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

Never knew trucks could jack one way then the other within the same incident. I figured that once it jack knifed it stayed that way until it came to a stop.

The truck looked like a mess, certainly will grab the attention of any DOT. It looked like one of the cab air ride bags burst the way it was leaning so badly. Find it hard to believe the company would allow it to continue running like that.

 

Oh dear, that is unsettling. On the plus side I now have18mths under my belt so the hope is that someone will hire me should our fuel cards get switched off.

 

No more Food Network for you.

 

Sittin on the yard waitin for a load. Sat at home yesterday. Hope this isnt normal. Hometime next weekend.

Delivered friday in miami and got a drophook in georgia headed to somewhere east of rva to drop. Friday evening dm calls asking if we can recover a truck in south carolina along i95. Was told driver was going on medical related leave of abscence.

Everyone made it seem that it was a simple grab and go, but we had our doubts.

I spoke with driver about 20 hours before we got there. Heres most of what happened. His truck was bobtail in a burger king restaurant and his trailer was at a truck stop down the road.

Dead batteries...drop our trl in closed bank...30 to 45 min of trying, truck starts. Driver comments this is normal as batteries are bad.

Driver on several occasions says, i filled def a couple days ago, the guage is broke, and to ignore the warnings about derate.

Driver says yall follow me to my apartment literally across the street, so i can unload my suitcase, bedding, microwave etc. We do this, he leaves his numerous drink cups, and based on his comments food in fridge. I never opened it to see.

With his last handful of stuff he says yall have a nice day and thats it. So drive back over to bank to get our trailer.

While there old man shows up saying i told yall not to park here again etc etc. Tell him were recoving truck that parks here from driver and will be gone soon. Get told again not to ever park there...

Now hoping and praying i can make it to pilot 9 miles away to def this truck. Pull out onto main road, it derates. Take it back to burgee king. Notify dispatch of derate and leaving truck.

Call driver to tell him and to come get his key, he says "i dont want the key" etc.
Sounds like driver was a problem child prior to this incident. All the proper notifications from me are being made.

Me thinks that short term leave is about to be extended permanently. O, and last messages in or out showing on qc were on 9.18.

To top it all off, trailer tire explodes on way back to rva, mudflap hanger bent onto tires, part of tread still attached and flooping around. Limp off road, get road service to respond sinve further driving will damage trl ribs.

 

Ouch! Bad, bad, bad day!

 

####. Not a good time at all.

 

This whole post is precisely why I hang out in my truck when I'm on the yard. Jesus.

On the bright side, things can only go up from here.

 

Msg to dispatch. "Surprise! You have a driver mty in Plymouth MI." This is the thing that cheeses me off the most. You know a driver is delivering. Look for freight before they get there, not 2 hours after. I'm about ready to just head south. Stepping off soapbox. (For now!)