Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Banker · Jan 25, 2023

road_runner said: ↑

Well gentlemen (and possibly a few ladies),

I spent the last two months bouncing around the entire country after being laid off. I went from LTL in South Carolina to ice road trucking in Montana hauling hay and animal feed. After three weeks of working the farm, I threw in the towel (long story) and came back to SC to being unemployed.

There is no problem so bad that I could not make worse and signed on to a temp agency which found me CDL A job with a company that installs guard rails. I was advised that it would be a labor intensive job, but with a recent notice of being delinquent on my water bill and a stern warning that they would cut my water off, I accepted the position anyway.

The job was absolutely abysmal. 40 hour work week condensed into four days with Fridays off. It consisted of repeatedly lifting posts that weigh 60-90 lbs (depending on length) and erecting and mounting 25 foot sections of guard rails that weigh 250 lbs (we only used two people for this process).

Long story short, it didn't work out. This job has a 100% turnover rate, with some people quitting halfway into their first shift. I lasted 6.5 shifts.

After my first shift, my entire body was covered with bruises. I felt like I just survived getting hit by a bus. I had enough energy to drive home and collapse on the couch. I asked my wife to do a beer run, but I was already passed out when she got home and she threw a blanket over me. I woke up the next day and texted my old TM to see if freight has picked up any, and of course he said they are still working on getting us back.

The following week s### really hit the fan and our lines became longer each day. We went from 350 feet of rail to 1400 feet by Thursday. Thankfully we had Friday off and I spent all weekend loathing having to come in Monday. On Monday (this Monday 1/23) I reported in and was told that I would stay behind to help clean the yard. At about 9:30 I saw I had a missed call and a text message that read "this is ______ , the TM at Holland. Give me a call ASAP".

I had tears of joy when I heard his voice and told me that he needs me not tomorrow, not now, but two hours ago. I told him I was available the next day. I called my guardrail boss and told him I was resigning but would finish my shift (didn't want to walk off the job). I went to lunch later on that day and came back to finish my shift. One of the cool supervisors I worked with motioned me forward. He shook my hand and said "it was a real pleasure working with you R/R. I need you to clock out, turn in your company time card, and get off the property". It was only 1 PM so I called up my dispatcher at Holland to see if he needed any help back at the old barn.

"Bring it on in R/R, bring it on in!". As I pulled in I took my Guardrail company reflective vest off and donned my Holland vest (which happened to still be in my car). I spent the rest of the evening working the dock and getting some really warm welcomes from my old coworkers.

Gentlemen (and ladies),

I want to make it TTR Official. I am back in the saddle.

Some pics from MT before it snowed.

View attachment 448239 View attachment 448241
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In my experience I appreciated my really good jobs much more when I was laid off and was temporarily doing some really bad jobs. Glad you got called back to Holland.

road_runner · Jan 25, 2023

Banker said: ↑

In my experience I appreciated my really good jobs much more when I was laid off and was temporarily doing some really bad jobs. Glad you got called back to Holland.
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I've had a really easy ride until this Winter. I never realized these type of jobs even existed. I literally was skipping to my car when they demanded me to leave their property.

Banker · Jan 26, 2023

road_runner said: ↑

I've had a really easy ride until this Winter. I never realized these type of jobs even existed. I literally was skipping to my car when they demanded me to leave their property.
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Years ago I was laid off from UPS and got bored so I took a job driving a cement mixer. I had driven one as the first commercial driving job many years prior so I thought it would be good until I was called back to UPS. The 3rd day while waiting in between loads a 20 something year old supervisor came to me and said we need you to shovel the gravel from under the conveyor in to a wheelbarrow and clean that area up. I looked at him and laughed, I said I was hired as a driver, not a laborer. He laughed and said, no I am not kidding. I said neither am I, so I walked to the time clock and punched out. I probably wouldn’t have shoveled his gravel when I was young and green. I guess my good jobs have spoiled me, but oh well.

