here comes another rant

Happens frequently. Was in KC a few weeks ago and was told to go to a receiver and wait for a trailer to become available. I explained to my DM the situation, that 3 other trucks besides myself were there waiting and the earliest PTA for an empty was the next morning. Not even 10 minutes later I got a QC message stating to head to a drop yard with a load going to El Paso.

Point is, explain the circumstances and someone may help you. It isn't guaranteed, but it's better than sitting with no trailer to only have the pre-plan removed.

They know what trailers are where from when it was last pinged in the system. If a trailer hasn't pinged the system and it's been moved by a yard dog, they can't see that.

Nothing you've stated is unusual.

 

I always know where my trailer is cause it's not plural.

 

Sounds like a typical day at Knight Transportation (dry van) ... part of the reason I didn't go back to them after taking a long "sabbatical". Too much unpaid time wasted on wild goose chases and practically having to literally race amongst other drivers across town to try and get to a POSSIBLE MT before they did.

 

Companies cut back on equipment trying to save costs, and they cut back too much. There is also a lack of maintenance personnel at a lot of companies, too, which means more equipment sitting red tagged in a yard somewhere instead of in circulation. Cost cutting gone extreme.

At least you have a truck. At Swift, not only did I have to engage in The Great Trailer Chase, I also had to sit around twiddling my thumbs waiting for a truck on two separate occasions.

 

I went through this often at CRST, I ran all over Dallas one day, trying to find a trailer. Ended up sitting at the UPS yard like a vulture, waiting to grab the first trailer they emptied. All miles that weren't paid and burning up your clock.

Same thing happened up in NJ one night, with my co-driver. They sent us to pick up a trailer, when we finally found the yard that was hidden down under a overpass behind a bunch of abandoned buildings, the trailer was buried in the back row. It was so tight that we had to move four other trailers to get it out, just to find it had two flats.

This was all so we could pull it 30 miles and drop it at a customer.

Again unpaid miles and wasted hours.

Just one of the experiences that made me leave the Crash and Roll Stunt Team.

 

Just wanted to add to your frustrations GRavedigr, its the weekend! This will most likely amplify your current crappy situation! I feel for you man.

You could look at the bright side, you aren't an O.O. so you aren't paying for fuel while looking for a trailer. That used to make me so mad!

 

Dont you love when you call in and tell them "Theres no empty here" and the dispatcher is like "Sure there is my computer shows an empty being there" and there ends up really being no empty there.

They lose track of equipment all the time.

 

My personal favorite came from BIG G at a Walmart in Cullman.

"No MT's here"

"Checking to see"

"Look for trailer xxxxx or xxxxxx"

"Not here no mt trailers in mt trailer lot"

"Planner says find those trailer numbers in MT lot"

"Sorry I do not speak planner. Please translate for me: There is not one #### BIG G MT trailer in the mt lot at walmart in Cullman Al. Looking for an 8 foot high bright friggin orange G is far easier than six inch high black numbers but both methods have failed to reveal the golden fleece er I mean trailer. So now what??"

"Uh Bill planners read these messages as well. They also plan your loads no what I mean?"

"Explains why I am on a wild goose chase for an MT that does not exist. Tell me is that a college course or just a physical position to speak planner?"

"BT to Steelcase for load"


"Arrived shipper call:comments. Hey Phil assume planner speak and inform him both those trailers he sent are here at SC. You want I should do a yard check so we can figure out where our trailers are?"

"Planner say's he will move those trailers but the computer tracks location no yard check"


Actual as far as I can remember qcom conversation with Phillip in my short time there.