Snackbar's new adventure at Moore Freight Services

Ran a double drop load from Spring Hill to the Milwaukee area for a Thursday delivery, then empty to Church Hill. Now I will pick up a flatbed load in the morning going to Bensalem PA for 2 am Monday morning (Sunday night), then back to Church Hill. Of all the customers we go to, I really don't care to deliver to Bensalem. The customer is in a residential area with restricted hours and the unloader that works there has one speed...Artic Molasses, or at least it use to be that way. Haven't been there in quite a while.

On a positive note, the WI load was my 1st double drop load since I returned from medical leave. It hurt no more than it normally does, so I guess I won't have to retire and be a couch potato just yet.

 

News isn't good on my load. It was suppose to be available at 1900 last night. I just spoke to the loaders, it's showing that it's scheduled for 2 am tonite instead. So, instead of a leisurely trip where I get a decent nights sleep in between, I have to do the "wait, then hurry up" routine. Church Hill strikes again. With all the down time from an unseasonable lack of freight and screwed up loads lately...my faith in Moore is starting waiver a bit.

 

Unload went better this time around. Different guy at night makes all the difference, the day shift guy was the arctic molasse guy. I had a 2 am unload time, he woke me up, backed me in and had me done and back out on the street finishing my beauty sleep by 1:30. Which caused me to have to split log a break, and I will be 15 minutes shy of making it back to Church Hill without another 8 hour sleeper break....but it doesn't matter, it's not like there is urgent JIT loads in the glass business.

*update

Change of plans, instead of Church Hill, dispatch calls me when I was just south of Roanoke and says to head to Laurinburg instead....ooooookay. Maybe they have a canuck load for me, been a couple weeks, I am starting to have "aye" withdrawal.

 

Not going to Canada. Out of Laurinburg I am headed to the Scranton area. Originally it was set to deliver noon Wednesday, but 5 min after I receive my load info, my dispatcher sends me a msg saying it was changed to 6 am Thurs...operations is starting to make it feel like I'm working for Big G again with all the switching and mind changing that's going on at the other side of the Peoplenet.

 

Done in PA. The people in Laurinburg must be training a new loader. On one side of my trailer I had 5 packs. 3 3/8 packs and 2 3/16 packs. Instead of putting all the big glass on the inside, and the thin glass on the outside, they alternated it 3/8, 3/16, 3/8, 3/16, 3/8. And the outside 3/8 was at least a fingers distance from the foam they put between the packs at the bottom. Plus, on any glass under 1/4" thick, they are suppose to put foam "end packing" between the packs on both ends...only 1 3/16 pack was end packed. Also, the receiver almost rejected the whole load because they loaded it off center on the feet. They had almost 2' overhang on the back foot, and only about 8" on the front. It made it tough for him to get his sling under the glass far enough to lift it. Some of the packs he had to lift it just enough to shift it forward, then set it down so he could get a better fit. Just made for a longer unload. Good thing we both know what we're doing, he took the same number of pieces of glass off the trailer that the loaders put on...no chips, dings or crashes.

Now I am headed back to Laurinburg to pick up a Laredo run. I guess the 1st 3 weeks since coming back from medical they were 'easing' me back into working to see if my wrist is ready, or, it could just be dumb luck. But 3 of the last 4 loads have been double drops, which puts the most stress on my arm. But thanks to the custom support brace the therapy place made me, it doesn't bother me any more than usual.

Another driver said that we, the non coil experienced drivers, are going to be going thru coil securement training. Supposedly, someone from Wylie is suppose to come teach us how to secure rolled coils. Some of our new backhaul loads are going to be some sort of coil from the Houston area. Not sure if it's steel or aluminum...but some of us may be hauling coil loads in the future. Securing coils doesn't seem to technical, pretty straight forward, as long as they provide enough of the proper size and type of chain to keep the rolls on deck. I know some drivers are not happy about pulling coils, but it could be worse. I mean, treat it with the same caution you would securing and hauling glass. Secure it right and avoid sudden direction changes or sudden stops.