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

I'm home. Got here yesterday morning after getting empty at a new Publix in Doral with 6 other Abilene trucks. We all were empty by 9am. I was home at 9:15. Now I'm off until Monday.

I've been around this business a long time, and I've always said, the worst job in trucking is the Fleet Manager. I now am on my 6th FM since joining Abilene. Mark gave his notice 2 weeks ago and yesterday was his last day. Number 6 is being trained right now, let's see how long this lasts. For me personally, it doesn't matter, the way we are set up the load planner does the actual dispatching, the FM is actually a baby sitter, in my case they are really my secretary. Stay tuned!

 

I've spoke to a few drivers since Mark resigned his FM/Trainer Manager position, hell, I've even spoke to him, but no one has told me who I'm being baby sat by while they find yet another warm ### to put in the hot seat. I got home Wednesday, was suppose to be home Friday, so like a good soldier, I told Mark I would be ready to come out on Monday, instead of Tuesday. We shall see how this plays out. The procedure here is to call in the day before you are ready to leave out, my problem is that at times calling in is like calling Bob in some call center in India.

I was in my closet at the house yesterday putting together my fall/early winter clothes, my wife looked at me like I was nuts, then I told her that September 1st is a big day in trucking, we need our snow chains to be compliant in Colorado. That sent her out of the room.

I'm scheduled to get another trainee next week, only if the new trainee doesn't smoke, dip, chew spit, vape or what ever else a tobacco loving person does. Sorry folks, never in my almost 60 years have I ever done any of it, so my thinking is being cooped up in a 50 sq. ft. space while a trainee is doing any of it won't cut it. I thought vaping would be acceptable, but after living with Jason for 3 months while he vaped, and me having a headache from it every day, that's out also. I'm sure there's maybe one or two new CDL holders out there that don't, if not, then I'll stay solo until one comes through the revolving door of trucking.

Meanwhile, on a non-trucking topic, we need to go pick up two of our dogs at the doggie hospital, Bonnie, the female Llasa and Coco the Chocolate Lab, have been in the hospital recuperating from ACL surgery on their knee's. This ought to be fun.

 

Oh well, if I don't get a non smoking, dipping, chewing, spitting or vaping trainee soon, then it'll have to wait until the spring. Like I tell my wife, whether I have a trainee or not, I still have a job.

Bonnie and Coco are doing fine. It's now a 6-8 week recovery process. In the last 3 years this is now the third time we've done this. Our Yellow Lab was first 3 years ago. It is just a coincidence with this injury, it isn't from anything more than twisting or pulling their leg.

 

Ok, my wife was reading this blog while I was fixing her computer and mentioned to me it sounds as though I'm a little miserable with my job........

I guess I should defend myself. I've been doing this job since March of '79. In that time I've had a total of 5 employers, and started a business of my own in '94 that I sold in '08 for a very big payoff. I drove for 2 employers for 14 years. I've been around trucks my whole life, learned how to back one up at 15 at the families produce business in Hunts Point Market.

I have countless miles of safe driving under my belt, never had an accident, incident or anything else on my record. My issue? These companies are running around looking for bodies to put in these seats to fill trucks. I train, I'm easy to get along with. I don't like the pressure put on me or the other trainers to get these seats filled. My track record here? Not very good, in fact, after 2 years of training, not one has made it 6 months. Is that my fault? Nope. I can spend the next hour writing about everyone that failed here or quit, but I won't. My problem is that after all these years, I'm a little jaded about who I share the road with.

I constantly hear from new drivers, "How hard can this be"? For me? Not hard at all, but it's taken me 36+ years to get to this point. I'm disgusted hearing from these new drivers that they were told in school their training will allow them to pass the CDL test, the company you hire on with will train you. Really? Then let me tell you, when you can't get cut loose from my training, then maybe you should go back to the school that graduated you and tell them it's a little harder in the real world.

Experienced drivers are leaving this industry in droves. People like me aren't looking for a new employer, they're looking for better working conditions. I work for a pretty good company, I'll gross $72k this year, I earned every penny of that, none of it was given to me. I have 4 years left of this, it's not going to change one bit between now and then, so why change? I'll be one of those experienced drivers that will be leaving this profession. After 36 years of this I've had it, not with my company, but with everything I have to deal with when I leave Richmond or my house.

While I'm still at this, I'll do everything in my power to do it safely, share the road with the motoring public and get back to my wife and home. This profession has been very rewarding to me. Out of 36 years of doing this, I have been able to put money into my retirement account 34 of those years, put 3 kids through college, kept a marriage together through it all, and started and sold a business. When I look back at all that I am very grateful for this career, I just don't like what it's turned into.