Jim Palmer in AZ

It won't change. Wil-Trans focus is on the eastern half of the USA, but has authority to run 48 states if necessary. They probably had some freight that needed moving and Wil-Trans trucks were available at the time.

 

I see Jim Palmer tractors here in Cleveland, with Prime Trailers it doesn't even strike me as abnormal. I saw Jim Palmer with a Prime Trailer at Micile dairy in Cleveland a couple months ago.

 

That's right I saw one here in Cleveland a couple days ago with the W on the air shield.

 

Trust me 18 days will be enough by the time 18 days is done. Schneider has been around for a long time and they have trained many many drivers and there safety record is pretty good for a company of there size and scope and for all the new people they have. The thing to remember is everyday everyday you are going to get beat over the head with the same things. It's very repetitive. Don't worry they will find ugly spots for you to back into and all that jazz, after a while what happens is you'll take what you want from the trainers and leave the rest. You'll do some stuff someone Else's way and other things you'll do you're way. Everyone works like that.

The one person did make a good point, and Dave in Arizona is right on a drop and hook dry van account you will get more wheel time. Jim Palmer is a refer company, you'll get some refer time, but you will spend a lot of time sitting at places waiting to be loaded or unloaded. Schneider you get to a place drop a dry van run around to the other side of the place pick up an empty or full or whatever and head back on out.

Refer companies typically that's not always the norm. Yeah I know there's some big drop and hook refer, places if you deal with manufacturers of stuff like Nestle and things although not all the time, but there's plenty of refer places that are not drop and hook.

What happens is you'll pull up to the place and you'll say I'm here to drop off or pick up P.O. #123456

They will then thumb through there files and say "Yeah uh sign in there will call you on you're telephone."

Or they will say "Oh crap, #123456? That thing was today?" "Hey Jim, did you know P.O.#123456 was today?"
"Oh it was, I don't know? I know Andy was talking about something, maybe that was it?"

The person at the window will then look at you and go "Uh, why don't you go and sit in the lot and will call you when we know something."

Happens all the time. Problem is for an OTR guy that's all wasted time. For me, I work for a food distributor I drive a day cab I get paid by the hour to sit there and while it's annoying especially after a day of running routes I can tolerate it because it makes for a healthy pay check. Now I know sometimes OTR companies pay detention pay, but that's always up for debate it seems, because these companies have to walk on egg shells with these customers because there's so much competition they don't want to jeopardize a $50million dollar a year contract. These food and grocery companies pretty much figure we buy a lot of trucking so you're going to do it our way or the highway.


A lot of times food or grocery warehouses or food plants and with me it's been mostly food plants weather it's been cheese, bacon or bread. Sometimes those places are ready to go with you're order and other times you hit the dock and they haven't even picked the P.O. you are supposed to pick up off the shelves yet.

Receiving is a whole other ball game, I've done more pick ups then actual delivery, but I know you get into "lumpers" and temperature readings and seals and all these discrepancies. The whole notion of lumpers is such a crock. These stupid places like when a big food distributor or grocery house puts in an order with a food manufacturer they should tell the manufacturer hey for us, when you pick our order and build our pallets do no more then 3 across and 5 high. The whole notion of having drives and receiving and lumpers all fight with each other is just inefficient and stupid. You know I buy a truck load of what ever it is chocolate chips will say from Nestle everyday, there shouldn't be all this drama every time the chocolate chip load comes in, as the customer I should say hey we spend $50 million a year with you, when you pick our order this is how we want it shipped. End of discussion if you can't do that will find a company that can. Not all this darma of who pays for the lumper and who unloads what and who builds the skid to what size that should all be taken care of before the load is even shipped. And all you're doing and I know this from expeirance is everytime you handle product more all you're doing is setting you're self up for failure I.E. damages and breakers.

Some lumper has to break down a skid and whoops his knife to cut the shrink wrap slashes through 3 cases of whatever it is and now that's all damaged out. I know lumpers are more of a scam that goes on at grocery warehouses manufacturers that you pick up at generally don't use them and certain places now a days because of laws and stuff have higher standards and things, but there is a lot of oh this paper work is wrong or oh that thing was today you do get that. Usually they get it straightened out, but you refer you will spend time sitting.

 

I have see. JP hauling vans lately west of 35. Not prime reefers(seen them too). Saw one in Glendale and also parked at the Flying J on 10

 

Im with jp and have been to casa grande twice this month.