mercer transportation

While i was home i changed my power steering fluid as KW says every 100k. Man this fluid was a really really dark red. Took all of 15 mins to down pull the plug drain it pour the fluid in the burn pile and fill it back up with new filter

 

Yeah that one I ran earlier this week was my first and last. I'd rather bounce to Armorel lol

 

Anyone have problems with the load board? Can't access anything right now - 10:00 am

 

It's been working on my end this morning.

 

Working for me most of the day. Just VERY slow loading

 

Yeah their making it better

 

Heard today that the CHI office had a conference call with some of the coordinators. Saying they need to try and get drivers up that way as they have tons of freight that hasn't been getting covered.

Thought it was funny I was in that area last week and I did what I generally do most of the time, I'll dead head down to Indy area and get a load from a different agent.

Hmmm Chicago let's see why no one wants to come load your trash...

1. Nearly ever load is max weight.
2. Majority are tarped.
3. Horrendous detention times
4. Chicago area Tolls
5. Traffic
6. If headed east ( lots of the freight they have ) you got Indiana and Ohio tolls or added miles/time on Rt 30 or 20.
7. You play kiddie games with the location of the loads just to get more "clicks" so I gotta sift through 50 loads to actually find a load near me.
8. When you add all the above together your rates dont commensurate.


And ya wonder why????

 

And just to add I do like a couple of the people they have in that office. And a couple of the shippers they have are good but seems more and more of those loads are getting harder and harder to get as they are constantly getting underbid.

It's no mystery why as there is so many 1099 companies in that area that run cheap, and it's really not a level playing field when you have people that arent running a legit business.

 

Whenever I'm empty near Chicago the CHI agent usually has something I like. Yeah usually heavy and tarp but it's straightforward stuff like coils or uniform loads of tubing. I haven't been up that way in a month or so, so I hate to hear they're struggling to get help.

My main thing is just being around or going through Indiana. I'm actively avoiding that #### up of a state. I don't buy fuel there, I don't eat there and I certainly don't stay there. I'll pick up or drop off if the load is convenient for me but the condition of the roads in that state are beyond atrocious.

Otherwise I'd run that Louisville-Chicago route every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

What gets me is there is one area in IN where the roads are great. Plenty of lanes, smooth, room to make turns as wide as you want...

The rest of the state?... It's like they intentionally make the roads as awful as possible. They've even come back a couple months after finishing construction, and made a smooth stretch of highway feel like railroad tracks.

And the way they do work on the 2 lane roads... absolutely insane. Close a state highway to do work on a 2' sq section on the shoulder, and detour you 20 mi. Then, one of the roads on the detour is closed... so there's a 15 mi detour for that, but it brings you past your destination. Now you get to figure out how to get back, and just when you think you got it... road ####### closed.