Abilene Experience

Theres a few ways and they arent too bad. Next time just go to 15 in Gordonsville or I can send you through some very twisty roads through Lake Anna. I once told Tim to tell Dru if he didnt get me a backhaul soonest I would fold him up and put him in my wallet again....tim thought that was very funny and passed it along. Dru looks like Denace the Menace...

 

Well from Mt Top we were sent to my new favorite backhaul!! Wait for it.... North Bergen nj for a load of legal moonshine back to VA. On the way out a van tried to cut me off while I was midturn legally at a T intersection. Said New Joisiean called me a MF'er. So I stopped for clarification and asked him if he would like to discuss it further. Oh he did. But once I called his bluff and maybe he saw it would be medically unadvisable to get out of his van he whipped out a badge and threatened me with a ticket? I asked him to write me one for having the right of way and then added I have never gotten a ticket from... Get this...a BAIL ENFORCEMENT AGENT. I politely added that he may need a proctologist if he ever wanted to see that tin star again. He then told me I needed to learn how to drive. Maybe he was right if that means blowing a stop sign and not yielding the right of way. Kyle about lost it when I told him Dog the Bounty Hunter was going to ticket me. Im going to miss the NJ/NYC area. So many fine specimens of humanity. I am still laughing.

 

So it is official. Let the boos begin. Today I got Kyle graduated and out on his own. Great guy. Hes in Volvo 1246. A Wytheville OTR driver. I then proceded to clean out my truck. Completely. 1408 is now under another captains helm. Then I went upstairs and got my new ride. A rolling chair and a cubicle. I am now a Fleet Manager. In training at least. Spent the afternoon with Rusty going over the dispatch system. I used the exact software at my previous employer when I was the Ops manager. Much smaller company though.
I will say it was quite a sight to see every and I mean every non-driving employee downstairs to take a pee test today. Terry and I were heckling them. Everyone man and woman no matter what position had to submit.

 

Thanks! It would be a privilege. You just have to teach me to jump from a plane! With a parachute that is. I had to pre-empt all of the remarks about dispatchers jumping from a plane with a chute of dirty laundry or old CAT scale tickets....
FYI-Dru resigned and John is going to be the South planner now. I took John's FM spot.

 

Well day one in the office complete. It was pretty cool seeing inside the belly of the beast. I will say this, Tim is great about the qualcomm messages and email, but you wouldnt believe how behind he gets on preplanning when the phone is ringing off the hook. I heard some good, necessary calls and then I heard some not so good. Its one thing to build the relationship and say hey every now and again. But 2-3 times a day for stuff us others could figure out on our own? I learned that when I get my driver board and it updates an end trip, i will pre-empt that phone call by sending a QC acknowledging it if theres no preplan in place. If you go empty after hrs with no preplan, give your FM a chance to read his/ her messages in the morning. Planners usually contact customers 8-5. Shipping and receiving may be open 24 hrs, but the people at these customers who decide what company to use on their freight are not there. I hate waiting. Especially when traffics building up!!
My chair will not go 68mph and my scenery doesnt change now, but I am having dinner with my 9yr old daughter in 20 minutes. Fair trade.