COVENANT -- From a wife's perspective

Sounds like the numbers are way down as far as drivers go at the company. When we were there on the 1st, there were only two people there needing a partner, Redcoat and another young man. Redcoat ended up teaming with a trainer so Rocks' observation is backed up by Redcoat's partner.....who, by the way, Redcoat seems to get along with very well. I have not heard one complaint (shock, shock) out of Redcoat about his partner.

Payroll update. Redcoat's partner called the company and they have determined that the first two trips that were mailed have gotten 'lost.' Now, if they had been mailed at the same time, I could think that maybe something happened to that day's batch of mail. But they were mailed on different days. The payroll folks said that they'd include pay for those two trips in the next payday. You can bet I'll be looking for it.

This makes me curious about how the different departments at Covenant talk to each other. I'm sure there must be some kind of billing and accounting taking place for those two trips. It seems that the accounting people would be looking for those trip paks to show up so they could reconcile their books. If they don't show up, wouldn't that raise a red flag to all the departments to try to find them or to ASK THE DRIVERS (what a concept!) what happened and why they weren't sent???

I have to wonder if the men hadn't called to find out what was going on, would ANYBODY at the company have tried to follow up on the missing paperwork? Or would they have just let it go as long as nobody said anything?

Things that make you go hmmmmm.......

Last night Redcoat mentioned to me that the people who are drawing workman's comp have to stay in the roach motel and do light duty at the terminal. Is that true?? He thought that maybe it was one of those people who may have lost the trip paks.

Finally, Redcoat experienced his first winter driving yesterday. He told me that if I had been sitting next to him he would have throttled me. (He says this truck driving thing is one of the worst ideas I've ever had.) He said he was driving down a mountain (not a hill but a MOUNTAIN) and the road was icy and snowy. He was going down around 15 mph and watching all sorts of 4-wheel drive vehicles going off into the ditches. He said two Hummers actually skidded into each other. He said it would have been funny if he hadn't been so terrified that the same would happen to him. But he made it through. He was a case of nerves but nothing near the panic attacks he endured at the beginning of his training.

He called me last night to find out the road conditions for I-90 through Idaho and especially 4th of July pass. I did some checking and there were restrictions for that part of the road in that snow chains were required from mile marker 23.7 to mm 33. I told them the weather was crap with a bad storm for the night and all day today. Blizzard conditions for parts of Montana. Redcoat's partner was going to try to drive the night shift.

I asked him isn't Covenant known for not making their drivers drive on snowy roads? Redcoat said that only certain drivers can report road conditions to the company so unless one of those drivers goes through, they are supposed to keep going. (eeek)

I haven't heard from Redcoat yet this morning so I don't know if they headed out from Spokane or not. Will let you all know if I hear anything before I head out to work.

 

OK I just got off the phone with Redcoat. They decided to wait until this morning to leave Spokane. Redcoat said the roads in Idaho weren't that bad and by the time they went through this morning, the chain restriction had been lifted. They are near Missoula, MT (isn't there some national trucking company based there?) and Redcoat said they just now got the word to shut it down. They are right in the middle of the mandatory shutdown area for Montana and he said the roads where they are aren't too bad (they went through much worse a few hours ago) but that the wind is definitely picking up and blowing snow across the interstate.

So they just pulled into a truck stop and now I guess they wait until they are released to keep going.

On another track, I just got a bit of good news this morning. I received an email from the Immigration service that Redcoat got approved for his green card and should be getting it within 30 days. When I told Redcoat the good news, he replied that since he has a Mississippi address does that make him a Redneck now instead of a Redcoat?
He also said that now that he's official, he can go out and get a 'proper' job. :smt038