Running With Schneider - 2 (As IC Choice for more than a year now!)

Dang sounds like your stuck in a crappy string of loads..you got to get out there!

However mine today wasn't much better and I picked it. 3 hours to load and now working on 2 hours to unload ..grrhh!

 

Yesterday was a flop, but that is just how it goes out here sometimes! In my mind was planning it to about 6 hour day, .. Turned out to be an 14 hour day! WTF....! Mostly due to the live loading/unloading of the shorty load I had from Independence OR to Chehalis WA

Only drove about 240 miles so didn't use that much of my drive time it was mostly a lot of waiting around. Will definitely be putting these places on my no return list.

The delivery place was crazy as was the pick up ... Will just explain the unload place, never mine the loading place. Will be here all day to write about that!

I was the only truck there to get unloaded at a huge warehouse 50 or so forklift drivers running all over, go inside and no one at the desk. Very loud bell rings when you walk in the door so the whole warehouse knows your there! So I wait.. After about 10 minutes of watching people looking at me but no one says a word. Note: One of my pet peeves is when these customer's know your there but will not even raise an eye brow to acknowledge you. At least give me a hand signal saying, will be with you in a minute.. or something! But noooo..., so I begin to walk towards a fork lift driver with determination, he saw me coming and then said someone will be with you in just a moment. I said OK, and still waited around about another 20 minutes until finally someone else showed up. The guy looks at my paperwork and said OK' no problem how are you gonna pay for this. I'm like huh?

He repeats it how are you going to pay for this? It dawned on me he was talking about a lumper fee. Dang it! I thought to myself there was nothing said about lumber in my information. Usually in your load information it will tell you.. So I said I'll have to get you a check a TCH check. He said OK and I went back to my truck to call Schneider. Did a quick request for change of task on the Qualcomm. Called the lumper hot line. Waited about 15 minutes before speaking with someone. Finally got approved and gave the check to the lumper guy. He calls to verify the check and then said ok you can wait in your truck we will come get you when we're done. So I went back to the truck and began to wait.

After about another 20 minutes felt someone in the trailer. Few minutes later a felt the trailer hit again. So I take this time to do a little house cleaning, check the truck all over and then start reading on the computer. At this point notice that had been some time sense the trailer had been hit again. So I decide to go see what is going on. Walk inside big bell rings.. Forklift driver looks up and says we had to go on break will get you finished in a few minutes and bring you your paper work out. I said ok was just checking cause i'm running out of time and don't really want spend the night here! You would think these guys would (i understand when it's time for break they have to take it) give some leway at break times... heck only had 16 pallets on ..what the hell? Plus they are getting paid by the truck company to unload it!!! Took all of 15 minutes to unload!! Just get the truck unloaded THEN take the break.. !! After all this crap I had been there over 2 and 1/2 hours. That's actually not to bad but include the 3 hours at the pick up it really starts to take a big chuck out of your day.

Say all this to say, expect this happens out here! Every place is different! You can't plan for these kind of delays so just roll with it. Fortunately I was able to make it to my next pick up on time if I couldn't, would just let SNI know and they will make the decision to keep you on your next load or remove it and find another. Sucks when you have to find another but usually works out ok.

 

Another day of delays in construction zones and my own doing getting really tired and having to stop for a snooze. Somehow have managed to put myself on this fricken night-owl shift and has screwed up my sleep pattern. Yeah I know, welcome to truck-en ..right! Not complaining just explaining!

Anyway, put down 500 miles today and 500 to go tomorrow to get to Phoenix. From there picked loads going to Utah then down to Fontana. Hopefully should be able to work myself back on day shift.

Right now sitting in the dirt out here in NV. Can't complain to much. Beautiful night, cool breeze, awesome moon light and very quite. Had to stop here cause my clock was running low and couldn't make it any further but at same time needed to get as far as I could today.

That's it for now
Tally Ho!

 

Awesome..We are all kinda in this together anyway! Good to see another driver help another ..

 

In Phoenix, will drop in the morning then on to my next 17,000 lb load heading to Utah! Mountainous drive up to UT from here, but love the view up there. With a light load.. easy stuff!