Stevens Transport Aviary . . cont'

Got to the yard and had my conversations with compliance and safety re the hunts point curbing incident, and learned something extremely valuable that i knew but didnt do...stop the truck. Everyone from the safety guy to the red shirts who retrained me said the same thing...that i had absolutely zero business driving in that day. They all stated that yes, the issue was with the trainer but that means nothing to DOT, because i was behind the wheel.

Needless to say, when we get back on the truck monday, he will have a student with a more assertive outlook. Not aggressive, because i know less, but i now have a bit more reassurance that i have backup when he tries to drive my truck for me.

Its been an interesting few weeks, and i am glad for the downtime. Ive come awfully close a few times to crying on here like a little girl instead of hitching up my big girl britches, but have done well for the most part of hitchin instead of bawlin.

 

Keep in mind Flue... if it was easy, anybody could do it!

 

Don't worry about a rant. That's one of the reasons this forum is here.
We have DM's that are great, some that are good and too many that can't spell the word truck.
Unfortunately it appears the company has been hiring a lot of DM's with zero experience in the industry. Straight out of school. The training for new DM's is very scant and a lack of understanding the industry is telling.
Most of these DM's end up on the company side. Experienced people or drivers who become DM's tend to end up on the Alliance side. I suspect that's due to stronger FM's doing the recruiting.
The DM's primary responsibility is to be a liason between the driver and the inside operations.
That being said, it is always in the driver's best interest to learn how operations works and the key players. Develop a relationship.
DM's don't get you your load. The load planners do. They rule their areas with an iron fist. A DM may look at loads available, but he/she will then go to the load planner and ask if a driver can have that load. Often times it works.
But if for instance, I was to call you and promise a preplan for doing a repower, my promise has all the strength as a DM's....nada!
I can go to the planner and ask, I can send an email to the planner and ask, but I don't have the right to plan loads on drivers. Neither does a DM.
I know load planners that will go thru the loads in the morning and if they see one that was put on a truck as a preplan that they (or the night dispatcher) didn't plan, it will be stripped off.
So get to know the planners. They get you your load.
Good DM's don't mind you going direct to the planner. But usually a good DM does it for you.
If you're not getting along with your DM, you need a heart to heart talk with them to work things out. If that doesn't work, request a new one.
It doesn't make any sense to be unhappy with your lot in life if you don't do some pro active work to resolve the issues.
Get to know the repower people. They can help you as well.
Your first person in line should be your DM. If you need a load for a certain reason, explain it. There is virtually no excuse for your not getting home within a resonable time frame of your desired date. Sometimes things happen, but most of the time...
And keep in mind, if you have a doctor's appt, an anniversary or graduation, be prepared to deal with short miles if that date is inflexible. You need to be home on the 9th? You may be there on the 6th or 5th. If you're flexible, "I want hometime on the 9th", then it may be the 12th, but it shouldn't be the 19th unless you fail to inform the planners or your DM a particular load is going the wrong way.
Consider where you live.
If you live in Texas, getting home is much easier than if you live in Vermont. Lot's more loads and freight lanes thru Texas.
So if you 'need' to be home in Vermont on the 9th, you may get a Boston load that empties on the 6th and that's that!
We don't invent freight, we move it.
If your load plan on the 3rd is from Denver to Holcomb to Cali, don't expect to see Vermont anytime soon!
Let them know. And you may have to take a NYC load to get going the right way, then possibly do a repower when you're empty for a load heading to Boston or ME. (Always assume you will be delivering any load you are assigned, even if promised, "we'll repower it!")
On night's and weekends our jobs (as far as repowers are concerned) is to move the freight to the final on time. If we get a call or repower request from someone who has too much time, doesn't want to go to Cali or hates driving in the NE, but that load can be delivered on time? It goes to the bottom of the pile, and I've yet to get thru the loads that are late to work that pile bottom!
But just as much, if I get a call and it sounds something like this, "I'm running about a day ahead on this load. If I can help on anything, give me a call..." the first thing I ask is , "Which direction, in a perfect world, do you want to head?" Then I look for loads that are late, heading that way. This is how it works.
Now speaking of rants, I think I got off the subject here a bit, but after two cups of my wife's coffee, I'm ready to take the new week on in a couple hours.

 

Finding your assertiveness is a big part of any new endeavor. In trucking, it's essential or you will be swallowed.

 

i don't recall you mentioning the curbing. Did I miss something?

 

Many drivers complain about the northeast. Yea it takes longer to get around, streets are narrow, docks are tight... and the runs out are usually short. But I learned to work with the planner for the northeast, and I was always willing to take that short run, 2 to 300 miles that moved me to another location. And he always backed it up with a great load.

I helped him out, and he helped me out... I delivered to the north side of Boston, a meat load, and was low on hours on my 70, only would have 2 hours for the rest of the day and the next day, so I headed up to the TA in New Hampshire for a 34 reset...
the next morning my phone rings, need my help, and yes he knows I am short on hours, but another driver had been assigned this frozen load the day before, and then refused it that morning... a short 250 miles run, that always delivers the next day...

A preloaded trailer, just 15 miles south, get it picked up, and tell him how far I can get. He would like me to get the the Pilot at exit 1 in Mass.... Possible depends on traffic...

I tell him I will do it, but he needs to get me a load headed west, as I need some time off, in wyoming...
He agrees, and I go get the trailer..
I pull into the TS for the repower with 3 minutes left...
Pull around back where I can quickly park, and get off the drive line...
As I am walking around to find the other truck my phone rings...
"see you made it", your load west is waiting for you, no rush, a reeses load to ogden utah... drop and hook at both ends,
"but", there is always a but....
drop your empty at EDC #3, and bobtail over for your loaded trailer...
Not much of a but.

It is about learning the system, and working within the system...

Now don't get me started on the stupidity caused by the meat planners, hours of service, and the culture of they can repower any load to get it delivered on time.

 

Well, we made the front page again.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...71659149.48235.284427428326330&type=1&theater

 

Just saw that...

 

I don't like to rant but I need to on this.
Start Rant. I am on the yard getting my truck(grad fleet) and this is directed at the drivers. The bathrooms at the drivers lounge look like my 3 year old grandson had at it with toilet paper. Come on now, are you really that childish that when you clog up the toilet you have to fill it with more so the paper is over flowing. Two of the three stalls are out of service due to this. We are all adults here so we need to act like one. If you are pissed at Stevens fine but when you do this crap you are hurting the other drivers more than Stevens. Grow up and act like a Professional and clean up after yourself. End Rant

 

Start Rant Approval. Well said. End Rant Approval.