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

JohnBoy · Apr 17, 2023

ExtremeUnction said: ↑

Had my week off (actually 10 days off) with my kids. Before that, I was dead in the water with my truck up at the Kenworth dealership down the road. It's been almost 3 weeks since the last time I was on the road. 10 days of that was planned, but the other 10 weren't.

If they had told me on day 1 that my truck would be down for 10 days, I woulda grabbed a loaner. But it never works out that way. Put it in the shop, day later it's ready. Only it's not ready and the things they said were fixed weren't fixed and I had to put it back in the shop. Then I check on it the next day and they have to send it down the road. And then it took four days before it even made it over there. And by that time there was no way they were going to send me out and have me back before my hometime started.

The upshot is: They've had 20 days to fix my truck.

Today I rolled in, ready to hit the road. And my truck was red-tagged. Still waiting on a fix.

I was assured that it would be ready by this afternoon, though, and it was. So I rolled in around 4:00pm and schlepped all my crap back into the truck. Then I went looking for a load.

According to dispatch and the load planners, the only things they have leaving Richmond are (A) less than 200 miles; and (B) deliver Wednesday. Basically they would be local runs if not for the fact that they cross state lines.

So I'm going to hit 'em up in the morning and see if I can get sent to Wytheville. And then I'm going to tell my DM to keep me far away from Richmond until my next hometime rolls around.
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You know, when I hear things like this, then experience myself the chaos that goes on called Abilene, it makes me feel better knowing it’s not only me. Now, I’m not laughing, making fun or saying better you than me, what you wrote and your experience just validated what I go through. Sorry about all the crap you went through, but the good of it was the time with the kids.

mjd4277 · Apr 17, 2023

Sounds like things at the company are starting to go down the tubes. What gives?

mitrucker · Apr 17, 2023

mjd4277 said: ↑

Sounds like things at the company are starting to go down the tubes. What gives?
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They got swallowed up by Knight/Swift. Need I say more?

JohnBoy · Apr 17, 2023

mjd4277 said: ↑

Sounds like things at the company are starting to go down the tubes. What gives?
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I’m just a steering wheel holder here. But with this pea brain of mine here’s what I see, Freight rates have tanked , no one felt it was needed to go out and hit the streets to drum up more business, they’ll tell you they’re doing it now, but it’s a little late. There’s other things at play that I’m not at liberty to say, but suffice it to say, it ain’t looking good. For me personally, I’ll see what the next 3 months have in store, if it’s not good for me, I have other irons in the fire.

JohnBoy · Apr 17, 2023

mitrucker said: ↑

They got swallowed up by Knight/Swift. Need I say more?
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Though I’d like to blame it on the buyout, I really can’t. That happened March of ‘18. Outside of normal trucking BS, things have been pretty good these last 5 years. The culprit that I see was not going out to get more business, instead, sitting back with the status quo and not looking ahead. So what was an independently run subsidiary, now has big shots from Phoenix in the building trying to right the ship.

Finfn1372 · Apr 17, 2023

Yeah Richmond is like a black hole right now ,fortunately I've had pretty good luck when I get out.
As far as mileage wise,it's up and down,mostly down right now, if I didn't live in a bad job market,I'd probably be local right now.

mjd4277 · Apr 17, 2023

JohnBoy said: ↑

I’m just a steering wheel holder here. But with this pea brain of mine here’s what I see, Freight rates have tanked , no one felt it was needed to go out and hit the streets to drum up more business, they’ll tell you they’re doing it now, but it’s a little late. There’s other things at play that I’m not at liberty to say, but suffice it to say, it ain’t looking good. For me personally, I’ll see what the next 3 months have in store, if it’s not good for me, I have other irons in the fire.
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Well at least you have an exit strategy. A lot of drivers don’t and end up getting caught flat-footed, when a business suddenly ceases operations.

ExtremeUnction · Apr 19, 2023

Found this while walking the yard yesterday looking for an empty.

There were actually two such pairs of trailers. Couldn't tell if this was somebody being a moron or if this was someone's clever way of making sure they had an empty available later. The fact that it happened twice makes me suspect the latter.

Finfn1372 · Apr 19, 2023

My patience is out.

mjd4277 · Apr 19, 2023

ExtremeUnction said: ↑

Found this while walking the yard yesterday looking for an empty.

View attachment 463594

There were actually two such pairs of trailers. Couldn't tell if this was somebody being a moron or if this was someone's clever way of making sure they had an empty available later. The fact that it happened twice makes me suspect the latter.
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Usually at our exhalted place of work someone tries to “hoard” an empty trailer by putting their padlock on it or stay hooked up to the trailer,not realizing that at the terminals the shop has skeleton keys that can open and move all the trucks and padlocks! At holding yards the drivers will be notified if they have to unhook from the trailer. The company knows when or if the trailer is empty or loaded!lol

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