A&R Logistics Charlotte Terminal

This update has been building for the past few weeks so here it goes. First let me start off by saying that everything is going well here at A & R transport. I really don't have many complaints. Three weeks ago I was giving a load to Salisbury North Carolina. This consignee is notorious for not having room in their silos. They have three silos which I call small, smaller and smallest. When I got there the guy that was checking me in told me that they only have room for maybe half of the load that I got. He said it's up to me if I want to offload and see how much they can take or bring the load back tomorrow. I said okay let me make a phone call and I'll let you know.
Let me backtrack so this would make sense. When I started with A&R I was introduced to the terminal manager which I will refer to him as TM1. I was interviewed by another gentleman that I will refer to as TM2. He told me that he was the terminal manager over another terminal and he was just helping out at Charlotte. I was told by other drivers that TM2 will now be running the operations in Charlotte. A few weeks ago A&R sent out a fleet message saying that there is a new terminal manager in Charlotte which I will call him TM3. Now all 3 TMs are working in Charlotte. That's what I call too much Chiefs not enough Indians.
Meanwhile back on the ranch.
I called TM1 but he didn't answer so I left a message. I then called central dispatch and they told me that they will make some calls and hold right and they will get back to me. Cool. While waiting for central to call back TM1 called. I told him what was up and he told me get them to sign the bills saying to bring the load back and head back to Charlotte. Cool. I went inside asked the guy to sign the bills with a note to bring the load back and headed home. No sweat I taught.
Two days later TM2 came to me asking if I remembered that load I brought back. I said yes. He said I wasn't supposed to bring that load back. I was like "wait what"? He proceeded to say that only the shipper can say bring a load back. I said okay. I told him what happened and he said I'm just telling you. Ok cool. 10 minutes later TM2 comes to me with a paper to sign that says he gave me a verbal warning about not following procedures. I'm like "wtf". I said I did what TM1 told me to do. He said that TM1 can't tell me to bring back a load, not even he can tell me to bring back a load. Ahh okay. I was ready to go home so I said ok and signed.
Why you might ask? You see I was the chief shop steward for the union when I worked in law enforcement. So this was a no brainer for me. So I let the next day go by and did nothing about the write up. I'm sorry it's been a while since I've been in defense mood and I wanted it to last. Lol.
So the next day I called HR. The lady I spoke to told me to follow the chain of command and talk with the New TM. Ok cool. So after I finish work due to my truck not having good breaks and a bad miss.
I went to speak to TM3. I went to the office he was in and told him who I was and why I needed to speak to him. He said he was looking for me yesterday for the same reason. He proceeded to tell me that he need to talk to me before he places anything in my file. I was like good. I told him what happened and that the paper TM2 gave me to sign needs to not go in my file. Now he was like "that's not what I was told". My reply was but that's what happened and I don't see how I got a verbal for doing what I was told to do by TM1. He agreed and said he is happy he spoke to me and will have to speak to TM1. And that I don't have to worry. That paper will not go in my file which, he had on his desk and showed it to me. Ok cool. We then spoke about my truck and the problems I've been having with it and he will make sure it's fixed. He also asked me about how I like the job so far and if there is anything I have to say about it. I said right now as long as I'm making money I'm good. I don't feel as if I'm vested enough to speak about what needs to change. The only thing I asked about is if I can get pre planned on loads. He said it's hard to do since a lot of the loads come out in the morning that needs to be delivered the same day. He said a lot of other drivers asked about the same thing.
Now it was last Wednesday and I was loading in Pineville when a driver from another company came up to me and said I heard they fired TM1. I was like wait what? What you talking about. He said he worked for A&R for about 3 years and left for the company he is with now and one of his friends that is still here called him and told him so. He said they let him worked the whole day and last Friday called him to the office and told him that they don't need his service anymore. I was like "WTF". I didn't even know that went down. I didn't see TM1 for the week but I had no idea he got fired. Now I know what all the secret conversions that have been going on was probably about. And as I walked up everything stopped. Lol.
There is a lady sitting in TM1s old seat that is doing the dispatching. I must say that I like her. She has been giving me good loads all week plus I have been getting pre planned for the next day. So I had to ask myself. I said self. Do you miss TM1? Right now no I don't. I don't like that he got fired but right now the lady that's doing the dispatching is making it very hard to miss him and that's all I'm going to say. Lol

 

I was at the safty meeting yesterday. They pay for attending so I'm there. I like what I have seen so far from the new TM. He has a lot of things to fix but time will tell how much he gets done. He is a breath of fresh air as far as the operation goes in Charlotte.

1k a week is doable but it will take a few months to be able to make that. In my experience it takes that long to become fast enough and able to get the loads that pay enough to make that. I occasionally take home over 1k but it's definitely not consistently. Every week is different as far as the loads you get. It takes a long time to get a dedicated run. Thats what I was told. I definitely want to be taking home 1k plus a week consistently. The rate that my pay has been going up weekly, I should be there soon.