Stevens Transport A year in review

Under my old driver manager, I ran from the rocky mountains to the east coast, rarely saw the west coast. I have only been to florida once, and had to fight to stay under that load. Too many drivers that live in florida that want to get home, for a driver that does not live in florida to get a load down there.

My new driver manager, loves California, and repowers, (relays). She is also used to dealing with teams, not solo drivers. California sucks for a solo driver. I thought I had broke her with the midwest run, and the Utah runs, but then I ended up in Los Lunas, and then the meat patch, and an LA run. Now I am on a rinse and repeat. Final is in San Jose CA this time, probably go to Salinias to pick up.

Making it work for me, and dealing with dispatch myself.

 

May 24 to 30

Miles ran 2662

Miles paid 3455 great cash flow this week

Miles transflowed, not paid yet 1791


This week started out with the repowered load in Tucumcari NM, going to Wilmington CA. Doable, but I will have to park on the street after I am empty for my break, in an area that I am not comfortable with. So I send in a repower request, for Barstow CA. It actually happens, and I get a Kraft load that delivers tuesday at 0200, 1/2 mile from the Ontario TA. I make the delivery, and head back to the TA, with instructions to call produce when empty...I waited until they came to work.

Get a Wal-mart load, 1 pick from a consolidator for Wal-mart over in Colton, and 8am appointment. Head over, check in get backed in, get loaded, and argggggg they have lost an invoice, and have to request another copy. Takes 4 hours to get the copy invoice.

Oh well I only have to be in Los Lunas at 0200 on thursday. I want to make Lake Havasua, but I am running out of hours on my 14, so shut down at Ludlow for the Afternoon/night. Will start early, stop at the route 66 casino/truck stop outside Albuquerque, and then have 35 miles to wal mart. Pull into the 66 Casino, and get a message, new appointment, 5 am, at first why, then hey i can get 3 more hours sleep. Have an okay meal, I was not impressed with the buffet.

Check out the back roads looping albuquerque...okay except for that 6% grade with traffic lights, and NO JAKE BRAKE signs. Get checked in, can see they are running behind, get a door assigned, and wait... they unload, I see the light go green, good a few more minutes and they will call. 30 minutes pass, the light goes red, they put something back on, and the light goes green. GREAT now I have OS&D.

Yeppers they rejected 40 cases of lemons...call OS&D and wait...3 hours later, am given the address of a produce company to take them too. Yea it was a farmers market, on a tight street. I got them off, they unloaded in the street, and over to the TA. Pull in and see 3 stevens trucks set up for repowers, well that rules that out for me. There were a total of 11 stevens trucks empty setting at the TA.

Hooray I get a meat load from Amarillo to LA again. Head down the road, after wasting most of my 14 clock for the day waiting on Dallas, and stop in Tucumcari again. Get up on Friday, and drive the 2 hours to drop my trailer, as the DLD is Saturday 2250. Can get a reset in, I don't need too, and then drive 2 night shifts, or hope the load comes out early.

Drop the trailer, My load has been assigned a trailer, good sign, and head over to the petro to get some service work done. Get that done, call Tyson, nope load not ready, get me a Hotel room, have a good dinner and a good night sleep. Get up, saturday, call tyson, load is ready....Eat breakfast, pick up my load, and make Flagstaff for the day.

Sunday make Barstow, as my first drop is in Compton CA, and no parking. Besides barstow is free. The last two drops are in San Fransisco and Fremont CA on Monday.

An okay week with the wasted days due to OS&D, and waiting on Tyson.

May fell short of 10,000 miles dispatched, 9,938, but I had 6 days off too!!!

 

I understand your frustration. The lack of communication back in dallas is amazing. And they tend to not look past the present late load. There is NO planning evident to this driver for the past 4 months. Stevens has grown past their capability to be efficient, and now spend all their time trying to recover from lack of planning in the first place.

My latest pet peeve with them is the constant mis information that compliance is now putting out in their weekly tip of the week. They say things that Stevens Wants, but are NOT required by DOT. Yet when I challenge them to show me in writing the policy, I never see it. I am sent on my way.

I have been home for both of my Christmases with stevens. If they can't get me a load close to home, I will deadhead home from where I am at to be home when I need to be. I have deadheaded from Reno NV to Casper WY 920 miles, at my expense to be home. Now, I always get home when I request it. This is always an option as an Alliance driver.

A person has to stand up to the BS, and the lack of communication, and make it happen. My lease is up in July, and my options are still open at this time.

 

As i have stated many times, do your own research, ask questions, until you are satisfied with the answers. I do know that after one year with Stevens, the training is forgiven also. You may want to check into that.

All be safe, and learn as much as you can during that first year.

 

May 31 to June 6

Miles ran 2908

Miles paid 1719

Miles Transflowed, not paid yet 3127

Start the week off in Barstow, and head down to compton CA for a 9:30 appointment. Pull into Ralphs as 8:30, park, check in, and wait for a door. Get assigned a door, back in, I only have 5 pallets for them, check in, takes them about 15 minutes to unload, and I am on my way north towards San Francisco. Stop for the night at Santa Nella, and eat at the Sweet Pea.

Tuesday's deliveries go smoothly, and at 11am I am empty, and have gotten a pre-plan to pick up a whole foods order, going to cheshire CT. Good run, and if I can get loaded this afternoon, I can make it.

So much for that, as the Appointment is set for 10pm, and earthbound laughs when I try to get loaded early. Only one pick so that helps. 10pm rolls around, back into the door, the loader comes out and tells me it will be 3 to 4 hours before he even starts to load me. Oh well back to sleep. 5 hours later I am loaded and rolling...time to get out of California before dallas notices that I can't make the delivery.

Pull into Wells NV for the day, Thursday. Get a call from my DM saying, produce does not think you can make the delivery, I agree, as stated on my daily check call. How far will you get on Friday? Cheyenne WY I reply. She says she will look to repower me there. Okay, take a shower, and get some sleep, as I want to roll early, and be down the road before they come to work in Dallas. Repower is setup for Cheyenne!!!

Get a load going to San Antonio for a monday delivery. Monday Deliveries suck as I will sit most of the day waiting for a dispatch. Oh well. Sleep in until 8am...felt good, roll on down to Amarillo TX. Stop at Flo's diner in Wiley CO, good food, and only $8.00 for lunch with Ice cream for desert. Flo has retired, so it is the No Flo diner now.
Hang out in Amarillo for saturday, as I have 4 hours, and really don't need to move. Enjoy my day, do some shopping, and get some rest.

Sunday, take a leisurely drive down to New Braunfels Tx, on the back roads, as this will put me 12 miles away form my delivery for Monday.

And to finish this trip, Ran down the 12 miles, pulled in at 6:30 for a 7am appt, back in, at 7:10 I am empty, and headed up the road to the pilot to transflo my trip, and wait all day for a dispatch...

southern Texas, Monday Morning, nobody preplans this area over the weekend, Jim will dispatch on Monday.

The QC was quite this week, which is the way I like it. Give me the loads, keep the wheels turning and leave the details of the trip to me.