Diary of a current Swifty

When I delivered in Savannah, it was a drop and they had no empties, so I bobtailed out. Yesterday morning, I got a preplan for a load picking up at Proctor and Gamble (big Swift customer- very big) in Albany, GA. It's got four stops on the delivery, all in Houston and all driver unload. They told me to go to a Walmart DC in Douglas, Ga for an empty. No hassle there. No hassle at P&G either. I drove until I was just too tired to go any further and slept at a rest area near Crestview, FL.

Paid miles-830. I'll get $45.00 for the extra stops. I'm not sure about the driver unload part. I think it's $20.00, but I'm not sure if that's for each stop or all of them together. I know it's not much

They sent me a preplan today from Huntsville, TX to Baton Rouge, LA. I turned it down because it needed to be picked up by 1500 tomorrow and I'm not sure if I'll be done with all that unloading by then. I don't commit to a load if I'm not sure I can do it ontime.

 

I'm usually happy. They do tick me off now and then.

I was on the phone with a friend who also works for Swift (he's out of Greer, SC) He was mad and wanting to quit. I advised him to wait at least a day. Never quit in anger. I don't think there's a company in the world that will never make a mistake or ask you to do something you don't want to do. If you can find a company where you are happy 95% of the time, you'd best stay right there. All the times I've been mad, I got over it. I'm glad I'm still here.

 

I think I just got a new nickname

Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you? You make me laugh.

 

The load delivering in Houston turned out to not be driver unload after all. Not one of the four stops asked me to unload, and I sure wasn't going to volunteer!

They told me to deadhead up to Ashdown, AR to get a load going to Buford, GA (pd miles 1085). It delivered on the 4th at 0100, which has my schedule all messed up. My 14 runs out early, so I then have to get up early to finish ontime. Anyway, after Buford, I went to Lagrange, GA to pickup a load going to Covington, TN (pd miles 506), which delivered this morning. I'm now at Dyersburg, TN, waiting to get a load which I will drop at the Swift yard in Memphis (paid miles-114). The p/u appt was 1100, and I was here at 1015. Problem is Swift didn't give me the right p/u number and the shipper wouldn't check me in without it. By the time I got the right number (they sent it to the wrong truck first time around) it was past my appt. They now consider me late, and there's no telling when I'll get loaded.

I asked to get to Phoenix on 03/08. I'm getting the feeling that's not going to happen.

 

The shipper. Sorry I didn't clarify.