Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Learned a hard lesson today. Don't ever give up your dolly until absolutely 100% positive you won't need it. I went to our barn in St Louis last night. Broke my set and put the trailers away, then went inside to fimd out what I was taking back. There was another driver ahead of me at dispatch complaining there weren't any dollies, have to wait on one, blah blah. Dispatch tells me there is a set inbound for my home terminal and to sit tight. No problem, I can use a nap. I can hook to the set when it gets in and be out before traffic gets bad. The other driver asks if he can have my dolly since all I won't be needing it. Sure, says I. I want to be a team player and help a brother out. Bear in mind that we're still at the dispatch window and the computer jockey hears every word.

The driver pulls in with my set. I pull over to hook up when he drops the set, and he tells me he's going to break it and take the dolly because he's got another run. I've already given up my dolly, so I can't give him that one. Now I have to wait for another truck to arrive and hope that driver is done for the day. I end burning an hour and a half waiting for another dolly. Now I have to fight through rush hour traffic and race the clock all the way home. That dispatcher sat there and let me hang myself out to dry without saying a word, knowing full well the other guy was going back out again. I called him on it and all he had to say was "It sucks to be you today." What a snake. Not much I could do, so I just grinned told him that I always remember a good #####.

 

My gripe is barns that use dock hands to drive the yard horse. If you dont have any actual tractor-trailer driver training, dont teach yourself to drive a tractor trailer in the yard and tear up the #### equipment. 90% of the damage on our trailers is due to the yard drivers in our regional hub.

the same thing happened to me at saia - st louis. it's quite aggravating.

 

That's terrible to see. Locations vary, Our barn won't hire someone without a CDL and no sole duty of working the dock.
Banging up equipment in the yard, Makes for a lot of headaches and questionable coworkers. Bummer, Brother. Well it could be worse, Have outside carriers renting some of your yard and banging up trailers and property damage like ours

 

... edit///////////

 

so, I actually got the same truck last week for both runs and it was a nice truck and I took care of it, filled with gas, etc. Of course it's disappeared by Monday morning and I get some POS that has an enormous air leak. nope, took the keys back in and said "gimme another one"

it took of course leaks air (although not as bad) and has no fuel. (and still has the same ##### broken that I wrote up 2 months ago the last time I had it)

Explain to me why I should take care of the equipment? I'll never see it again.

 

I feel you, I do that with trailers. I get tires changed, lights fixed, almost every night while everyone else does a half Arse pre trip to race across. First in first out at the layover turn point. Why is it im always at the tire bay getting tires changed and others are not? We get paid to wait while the mechanic fixes it but people are so in a hurry to leave they neglect it. I'm not gonna roll a scale with f'd up stuff and get pulled in and get screwed. It just sucks cause you end up eventually getting the "other guy" half Arse stuff then you got to fix it. Usually it always happens on the last run too and screws you from getting back early. That's my rant for the day.

 

Color me pink and smother me with honey and throw on feathers. Did you really want to confiscate that truck and use it again? Of course you would. It had gas in it and it worked flawless. lol

Apologize brother, Nit picking that G word driving a big truck.



Whens the lonecowboy vlog gonna debut on youtube ?