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

Get to the shipper in Compton and Im backing into my dock and swift decides to pull up right behind me in my blind spot as Im backing in....you would think common sense would tell him to not do that and wait til Im in before trying to race by me to do a drop and hook.....

 

Eloy, AZ has a food tax. I think it's 11 or 12%.

 

Today was mighty productive, 319 miles in almost 9 hours of driving, gotta love LA area traffic, lol! Should be able to get a reset in on my way to Ohio so after delivery Ill have good hours to work with.

 

Got home noon on Thursday after delivering in Sarasota. Been home in bed with the flu. Today is the first day I’m feeling a little better.

I’m going to throw something out there. With all the revolving door issues in Richmond the last 8-12 months, I have what can only be described as a top tier DM, the one person that has made my job enjoyable since he took over, a job that I have a renewed like for.

Wally has taken over the training fleet and has shown me, what he’s all about. It’s a pleasure working with him. The good thing? He use to be the NE planner, has trained all the present day planners and is on top of his fleet and planning of his drivers. I liked Rusty as a person, as a DM? Nope. What I use to question with him, and bring to the table for a plan was always brought to a resounding no. Now? Completely the opposite. I always said, Kimberly was the best when we worked together, Wally is now right there.

 

JB
I understand that there has been a lot of good changes made. Can you please tell us who is who right now in Richmond.
For example..
Who are the planners now and what areas do they work?

 

Now that’s some funny stuff right there.

 

Well like Chris Nycum was moved to the West Memphis terminal and that guy is really good! He knows how to move drivers.
They also got a new DM called Jeremy and he really shows up to now a good attitude of helping drivers.

I don't know who is the new planner for the West side but up to now his doing pretty good.
Speaking to other drivers there saying that there running and Richmond has been getting new DM's.

 

I don’t dispute that CN is good. New guy, I don’t know him. Maybe things appear to be getting better, but freight seems to be a little slower out of RVA, so that could be helping.

I’m not in any way saying there aren’t a few planners and DMs that are stellar. Victor is cool. Nycum is cool. Paul in Wytheville is cool. I’m sure there are others. I see quite a bit when at the yard every day. Y’all would be surprised at what you hear when folk talk and think you won’t say anything. Let me just say two things 1.) I hear when they talk about drivers (using your driver ID so they feel they can talk freely) nicely and not so nicely (more the latter than the former) - in other words, they talk pure crappola about a lot of drivers, even the favorites, and 2.) if a certain DM spoke to me they way they spoke to this driver in front of everyone (screw up or not), they’d be picking their teeth up from the sidewalk. However, there is way too much dead weight that will more than likely never be cut.

That’s just my two cents worth. But, hey, I’m a local, and we all know, locals don’t matter. Am I the only one who feels that way? No. Let’s just say that we all move a lot slower now that we know we don’t get any bonuses and some of them move at a glacial pace because they moved slow enough to begin with. Heck, I struggle to even get 9 hours most days. Didn’t even get 8 today. I can’t live off that.

Is this post a rant? Not at all. I have always been able to see the dirty side of things for what it is. When I was younger, I would’ve been all up in people’s faces about it. Not so much now. I see it, I do what I need to do to get around it, and it’s all good. I guess I’ve mellowed over the past couple of years. Or maybe I’m just tired.

 

RC,
Please don’t miss interpret me. I know Abilene is not perfect and I have written here my rants over the years but for me is just a rant. I been almost one step away from quitting Abilene and then I calm down and re-think...But no company is perfect... yes there are some better than others in some areas.
In life work related issues; who doesn’t get upset about somethings these days and you wish they could be better.
Now If there are people speaking and acting in such a way that they don’t appreciate the many things we do and go through as drivers in order to provide for our families then shame on them! Abilene is chipping away with them slowly but surely! I know of some that they are no longer here because things like that.

Don’t you think that at least we can agree that even though we go through many things; at least Abilene is not one of the many of hundreds and I mean hundreds of trucking companies that have closed its doors and we can still keep going to work for our families.

 

I agree. It is far from perfect, but still better than most-most of the time. They’ve done a lot for me and they’ve also screwed me over on some things as well. As long as I do my job and they leave me to it, I’m good. I suppose I come across as witchy most of the time, but wasn’t meant to be.