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

That Memphis load was the one they gave me before they gave me the one I talked about above.

I woke up yesterday morning in Jacksonville (at our favorite chaotic madhouse of a Pilot) after dropping off a load of Mack truck parts the day before. After a gentle message via Edna to remind them of my presence, they dropped a deadhead move on me to Haverty's in Braselton. I got the load assignment around 10:15am.

Now I've been to Haverty's in Braselton many times, and I know how they run their loads: Loaded trailers are ready to go between 5 and 7, and you often have to drive overnight to make on-time delivery. But I was going to roll into the Haverty's yard with 4 to 5 hours of drive time left on my clock after driving there from Jacksonville. So I knew I wasn't going to be getting an overnight load, because there's no way I'd be able to make on-time delivery. I wouldn't have the hours.

So as I'm winding my way through rush hour Atlanta traffic, I get a load assignment: Pick up the Memphis load, due tomorrow.

I called dispatch and kindly informed them that I had hometime starting Friday (i.e. tomorrow), and that if I took the Memphis load, there would be no way I could be back in time to pick up my daughter Friday morning, and that they needed to put me on something heading back to Richmond because I wasn't going to start my hometime late for the 2nd time in a row (they got me back late for my last hometime three weeks ago).

And that's how I got the Haverty's load to Richmond and you got the Haverty's load to Memphis.

AND NOW THE PUNCH LINE: I wouldn't have been on time for the Memphis load, either. Earliest I could've gotten it there with my hours was 10am local.

 

Don't you just love how they word things? Why not just say, "Hey, we screwed up. Or we need this covered because another driver needed to get home."? I totally get that. When it's time for me to go home, just like you did, I make sure they are sending me in the proper direction and in a timely manner. Sometimes they don't like it, but I schedule home time around my mother's appointments and can't just cancel at the last minute. Life would be so much easier if they would just tell the truth and say what they mean instead of all the double and triple talk. Flips my "B" "snatch" switch and gets old real quick.

At least the folks in Memphis would've still been here at 10 am! I still had 3 hours on my clock to run and a <gasp> preplan for a Byhalia to Elkridge load I really want to get kicked off before Saturday night. Plus I think there will be a Martinsville WV to Richmond load after that. No clue who this new customer is, but guess I'll be finding out.

 

Always one of my favorite stops.

 

@JohnBoy --

Will the company try to screw you around for your requested time off to spend with your spouse? Or does the company reliably honor your hometime requests?

 

Nobody screws with JB.

 

Is anyone here NOT travelling west on 64/35?. I must have seen half the fleet today heading west. I have a torn rotator cuff from all the waving I did.

 

I got hometime this weekend, so it wasn't me.

 

Im guessing you haven't seen the QC message about a new accident reporting company we have to call when we have a booboo. Not sure what that is about.

There was also a strange message telling drivers to just scan in paperwork and not to call dispatch. Have drivers been calling dispatch to tell them they are transflowing paperwork?.

I stopped by the shop yesterday to inquire about the new PM procedure. Got shrugged shoulders in response and a suggestion to call on Monday as I might get someone who knows what to do.

Im dreading that call.

 

I pick up my papers and safety will give you an orange paper with a step by step instructions how to report any accident or incident with the truck... Work related injuries will be reported to that number on the orange paper also.