From Day One - Abilene Motor Express (Richmond, Wytheville, VA)

There will be a shop in the new to Abilene west memphis yard. That will be doing pm's and repairs which will help ease the shop at Richmond work load. Which will hopely help our wait time. Yes I expressed what makes us drivers so frustrated is seeing trucks in the shop and no one working on them. But after I addressed this issue a month or so ago it has gotten better.

 

I'm sure the shop is like kids at home. When parents are away kids will do whatever they want cause just like the dhop you can't supervise all people all the time. Also when the trucks do go in the shop what we think should be a simple fix many years ago before all the emissions junk. There is now protocols or steps to be taken to fix things in order not to break warrenty.

 

Also we have like 350 plus trucks and a lot of trucks on the yard especially on weekends that's a lot of trucks for an under staffed shop. Before someone gets the wrong idea I'm probably one of the biggest critics of the shop but I try to view it from their point of few.

 

Well.....hopefully it will be. My truck is in the shop right now. Not a happy camper at the moment. Delivered in Chesapeake this morning. Had 1 hour on my 70 so was going to take my 10 at home and then run to nj and back for home time. Truck had different ideas. Sitting in the dock and won't start. Ok. Call shop. They say call breakdown. Ok. Now it's 0930. At 1100, they get approval to tow me to nearest Volvo dealer. Get there at 1230 and am told they can't get to me for a week. So, get back on the phone with breakdown and am told tow truck to yard. Ok. So, since I am supposed to be home Saturday for time off, I ask if the tow truck driver can just take me home, which was on the way, and I will come back out early. Nope. Really? So, now here I sit in the lounge at 1700 and have been up and started my day at 0100. The mechanic said it'll be at least 3 hours before it's done. It's the starter and the shifter. It won't register that the truck is in neutral. Today was the first time the truck has been cut off since Friday. It's hotter than you know what in tx! And then they have the nerve to tell me I get hours at midnight and I need to run this load to nj for 10 am. Umm, not only no but hell no.

 

Sorry about the rant. I just think it ridiculous at the moment. Instead of a home cooked meal, a shower where I don't have to wear shoes and a good night sleep (among other things) next to my hubby, I'm stuck up here. Gonna order a pizza and veg. Wish I could drink a beer along with it. Sigh!

 

Again I would like to thank management for taking the time to let me address things from a drivers point of view. What I really liked is not only did I go in with our frustrations but had solutions or ideas. One the explained why they thought it was a good idea or solution or not. It wasn't just a no and that's how it is answer. Out of the discussion they ask that drivers try and notice I said try to be patient. Like I said earlier I have notice improvement. If you have an issue with the shop address it but stick to the issues and don't play the blame game cause no one wins. With your issues have solutions. Anyway just my 2 cents. My last thought is you can complain all you want to each other but if the right people don't hear the issues things will never change. Be safe everyone I'm waiting for my last 2 hours of my 10 break so I can drive the 4 hours home for home time.

 

What do you mean no? You had more than your 10 hour break hahaha.

 

Did a split break to make it to Hall's for my delivery on time. Picking up some plastic items in Carlstadt, NJ by the NJ Jets stadium and bringing it back to the yard. Won't have enough time to make it tonight so I'll stop at the house for a break and wash clothes and have dinner. Wife told me my 11yo daughter is having one of her other friends over. All I got to say is I'm glad she has quiet friends. Every time I'm home she has one of her friends over and even though they stay up late they let me sleep.

 

Was the trl # 5064?