Eagle Transport (Gas Haulers)

You know John as soon as I go into an area like the one you described I automatically call the local PD and let them know I am there and if they could just have an Officer drive by and keep a look out for me. Usualy they do and stop by to shoot the breeze. If they are to busy I let them know if the truck is there 45 minutes after I called there is a problem. I did that one time and had problems getting product in the tank and lord and behold a cop showed up 50 minutes into the drop.

Had a decent night tonight. When I got in I lokked at my printed recapp and it showed 1 Hilton Head and 3 local Savannahs. I am like cool I will be done by 10:30 PM and at the Bar NLT 1130 PM. Get to the truck and log on the Hand Held and it had me doing 3 Savannahs and a N. Augusta to Savannah. Got up to N. Augusta and find out that a few of there drivers called in sick. I get dispatched out of N. Augusta on the weekends and I guess they took advantage of me having loading privalages in N. Augusta sent me up there to help out. A little disappointed that I didn't get to go to the Bar, but hey I am off tonight and my wife lets me out of the house on Sunday nights to go to Mass. Once I am out the door it is game on.

Once I found out I was going to N. Augusta I called Selma to rearrange my loads so I would be pointing in the direction of N. Augusta. Talked to a knew Dispatcher named Jonathan told him what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it. Pretty impressed with the fact he was able to make good timely accurate decissions, he didn't hesitate no hehawing around sayin I don't know. Glad to see another dispatcher willing to listen to driver that wants to take care of buisness.

 

Well a decent night tonight only worked 9 hours enough to keep money in my pocket and to keep me out of trouble, and got off early enough to get some R&R in.

Got my # 2 and #5 compartment probes fixed, but they put the wrong probe in my #5 compartment. It should hold 2800 gallons but probes out at 2750 gallaons. I will let the boss know tonight and we will go from there.

 

Well have been trying John's technique of pulling the belley valves second to the last motion I do. The last motion I do is a kick test. If my foot hurts after I kick the hose that means I got gas going into the ground. If it has kept John out of trouble all theese years it should kepp me out of it to. It is starting to become muscle memory to me now. We will see how it goes.

 

Naw John I think I will stay right here in Savannah, I realley enjoy my time off when it is slow.

I rode the Golden Rectangle of Savannah 2 Beaufort loaded, Dead Heading from Beaufort to Charleston, then from Charleston to Columbia loaded, Then Dead Head to N. Augusta, Then N. Augusta back to Savannah. Got my time down to 12 hours flat with my Pre Trip and Post Trip. Had to go fishing for suppliers.

The customer that I pulled for out of N. Augusta gives us a list of suppliers, when the store is unbranded. The supplers change after 6 PM, so have to call Selma. I ask for the supplier and have to coach the Dispatcher at Selma thruogh the list. So he makes the first supplier off of the list as my only supplier instead of leaving it as unbranded. He tells me just give them a call if I can't get it and he will change it in the system. So I say roger out. Of course I can't get the primary supplier so I proceed to execute the list. After I get loaded I try to call Selma and can't get through, even though I try until I loose Service. I try to call again several moore times after I get service back, still no joy. I am sorry for the allocation issues up at Selma but Eagle realley needs to adress this problem of drivers not being able to get through to dispatch. If I would have been and couldn't get product to fit I would have been in a real pickle.

 

Well I was trained to use the call center, for diversions and other problems I might have. I don't like making a call on where to take product that doesn't fit with out documentation from the call center. I take product to the store then I have no way to cover my butt. I talked to the Director of Operations about the problem on Monday and he assured me it was due to the allocation issues up at Selma. This is piss poor. I will mention it to my manager tonight. It is hard to make him understand though because he has never had boots on the ground. I hope they get there act together after the rookies get some experiance under there belt. We will see what happens.

 

Phantom can't wait to have you onboard as a Gas Hualer. As a Gas Hualer it takes a little while to learn the Company way of doing things, and for the Dispathcher to have faith in you. Basically you will make a little less money than OTR starting out. I ahve learned how to manilipulate the system. For example I am being Dispatched out of another Terminal this weekend, and I am working tommorow night during my regulary scheduled day off, so I can take a night off during the week. He told me he doesn't have much work in Savannah for Sunday night, would I mind pulling something towards N. Augusta then coming up there to help him out. So I gave him a suggestion of letting me do a load towards Charleston then go to Columbia, then to N. Augusta. He was like great that realley helps me out. Then gave me a Holme Boy Hook Up load on the way back. Every ones happy, My managers happy because I am generating revenue for the terminal, the N. Augusta dispatcher is happy, because the loads are being covered, my wife is happy because she is getting her money, and I am happy because I get to listen to the Phillies in the peace and quiet of the truck without my wife in my ear.