road_runner · Jan 26, 2023

Banker said: ↑

Years ago I was laid off from UPS and got bored so I took a job driving a cement mixer. I had driven one as the first commercial driving job many years prior so I thought it would be good until I was called back to UPS. The 3rd day while waiting in between loads a 20 something year old supervisor came to me and said we need you to shovel the gravel from under the conveyor in to a wheelbarrow and clean that area up. I looked at him and laughed, I said I was hired as a driver, not a laborer. He laughed and said, no I am not kidding. I said neither am I, so I walked to the time clock and punched out. I probably wouldn’t have shoveled his gravel when I was young and green. I guess my good jobs have spoiled me, but oh well.
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This whole guardrail job was just a flat out brutal joke. I make a dollar less per hour back at Holland, but lifting guardrails for 6-8 hours a day is absolutely insane. It's complete torture on the body and I threw up twice and almost passed out. Then one of the jackholes said I wasn't working fast enough and denied me to grab a bottle of water after I was completely dehydrated.

I served in the middle east and I am an expert on heat related injuries and dehydration. For them to deny me something as basic as water was the final straw and I passively begged my TM to have my job back.

You would not believe how great it felt when my TM told me he needs me back ASAP. The last time I had such a heavy burden lifted off of my chest was in 2009 when the wheels of our chartered airplane left the runaway at Ali Al Salem and I knew my combat tour was over.

Believe me when I say this. I will never ever complain about the daily duties of my job again. Not after dealing with this outfit. It was the most humbling experience of my life.

jgarciajr40 · Jan 28, 2023

Bro, I can’t tell anymore if people are playing dumb. Online retail salesman promising people the moon, or even our own office girl telling people we put crap in garages but I #### near have had enough.

I’m nothing but residential deliveries for the past month because of hurricane Ian have to argue with people constantly I ain’t pushing 6,000lbs uphill with a palletjack.

I’m at the point where I don’t even open the trailer door until they understand curbside, and I feel like I’m a reasonable dude… you buy a washing machine no problem I’ll throw it in the garage. A vanity? No problem…. 2 pallets of clay tile weighing 5,000 lbs nope.

people tell me Home Depot promises them oh yeah we’ll put in the garage/home. But what makes it even more annoying is cooper dropships for them so often and people don’t check their online status ever so I just show up unannounced

can’t wait for my wife to get her nursing degree hopefully the end of the year and I’m hanging up my keys.

Lumper Humper · Jan 28, 2023

I got into a little yelling match with some idiot who decided to make his set in front of my dolly and rear when there was at least a half a football field’s worth of yard space all around us. Some people just have no #### awareness at all, it’s stupid as hell lmao.

road_runner · Jan 30, 2023

Well, I am back from layoff status and life is looking optimistic again. The positive is I went from #51 driver to #37 over the past four years. Six or seven drivers quit, retired, got fired, or medically disqualified in the past two months alone.

The downside is every single person below me quit. So now I am #37 out of #37. So I am eligible for whatever last spot they have when we bid. There is no picking or choosing anymore.

Not one to look a prize horse in it's mouth, cause a check is a check and I am not setting up guardrails. Only thing I can do is hope that we are doing well enough for us to hire some insulation.

Mike2633 · Jan 30, 2023

Well so I’m in the job market (long story)
Had 1 interview today. The jobs not right for me.
Had another maybe they wanted some information to run my records. So I did that gave them my info.

That’s about it waiting to see what happens. Sucks…

road_runner · Jan 30, 2023

Mike2633 said: ↑

Well so I’m in the job market (long story)
Had 1 interview today. The jobs not right for me.
Had another maybe they wanted some information to run my records. So I did that gave them my info.

That’s about it waiting to see what happens. Sucks…
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Welcome to my world. I sent in 20+ applications over the past 2 months and the only thing that saved my stupid arse was my TM recalling me after being laid off.

Glad you at least got an interview

Mike2633 · Jan 31, 2023

road_runner said: ↑

Welcome to my world. I sent in 20+ applications over the past 2 months and the only thing that saved my stupid arse was my TM recalling me after being laid off.

Glad you at least got an interview
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I still have my job, but I'm seeing what else is out there if not I'll tow the line at my current job for as long as I have too.

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