Foodliner, DBA, Gless Bros, Blue Grass Ia.

Discussion in 'Gless Bros Foodliner' started by im6under, Jun 8, 2008.

  1. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    Feb 13, 2007
    iowa
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    Got my truck back from the shop yesterday, had turned it in because the A/C didn't work for doodie... it would blow cool air but not cold.

    new A/C compressor, 2 new hoses, (2) new filter dryers, (2) new expansion valves...???

    what no new evaporator coil???? might as well have all brand new right???

    shop supervisor didn't look to happy...

    apparently they originally changed the filter dryer and expansion valve and did something a little uh-ohhhish...? because the filter exploded internally sending little dryer beads through the system plugging up and junking everything.

    2 things I'm glad for...

    1) I can't run the a/c on high anymore... it freezes me out and will make your hand hurt if you leave it over the vent more than a few seconds.

    2) It's a company truck and I'm not paying the bill on it... can you imagine what the bill would be for something like this from a dealership???

    YOWZA !!!

    Bob the big cheese at the shop left me a nice thank you/apology note hanging on the air brake valve.

    "sorry for the inconvenience and taking twice to fix the problem.
    left the truck running for about an hour with a thermometer in the seat. It pulled the cab down to 40 degrees so I'd say we have it licked this time.

    also replaced the wiper blades and had the kid wash it inside and out.

    if anything else comes up, let us know, that's why we're here."


    yeah, no fooling, they wiped it all down and armor-alled the dash... and it looked liked they had acid washed all the aluminum??? brite satin finish made it look like brand new; tanks, wheels, steps...

    musta been a slowwwwwww day at the shop??? eh???

    whatever... I'll takes whats I can gets... :biggrin_25525:
     
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  3. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    Feb 13, 2007
    iowa
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    BTW:

    Gless pays you to have to swap all your stuff from truck to truck... I didn't know this... and had actually until a few weeks ago not moved-into my truck.

    Had been living very spartan because I know what its like dragging all the crap from one truck to another, NOT fun at all.

    anyways, 2 weeks ago or there abouts, I moved in. Got all situated and only had the truck about a week when the a/c fiasco started. I dredded swapping trucks. it can take 2-3 hours and I'm not into musical chairs.

    anyways, a fellow driver, says "charge'em for it".

    huh???

    yezza on your trip sheet just check the hours worked box, write in swappin trucks, and call for a p.o.

    hmmmmm??? really???

    As it turned out, they only had my truck for two-days... but for all I knew at the time, it could have been two weeks, so I lugged all my stuff out to the shop-dog loaner and moved-in.

    billed the comp 1 1/4 hours and I got paid for it.

    yesterday I only took about 45 minutes to toss every thing back into my truck so I didn't bill or call for a p.o. figured I'd spend the weekend moving in properly and truthfully I shouldn't have moved out for a two day deal... just I didn't know it was only going to be a two-day deal at the time and I didn't want to be without my blankie for a couple of weeks.

    still nice to know they do pay for the inconvenience...

    I imagine it isn't a big deal sending the truck to the shop for the guys that are right there at a terminal... but I'm 150 miles from the terminal and am seldom there. last time I turned the truck in it took me three weeks to get a break to go back and get it.

    this isn't gless' fault... they'd make time for me to dead-head down and fix a problem or pick the truck up as the case may be...

    its just that most of my runs take me north, further away from the terminal and not closer to it. I prefer to keep rollin on the much higher dollar runs than to kill a day dinking with the shop.

    I imagine the guys that live by a terminal probably just leave the truck with a mechanic on friday and pick it up monday after their restart without ever swapping trucks at all... that's what used to do at Transport America anyways, just leave a honey do list and head home.

    That really isn't an option for me in my present circumstance, probably won't be for "joe" either... poor "joe" lol

    the other 99% of the time not being at a terminal location definately pays its divid-ends...

    I really enjoy the luxury of not being under the eye ball...

    I'm sure its all in my head... but if you're like me, you know what I mean...

    I don't like being seen, I'll fax you my bills and you direct deposit my money... and the less we see of each other the better...

    freight gets moved and everybody's happy... hehehe:yes2557:
     
  4. MO family man

    MO family man Heavy Load Member

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    Oct 31, 2007
    Nunya, MO
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    This all makes me so happy. I have been a basket case the past week. I start orientation on Monday. Got a call Thursday from...#### I suck with names, the General Manager over in Blue Grass. He had arranged a ride there for me on Monday:biggrin_2554:, this save a few pesos that would have gone for gas. He tells me I got a few days there then they will have me drive my truck back to Ottumwa (Or Eddyville not sure). Apparently time spent with the trainer will be done in my truck:biggrin_2554:. That's different for me but sounds like a plan. As far as your last few lines I agree. I am a middle of the pack kinda guy and don't care to be noticed if possible.
     
