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

Are you guys hurting for drivers?. Got a call yesterday from Abilene asking if I wanted to hear about the new pay package.

I left in 2018, surprised they still have my number.

 

I was fueling this morning and the guy that parks beside me bobtails up to BS. Turns out he picked up the load I was taking. I’ve been very vocal with the expired trailers. Him and I discuss it all the time. I get out to do my Pre-trip and the darn thing is expired!!!! Can’t wait to see him again.

 

Yeah I call them direct for all kinds of stuff, and if it's something I really need to know for safety or legal reasons, and I can't find the number even on google, I'll stop and stay parked till someone gives me the number.

For example, shipper was on a restricted truck route and obviously not a place that regularly gets big trucks, and no neighbors that do, either, checking on satellite view. And it was a time crunch getting there before they closed. I kept calling the place, getting no answer when I used the shipping extension or any extension other than their retail/dining part, where the lady who answered was very nice but didn't know anything.

Finally I stopped as close as I could get, and that was when I was given the cell phone number of the woman who placed the shipping order with the broker. The owner of this mom and pop place. She said, "Oh boy! Glad you called! Trucks get pulled over here constantly. We specifically told the broker about the length restriction."

So Abilene charged the broker and I went to go pick something else up.

 

And I mean, the people I talk to currently in dispatch are always grateful when I call the customer instead of asking them. But then they're not DM's since I'm shuttle, which means they're busy as #### all day long.

I redid orientation and this time they didn't say anything about not calling customers, but I would have to guess the thinking is that they're imagining our rudest drivers and made a blanket rule at one time to try to prevent some stupid stuff.

 

Fortunately stuff worked out and Aldi unloaded me, and turns out the load of shelving WAS supposed to go to the warehouse not the store....CH Robinson must have messed up addresses somehow. Usually when addresses don't match the load usually goes to the shipping address on the bills not the qualcomm, at least in my case that is what usually happens all the time. Getting reloaded outside of Houston going to Norcross, Ga. Broker said strict appt time, was 15 min late due to Houston traffic and they said nothing and checked me in.....not so strict I guess, lol!

 

Yep, they are advertising for ohio drivers in my tri cities tn craigslist. A bit too far to go to work for me....

 

I understand that it ain't what it used to be. "Old Sam" took care of his drivers, this new breed in the Ivory tower could not care less about a truck driver.

When Walmart opened the Mt. Crawford, Va DC There were several drivers at Lil Debbie went over there, to the best of my knowledge, they are gone. I know one that is now with UPS .