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

you guys and your phones are smarter then me
i barely make this laptop work

 

After finally getting my password reset, what'd I miss?

 

I would have to argue, John. In my case It may actually be cheaper to keep her!

 

Absolutely nothing!

 

I'm home. Dropped Jason off at his house in Punta Gorda yesterday afternoon then drove home. I drop my trailer in Doral on Monday, then will come back out Wednesday. Get to celebrate my wife's birthday on Tuesday by not mentioning it, kinda like just being here with my mouth shut. She acts as though she's the only woman on earth turning 55.

I again need to give a shout out to our shop. My truck is 9 months old, has 180k on the clock and has given me zero problems. These miles have been hard miles, hell, just this last go around we did 3 rounds to California. My front end took a beating and needed an alignment and shocks. The fan would come on and not shut off until we shut the truck down, and a valve that controls the flow of the engine coolant through the system sprung a leak. The front end was taken care of Tuesday after we got back from Henderson NC, the other two issues required parts to be ordered. They came in on Wednesday and the truck was good to go Wednesday afternoon. Thanks Joe and Jon!

Jason is coming along just fine. He tested out again and passed his stage 3 test. He now needs to go out to the PNW one trip and to NYC another and he's done. While my truck was laid up I grabbed a loaner and practiced backing with him for a while in the yard. I told Mark, Scott and Bill that when we cut him loose, I'll have absolutely no problem signing off on him.

Now the fun part. The company announced a raise for the solo drivers retroactive to the beginning of this last pay period, teams will be getting there's shortly. Based on experience and how long someone has been here it's up to .4 cents per mile, then it's a penny raise every year until you hit .42. They also gave us some other increases in detention pay and other areas. What does this mean for me? As a trainer I now make my solo pay with the raise as a trainer. Simple math? I just ran 11,050 for this past pay period. The old pay scale had me at $3315, with the new retroactive raise, that is now $4199. Yes, if one does the math that comes out to $8400 per month just on mileage pay, that won't be happening with me, I'm not running no more then 2.5 weeks, my hometime is far more important then running those type of miles. I'm very thankful for the raise, I knew about this raise a week ago but was sworn to secrecy. Wednesday I was called into a meeting with Mark and was the first driver that was officially notified about the raise. Yesterday I sent an email to the powers to be thanking them for the raise. I let them know that it goes a long way in my eyes that I'm acknowledged for the job I do. There's other variables involved with this raise on a company level and I get it. I just wanted to say thanks for it.

My last company that I was at flat out told me no raise after I was there 4 years, I vividly remember telling the President in his office what an insult it was to not get a raise, he said there was nothing he could do, I said to myself that there was something I could do, and I did. I left. The rest is history. I have always said, in the 36 years of driving, If I'm happy, am treated with respect and allowed to do my job, then the company I work for has a dedicated employee. The raise? for me it's just a way for the company to make me that much happier. Do I want to make more? sure, I wish I could be paid based on the time away from home, that won't happen. The next best thing is a mileage raise. It took me 2.3 years to get one here, it took 4 years at the last place for me to finally say enough. Like I said when I left the last place, I wasn't worth the 2 cents I was asking for. Here? At least I know I'm worth something.

 

Very nicely said JohnBoy. The raise really goes a long way for me too. It shows that they appreciate the hard work and the pride I take in doing a good job.

 

bet fat Tommy wishes he woulda come up with the 2cents your looking for

 

You think? Funny you should mention him, I have an issue going on right now with him and his company that is a simple fix, but of course, so far it's turning into a battle. Not a problem though, if what is going on isn't handled properly by them, my Calex thread will be resurrected next Saturday morning, and it won't be nice.

 

Please,please let me know. That guy has been bad news for a long time. Saturday is my birthday you could give me a birthday present