Prime Inc driver thread

Welcome aboard.... soon.....

 

If you have to wait that long to be loaded can you leave the shipper's lot for a change of scenery or do you have to stay with the trailer?

 

Depends... company guys really don't have much say in the matter, although you can prevail upon your FM to get permission. Lease-ops are independent contractors. As long as the trailer is secure, yeah.

That being said, what ORD relates here is really not common in my experience. I can think of only a couple of times that I was delayed in the dock for that magnitude of time over the last 5 years. Long delays usually come at packing plants, but for the most part we are a drop n' hook operation there - you bobtail to wherever. Most of those places are near enough to civilization that you can get some things done while you wait, and if your FM is on the ball, you're being dispatched close enough to DDT that we're talking only a few hours wait.

Walmart - my experience is 2 hour past appointment, and you're gone. Walmart will get us unloaded ahead of other carriers because we go after detention with them aggressively - those boys don't like to pay us to sleep.

It doesn't matter which division you are in, our job is to provide a service to the shipper and receiver. Too many people get wrapped up in the false idea that the shippers/receivers are there to provide us freight on demand. It doesn't work that way. If you get delayed, that's just part of the game. Getting aggravated over it and hollerin' at the people at our shippers and receivers usually gets the response of YOU go to the end of the line while they IGNORE you. Do it enough, and you'll find yourself driving for Swift.

You get delays, you deal with it. Its all part of a drivers life - just like heavy loads, tough grades, DOT inspections, bad weather, traffic jams, 4-wheelers with no respect, no parking late at night - the list goes on. If you're not able to deal with this, you're probably not cut out for the life.

 

I said we waited "one time". Just to point that out. One thing about a Walmart DC. You usually have plenty of room to back in. I miss that... But not enough to switch back. Speaking of waiting... Dodge City KS should ring a bell lol I know theres regulations but sheesh lol My trainer n I ended up bobtailing for food.

 

Dodge City....FUN.....NOT!

 

And what's wrong with "bobtailing for food?" If ORDs trainer had his act together he would have determined who to call for load status, and the both of you could have been doing something else. There is more to do in Dodge than many other little towns out that way.

DTB - ever been to Schyler NE? Beardstown IL? Garden City KS? Dodge is a veritable paradise compared to those bung holes.

 

Beardstown and Garden City, yes. Schyler, no.

Dropped in Loveland last night. Had a pp before he ever hit the CO state line for a pick up in Liberal, KS then hoofing it to Detroit.

 

He did call... many many times... It wasnt ready yet. Cant remember how long we waited.

 

And what? You guys just sat at the truckstop biotchin' about why your meat load wasn't ready?

 

Nope... went over to Taco Bell lol Then I went to bed lol Wasnt my call. He was trying to get the load