  5. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    Feb 13, 2007
    iowa
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    tongue in cheek this is what sucks to beat all heck about this compnay...

    a total lack of consistency...

    I average about $1200 a week, some weeks $1100, most 12 and one $1300... (long week)

    the runs come so that you are going to be a tired boy... they don't start at 8a.m. daily. some days I do a short run in the afternoon and am thinking I will be broke this week... then that is followed by an early morning (long) run that makes you think whats the point going home??? I'll just sleep in the truck.

    I don't... I always drag home and make the best of the money as it comes.

    ok, now this is with my normal dispatch/fleet manager guy. Now, I gotta tellya I love ol'bob and he takes pretty good care of me but I also hate him at times and am sure he is out to get me... lol:biggrin_25516:

    well, bob was on vacation this last week... and was filled in for by one of the regular drivers... MAN !!!! DO I MISS BOB !!!!!!!!

    I did short run... short run,.... short run.... one day I did a 57 mile run and headed home for the day after three hours... was thinking I might make $800 for the week and was not happy with life at all... (complain complain complain)

    guy see's me friday at noon in between runs and says you wanna run saturday???

    I say (thinking $800 on the week) sure but have you got a longer run so its worth my time???

    guys says no prob can put you on a biron... pays $213.

    great... cuz a grand is better than 800 right...

    do my other run, fill the truck for the following day and the people net beeps...

    saturday run to biron (beep beep) and sunday leave for north dakota gotta be there by 4 a.m. monday

    WHAT THE HECK ???? try to call the guy and no answer

    also no weekend off and no restart....

    do the math out... and.... I head for biron right then. drop and run home saturday morning,

    guy calls saturday... hey I'm in a pinch can you run sunday, a load also???

    what the heck??? no way !!!! my book is stuffed eight ways from straight and blah blah blah...

    do my 34 and head to north dakota... drive all night, sleep in the ewwww sleeper again and head back home... to my bed and blankie...

    today... I have a short run 57 miles each way... 2pm - 5 pm.

    bob is back.... and I won't complain quite so much... but am still thinking that next run will be leaving at 3.a.m. tuesday morning... after sitting on my can all day monday....

    the thing that erks me... I did all these short runs because alot of guys were on vacation... so many in fact... we had to farm out loads to non dedicated people...

    guess what??? I did the crappy short, no pay runs, while they were off on the gravy train...

    the reasoning... we can't pay 100 deadhead, give a guy a 57 mile run and then pay him another 100 deadhead home... it doesn't make sense.

    what????? the 200 deadhead happens regardless, to get the guy here... who gets the gravy run is a separate issue... IMO

    he drives 200 deadhead plus 450 run and I do 57 is 707 miles

    just I am stuck with no pay....

    vs I am the regular guy I get the 450 and the fill-in gets 257 ????

    yeah !!!! try reasoning, using logic and you are sunk from the get go.... lol

    same number of miles ???? just working one to death and starving the other looks better on paper????:biggrin_2554:

    I'm still gonna make 60k this year so it is hard to complain to much... and I've only been out three times over night now. just 2 were on the same weekend... three day period.

    did I mention I MISS BOB ???:biggrin_25525:

    and... a few years down the road... I'll bump up a spot... and be making 70k. That guy leaves at 6a.m. is home by 5p.m. 5-6 days a week depending how he is feeling.... ????

    oh please !!!! lol "hit me" and make it hurt like that.... lol
     
  6. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    There really aren't any big complaints...

    show-up do your work and head home...

    the biggest peave I've had is sometimes it seems hard to get a straight answer.

    nobody really knows what's going on is my impression.

    Schneider... they have a manual a mile thick covering every possible occurance and some fairly implausible ones also...

