Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

Ok not this thread will have zero to do with sex, drugs, and rock & roll, but the title made you look so you might as well continue reading (I took alot of marketing classes in school). I will try to post daily updates of my driving life and such. I can usually offer up interesting stories, but some days it might just be boring dribble. You can find out more about me in the Welcome Wagon. So old timers, grab your bifocals, the coffee is on me. (That is a pun on age by the way, if you read intro you would find I am 25 and do have a sense of humor)


We're going to backtrack a week or so to start. I'm driving for Star Transport out of Morton, Illinois. I finally decided that I was tired for pennies on the dollar and being home once a month, so I started to browse here and reading in depth to different companies I was interested in. I had one huge prospect in mind Averitt. I made it through the pre-interview, went to my local terminal and did a webcam interview with a HR lady in Cookeville, TN. A few days later I haven't heard anything back so I decide to call and get an update. Now, keep in mind my MVR and DAC are 100% clear. Star tells Averitt in the employment verification that I have one preventable accident resulting in property damage for hitting a sign. That ended things with Averitt.


I took my vacation to do the Averitt crap so when it fell through I started filling out apps online for other companies I had been reading into and checking out. 2 got back into touch with me, LCT out BFE Florida and Transport America. Things sounded better with TA so I tell him I'm interested, find out starting pay and all the details.


That brings us to Sunday, nothing set in stone and I have to go out Monday. Pickup at Electrolux in Nashville at 8am, deliver at 4:30am Tuesday morning in Grove City, OH. No big deal right, only less than 400 miles, easy as pie. Now keep in mind that Star is ungodly bad about logs being correct. You can fudge some but your fuel stop, arrival message, and loaded message have to match 100% or you get a nasty letter in the mail. Continuing on, arrive at 7am, drop empty and wait for new trailer to be loaded. At around 1pm (still waiting) I call transport america to get an update. Guy calls back at 3:30pm (still waiting on load) and offers me the deal, and I of course accept. 4pm get my load, and on the road by 4:15pm. Hours started at 5am, as I have to go get my trailer and get fuel before heading to Nashville.


Now, we have a total of 3 hours left on the 14 and since I got fuel I have to follow it or get a nasty letter. Call my dispatcher and ask about rescheduling. In this post we will refer to him as "The Man" Because I really want to stick it to him, in his jaw preferably. Anyhoooo. "The Man" reschedules for 9am. Did a little fudging and took a less than 10 hour break. Get to delivery point only to be yelled at because no one informed the consignee about the reschedule, no big, I can take one for the team.

Call "The Man" while waiting for a dock to open and tell him im quitting and need to get back to Morton to turn my truck in as soon as I can. "The Man" goes into his spill about how I'm one of his best drivers and doesn't want to lose me. After a few minutes of mhmm's and agreeing with him, he says he can't promise to get me there today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (Wednesday) but will get me there.


Get unloaded and sent in empty message, "The Man" came through for once in a year and a half. Pickup in Bellevue, OH deliver to Champaign, IL Wednesday morning then grab and empty trailer and head to the yard.


Loaded at 1pm, shipper are good people, been there before, lets me park around back to take a 10 hour break. Pass the F out as I had been awake since 4am Monday morning. (Couldn't sleep monday night, nerves and all about quitting, new job etc. couldn't shut off my brain). Awake at 11pm totally refreshed and ready to run. Arrive at destination at 7am, grab empty trailer and send him empty message. "The Man" tells me to drop empty at Morton Caterpillar and then come to the yard. (Thinking to myself its almost over) and the weight of the world lifts off my shoulders.


Empty is dropped and I arrive at the yard. Walk into the dispatch office and ask for "The Man". I see him and hold up my pack of cigarettes and he nods that he understands, like a secret drug deal is about to go down sort of thing. We walk outside and he tries to make small talk, and gives me the spill again that I am one of his top drivers and he wishes he could keep me. All this time I am doing incredible at self control because I really want to break "The Man's" jaw for screwing me for so long. Asks if he can get me a ride going home, I say no but you can arrange a ride to the airport, I have a rental car waiting. He agrees and says he will call me, we shake hands said our goodbyes, I have to say it felt like something when the guys came down off Broke Back Mountain.


He doesn't call so I catch a cab and head to the airport, grab the car, and run the 7 hours home today. I am waiting to get my travel info from transport america, I am scheduled for interview Monday. Probably be a Grayhound from Nashville to Columbus, unless they pickup someone else within a reasonable distance, then they are gonna rent a car.


I can promise the coming posts won't be nearly as long but we had to start with a little backstory. Ok old timers, class is dismissed, if you are anything like me you have filled your bottle 4 times now and emptied onto those fancy euro cars as they speed by while they wonder why I'm using so much washer fluid.


Will do an update when I get one, take care and thanks for readin!

 

I rarely ever got to the yard, unless my truck needed servicing. And knowing how they operate, if I would have quit while at home or close to home they would have put me out of the truck and listed it as an abandonment.

Yeah, it was a big risk, but hey, if they are going to screw they are going to no matter what, might as well be up front with them and hope for the best.

 

Just a quick update.


Talked to the recruiter at TA earlier today, said he is still trying to figure out travel arrangements for me to get to Grove City, OH for orientation this coming Monday. If they pickup another driver that is in the area or within a certain distance they will rent us a car, if not it's the old smelly Greyhound.


Supposed to call and let me know something either way. Other than dealing with that BS I haven't done too much, caught up on some sleep, and hung out with a buddy yesterday, and hanging out with the wife and kid. Not much else to do that doesn't require $$$ lol.


Talk soon!

 

Sorry for not updating sooner. Got my travel info from recruiter Friday afternoon. Catch a Greyhound in Nashville # 4:25am (which I am currently on).

Hope to arrive in Columbus # 1:25pm. From there I grab yellow cab to Grove City and plant myself into the Travelodge.

Have to admit really enjoyed the time at home with the family, but any extended stay makes for a bad time trying to leave my son. I hope when he gets older he will inderstand why daddy wasn't home so much. He is almost two but I believe he is starting to understand the lapses of not being home.

We have to do what we have to do to provide for our families.

Take care and drive safe.

 

Thanks for the offer, I ordered pizza last night, ugh my stomach lol.

Got into Columbus around 2pm, Yellow Cab wouldn't change the fare to Transport America because I didn't have the account number. No big, I put it on my credit card.

Got into my room at the Travelodge, even got a king size bed, no sharing for me baby. Ordered Dominos and waited around for it to be delivered, ate 2 slices then passed out till about 8pm, got up around 8 and messed around on the laptop then watched a little tv.

Gotta be downstairs in a few for my ride over to Transport America's "support center" here in Grove City. I will post an update later today when I get back of the days events.