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

It’s all about the overall numbers picture. Everything is based on saving money. Just look around the Richmond terminal and it reeks of belt tightening. For example, I was sitting on the commode last week and when I was finished, the toilet paper felt like sandpaper. Found out they went with another supplier for use on our derrière. They saved 28 cents a roll at our expense.

Done with the internet today………

 

Anyone else find it funny how the QC and our driver app is blowing up with the drivers luncheon menu for all the terminals? Suggestion, how about doing something for the drivers who are out here working? In 10 years, I’ve been to 2, the last one was 7 years ago.

 

Ok, my take on this short haul, east of I-35 BS Abilene has decided to go to. It sucks. Here’s why. Now this is just my take and for me. I left Richmond Saturday, went to KCMO for Monday 0500. Drop and hook. Waited 3.5 hours for a load assignment. Finally got a load assignment at 0900. Deadhead down to Gatorade in Edgerton KS for a live load at 0800. Not starting out to good on Monday morning. Get down there and was told I’m late, I mentioned to the nice lady that’s how she sees it, I see it as the load planner is late. She told me I’m now a work in. I explained to her it really doesn’t matter to me, we are talking about Gatorade. She laughed, I laughed and 6 hours later I was leaving. Meanwhile, Knight must have about 75 dropped trailers there, Abilene the red headed stepchild? None. So now I’m onto Gatorade in Indianapolis, that was a drop the next morning. Got there at 10am, dropped, was instructed to pick up an empty reefer for my next load of Boars Head. Only one available, but it was still being unloaded. Was instructed to wait on it. 2 hours later, I’m headed to New Castle for a drop and hook headed to Frederick Colorado for this morning. My next load assignment is as follows. Empty at 0600 after starting my morning in Limon Colorado. Deadhead 22 miles to lineage cold storage for 1700 this afternoon. So now I’m doing a split sleeper so I can do this pick up legally and drive back out to Burlington to take a full 10 hour break. Load delivers at Kroger in Salem Va Sunday night at 20:00.

So, since leaving Saturday, I’ve had 3 loads, touched 6 trailers, bumped 4 docks and will end my week at a disgusting Kroger DC. If this is what they’re going to, they can have it. I’ll just ride off into the sunset a little earlier. I’m too old to be doing this type of work, been here too long, and really don’t have an ounce of patience dealing with food warehouses or inept load planning. Oh, and because this is a Kroger, there will be a lumper charge, so about midnight Sunday, I’ll have to play banker and try and get someone in Richmond to hand over some coin.

September 3rd can’t get here soon enough. Me and Mrs Johnboy are flying to Venice Italy and boarding a Celebrity Cruise for 12 days around the Greek Islands, then spending a week in Venice and Lake Como when we get back. My wife is hoping that will change my attitude.