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

That is truly a sad situation. What happened to the policy that each DM is supposed to be in contact with each of their drivers once a day, even if it’s just a quick text?

 

Oh no! What was the last straw that broke him?

 

I am firmly of the opinion that every time they bump the new hire CPM, every existing driver in the fleet should get the same bump.

 

Sad day when your most experienced drivers are walking away and Im sure finger pointing and blame will be everywhere but inward. Also sad they would rather have newby steering wheel holders that are constantly late, smashing everything up rather than pay for decades of experience of which it will take two to three newbies to do the work of one good experienced driver. Can’t replace decades of experience instantly. Got a hill phoenix load put on me delivering south of Wytheville not due til Wed. morning. Ill get it over there right when they come in and see if can drop it on the yard, or maybe they would rather pay me layover to babysit it. Was hoping to get at least 1500 miles before home Thursday but that aint happening. Might have to add another day vacation to this week.

 

Well, here’s the thing………….. I came back. Did NOT want to - AT ALL; however, got laid off from the job that I loved, at the end of July. Decided I’d rather deal with the devil I know than the devil I don’t - at least for the time being. Oh boy am I having 2nd, no, make that 3rd & 4th thoughts. Here’s why……. Went to orientation. I was the only one of 4 that showed up. I almost didn’t show either. Lots of emotions tied up with this place & my mothers passing. They didn’t have a truck available at the end of orientation so I went home. One was to be available on a Monday. Nope. Stayed in the hotel and it was supposed to be ready Tuesday. Nope. All kinds of jacked up. Went home again. Came up Thursday. Got a truck, took it home. Cleaned it - because people are nasty & the “detail person” is less than thorough, put my junk in it and headed to Miami Saturday for Monday delivery. Discovered along the way that I had an exhaust leak, the wipers decided to only work part of the time, there was something wrong with the hill assist, and the QC liked to blink off/on. Delivered, picked up a load of juice in downtown Miami (what a lovely place that was!), and was told to run it on up to UNFI in Richburg SC. 10 pm appt, but “they’ll take you as soon as you get there”. We ALL know how that goes, right? Get there 2 pm, nope, receiving starts at 10 pm. Go to the little truck stop and we’ll call you. So, at 10 pm I get the call —TELLING ME MY DELIVERY ISN’T UNTIL THE 24th!!!!! Called night dispatch, explained and was told call you DM in the morning. Did that right at 8 am. Took them until noon to tell me to take it to the Knight yard in Charlotte and drop it, go over to the AMX yard in Statesville & grab an mty reefer and bring it to RVA. Sat 24 hours. Now, I spent 120 hours in a truck with an exhaust leak and now I am sick as a dog. Been sick since last Monday. AND if I had been able to deliver that load, I was to pick up tobacco in Wilson and take to Lancaster. I refused to go past RVA, heck I tried to get the truck in the shop coming out of FL. Our terminal manager lost my respect when he said I had to deliver to Lancaster and come back. Um, not only no, but H-E-double hockey sticks NO! So, will I stay, probably not. And if I get a call to go back to where I was, nothing will stop me. Yes, I fell and bumped my dang head. Most places want you to stay out 21 days but say they are family friendly-not. Where I live, it’s containers or food service to be home daily. Containers / port work makes me nervous and I’m too old to be jumping freight. Or stick hauling, which could be fun. I know quite a few I could hire on with, but they are CRAZY mf-ers! So, for now (we’ll not right now because of said sickness), here I am. I will say, I dig that there is access to free tuition. Might avail myself of that and get out of a truck altogether.

 

Truck is back in the shop. I explained what was happening to our shop guy, and he said that he's had to send another Kenworth over to the dealer for the same issue, so that's what they're doing to mine.

He also said they're getting ready to put all the KWs in the fleet (which number around 7 operational vehicles, last I checked) out of service. So there's a fair chance I won't get mine back, repaired or not, and they'll just have me move into another truck.

I sure hope not. I really like my KW, and was really hoping they'd start buying 'em again before I had to move. In the meantime I am taking a week's vacation.

 

Girl, you are glutton for punishment. Screw all that the Devil you know BS. I know your options are limited in Tidewater, but going back to that Shat show.