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

Isn't @460/580 a NE regional driver?

 

Training is otr i am ne regional and just finished my first solo week. Didnt add up my mileage total but will once back on the road.

Orientation is two long days of paperwork, safety videos, and some policy. They will give you two books, read them as there are tests between each stage.

I have found in my 2 weeks of ne and almost 2 months of trucking that trucking is trucking. You can find tight docks anywhere (oceanside ca) traffic at anytime, and lack of quality parking anywhere anytime due to elogs. The ne is just far less forgiving for lack of planning of all aspects of this job.

I took ne for the opportunity to be home more often. I may or may not make more than i was as a police officer, but far less stress and risk will more than make up for a small difference. Plus i know i would get bored going 700 miles a day in the desert

 

1st home time request: "lost".
2nd home time request: almost lost. Had to blow a gasket to get home for a graduation.
3rd home time request: bob tailed home, unpaid trip.
4th home time request: sat on load for delivery the first full day of my home time. I just got back a few minutes ago. 8 am delivery x 6 trucks = detention pay.

Next home time request will be hard appointments. Oh, and my truck is leaking oil...AGAIN.

 

I hope to experience that area one day.

 

Versus hours spent on Satan's Highway, I'll run over someone to get that 700 in the desert ANY day.

 

In other news got up after 8 hrs and drove to virginia. Took 301 to see what kind of overnight parking options might be available (chance favors the prepared) and made it to the reciever before their 7am opening. Then went to yard, found bill and swapped my loaner volvo for my assigned mack.

Bill was telling me that someone (dispatcher i think) left and they were moving people around again so still no clue who my dm is yet.

Was given a hp load to upstate ny for monday morning. Till sunday its time for honey do lists and right arm curls

 

Have fun running to upstate. Beautiful country, miss it dearly.

 

I am listening. Issue is, I've allowed all this to bottle up for the last 3 months. I was told that getting home would not be an issue. Not in my case. I fully understand crap runs. In my experience, crap runs were not bad, as pre-planning kept me running so that I still got mileage. Yes, I fully understand that these trucks were designed, assembled and maintained by humans, and you all know well how perfect we are. My crappy to sweet runs are not near that well proportioned. And yes, I'm starting to document more happenings. Like today, I free-formed my unassigned dead head mileage from the consignee to the house. I'll also submit a transflo cover sheet for it as well.

I'm hearing everything that is being said. I'm still trying to digest most of it. This is completely backwards from anything I am used to in my 48 years of life. I called payroll today and got that hotel charge reimbursed to my EFS card. Then, I had to call them back when I was unable to access any of that money. Should be good now.

I'll call Jo on Sunday and ask to be routed back to AME-WM to check my oil leak again.

I have tried all this last week to get a convo with Victor. He's been "too busy". Another driver at HEB today also has Victor and couldn't say a bad thing about him. It seems he has too many drivers. When I get back by AME-R, I'll request a sit down unless I get one via phone sooner.

Growing pains, is all this is. I am soaking all your advise in, albeit slowly. I'm truly sorry that I am being such a pain on here. I don't want to be. But, I have nowhere else to vent. When I'm tired or frustrated, I'll post a quip. That is just me. I get very agitated when something happens that just isn't logical to me. I may be completely wrong. But, I may be completely right.

All this has made me think things over. As I am unable to nap, just up and changing from days to nights is something that I cannot safely do. I can, however, adjust my sleep schedule to wake up earlier. But, if I wake up at 6am, I simply can't just go back to sleep to pull an all nighter that night. My body is not wired that way. Never has been. In my younger days, I could pull a 24 or 48 hours straight to change my schedule. But that was 25 years ago. Is that going to keep me from getting "sweet" runs? In my mind, no, it shouldn't. But if it does, then I am in the wrong arm of trucking, and I need to see about that local gig I was looking into prior to hiring on with Abilene. I don't want to quit. I want to do the best job to the best of my abilities. And I want to be allowed to do that. After a nice chat with MD, I'm not sure if I will be, because it's as you said, "that's trucking".

 

No, wait until you are there. Ask to speak with him in person. If he says he doesn't have time, ask to speak to Alan Jones. Period. There is no excuse for your fm to be too busy every single time you try to speak with him and never return your phone calls. That is an issue.

 

Not at all. They have their favorites, but you should still get decent runs to stretch your legs.