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

Let me tell you, as busy as we are at this time of the year, and as long as I've been out here, and as critical as I am at times, this company has proven to me just what it's made of. I was told by dispatch they have something like 300 loads to cover out of Richmond and only 80 trucks running over the holiday. Because of the way they handled me getting my trainee home, and myself to the house, I will not hesitate one bit to run over New Years. I might be a bit jaded about our industry at times, but if you do me right I'll give you the same in return.

 

I'm home. Got here about 4pm. I was going to go down to Miami to grab the empty trailer I was suppose to so I could start my reset with a fresh 70 on Friday. The traffic was horrendous and I would have run out of hours in Miami. Instead of having to take a violation to come home from Miami I decided to just go home and get the trailer on Friday morning.

I have been here for 8 months now and things are just fine. I do think a lot has to do with getting a new dispatcher in Tim. The guy is just great to work with. He's a good southern boy who takes the time to say something pleasant, either on the phone or a message one the qualcomm. Because he is assigned to the trainers with trainees I'm sure he has his hands full. Every time I need to call him it's always handled and handled right. I didn't have that rapport with my last dispatcher. She came across with the attitude that seemed cold, unassuming and sometimes very condescending. It was, as a professional driver who's been out here a long time very frustrating to work under those conditions. I'm sure there is reasons why, I'm not going to debate it, I'm just going to take what I have in Tim and go along for the ride.

Now, here's a little something that made my thought process about Abilene a little more on the positive side, well, a lot more on the positive side. Christmas is a tough time of the year in trucking for a company, especially an OTR trucking company that has drivers all over the country trying to get home. I always said Christmas comes the same day every year and that if there is one day a year a driver must be home then Christmas is the day. From the day I left after Thanksgiving I watch the calender to make sure I'm home. In fact, depending on where I work I call for either a plane reservation (Calex) or a car rental reservation (Abilene). I will not miss this holiday, my wife, especially now that the kids are grown and on their own and having a grandchild insists that we all spend it together. The least I can do is show up one day a year.

I'm home, I do know that Abilene did their part, I did mine and the rest is history. I'm not sure if everyone was able to get home for Christmas, but based on what they did to get my happy ### to South Florida, I'm sure they did the same for everyone else. Now, here's what else took place on Sunday when I finally got back to Richmond.

I pulled into the yard and took care of my fueling, dropped the trailer went in to the shop to let them know I needed a new right side windshield and that I was going home for the holiday and would be back next Saturday. They said the had them in stock and would take care of it when I got back. I went into dispatch to see what was happening with me. We have a time card holder on the wall where they put our envelopes with our pay vouchers and copies of our paycheck that is direct deposited, it's been there waiting for me every 2 weeks for the last 8 months. Not this time, in fact the whole thing was empty. I asked Jonathan about it and was told they were handing them out personally to the drivers as they came in. I got mine, got my dispatch and left to go home. When I stopped Sunday night in Florence SC I opened up my pay envelope to check on my pay voucher to make sure everything was right. It was, but I also saw something else that blew me away, there was 3 individual checks totaling $900 for 3 new drivers that hired on, a team that I know through the blog, and another driver that I spoke to at a truck stop in NC back over the summer that I gave my card to. They all came over and mentioned my name. Now that's cool, but the thing that blew me away more so than a recruiting bonus was the $50 Walmart gift card for A Christmas present. That, blew me away, I have more respect for a company when something like this is done then anything else. I have never, in all the years working for OTR companies had one do this. This was a pretty cool gesture. Not the $50, but the thought. They say the holidays bring the good out in people, let me tell you, this little gesture on Abilenes part sure supports that theory. All I can say is Thank you! Does the $50 make me rich? Not at all, even the $900 bonus doesn't make me rich, but the idea that they did this without hesitation tells me the DNA make up of the owners and the company. That's about it for now, everyone have a safe holiday season, I hope everyone is where they want to be and gets everything they ask for.

Merry Christmas!

 

George, I'm glad you are comfortable in your training. You made good progress in the 19 days out with me. Hell, we didn't kill each other so that's a plus. I'm not the easiest person to share 15 square feet of space with, you handled my training technique and style very well. It's a pleasure having you onboard. Enjoy your holiday with the family and we'll see each other Saturday to start this up again. Oh, one other thing, shut the effin engine brake off please! That's an inside joke that only he an I know......lol

 

Seems as though there are some folks that aren't appreciative for anything. When something good happens to me I'll let you know, do me good, I'll do you good.