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

Enjoy. I’m taking a week over thanksgiving and 2 weeks over Christmas.

 

Because of COVID, they have the 2 girls from the cathouse working the register in the store, cooking in the cafe, pumping fuel and cleaning the lot. In between, they’re fulfilling their roles in the brothel.

 

So here’s an update from the trailer tire/light fiasco I had to take care of the night before last. Because I can’t let things go, especially when it involves me, my time and especially when it’s not my issue to start with but could impact me greatly, I wrote a detailed email to safety highlighting what I was involved with. Unbeknownst to me, our number 2 in charge in Richmond is on the email receiving end with safety, so at 0100 yesterday morning when I finally got out of the shop, I fired off this email.

ACCOUNTABILITY!!
I need to let someone know about this. I do my job as I’ve always done since I started working here at Abilene almost 9 years ago. I drop and hooked at Volvo Reno this morning and got the only empty trailer available, #6816. During my pretrip, I discovered a major DOT violation in a bad tire and tail lights out. I then had to take what is now going on 4 hours of my day correcting these issues that now will cause me to be late in picking up my load in the morning. This trailer went from Byhalia MS to Reno in this condition and was left for the next driver (me) to have to correct. This is so unfair and unacceptable! When I finally get done here I will have to purchase a reserved parking spot. That’s the least of my concern. My time is far more important to me then cleaning up someone else’s issues. There must be some sort of accountability put in place or these type of things will continue. This is so unfair. I’ve attached pictures of the tire.

Well, at 07:45 yesterday morning I get an email from our number 2 in charge in Richmond, Kimberley, who was my DM back in the day and one I have a great work relationship with. Here’s her response.


I am on the distribution for the Safety email and read the email last night.
This is completely unacceptable and has been dealt with.
I’ve also advised payroll to pay you a total of $100 ($80 detention and $20 parking)
Additionally I’ve given the gentleman in Safety an opportunity to respond before I interjected.

I replied that my letter wasn’t an attempt to get any monies, but that I needed to bring to light an ongoing issue at the company with this issue. I can say without a doubt, that when Kimberley gets involved with something that costs the company money, it will be handled and a policy/procedure will be implemented.

I did get a response from safety as well. Our safety director is a former Marine, one that I’m quite sure if he could run the safety department like he is back at Parris Island, would suite him just fine, and I truly believe he would straighten this issue out. Here’s the response from number 2 in safety. Though I think it sounds somewhat like a used car salesman, I do respect the fact that my involvement with this got the right people involved and hopefully we can get this corrected.


John,


Correct, this should not be a “normal” habit for any driver to leave for another and is unacceptable. Yes, it is an accountability issue with each driver in the company and your actions were correct. Though, it may have required you to use some of your time to make it correct when it is discovered and notifications are made, it did not go unnoticed. With many drivers of varying levels of experience and habits it takes everyone’s assistance to see that each team member / driver performs at an expected level of performance. Professionalism is a behavior that can be contagious when its discussed and practiced. Safety’s actions begin with these notifications to make corrective actions to that driver or team leaving / creating this issue by documentation , coaching or just plain instruction. Professionalism is a behavior that can be contagious when its discussed and practiced.

So, this will be the end of it on my part. I hope that with winter fast approaching, drivers take a pre and post trip a little more seriously. I’m glad I reacted the way I did and notified the correct people. It’s now out of my hands.