FedEx Ground Linehaul with JohnBoy

Here’s the last pay period trucking follies recap.

Portland Oregon to KCMO…….1787 miles
KCMO to Warrenton Mo…………185 miles
Warrenton Mo to KCMO…………,185 miles
KCMO to Hagerstown MD……….1001 miles
Hagerstown MD to Ellenwood……659 miles
Ellenwood Ga to Savannah GA…..229 miles
Savannah GA to Ellenwood GA…..229 miles
Ellenwood Ga to Savannah Ga….229 miles
Savannah Ga to Ellenwood Ga…..229 miles
Ellenwood Ga to Metuchen NJ….876 miles

it was a little slow this past week, got just 300 bonus miles, but it’s all good. Still managed to gross $2800 each. This past week that ended midnight last night was a more entertaining week. I’ll get into that recap tomorrow. If you notice the Ellenwood/Savannah trips, that was equipment moves where we brought railroad containers to Savannah then bobtailed back for another. They asked, we said yes, and off we went.

 

Ok, let me catch up with our trucking antics from this past week. First off, the comedy hour started the Wednesday before last. We were on our way back from Portland. I was in the sleeper getting some much needed beauty sleep. I woke up during the day to check my phone and there was a message from my OPS manager. Call when you wake up. So like a good little soldier, I called immediately to be told I got pulled for a random drug screen. Cool, first one since I’ve been working for FEDEX. I checked with Tim and he too was pulled for a random. So now, my pea brain says wait a minute, how can 2 team drivers get pulled in for a “random” at the same time in the same truck? Then I realized, it’s not so random, the week before we ran 8815 miles in one week even though 1 trip was a carryover. Then the thought occurred that it really wasn’t a random for us, but for the truck because of all the miles we piled up. No problem. My OPS manager said that when we get to KCMO we’ll take care of it. Get to KCMO and they have us setup immediately for a dispatch. Called Tom and he said not to turn the dispatch down and keep running. Ok. We did that until last Monday. We got dispatched from Marietta to Minden La on a swap. When we do swaps, especially as a team, our trailer we bring back is timed to meet that nights sort. There’s really no time to do anything but turn and burn. The issue started as soon as I checked back in on my APP. There was no return trip set up even though we were hooked to the trailer sitting at the Loves in Minden. That’s when, even with a $100 billion dollar a year corporation, the fiasco started. We were in the system as out of service. Come to find out, because we were running out of time for the drug screen, they shut us down. I get it, but when they told us to get an uber and go to a clinic 22 miles away, I lost my poop. I told them we’re on our way back to our assigned hub, we’ll be back at 2am and we’ll do it tomorrow in Marietta. Apparently that was over Linehaul’s head. Back and forth we went when I finally told them I’m done and reminded them I’m sitting in a truckstop in Minden La with a trailer full of packages that needs to make a sort tonight 595 miles away and it’s now 4pm. Finally at 5pm we got a call from an unknown person in Linehaul explaining that yes, we can do it tomorrow in Marietta, but that one of us will remain OOS and can’t drive. No problem, it’s a 9 hour drive back and I’m driving. Finally was able to dispatch, got back to the hub at 0230 and was all wizzed in a cup by 0830. There was a Waffle House right next door to the clinic so off we went. While enjoying my eggs and scattered smothered and covered hash browns the call came in that we had a load sitting at the hub headed to Phoenix. No problem, as soon as we’re done eating we’ll be right there. The rest of the day was uneventful. Tim and I agreed, it brought back flashbacks from our Abilene days.

Here is last weeks hijinks.

Metuchen NJ to Marietta Ga…..876 miles
Marietta Ga to Minden La………587 miles
Minden La to Marietta Ga………587 miles
Marietta Ga to Phoenix Az……..1917 miles
Phoenix Az to Denver Co……….945 miles
Denver Co to SLC Ut…………….556 miles
SLC Ut to Pendleton Or…………577 miles
Total miles for the pay period…..6045
Another $2800 pay check each.
I keep throwing out my weekly earnings just to remind myself of a few things.

1) this is the easiest job I’ve ever had
2) the money is great, of which, the first 5700 miles are guaranteed at $4770 whether the truck moves or not, anything over is $1.10 per mile.
3) never ever have I had to play truckstop comedy hour with fuel, parking or any other associated chaos. Nor do I ever have to pay for parking or worry about a parking spot.
4) because of FedEx fuel consumption with PFJ, the drivers get .04 per gallon points with the first gallon purchased. I’ve accumulated this month alone $200 worth of points.

As long as we’re dispatched before midnight on Friday, that trip goes on the previous pay period. We dispatched ourselves at 11:58 pm Friday night, got the time stamp approval and off we went to Pendleton. Got back to SLC Saturday evening and had a load sitting at the hub going back to Marietta. Got back about 7am this morning and here we sit. Told Linehaul our logs will catch up at 11pm tonight, which will allow us to run recaps this week with no problem. Hometime on Friday for a week.

Rumor has it when the new contracts are signed in August, we’re getting a raise. have no idea how much, but the last time it happened teams got a dime on the first 5300 and 20 cents on the bonus miles.

 

I’m thinkings it’s more of someone doesn’t want to get involved and just lets it go. At the drivers expense of course.

 

You would think a company as big as FedEx would have a nurse/collection site at the Hubs. We did at Abilene. 90% of our trucks are at hubs, or near one. But what do I know. They have people far smarter than me figuring this out. Like you say, I’m just a trained monkey.

 

Doing one last swap before hometime and boom, blew out a trailer tire. We were 5 miles from the Murfreesboro hub. Limped it in to the shop, 20 minutes later a new tire and mudflap and off we went to our meet in Clarksville. Must say, this is the first trailer/dolley tire issue in 2.5 years here.

 

At the hacienda. Left the truck at the truck dealer this morning for its first service and to put back together the parts that worked their way loose and fell off. I put everything in a box and left it with the service writer. Tim has his pickup and left to drive home last night. I picked up my car rental last night and left this morning. Will be home until next Friday. I’m having a colonoscopy done on Monday. Hopefully I’ll be 0 for 3.
Here’s this past weeks escapades.

Pendleton Or to SLC Ut………577 miles
SLC Ut to Marietta Ga…………1860 miles
Marietta Ga to Hagerstown Md..648 miles
Hagerstown Md to Norfolk Va….277miles
Norfolk Va to Ellenwood Ga……575 miles
Ellenwood Ga to Calhoun La…..531 miles
Calhoun La to Ellenwood Ga…..531 miles
Ellenwood Ga to Clarksville Tn…299 miles
Clarksville Tn to Ellenwood Ga…299 miles
Ellenwood Ga to Savannah Ga…239 miles
5744 paid miles.

Time to get some r&r and a few things taken care of around the house. Be safe all!