I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Okay--this is a brief account of What Happened At Dart Transit.

I was running behind on a load headed to Asheville NC. At the time, I lived in Hickory NC (that's important later in the story). I had gotten held up at a shipper and was into my 14 and couldn't get as far as I had planned to. I pulled into the Petro on I81X205 (used to be White's). Ten hours to the minute later I started a pretrip and got rolling. I was coming off a couple of bad weeks and called in to ask the company about a loan as my rent was due as was my car payment and a couple other important bills. My fleet manager said she would kick the request upstairs but didn't think they would approve the amount. Then she said I couldn't miss my appointment because they were going to close for the weekend and I wouldn't get another appointment til the following Monday. I told her I knew the receiver and was aware of the problem and I was going as fast as I could. She told me she would call me about the loan.

A couple hours later she calls me about the loan and says they would only approve half the amount I requested, and only as an advance. I already had the miles to make that possible so I said I would have to make it work but it was only putting off part of the problem and really wanted a month to pay it off if at all possible. Dispatch said she would see if she could get them to give me a few weeks to pay it off and was I going to make delivery on time? I reminded her that I was aware of how they worked at the receiver and if I couldn't get unloaded I would take the load home (Hickory, 80 miles from
Asheville, remember?) and sit on it til I could get another appointment, but I was almost there and would see if I could sweet talk them into unloading me.

I got there a little late but my contact there waited for me (I had called him and he agreed to unload me).

Dispatcher apparently didn't hear or understand the latter part of my statement and rather than clarify with me, stampeded to her supervisor and told him I wouldn't deliver the load if they didn't give me the loan. He calls me, accuses me of threatening his load, and proceeds to excoriate me. I had no opportunity to defend myself. I was so absolutely horrified and floored by the nature of the accusation that I was shocked speechless for the first minute or so while he asked me who in the hell did I think I was, attacked my personal character, brought my personal family life into it, and just generally had his way verbally. He was towering in his righteous indignation (read that last with heavy sarcasm). At the end of his attack, he told me if I ever did anything like that again, he would remove me from dedicated, send me to the general OTR fleet, and not permit me to drive for him again (I was on a dedicated account). At the time, the only thing I could think was that what he said didn't sound like such a bad idea. (Remember, the whole time he was putting me in my place, I was BACKED UP TO THE DOCK UNLOADING THE LOAD HE ACCUSED ME OF TAKING HOSTAGE.)

Now, my first thought was to yell right back at him. He interrupted me no less than five times while I was trying to answer questions he asked me. If that tiny pimple of a man had the guts to try that with me in arm's reach, that alone would have been a great way to bring the conversation to blows. The character assassination was fairly brutal also. In the course of his little tantrum, he called me a man with an entitlement mentality. Also fighting words. The only, the ONLY reason I didn't tell him where I would happily shove that truck was that I never make life altering decisions when I'm angry. That has never worked out well for me. I simply acknowledged (didn't agree with, only acknowledged) him as the superior power in that conversation and let him hang up on me. I ran quietly for approximately two weeks, still upset enough to get red faced whenever I thought about what had happened. I asked my dispatcher where her supervisor would have gotten the idea that I would do what he accused me of, especially since I had over a year of good service there with NO incidents or disciplinary problems. She told me that when I said I would go home she assumed I meant to sit there til I got the loan. I drove past my home to deliver the load, but that didn't occur to anyone. I thanked her for helping me to make a decision and ended the conversation. Then the next load that went to Louisville KY I told them I was cleaning out the truck and turning it in at their Sellersburg IN facility (right outside Louisville). I had already called Celadon and had been approved to work here. I gave no notice or explanation, turned in a clean truck, and haven't looked back.

Was it the best way to handle the situation? Probably not. But I was so livid about what happened I couldn't trust myself not to knock that guy into next week if I saw him again. Thinking back, I should have called his supervisor and worked my way up the chain of command screaming for his (and my dispatcher's) head until someone fed them to me. The facts were on my side. I might even still be working there. But I have difficulty thinking clearly when I am very angry and don't believe I would have done well in the ensuing discussions and the inevitable face to face. I would not put it past that man to have resorted to provoking me and playing the "he's-a-crazy-disgruntled-trucker" card. It all worked out in the end and Dart is a footnote in my personal history.

Well, there you have it. I don't recommend working someplace where the culture is one of open contempt toward drivers. Celadon doesn't have that kind of culture overall, although there are people here who don't treat drivers well. I haven't had to deal with the negative much. Just the low pay.

So, I'm leaving, but not because I was mistreated like at Dart. Only because I know they won't come close to matching the pay where I'm going.

I am Captain Zoom.
I have spoken.

 

Yeah, but it gives you something to read while you're on the toilet. And I did promise details about the move.

 

Well, the die is cast. I have notified dispatch that I am leaving, they have removed my preplan and wished me the best. I will be staying with friends this week and Saturday they are dropping me off at a hotel near the terminal. My wife will stay with our friends for the three days and join me when I get my truck assignment. We figured if we are going to be broke, it is better to be that way for a couple of weeks than for four weeks. First week there will be slim, then we will be in sync. Watching a Hunger Games movie with my wife, then sleep, then clean out truck early morning before our friends pick us up. Gonna have to do something nice for them soon; they are true friends and that's rare. Still deciding if I will continue this thread or start a new one. If I start a new one I will be sure to tell you the title. ...Anybody out there need a sacrificial goat?

 

Thanks for reading, bro --

I have nothing against smaller companies; but Gordon seems to be the best fit for my family at this time. I'm not interested in home time so much except for doctors appointments and the benefits are really good. Maybe in a few years when I'm trying to get home every week or more a smaller company will be a better match.

I am Captain Zoom.
I have spoken.

 

Crashing at a friend's place til next week. I'm such a hippie.