My Day By Day Experience At Eastern Freightways Flatbed Division

@DougA #### 45 years! That's crazy. Much respect. I did find Baltimore to be under constant construction everywhere we went the few times there. There are some nice areas up here and I hate the cold as well. Moved away once but still ended up back here. The traffic is nuts at times. It's funny watching because most of the jams are caused by the people trying to hurry through. Not to mention the cell phone use by 4 wheelers is unbelievable. Swerving all over the road, slowing down to send a message then speeding up. etc. etc.

 

Day 9

Up at 2:00 coffee and pre-trip. Headed for Jersey around 2:30 another nice morning with no to little traffic. Quick and easy unload then on to Danville, PA. Fixed the tarping job and got headed as far as I could to ME. I had a little over 3 hours left on my clock so I headed for Montgomery, NY to spend my 10. On the way I started smelling grease when I applied the breaks. I pulled over and checked it out. Wheel seal blew. #### it this truck just had them all replaced.

Message in and get the go ahead to drive the last 20 miles. Get to the shop at 15:00, drop the load and come to find out only 3 of the 4 were replaced previously. Really? why not just do the 4th the 1st time?

The night mechanic will be working on it and he comes in at 17:00 and was told it should (should) be done by 21:00 as long as nothing else pops up. OK so what to do until then? I remembered that either Kevin (the GM) or (Ray) the head of safety had said when they visited during orientation that they will take care of the drivers and will get them a hotel every now and then. I call dispatch and mass confusion. "hmm I've never heard of that" Long story short I was looking for a place to sleep and get another 2:00 start on my way to ME.

Sleep in my truck in the shop while its getting worked on or sleep in another OOS truck with who knows what is in there. I opted for option 3. Paid $86 for my own room down the road and will most likely be walking the mile back to the terminal at 2:00 to start my day. (EFW discount would have been $56 for the night)

I'll avoid adding the several things that I'd like to. But a great week so far (545 miles today with 1 1/2 hours left on my clock) and not impressed with this particular situation.

 

Yes. Usually home Friday nights and so far have left early Monday mornings

 

HaHa was he a Western Express driver? I had one of those yesterday. I was behind him waiting for him to get unloaded. He was unstraping as I pulled in. I had unstraped, untarped, folded them and put them on the trailer, and pulled the plastic, threw it in the dumpster and got back in the truck and he was still there doing something with his tarps. I then got unloaded and when leaving he was at the exit playing with is edge protectors. Crazy amount of time wasted. I'm all but running getting my stuff done and helping the forklift driver by putting the separators on the stack he just unloaded. (faster unloading)

 

Hmmm they must have changed it. Because that's not what I'm getting