Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

In case anyone was wondering, my thoughts about how the monkeys are running the zoo here hasn’t changed one bit, even if it is a new year. Drivers aren’t allowed to think. Anticipate a problem 24 hours out, call and voice your concern, and get a used car salesman pitch.

My 2 drops of coolers went to an Indian food store in Union City, and a Korean food market in Korea town in downtown Los Angeles. The first drop went off without a hitch. Just the nicest people you could ever meet. Their broken English, my NY accent, and at the end they got an insight about the big Apple, and I got a little education about India. Made it down to the Petro in Wheeler Ridge and called it a day. I was 79 miles to my drop this morning. Here’s where it gets interesting.

Yesterday, on my drive up to Union City, I called into my DM and explained to him my concerns about putting this truck and trailer into a spot that it wasn’t made for in Los Angeles, and to make sure these coolers go their instead of the Hill warehouse in Chino where I’ve been to a dozen times over the years, to drop off coolers to be stored, then delivered to these type of stores, to be installed by the HVAC company.

I get a call back from said DM that we go there a lot, and to deliver at the address. I’m going to post a picture of the horror show I was involved with this morning. So like a good soldier, I do what I am told, what do I know, I just drive a truck.

I took a long break last night, got up and left at 06:30. On my way down the Grapevine, I call the store. After getting multiple people on the phone, I finally get someone that spoke English, not perfect, but good enough. I was told to park on Western Ave across from the store and to walk inside and they’ll get people to move their cars. I get to the stop, park along the curb, blocking half of one lane, and go inside. Find the gentleman I spoke to, and then he realizes, I’m not suppose to be delivering these coolers at the store, but to the HVAC company in Chino. To prove he was right, he gave me the phone number to the HVAC/warehouse. I call, am told by the person in the other end that they emailed Hill and Abilene last week to make sure the coolers came to the warehouse and not the market. At this moment, I’m about to explode, told him I’d be there in about an hour and walked back to my truck after saying goodbye to my best Korean friend.

We are not allowed to deviate from our BOL unless we get specific instructions from our Hill account rep, then wait on the QC to get updated. Well, at this point, I’m livid. I call in to speak directly to our rep. Am told I need to go through my DM. I get it, the operator is doing her job. I then ask to speak to my DM. I’m told he’s out to lunch. Question, who takes lunch at 11:30 in the morning? Personally, I could give a #### less what time you start work, there’s an issue, I’m getting jerked around, I don’t want to speak to another faceless individual who has their own issues. I ate lunch yesterday at the end of my day, with nothing left to do at 1900, and you’re eating lunch at 11:30.

As I’m sitting in my truck making phone calls, a CHP cop shows up and lights me up. I get out and walk back to him. He asks me what’s going on, I tell him and he tells me I have to move. No problem. I get in the truck and leave. Got no authorization from anyone back at the office, but really didn’t care at that time.

I got on the 10 freeway and headed to Chino. Halfway there my phone rings. It’s my DM back from lunch. I’m now having a heated one way discussion. I explained to him that for the life of me, I have no idea what the hell is going on back at 1700 Willis Rd, but if they should get a verification of employment from another company inquiring about me, don’t be surprised.

As I pull into the warehouse that I’ve been to at least a dozen times, I’m empty in 20 minutes. I call in and tell my DM to let the planner know I’m short on hours, and to load me in the morning. I went the 9 miles to Ontario and that’s where I’m parked.

As I parked, I got my reload assignment, a nice 2850 trip to Miami Florida. I’m done for the day. Just had a nice steak and now it’s John time.

Here’s the market in Koreatown I was at this morning.

 

I’m just at a complete loss about the lack of information, the amount of misinformation, and the overall poorly run load planning, dispatching and very obvious way they don’t listen to a driver. Truth be told, some of us have been at this game for a while. It fry’s my A.Z.Z to no end that I’m looked upon like this is my first load. Almost 9 years here, 1.3 million safe miles, no service failures, run to any part of Canada, have been asking for my million miles jacket the last 2 years, and what do I see? Nothing. The jacket? Principal. I earned it and want it. I’ve asked a number of times about it, and it falls on deaf ears. I’m thinking I should start acting and performing my job like most of the new hires with a CDL that still has wet ink on it.