Good Night From II

I will not. This company, from the recruitters up to the owner have been in contact with me for over 8 months waiting for me to come aboard. The head of Safety, a ex driver. Over 20 years experience so he knows what it is like. The only downfall, People net, but they are changing over to Rand McNally soon.

 

Candler, NC at the TA. I almost got delivered today, then found a flat tire so I will deliver tomorrow. I think I would have beaten last month for miles & revenue if I could have gotten there today, which really bites since it was not only my best month since April 2015, but also my best month since I got my truck in October 2013.

 

People Net SUCKS! Been using it for the last 3 months and STILL miss the QualCom.

 

Phoenix terminal.

I got here at around 1415 to swap my truck. That is when the fun began.
The guy at the desk gives me a slip with 3 truck numbers and says to go out and look, choose which one I want.
Want? 2 13's and a 14.
He said all the new trucks for the year have been given out, so pick one.
Let's see... One has a charging problem and can't keep the batteries above 12.5V at idle.
One has no front vent fans working.
One has a camera that is just laying on the dash and is missing things in the bunk area.
All of them need immediate shop time.

When I go back in that guy was gone. There was a lady.
She came out and checked all of my complaints and agreed that all the trucks were not ready for the road.

Then she mentions a ProStar next to them that wasn't on my list. Well, I could not get that one to start.
She came out and tried it with the same result, the first time. Then it fires up, twice in a row.
So now I'm thinking that it has an intermittent problem with the ignition, and I don't want it.
It did have a very nice Bose driver seat, however.

There was only one other possible choice, and it was another ProStar. But it was the newest of the bunch, being a 15.
She went in to check, and it was available.
The only thing I found wrong was a broken latch on one of the cupboards. I'll use some tape to secure it.

I really didn't want to get stuck here waiting for a truck, especially if they were not assigning new trucks, so I found the best one here.
Well, it was the only real 'working' one, to be sure.

Then I go to the shop to get new mattresses. There were none in the truck, top or bottom.
What a joke that was.
They won't give me a top bunk mattress if I don't have another person assigned to the truck.
My daughter is riding with me, but it didn't show up on their computer.

Jumping through hoops seems to be the Swift way of doing things, because no one seems to get the right or complete picture without going through several other people and departments first - and all the while telling me that I have to do the jumping.

I am worn out already, just getting a 'new' truck and a couple mattresses.
But then I need to do the actual truck swap.
It is 113 degrees here in Phoenix today.
I have had my truck since it was new, over 4 years ago, and I have a LOT of stuff.
I'm also getting older...
But I also have my daughter to help me. I think I would have died before I finished, otherwise.
We took the mattress from the Volvo to put in her top bunk. It is a bit ragged and a little too wide, but it will work until I can get the right one.

I could go on, but I am just too tired. We finally got everything put away and are about to eat a little dinner before crashing.
0600 start time tomorrow for a delivery in Otay Mesa.

 

Sorry you had to experience the Phoenix terminal in all it's glory. The rash of recent 110+ temperatures even have the locals on edge. I keep my AC on "stun" from the time I hit Duncan's Buckeye yard until I park the truck for the night.

Tractor assignment was part of the reason I leased a truck back in 2012. You SHOULD have gotten a new or nearly new truck.

Sorry about the Prostar. I would have quit before taking one, YES, I HATE Prostars THAT much.

 

It was either that or be stuck here for how knows long.
If it gets to the point that I hate the truck that much I'll just take a couple weeks off.

 

Hendorsonville, NC at leetle truck stop. Planners sent me a load this morning going to Massachusetts which I declined. After I got unloaded and parked it was time for more sleeps. I wake up to the same preplan on the QC sent twice with a service failure message. Called the DM and said reply to it, they can get bent. Too bad I'm running recap hours again, I almost took one from Tennessee to Tolleson, AZ until I found out it was a Bush Bros load.

 

Can somebody explain to how they can give you a service failure for declining a load?

Oh, that's right. Planners have too much power and no adult supervision.

 

I haven't quit (yet) but I think my time with Duncan has come to an end.

I've had more than my share of bad luck (anything that sends you to the dreaded trouble window) combined with numerous 16+ hour days and a complete lack of time off (6 days on, 34-38 hours off). Since Duncan offers a week off after 90 days I decided to take a week off and regroup.

Did I mention how mind numbing driving the EXACT SAME stretch of highway every 2 days can be?

Anyway, I'm actually gonna talk to IEL and see what my options with Swift might be.

 

Looks like I did over 10k miles again last month, still stoked on the 11489 I did in June. Running from Hendersonville to Augusta tomorrow to get a KC load over to Jenks. I will start bugging a planner to get me one from there for Monday.