Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

I pulled a 3800+ mile 5 stopper out of our yard. I knew that trailer needed new drums before I cleared our gate but this was a real push load. I finished in WA and then got a load to Phoenix. Once empty I figured they "might" have me drop that empty in our Colton yard. So I hit the TA on 10 and had it checked out. All 4 drums were shot so I had them replaced. No way I'd leave that potential death trap on someone else. As it turned out they had me load in LA and swap with a team in Kingman AZ. I was happy to pass along a good trailer.

IMHO, it doesn't take much more than a small amount of common sense and common courtesy to ensure the next driver has a safe box.

 

Seems no one has time to do it the right way anymore. In my 6 yrs driving, I have had to deal with lots of crap trailers being left by other drivers.

 

Me too. Well the next one you get? Wasn't from me.

So I finally got a PO# for these Carrier folks so they can let me leave in the morning. They're letting me sleep onsite which is great. I saw the report results and as I suspected, no temp problems whatsoever with this reefer. Highest temp it hit was 40 and that was for less than 5 minutes during a defrost.

I told dispatch 2 days ago and I still maintain, if there really is a problem, the shipper didn't properly cool this produce and loaded a hot box on me. Oh well, the bunk calls me. Goodnight all.

 

When I first went solo at my last company I was sent to get an empty from Gatorade in Wytheville VA. Green as I was, I crapped a nice pile of bricks when the truck pulled up two feet on my tug test. Took a look and there were no good brake linings on any drum I could see. Guy at the nearby Boss shop thought I was the craziest Mike Fox for pulling it until I told him I'd only just found it empty up the street. Imagine if it'd gone anywhere with one of Gator's loads on it though. Oy.

 

Good luck finding anyone that will confirm what that detention rate is. I tried a few times, but know when I am beat.

 

I don't need any confirmation. I'm going on what I was told coming in. The only question then is, will they keep their word? If they want me to keep driving for them (and maybe they don't), they will.

After spending all night last night trying to dig up all the information the Carrier place needed which, by the way, could have been handled by those who already knew with ONE phone call THREE days prior to me getting there, i get back to Wegmans and they know nothing about any USDA inspection on this load.

Folks, I'm now beyond livid!!

 

Sounds like it's almost time to bounce someone's head off of a window to jar their memory. Geez, what a f disaster.

Just ask yourself WWJD. What would John do?

 

I would have left the truck at the truck stop with explicit instructions that I was renting a car to drive over to Niagra Falls to go sightseeing for a day or two, and when everyone was on the same page, too let me know.

 

I already told them I'll call for a rental car. In fact, I already called Enterprise and got a price on a large SUV from here to VA.