going to assign it to you and someone else can drive this truck instead. You come in on time, you don't complain and you keep your truck clean."

Look I'm not winning any great awards where the company is going to be giving me a plaque or anything like that. However that's not what I'm out for, however at the same time they leave me alone and you know I just bide my time and stuff happens things change sometimes they go your way sometimes they don't. This one just happened to go my way, I could have easily not. However look one of the keys is just show up do what you have to do get through you'll be alright and that's it, that's the big thing right there at least it's worked for me.

 

You know it's funny they ran an Xata contest last quarter and like I said I'm not perfect I didn't win any prize for being in the top or showing any great improvement. I've had a hard break or 2. Haven't really had to many over speeds although some guys have, they reached speeds I didn't even know our trucks could do. Don't know how they did it, but they did it. Actually the Volvo is nice has cruse control the cornbinder didn't so I just set the Volvo at 60 and I'm good to go.

However just earlier this week the big boss said to me "You got a $70.00 fuel bonus this quarter." $100.00 is the most you can get. I said "That sounds fair better then nothing." He went "Could have easily been nothing, plenty of guys got nothing." I guess my accuracy numbers weren't all that awful either, they weren't bad enough to be of any concern to management. I think today I had a 100% scan rate so it happens.

I know what you are saying just be bopping along doing you're thing and one day they say hey come here we want to tell you something good.