    Gless seems more easy going... how should I ??? (fill in the blank).

    and you'll likely get several different answers. none of them totally in left field wrong but all of them being slightly or mostly correct.

    how do you get to biron wi. ???

    well you can go like joe goes, like bob goes, or frank goes, or find your own way over there...

    huh???

    dispatch says, 2a.m. delivery, hydrite says midnight, peoplenet says 6am and bob says.... anytime between midnight and 900am is fine. or else he says 5:00 a.m. and be on time.

    huh??? how do you know the difference? it isn't written down anywhere, it is more a matter of experience.

    our appointments are either hard pat and firm or round-a-bout suggestions but you can also put it off til tomorrow if need be flexible. huh ????

    apparently tank space is limited and when some call they are saying I'll be out now maybe...

    others mean... I have 50 trucks coming in that day and if your late 5 minutes... end of the line....

    Gless is small and nimble and its main attribute imo is nothing is in-flexible. They make there money by being able to cater to the customers needs. For some customers this means rigid attention to detail, for others its the freedom to call and have a load show up 4 hours later.

    morphing the transportation needs of fortune 100 companies with joe's bar and grill people is not the easiest task at times... but its what we do...

    often to the confusion of the new recruits who see "real" chaos and wonder how everything gets done when everybody is running in circles with no master game plan.

    this in actuallity is the game plan as near as I can tell...

    run around chasing your tail while keeping a watchful eye on the big picture. be able to recognize when we need that full throttle burst and then spring into action with 110% effort... followed by more chasing your tail... lol:biggrin_2554::biggrin_25525::biggrin_25525:

    pays the bills... and I'm getting more used to it.

    laz around at a leisurely pass one day... and run like the dickens the next... this is the plan and it works... So long as bob doesn't go on anymore vacations, that is... :biggrin_25519:
     
  7. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    Feb 13, 2007
    iowa
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    proof in the pudding:

    my 2p.m. now doesn't want it until... 4 p.m.

    and they'll get it...
     
  8. MO family man

    MO family man Heavy Load Member

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    Nunya, MO
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    You are killin' me me. You wrote what has been going through my mind this past few days. Who's in charge? I dunno but somebody keeps dropping pieces of paper in my box telling me where to go. I was under the impression I would be in Blue Grass three to four days...out in a day and a half. "We like to keep you with a trainer for three weeks or so so we have a warm fuzzy feeling about you" Six days later..."Well you seem like you really know what you're doing so have at it" I do feel like I understand what I am doing at the customers(Thanks Jimmy!!!) but I really get confused as how it is determined what we are doing each day.

    I can say I am loving life so far. I love the laid back attitude of Gless and at the same time their attention to detail at serving the needs of their customers. It is such a world change from what I was used to.
     
  9. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    Feb 13, 2007
    iowa
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    people net / qualcom / typical large trucking company.

    your gizmo beeps and it has your next load info on it. sometimes several days out.

    Gless has a gizmo also, its mostly good for getting your manisfest number, (pay day number at the top of the page) and a delivery time. everything else it can do... well... its probably wrong because things can change that quickly. lol

    not sure about Jimmy, but my Bob gets the info directly from the shipper...

    he then makes out a schedule and sends this to corporate.

    corporate enters the info into the computer and I get it in the truck.

    bob makes out the schedule the day before or night before the runs.

    corporate send them out whenever they get time.

    meaning you might be unloaded before you know you are leaving...

    or you might be heading home and get message you are late for wherever you just came from. :biggrin_2554:

    one day I got a message on my way to wisc telling me stop and drop in iowa, 200 miles ago...

    and I get wrong addy's all the time. this because the receiver doesn't always want the product delivered to themselves...

    so...

    the gizmo is right about 80% of the time... but if bob or jimmy has told you what to do... that's what you do period... It my be several hours before you get a change order from the gizmo assuming you will ever get one.

    pays good :biggrin_25526:
     
  10. im6under

    im6under Heavy Load Member

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    Feb 13, 2007
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    you guys in eddyville are spoiled... we don't have boxes, just a desk in the old bathroom at the customers... lol spare masks, log books, pipe fittings in the left drawer, extra rolls of toilet paper in the right. :biggrin_2552:

    LOL !!! yeah, as soon as they figure out you have a half a brain, "BAM!!!!" out on your own you go... try not to hurt yourself... lol

    Glad you are loving loving it... it gets better and easier as time goes on also. It did for me anyways... driving gets better/faster. Stops take less time as you get used to the equipment. and you kinda get used to the different customer's ways of doing things.
     
  11. MO family man

    MO family man Heavy Load Member

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    Oct 31, 2007
    Nunya, MO
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    I was just at your little patch of heaven last week. Is it an office or the foyer for the can? Course at least your office has an attached john. At Ottumwa it's either head behind the trailers or use the john in Oxidental's office.
     
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