Millis OTR journal

Don't feel bad about having to think about sliding tandems. I was amazed to learn about air sliders, I'm sure they wondered if I had any experience at all when I asked how they worked.

 

First time this has ever happened to me. I showed up right at 1500 today for an appt. Put in the door immediately was loaded in about 15 mins. When I was strapping the load someone from the warehouse came out to the truck to confirm where I was going with the load. Apparently 2 other non millis trucks showed up right after me claiming this load.

 

When I first started at Millis they had a couple that used air for the pins. Took me forever to figure out how to make it work the first time I had one. My dumb ### didn't think to air up the trailer first. Lol.

 

There's a lot of freight theft happening out there like this. I have to wonder if maybe that's what was about to happen here.

 

What was I thinking? Worked at Millis back in 2020 went to MTI and learned how to drive. Left after 6 months due to family member health issues and I needed more hometime. Fast forward to March 2025.
Came back and went OTR. Was out for 21 days and didn't ever break 2000 miles per week. Transferred to Midwest regional. Miles the same. Never could break 2000 miles in a week. Found out today that only the drivers hired after June 1st 2024 are on a different pay protection plan. Used to be $1200 per month gross. Now is only $900. Final straw was my paystub today. Was out 4 days Midwest regional and after paying $248 in benefits and paying $58 in taxes I owed Millis $9.63. That was the last straw for me. Millis is not even close to the same company. Just my experience.

 

Cause it’s owned by heartland express now and they suck

 

The people that showed me how to use the air slider didn't mention the need to let the air pressure build up in the trailer before trying to use the system. Things worked so much better after I learned that.

 

That happened to me once, except I wasn't with Millis then and I was the guy who showed up after the load was gone. After a lot of investigation it turned out the broker had assigned the load to 2 different carriers and I just happened to be the second one that showed up.

I forgot to add this earlier, but when I showed up the receiving clerks told me I had to enter all my data into their new computerized system before they could talk with me. So I did and then they suddenly wanted to talk with me and started trying to figure out how I could have the appropriate details for a load they'd released earlier using this new system that was supposed to be more efficient and accurate. It was all amusing in the end but confusing while it happened.

 

Saw the aftermath of the most disturbing accident I have ever seen in my life yesterday in Michigan. A box truck went full speed into the rear of a doubles gravel truck. The cab of the box truck was squished down to about 6 inches. Driving by that as the emergency crews were working. Knowing that the body of whomever was driving was still in there has bothered me since seeing it. Went online saw that there were 2 fatalities both from the box truck.

 

Aw man. Had a similar situation several years ago. Truck on fire on EB I40 near the Forty North. I was WB. Learned later that the single mother driving that truck died in it so she was probably still in there as I went past.

Alternately, while in Charleston, SC last week I heard a patient report on the scanner where a man had crashed his car into the rear of a stopped tractor-trailer while going 65 mph. Didn't require extrication and sounded like he got out of it with relatively minor injuries. Hopefully he puts his phone down when he drives now.