Confessions of a Schneider Newbie

Time for an update.

Finished up my 2400 mile run to Columbia, South Carolina early Monday morning. My DBL then put a couple of short loads on me to work me back toward Atlanta so I could grab a Florida load and head down to see my kids.

First load was to head down I-26 for 60 miles to Elloree, SC and pick up a load of pallets. Take that load 120 miles down I-95 to Savannah. Easy right? Well, there were no empties to be had at Belk in Columbia, so I sent in my request. After waiting 30 mins the Qualcomm goes crazy and changes my pre-assignment. It tells me to go to Belk and pick up an empty!!! WTF!!! I just told them there were no empties at Belk. So I send in the request again, off of the pre-assignment, telling them again there are no empties. 30 mins later, the Qualcomm goes crazy again, and here we go. Now I get to drive 95 miles back down I-20 to Augusta, grab an empty and then drive 95 miles back SE through back country roads to Elloree. Great, just added 120 miles to my day. I get down to Augusta and there is exactly one empty to grab. Hook up and take off, get to Elloree and get loaded with pallets for Savannah. Take my 10, get up on Tuesday and drive the 90 miles left to Savannah. Have to drop and hook, but in the same dock! After the 7 times of hooking/unhooking the trailers I get out of there.

Next load put on me is to do a two stop pickup right there in Savannah and take it to Walmart 240 miles in Atlanta. Appt times for the first pick-up is 11:30, I get there at 9:50. Leave at 12:!5, ok not too bad. 27,000 lbs of rice. Next appt time is at 3:30, only eight miles away. I get there at 1:00, after going to 4 different buildings because the GPS gets lost and none of the buildings are labelled. Finally find the right building, and notice there are about 10 trucks parked all around and on the street. Never a good sign. Go check in and the woman laughs when I tell her my appt is at 3:30!! She says, 'you know it's only 1 right?' No shiznit lady!! She then tells me how backed up they are and I MIGHT get loaded by 5:30. GREAT!! So I go hang out in the truck and every hour come back and check on progress. At 4 pm, 3 hours later, but only 30 mins after my appt time, I get a door assigned. Cool, not too bad. I then proceed to wait.....and wait....and wait...... I notice that some of the warehouse crew are working and reworking on some boxes stacked up and shrink wrapped. I ask if that's my load and am told yes. I wait......and wait...... and watch the warehouse supervisor check and re-check these boxes. Telling the other workers to go back and get more stuff, and more stuff, and more stuff. Until finally at 6:00 they start putting boxes into my truck. No pallets, just boxes shrink wrapped and stacked on these big pieces of paper that they slide around on the floor with the forklifts. 15 minutes to load my truck!!! After waiting for 5 hours. Another 30 minutes waiting on the paperwork. Finally drive away at 6:45, 5 hrs 45 mins after I get there, 3 hrs and 15 mins after my appt time. Only got two hours left on my 14, so much for making it to Atlanta! The truckstop is completely packed of course at this late hour so I wind up in a dirt lot with 10 other trucks across from a convenience store.

Get up today and finish my two hour drive to Atlanta. Drop my load and grab an empty and head over to Coke to do a drop and hook for my Florida bound load. No real problems, seal number was wrong on paperwork, had to get new papers. Left Coke at 11:00 and drove 5 and a half hours down to Ocala FL, where I am now. Will finish the 3 hr drive to Arcadia in the morning for a drop and hook at Wal-mart, then go visit my kids rest of afternoon/evening. Got a live load in Tampa on Friday for a 1000 mile run up to Maryland for a drop and hook on Monday.

Keep it rolling!!!

 

Dropped and hooked my load in Arcadia FL yesterday. Then spent the evening with my kids. Got a live load at 10 am for a 940 mile run up to Baltimore for a Monday delivery. Keep hearing about a Washington DC convoy for Sunday? Looks like I'll be in it!

 

Back at it after five days off. Got a local relay with a live unload, which took two hours. Then got a two stop live load pickup that i am taking 1900 miles to Iowa from LA. Be there Sat.

 

Thanks, but all the credit goes to my DBL. He picks all my loads and tells the planner to assign them to me. I know this is not the norm, I am truly lucky. I rarely have a load put on me that is under 800 miles.