Wtf, is the disconnect between sales and dispatch?

Mu ha ha ha!

Protein Solutions in Joplin, I have no doubt!

No doubt about it, bro. Absolutely the worst empties we got after delivering to them. And, at times mud bog too boot. Have had to extract trailers there 3/4 buried at the tandems, at times.

Beacon knows us well from that customer.

Little story for you. One time, after extracting a the most mud buried trailer I have ever seen to date (almost over the tires, mind you), had Beacon hit it 2x, both with desanitizer & odour control. Was in hurry to get to next 01 before clock ran out & had a place to park & kill time.

Some time later, 01 wakes me w/call to dock. When I opened the doors 6/8 hours later, the smell STILL about knocked me on my ###! Let dispatch know immediately what situation was.... said just keep us appraised.

So, I'm docked. I hear the docking plate drop & someone walking around in trailer. Then, nothing for a quite awhile. I'm used to it taking awhile before they start, but.... (I'm thinking, no way in hell they are going to load me...).

Luckily, did get loaded. But, early on learned a lesson. If you do have time on your hands, leave those doors open as long as you can. Will help a lot dissipating a lot of that when it dries, especially if it has already been hit with the desanitizer & odour control.

Been to Protein Solutions more times than I can count & I STILL cringe every time! But, have learned to work with it when time comes.

Just wait till they are backed up & have no empties available for you! LOL

 

I was in the sleeper once when my wife was drop/hooking there, and I jumped up when I heard some commotion. She was standing on the side of the trailer crying.

Apparently she was cranking the trailer down and the air tank release blasted some of the fetid water/whatever on the ground in her face. She screamed at me "It got in my mouth!" when I started laughing. She threw her shoes away when we left.

Luckily we haven't been back, and she didn't get sick or anything. It took awhile before I would kiss her again though.

 

Haha no. I was a little worried about salmonella though. Was she ever pissed at me for laughing that night. Thought I might be sleeping in the catwalk.

 

crocky,

1. If you ever get the chance to see how things are actually handled in some of these meat facilities, let alone the contracted factory farms, bet you are going to rexamine that "eat more chicken", unless you are going to go direct to farm for free range. LOL You'll get the chance at one point or another to see operations. Just going in to use the bathroom, at times, will give you enough pause for what you will be able to see.

2. The TONU. Will be just like detention. You will not see that till if/when they are able to collect on it. You might see a settlement a couple weeks or months out & wonder, "what the heck is this" actually in my favor? Nice surprise when if/does show up after you have long forgotten about. They are good as gold about giving you 100% of whatever they do collect on both.

Sorry bud,

Been following this since you posted, but have refrained from commenting for reason.

If I would have posted, it would have been the longest epic post you have ever seen in your life! (@redoctober83 knows....LOL!). I DEFINATELY feel your pain, but I also saw how you eventually dealt with the one problem at hand.

THIS is what I always tried to impress upon my students in the past. Driving is NOT the job, that's the gravy & enjoyment that is a bonus to what we do. It's how you deal with the problems & situations that come up, both shippers/receivers & mechanical, that is the TRUE job...... & what will make or break you in the end. Most don't seem to comprehend that. You plan on being an O/O, you're well on your way as far as your state of mind & thinking.

Relationships & diplomacy, my friend. This is TOTALLY a business that depends on those relationships you develop. Right now, your dispatch & RA. Handle things with kit gloves when you can, but comes a time & place you have to put your foot down & handle the situation in manner that gets results. Customers, a little different dynamic. But, you will find you can put those same dynamics to work with SOME of those, too.

You have done very well, grasshopper. Was good to see how you handled, and saved me from a long ### tirade on what you were dealing with.

I'll leave it at this.

Have had zero probs with anyone I have to deal w/with company on true O/O side (leased to, not Advanced Fleet), be it dispatch & RA. Have have actually become good friends with all in both. Not a necessity in business, but definately an added bonus. Relationships, my friend, relationships......

Sales, not so much.

Appts. set & sent TO YOU, because of being closest truck to point. But, customer never notified, or doesn't make it through their own channels. Heya, your late! Aggravating, yes. At the least, be prepared to take the crap dished out for being late on occasion at no fault of your own. Develop that thick skin to take the heat.

Hope that doesn't happen on a Fri. & window end is actually long after they close after they close for the weekend. (Been there, done that..... once). But, countless times late for customer, though my appointment/window sent early. Just a standard of the business at times, bud.

Let's suffice it to say, that sales are my heroes.... (Lot's of sarcasm here).

Now that I got you all riled up, rest assured that these probs do not happened very much. Not frequent at all. Just when they do, seem to happen at the most inopportune times.

Your doing well, whether you know it or not. Keep the faith in yourself. You're a stickler for detail, I can tell. That will heed you very well out here & in businesd. Just don't go overboard with that. Realize the balance of what you have to deal with typically in this business & with what you need to deal with more authority.

Think you are gaining a pretty good handle on this, right out the gate, unlike many. Of course, helps that you had a lot of issues out the gate, too..... but, that's not always necessarily a bad thing if you learn from it.

Peace crocky,
You're going to do just fine, even if you're not a stubborn ### Aussie.

 

Good Lordy,

I refrained before...... and was STILL a long ### post.

My apologies for the friggin' wall!

 

Dude,

Didn't see you & your wife's story right before. Can't believe I missed it, right on the end here.

But......thank you so much for making me laugh my ### off!

Was a rather good needed choke & laugh, the way the last week has been going.

Hope the wife still loves you....? Maybe kinda, sorta......eh? LOL

 

The last 3-4 months have been really chaotic it seems like with sales.

Husband has had one canceled load within the last 2 mo. Stayed in the area and ended up hauling another load out. Don't know if he put TONU on it or not, will have to check.

Has done the reposition move, to OH one round from around 700 miles and forgot the other time, but it was around 600 miles.

Had a load a couple of weeks ago that was way late loading, so much so, that there was no way it could be delivered on time. All the way, the appt time is going to be changed according to sales. Get there and sit overnight, no appt, and they refuse to unload or reset appt. Haul it back from where it came from, drop it. Sit overnight to pickup new load from same place. It was loaded on time.

Had to go to PIttston for truck breakdown and had to drop load, appt had not been set at all, and they never let him know that it was set for the day before what the proposed date was. Hope whomever picked up the load had the right time on it in the end.

He had a load from the ham place, delivering to 2 different places; got to the 01 and it was loaded on nose of trailer, behind the 90 load, and they didn't have room to unload the whole trailer. Went to the 90 the next day and they finally got it unloaded. Of course it was too late for the 01, they were closed for the day so it had to wait till the next day. This was three days of sitting and getting worked back in. Got paid detention, etc on it.

Some loads sent are impossible to make, and have had to be turned down a whole lot more often. We have wondered if it was just us or what. It takes too much time to figure out if it can be done or not, since a lot of them are sent out late to begin with, esp after sitting half a day after sending in mty call. Sales does not appear to live in the real world of a trucker and what is going on with their daily hours. FM's seem to be being left out of the loop to the detriment of drivers. And don't get me going on give away loads.