Central Refrigerated Truck Stop III

Good question. If a broken chain is an accident what about a flat tire? Or when retread separates from the trailer tire? Do these things go on your "internal DAC" too? I guess these are yet more things we're going to have to learn as we go.

 

Back when central was central I had a retread separate. Called OTRM and got it fixed. A few months later I was doing a defensive driving course for a separate issue. And the safety guy let me see my internal accident/incident record. And it wasn't on there.

 

I got a critical event today, came around a cornet to stopped traffic on the freeway. I stopped quick, and got a critical event. I didn't hut anything, and I was probably 100 feet behind the car in front of me, but the triangle flashed and flashed, and critical event reporting came across the screen, and then I got this lengthy message from Swift. I don't remember all of it, but it was "we understand sometimes drivers have to make evasive maneuvers like stopping, but you need to be careful." Funnily enough, I got a phone call right after, which I ignored. I was sure it was Swift and I was trying to get somewhere. Turns out it was for something else, but they also called out of phoenix, so I worried until I got the voicemail.

 

I don't know about the internal DAC, but I know our OTR guys don't freak out. I blew two tires this week, the brake on that axle didn't release, and by the time I wove my way out of the parking area and noticed it, kaboom! It took me forever to get it fixed, but the general mood from the 2 OTR guys I talked to was "it happens." Now how the Swift safety folks will see it, I don't know, but I'm not going to worry until someone says something to me. That was my trailer from hell anyway

 

Chains broke and it was no fault of mine because I was following chain requirement laws set by oregon dot that had me driving on bare road for miles! I wasn't the only one to lose chains, they were scattered all over that stretch. Truckers were complaining on the cb, the worst part about it was that they had a DOT station right where the requirements were lifted and an officer sitting there busting guys for saving their chains from damage. They didn't lift the requirements until 6pm.. yesterday was a day I hope that doesn't repeat anytime soon. I remember being told in school and by my trainer that OTRM can't get messages via reply button, but at the time I didn't and ended up sitting and waiting an additional 4 hours because of this.

On another note, today is going great. Weather looks to be fair, I have an appointment time for 11am I'm sitting only 10 miles from the receiver and I got a preset load on some decent miles that picks up only 50 miles from here. Today I got my previous trip scanned in, took a shower, cleaned and organized my truck, ate lunch. Hopefully everything will go smooth.

 

I have a question to the other O/O about fuel surcharge... Ive been given three different explinaitions of how they are now doing the surcharge. Central says it is still the same only we are not given the negotiated cost to base our fuel stop choice on. Swift tells me that we pay pump price and are given .28 per loaded mile.

According to my settlements it is neither. It comes out to a discount of .28 per gallon from the pump price. An average of $3.60 that I have to pay for fuel. Cant make any money that way.

What have you noticed your fuel surcharge to actually be??

 

I hope you got that Student taken care of. I would hate to think that your change of heart in company's has messed with his job. I know that if nothing else sitting at your house with no income could not have been good for him.
I left heartland yesterday, got a good local job running Florida. But working for them up that way was good for me. Not O/O income, but not bad for company driving, and even better if you wanted system and out longer. But the regional out of Columbus is not bad. I did it for 4 years and had no real issues. Plus Buffalo is the terminus for many loads out of Columbus, so easy to get home if out of that terminal. Difficult to get home if out of Carlisle terminal.
Just an option if you are looking.

 

Funny you should mention this. I did a pickup last week, to drop in our yard, and I mentioned that we'd been assimilated by Swift. One of the women behind the counter mentioned they'd heard that, and that dealing with Swift now, instead of Central, was an experience. They didn't sound too fond of it.