Adventures of a Flatbedder at Roehl

Got up this morning, Gary documented the damage and took off my cornerstone sticker.... Not sure why we would put on a sticker then take them off, but hey now I know why I wasted most of my day staying off toll roads....
Get this, no MT reefers in Gary except for red tagged ones. So FM says got to UPS in Chicago and pick up any of these 3 trailers and don't use toll roads. Huh??? 80 to 294 is the most direct route, both toll roads. I send him msg saying that this is ridiculous. Gonna double my time and mileage to get there. Finally get there in, I said it, twice the time. Made a route that was only 25% more in miles.
When I check in at UPS the lady tells me, we have these 3 trailers. Of course none of them are reefers. I ask about specifics and nothing. So I check the lot and find 2 of the 3 she gave me and none that the planners gave me. So much for people doing their loaded and unloaded MT calls.
Now I get the word to bobtail to Cottage Grove. Stay off toll roads.
Are you kidding me? I tell FM, this is ridiculous. I am all for Roehl trying to save money and will do what I can to help, but adding hours of MY driving time to save your tolls is not cool. You aren't paying me by the hour. The fastest and shortest route should be what we are given, not the route that saves Roehl all the time, especially if it costs the driver. Of course, he couldn't say much.
So then we talk about route to CG. 294 north to..... IL 53, US12, i-43, US-20, US-12. All non toll roads that DOUBLED my time getting to CG. I am pretty sure Christmas is the silly season for Roehl! Oh, so how many flat bedders have you all seen pulling vans or reefers this week? Seems to be a lot of us from what I have been seeing.

 

Yes, I was MT today, but that doesn't explain last week or having me routed west on I-80 all the way through Indiana until exit 72 to get off and go down US 20. Would have added an hour to the trip, not to mention a few miles that I wouldnt have been paid for.