Stevens Transport A year in review

August 16 to 22

Miles ran 3034 another 3000+ week

Miles paid 1200

Miles transflowed, yet to be paid, 4220 gonna be a great paycheck after my break even paycheck this week.

Started my week off setting in the Buzzutos staging area, and was called to the dock at 2:30 am. Backed into the door, walked inside to find the lumper, get the price, and back out to the truck. After an hour of NO activity, I walked back inside to see what was going on. The lumper was just starting, and almost tipped over the first pallet off. Now this load was all the way to the doors, so the dock plate would not fit inside the trailer, until he unloaded the first two skids. He lines up on the second skid, picks it up, and the wood cracks, he backs up, dumps the skid, crushing and tearing a box on the dock plate. I am taking pictures with my cell phone. I call the reciever down to see the damage, he notes it, says HMI the lumper service just bought the damaged case.

2 hours later I am unloaded, but not checked in, and I walk back in to see what is up. The damaged case is in the trailer....OH no, back out it comes, I find the reciever, he agrees, checks me in, signs for all 334 cases. The lumper service supervisor signs also, 334 cases recieved. I roll onto my second delivery, in Danbury CT.

Get there 30 minutes late, but she understands as soon as I mention Buzzutos, and I am quickly in a door, and being unloaded. I can see there is a problem, as they are counting and recounting...finally figure out they have one case of the wrong grind of ground beef. They call National Beef, get it approved to keep the one case, and get credit for the missing case. All is good, send in my OS&D message, explaining what has transpired, and what NB has approved. Get a nasty message back, who approved me to leave the first drop? Nobody, I don't need approval when they sign for all cases recieved.

I am pushing to make my third drop of the day in albany NY, and they stop recieving at 3pm, and it will be 2pm when I get there. Otherwise it will be setting around for 2 days to get the last 2 drops off. Final is a sysco in Maine. I hit a nasty thunderstorm just south of albany, high winds, sheets of rain...watch a walmart double 53 slide sideways from the left lane to the right lane. Made it to the third drop at 215pm. They were on break, but would unload me when done. Whewwwwwwww.

borrow their Fax machine, to Fax OS&D a copt of the bills showing Buzzutos had signed for all their product, and were trying a fast one to not pay for that case they had damaged. Also faxed the bills showing what National Beef had approved already. Got a message back, OKay now I got it. thanks.

Head down the road to Springfield MA, to the pride TS, for fuel, as we have so few fuel stops in New England. Then do I stay there, 180 miles away for a 8 am appt, or push on to Greenland NH TA, and hope for parking...also have some rest areas I can stop at.
Push on to Greenland, and actual find 1 parking spot, that I wiggle into, and call it a night.

Get to sysco Portland Maine at 815 for my 9am appointment. The prime driver I had parked next to at the TA is there also. He had an 8am appt. It is 1030 before I am backed into a door, and 1300 before I recieve my paperwork. I have a pickup in Northern Maine scheduled for the wednesday Morning, 0800. Glad I got that fuel in Mass. Head up towards Eaton Maine, stopping at the irving Truck Stop at I95 and US 1 at the canadian border. Had a great meal in the diner.

Head the 32 miles up to Eaton, takes 45 minutes, and arrive at 0730 for my 8am appt. But I don't have the correct Pick up number. Will have to wait for dallas to come to work, as dispatch can not find me a number I don't already have. About 0930, finally get the PU # and check back in....it is for a 1415 appointment...great waste of my day...in the big picture though it does not matter, I only have 6 hours for the day anyway.

at 1400 I back into the door, at 1500 I am loaded, and headed to Delaware with frozen french fries for el salvador. Have an 0800 to 1000 appt for Friday. Stop in Maine at another Irving truck stop that used to be a pilot. Now I get to drive through or around New York City during the midday. Uhggggg....

Thursday dawns, I head down, listening to traffic reports, and CB reports... Reach the point of do I take 95 through or go around on 287? I take 95...and it was a smooth ride, except for one merge point, where the engineers need to be shot. Oh well, only took me an extra 30 minutes to clear the GW bridge...Now down the turnpike to Carneys Point for the night.

The unload goes quickly and smoothly, and at 0830 I am empty, but no preplan....Head down to elkton MD to the TA as I need a PM done on the Truck. Being early in the day, should be quick, and it was...2 mechanics knocked it out in 30 minutes, and It was off to Hershey PA the downtown Hershey plant. Now that is a joy to get into.... tight streets, and a tight parking lot to get to the small tight drop area. And the trip out, oh JOY. Scale the load, and the trailer tandems will not unlock, crawl under the trailer, find the cross arm that releases the pins is not attached, reattach it, and use a paperclip as a cotter pin to hold it in place. Now off to Edwardsville.

Get a call from my DM, will I do a repower in Pontoon Beach IL? This is right by the Hershey drop. A meat load delivers in salem VA on Monday Morning. I have the hours, and I loose no miles, so sure.

Met up with Barracuda at the flying J/pilot, had a good time shooting the breeze and checking out his new ride with his new company. Saturday I had to knock out 660 miles for the day, so I would be close for the 0800 delivery to US Foods. Stoped at a little place on I81, dixies american grill and had a good dinner, for $10, and was served by the enegizer bunny. boy she had a lot of energy, and she refuse to share.

A great week, except for OS&D does not like it when I go directly to the shipper (national beef) to resolve problems. Stevens gave me the number to call after hours, so I use it. One thing I did learn to make my life easier is as soon as I have OS&D and have gotten it resolved, Fax it to Stevens. Get that paper trail done, so she is happy.

I have been running hard this month, and enjoying most of it. I have requested to be home around Sept 4th. Looking forward to a week in the mountains. Maybe even some snow.

 

Above 10,000 ft yes I am wishing for it, that SNOW. Makes tracking bambi's dad so much easier. Nothing like a cool crisp morning, camp fire coffee, snow owl swooping across the open field after his breakfast, and the anticipation of the hunt. As for having to drive in it, don't really look forward to it. But it is something that at times we do.

 

Keeping the wheels turning, the left door closed, make your deliveries on time, any problems communicate early and often. If you want to keep moving, stevens will keep you moving. Newbies start slow, and have to build their reputation that they can be depended on. Keep you nose clean, communicate, run legal, never run illegal to make a delivery, it does not make stevens happy.

Yes Alliance drivers are dispatched first. There are Stevens drivers that sit for days...it happens to all of us at times...those who complain will sit...those who are always late, not wanting to go to the east coast, will sit.

If I have hours, I use them...it amazes me what loads they can come up with that fit with the hours I have available. I do not refuse loads.

The transflowed miles are the finished trips that I completed that week, and electronically sent them to Stevens so that I will be paid for them. It takes 2 full business days after I have sent the trips to be paid. Hence I show miles yet to be paid.