What do you do when your company hits you with a bait and switch

I know exactly where Avenel is. FFE used to have a term up there.

Richmond to Memphis is doeable no problem.

It's when you were told to go to Avenel that all of your marbles got tossed. The schedule given to you from NC to Avenel to Richmond for JIT is a team type sitaution, not for a single driver. No wonder you went to safe haven on a ramp somewhere.

Send your going to be late macro and let the chips fall where they may. Usually a company has a team that will go to you and collect your load from Avenel or wherever and proceed or you are given a new appt time.

However it seems from your writing that you are being in a situation where no one is listening. At that point just send in your will be late forms, stick to your logbook, open a ledger pad and start writing a time line during this situation, with date, times, messages from who by name and so on plus your actions.

That will come in handy should you be fired at the unemployment office for them to build a case against your employer.

 

@DAX_ I think RedRover likely nailed the correct answer.

Reread your dispatch. The load likely originated in the armpit of America, but it was t-called in Richmond.

As for the load suddenly becoming JIT, that happens. Sounds like the receiver is in a bigger bind than they thought. BUT bear in mind all dispatches are generated on the computer controlled "Plus One" system. It always generates tight schedules so drivers get one more load a week, hence the Plus One.

Whenever I received a preplan that had a tight delivery OR too much time, I called my DM and asked, "What are the windows?" I understand there are some terminals that as a policy refuse to tell you. My terminal was good and my DM was great.

 

We eat dirt and get the job done till our 1 year commitment is up.
Then we never ever work for mega's again.

If you still owe them for the training then do it and
Start counting down the days to freedom.

If you don't owe them anything and your still working
There, then you deserve to be bent over the table everyday.

 

Didn't they give you a better run with more miles? Accept the load if you will be late let them know.

 

In nearly 7 years with Swift I have never had that happen to me.
I'm either very lucky or have a good DM, or both, I guess.

Although I did just step out of the shower to a missed call and voice message.
(I'm on a reposition move from Salt Lake City to Jurupa Valley and I set my PTA late enough to give me enough time for a bit of fun here in Primm, NV.)
I called her back and she wanted me to take a load at 2300 tonight in Vegas (I went off duty at ~1400) and deliver it in the morning to Moreno Valley - where I am picking up my next load.
I told her no because I already booked a room here at Buffalo Bills - which I did.
But I could not have taken it anyway because a 10 hour break would put me at midnight, well past the pick up time. Even picking it up later would not have worked for me because I won't switch from a day to night schedule in that time period. It would make me dangerously over tired.

The first thing she said was, "I don't know if you have the hours, but...)
Well, I thought they could see my hours just by pulling up a couple screens on the computer. My DM has done it before. And I approved my logs just after I went off duty, so it should have been pretty accurate, if she had bothered to look.

But there was no amount of trying to get me to do it. I said sorry, she said OK - end of story.
And that is usually how it is with my dealings with Swift people.
If I can do it pretty much on my terms I'll do it, otherwise no. And I have never been forced into anything or penalized when I say no.

I have had Plus-1 times changed on me once I have accepted a pplan, but a mac 22 is my friend in such a case. I simply say that I agreed to THIS, and it will stay that way.
I consider the thing I / WE agreed to as the binding contract - NOT what they might alter it to after the fact.

 

Yeah, they do know.

For me the whole "I don't know if you have the hours..." Really means: It's theoretically possible to make this load if you do a split break, or don't stop for fuel, or there is no traffic.. heh, they know your not going to make it without going over somewhere but they will still ask in a way that leaves the ball in your court.

 

Yes, and it's the newer drivers that really get burned because they have not been taught how to deal with that kind of thing.

 

To me, it sounds like they did you a favor, by delivering a load early, but I totally understand if you tired. Next time, accept it and just tell you'll be late, cause no load worth your life. But do get prepared for low miles in the future.

 

That seems like a canned response.

I have never been penalized for something like that.
Never.

My current 'load' is simply a reposition move. They wanted me there by 0430, I sent in a late call saying I would get there at 1000. The reason? ETA update. That's all.
I simply wanted a little more time to myself instead of running hard.

The next load assignment comes in.
Pick up 28 miles away at 1230 for a 1200 mile run delivering 2 days later in WA.

If I could remember details of all the times I have turned things down or sent late calls... but I'm getting old and the memory just ain't what is used to be.
I shut down for high winds and snow. I nearly always take more time on loads than the 'system' wants me to.
But I still run good miles, and in my own time. No one flags me to get less miles because of how I do things.

No one bugs me about things, and I don't complain about things.
I simply do my job the right way - getting a load to the final in the safest possible way.


Forget the scare tactics of telling someone that they will get less miles if they don't do it a certain way.
In my own experience, it simply has not happened.
And I am one lazy driver.

 

@Moosetek13 has my respect. Everything he has stated jives with my own experience at Swift. Planners and DM's are often just as frustrated with the dang Plus One system as drivers are. Use the Mac 22 to communicate your ETA if you are later than the system thinks you should be. Use Mac 34 if you will be earlier IIRC.

If I called my DM about the windows for pickup or delivery and the system spits out a time I don't like, I simply put in the correct time on my ETA on the loaded call. Then the system will come back saying I will be late and I need to send a Macro 22. Send it with a note that my ETA is within the receiver's acceptable window.

Sometimes I would be much earlier earlier than plan, like having a firm appointment with an extra day or so of waiting. I might call the customer and ask if I could be early.