Stevens Transport aviary

Hey all. Welcome new ones and returning!
When I started this thing like almost two years ago I thought it wouldn't get used much and drop down the list of posts on the page and get lost.
3,380 posts over 339 pages with 166,023 views.
lol
Anyway, in Morris tonight. Been running like mad. 2,400+ miles/week with Saturday nights and Sundays off, usually home or around where I grew up. Like this.
Might still be changing back to OTR or different fleet in the area. Getting tedious.
New fleet manager for the last month is catching on. Her first week was rough, but she's getting to know the places and the routes.
Got a new region boss, too. Pain in the buttocks. Seems to think he can drive my truck better than I can. I keep asking him what he wants or what I've done wrong to draw his attentions, but he usually just asks more stupid questions. He also seems to think I park too long too often. I park when I need to. For as long as I need to. I pick up when the trailer is ready, I deliver it when the receivers can take them. Or I arrange where possible. If I'm given one of the live unload runs, I get it there on time if it's ready at the shipper on time (rare) or during a time I can do it.
Our p/u points pre-load, but two of them are always behind, often over 24 hours. Our receivers know this and often expect us late or next day. They almost all receive early am only, except the drop and swaps. All the small local places know the supplier DCs are absolute messes. Today's p/u was due 10am. It was done at 16:30. Due 380 miles away at 07:00. I've driven 485 miles in 9.75 hrs already today. The one I just dropped was due yesterday. The one I pick up tomorrow after 380 miles was due today. They are all buffer loads from the bakeries. The bakeries like them gone so they have the room free, but the buffers don't care if they get there the same day as due or next. Often they barely have the room to hold them, and having them come in late works well as we then dock them and swap for an empty, taking some work off the yard dog. I've seen trailers I've taken in one or two days ago still sitting loaded and running at 65 degrees many times, where I parked them or in a dock.
The local places though are live unloads. They want it on time when possible, but are flexible since the bigger supply DCs are so bad at getting them out on time.
Then there's times when you can't get an empty, and they aren't going to unload your trailer until tomorrow or later, so you sit and wait for one in the dock already to get moved to the empty lot. More often though, you see that empty moved to the outbound side of the warehouse, or hidden somewhere so they have it when they want it later. Grrr. I've done 24 hours and more waiting my turn for an empty. We bobtail a lot, but not in the winter so much, and never Columbus to Chicago or so far.

Ten bakeries/plants making pizza, crackers, cookies and snacks, shipped to six major DCs and a rail yard, then shipped from the major DCs to over a dozen local live unload warehouses in eight states where their local trucks deliver to stores.
Those major DCs also send loads to Sam's, Wal-Mart and a few smaller chains.
There's more, but you can see how complicated this fleet is.
Anyway, the new region boss is being a pain in my butt. I think I piss him off when I don't get pissed off. He seems sometimes to be trying intentionally to tick me off. Some of his questions would be answered if he would read my service messages. Or if he would look at my pre-plans times and place. If I need to drop and swap the load I have and p/u a live unload next, I'm going to time it so I have the hours and miles for that hard delivery time. Not the drop and swap getting done ASAP first. It can wait so I can do the live unload local on time. Those matter. The drop and swaps can be done anytime. I often have to time two drop and swaps first so the live unload goes on time. I need to aim to DELIVER those locals on time, not p/u on time, the shippers rarely have it done less than six hours late.
And he calls Tuesday all angry that I didn't reset over the weekend. Duh, I had the safety meeting and was under a load that delivered at the same time as the meeting. The load was a drop, so I took it after break after the meeting. No reset was possible. Not to mention you shouldn't reset under a load anyway, and he shouldn't be telling me to. And I haven't had a single problem with no reset/hours available all week, and it looks like I won't. I have pre-plans until I go home Saturday and reset and I won't have any problems with hours even with delays before then.
I think he's just a putz. The general consensus among us drivers during the meeting was just that.
He's the only complaint I have right now. lol
I'll have 2,600+ for the week, doing almost 7.6mpg for the month so far, got the PM done this week, just had an awesome meal at R-Place in Morris, and I'll have a reset at home starting Saturday.
If you see a black Pete pulling a dry-van on I-70, I-65 or 80-90-94 in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan or Ohio, wave!