Good Night From II

Actually was at the Phx yard today, switching vehicles, if anyone is there and bored she needs a wash.

 

Oklahoma ... Since I came back out after the 4th of July, I've only run 4 Swift loads in 6 weeks ... I've really come to loathe dealing with Swift ... out of those 4, 3 have had issues.

Dealing with the Swift CSR/Planners is a real pain, after dealing with the personal service and professionalism I get with Command. 6 hours today to get an mt and I had to do all the leg work with the customer.

 

Lol,your just now coming around to that conclusion?

 

I see that I'm not the only O/O getting sick of Swift's CRAP!
Problem it's getting worse and I honestly don't think that anyone at Swift cares.

 

Been sick of it for along time...but it must be really bad for mystic to complain....just sayin

 

Refinery, NM. Glad that I did not show early for my trailer today. It was not even ready. It was in the shop until 1030 this morning. Well so far from the yard to here, 6.8mpg. DM sends me a message today. Wants to see if there might be a dedicated account out of TX or OK that I might be happy with so that I can stay in the area that I like to run. Never knew that I liked to run in OK. I told her thanks but with my home time between OH and PHX, how would that really help. SHe just told me that she has to find something to make my happy. She is getting in trouble for all of the loads that I am refusing. Well, simple, let me run the areas that I really like, leave me alone and when I am in that area, stop pulling me out of there, and when you are going to give me a crap sandwich, have something at the other end that will be sweet. Not leave me hanging. Said that she will talk to me on Monday. We will see. Might have to be a conference call with her and the TM. Lately I am getting tired of being talked at and over and not being listened to.

Oh and like Steve, I am going to boycott Denver. Tired of their games. Even on MAC 30 last Wednesday had 3 offers for cans. The only problem, 1k miles and 4 days to do it.

 

You are lucky you bobtailed. That Love's parking lot is small and was designed by someone that drove a truck all their life, a pickup truck.

In terms of trying to stay within a fuel route I never sweat it when I make a wrong turn.

Even if "Judy" can save a mile by running through the middle of Smalltown USA instead of an interstate she will route you through Smalltown. Don't just blindly get the load and run according to Judy. Break out the Rand McNally and get on Google Maps to find the most efficient route options.

I'll grant that Judy has taken me through some pretty fine scenery and some surprisingly decent roads, but then there are those "other" times...

The third load I ran when I was solo originated in Longmont, CO and delivered in Logan, UT. Judy had me go from Fort Collins to Laramie on US-287, which is a pretty drive once you get out of the traffic of Fort Collins. From there the sane trucker will take I-80 west to I-84, then north on I-15 and then US-89 northeast into Logan. Judy had me get off I-80 to take US-30 to Bear Lake, then US-89 through some challenging passes and NARROW very tight turns on a 2 lane highway through some of the busiest campgrounds in the state. At times my trailer was within four feet of rock walls and no room to swing wide because of oncoming traffic. Throw in 8% grades with recommended turn speeds of 15 mph and that route had to have cost me at least an additional four hours and 30 gallons of fuel.

I had another load last year while with my "training DM" not long after going solo, from Rapid City, SD to Pocatello, ID. Judy routed me through Yellowstone National Park. By the time I figured that out after my fuel stop I got on the Qualcomm and sent a message noting Yellowstone is truck restricted and I was going to continue west on I-80 to take an alternative (can't remember which). I started driving and then all of a sudden got a QC message telling me to call urgently. So I call, get on hold, and then got into a conference call with my DM and her boss and they had to double-check the route. I explained that if they wanted to force me to go to Yellowstone, then they are going to pay me the miles to turn around and come back north to I-80 and run the way I found. After 30 minutes they finally agreed to let me run the route I wanted.

Since that time there's only been once I've ever notified my DM I'm going to run a different route, that time from LA to Pueblo when I ran I-40 and I-25 instead of I-15 > I-70 > US-50. Judy's way would have saved a whopping 25 miles on a 1000 mile run, but taken me over some bad terrain in the middle of winter through small towns. Other than that time I've never ever played "Mother, May I?" again and never heard a peep about it.

My time is my asset. I'll run the most efficient way from point A to point B, unless there's a section of Smalltown I'd like to see. Even in some of the training videos they explicitly say to do proper trip planning and stay on interstates whenever possible.

 

lipton...got here and there were alot of spots open. suprised me lol. anyways, i wish i got an mt at pepsi. now ave to wait and find one whenever they decide to send me a preplan

 

You must have arrived at that Love's at a time of day when trucks were out for appointments. Lucky you!

I've been sitting in Edwardsville going on 18 hours after t-calling a load here yesterday afternoon. Sent almost 10 mac-30's with no load offers, although I DID get one load offer right after sending a mac-30 last night...

... for a live unload in KC on Monday morning!???

First, if there IS an available load that magically appears after sending and getting a "no loads available" from mac-30 then are the planners in Edwardsville keeping loads in their hip pocket?

Second, I need to pick up a new trainee in Jurupa Valley asap. He finished orientation last Thursday and will need to sit and wait for me to get back and take a 34. Is a piddly little local delivery the ONLY thing that Edwardsville has to offer? Is Edwardsville like JV in that you normally have to do a local delivery to get an empty and THEN they send you on a long haul? If so then why not show that with a stacked load?

I turned down the local load, noting I need to get to JV asap.

I know that folks here dislike some terminals, like Denver, but this is my first time sitting in Edwardsville. Any E/KC veterans out there that can give some feedback?

 

Sounds like good times folks. I've graduated from the Richmond Academy (a week early to boot) and am taking a week with the family to recover from what ever plague I picked up at the hotel. I passed my test in Chester, VA and now have my CDL once again!

I'll be in Richmond at orientation starting one week from Monday.