Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Two weeks ago one of the new linehaul guys broke down with regen issues. Did two regens, still derated. Had to tow a replacement truck to him, tow his truck back, etc. Couple days later, same exact thing on a different truck. Then another truck, and another one. Swift sent inspectors and found sugar in the tanks of twelve trucks. Then last night another breakdown, same thing. Evidently Swift missed one, or the loser is still at it.

 

Almost embarrassed to say this, but at one point I was contemplating grounding my own fleet on my way out. What happened was I was leaving Reddaway in Montana. The terminal I worked at was notorious for not being able to find bodies and ran our terminal two men short at any given time.

I was trying to be nice and gave them a three month heads up that I was leaving. It came down to the wire and they finally found someone three weeks prior to me leaving. After he lasted a week and a half and showing great interest in the position he was filling my manager came up to me and said I was no longer needed and could leave early. I told him I sent a written and signed resignation letter with my final day being the 5th of May and still had a week and a half left.

So they took away my promised start time and had me on phone standby to work the dock from 6-11 PM. I took a 60% pay cut the last week I was there. I was furious that I was trying to be nice and give them all this extra time to find someone and instead of letting me leave on a positive note they crapped all over me. Then on my third to last day our senior driver approached me and said "we lost the contract with the cleaning company that mops the floor and cleans the restroom. Why don't you make yourself useful and start cleaning before you clock out".

It was that point where I was contemplating pouring bleach into all the oil reservoirs from all the trucks. I could have 100% gotten away with it, but decided I was better than my manager and the senior driver. Two weeks after I left, the new guy had enough and left too.

 

He started out being a really nice guy. We ran the same area and he always had my back. Then our Operations Supervisor was canned one day and they thought Doug could do the same job of setting up routes and answering emails (we had a satellite terminal with no admin or management staff on site after our Ops supervisor was fired). Every two months our TM would come by from his main hub that he was running to wag his finger at us about this number, and that number. I think the added stress along with his newfound power got the better of Doug.

I initially supported him and always had his back like he had mine. It took about two years for him to turn from a close team mate to a disgruntled bitter old man. He came up with some of the most racist disparaging nicknames for me that you wouldn't believe. Then he was putting pressure on me because "the numbers" didn't look right and everyone except for me was clocking out while continuing working to get the job done. And it only went downhill from there.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I've never held a job like that since and would rather quit the field entirely if this was all I had to look forward to.

 

Gonna make this TTR official.

I've accepted another LTL driving position with the competition.

I understand that my management is monitoring my activity on here and just so you know, I never made any disparaging comments against you guys.

Holland is no longer Holland. Please accept my resignation next week.

C'est la vie

 

@road_runner good luck on your new endeavor.

 

Thanks brother

 

Good luck sir!

 

I have two irons in the fire one back at a different food company then the one I worked for and another at a 3PL that does a major grocery store chain account. At this point I would be thrilled to death with either. I did well at the food companies and am going back as fast as I can.

 

So abf not working out?