I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Me: I've only got 2.5 hrs left on my 14, how long to load this trailer?

Shipper: Oh, we can feeneesh een abow dirty to forty fie meenees. Joo unhook an park eena street, we call joo when we feeneesh, okay? (Read phonetically)

Me: Well, Ima take a power nap. (Zonks out with phone next to ear)

(Phone rings, waking me) Okay we feeneesh now, joo come get papers

2.5 hours have passed, forcing me into 35 minutes of 14hr rule violation to reach safe haven as there is no parking allowed at shipper site or in the town limits.

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH....

 

Timed my arrival at Unilever for 1600, when my load out would be ready. We grabbed showers and dinner, and arrived refreshed and ready to do a truck swap. The drop and hook went smoothly, we slid over to the yard, got the keys to the new unit...and the batteries are so shot that when I turned on the cutout switch it wouldn't even light up the APU control box.

Another half day shot to h3ll. Lost 5 hrs drive time--since the shop is closed nights, we have to wait around til morning for a jump start and pray the batteries aren't truly ruined.

There goes my mileage goal for the week. This puts me back a full day on my run to Denver so I won't get paid on it this week.

The door was unlocked, which tells me some nitwit climbed into the truck to have a look around and left an interior light on or something, then somebody else turned off the cutout switch later (after the batteries had already been drained). At least that's how it used to happen at another carrier.

On the tail end of everything else that has happened in the last couple of weeks, this really has me disproportionately upset.

 

Caught that, did you...?

 

Spent all morning getting batteries charged. And inflating 8 out of 10 tires. And tightening mounting bolts on a cab fairing that was falling off.

This truck was not ready.

Oh, and it has 313K miles on it, about Gordon's stated trade cycle limit.

I got moving finally, with just enough time to make on time delivery, and got less than six miles when the flashing regen light comes on. Call shop. "Pull over, you're about to derate." There goes on time delivery; no way can I drive all night.

I've about had it.

 

Drove all evening and pushed it in for on time delivery. Up close to 20 hours--I'm beat. Night dispatch called to thank me for "extraordinary service" (company avoided a fine).

Night dispatcher knew about what a lousy few weeks it's been for me. We talked, I gave her details--she got quiet for a minute and said, "Something's fishy. This doesn't happen over and over again. I've been here a long time. This ain't right; something's going on and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. By all rights we should have lost you two weeks ago and you're showing me this kind of work ethic? We can't afford to lose a guy like you. You hang tough; I'm making you my project."

Okay.

I'm staying tuned. For now.

 

Just got to wondering if being a project is like being a "kept man?"

Don't wanna end up as some lady dispatcher's booty call. I got more than I can handle with the Hot Chick.