Stevens Transport Aviary . . cont'

Just something to pass along...
When faced with bad weather ahead, and possible delays, check and see how many miles to route around an area.
Now Flue, there wasn't really an alternative for your load since it went to Ogden, but yesterday I rerouted three trucks from up on the 80, down to the 40 so the load can deliver on time. These were all meat loads, so they're considered much more critical than a load of crackers and cookies.
It added only 135 miles at most to loads that had a total of 1700-2300 miles...
Just ask. you never know. And for you contractors that can 'make your own route', you need to weigh the difference between shutting down or being delayed a day or two, verses running a few extra miles and getting another load sooner.
Each case is different, but this is what makes a horse race.
And a note to all you drivers that end up running a late load (we NEVER see those, now DO we!). Like TLea said...just go into the receiver.
DON'T call...GO!
Yesterday, we had (that I know) 11 loads run into the receiver late...10 took them. they had to wait to be worked in, but they got unloaded and will be getting a new load today. Three of those late loads were Walmart.
That's right. Walmart will often take you even if you're late...but you have to turn up and ASK!
It sure beats sitting around until Monday and waiting until the CSR can reschedule you!

 

Even as a contractor, it pays to ask to be paid for the extra miles to make on time delivery... Many times I did get paid for the additional miles. One time to make a point with produce, I asked to be paid to route on 40 instead of 80 to get to the cheyenne walmart... was refused, as they did not believe the storm rolling in was going to shut the roads down... It did, shut I80 down from Parley to Laramie.... for 2 days.... as I sat and waited just south of Salt lake city utah...

That same storm also shut down I25 from cheyenne down to Colorado springs, so the southern route would not have done me any good...

I did get an apology from produce, when I did my produce check call, and weather shut down. People who do not live around the northern rockies do not realize that snow storms in October through may do shut the highways down for days.

After that day, anytime I asked to be paid t take the southern route to the denver cheyenne area, I was paid to take that route, and I only requested it if the storm was going to be bad.

Things may have changed, but it never hurts to ask... may just put a few bucks in your pocket, and keep you rolling.

ONe other thing when taking a load in late... be honest, yes your late, yes you will wait to be worked in, thank you for working me in.... just a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

 

That one that didn't was me Emul. Lol

 

Me (on the phone): Hello, sorry I couldn't make it last night, them roads were kinda nasty lol. Can I deliver today?

Wal-Mart Guy: Probably, check back in a few hours with our receiving manager.

Me: Thank you sir <click>

{3 hours later}

Me: Hello. Sorry but I ran into some bad weather. Can I...

Wal-Mart Lady: Sure, come in a few hours from now.

(shows up a few hours later)

Wal-Mart Gate Guard: Yea.... we ain't taking no more loads today.

Me: Ok thanks haha

 

live and learn, don't call, show up... be one of the first work ins, and let someone else get turned away... it was those hours of waiting to go in that cost you.

 

Good info. I tend to prefer learning from the errors others make, but have no issue with being the subject lesson. And you guys are full of tips and tricks to make this thing work to your advantage.
Ended up trading my late load for a not quite late yet load that got stuck in Laramie delivering in Boise later tonite. So out of two loads that were definitely late, now theres one with a chance of on time.

 

Ugh. It's been a good run, but I'm so over it. I'm burnt.
I'm ready to go home now. The 23rd ain't coming fast enough.

 

oh the burnt feeling ssuuucccckkkkkssssssss

 

Ok. We deliver in a handful of hours basically in Gary, IN.
We had BETTER get a Texas-bound load. I'm getting tired of getting Danny Doak's voicemail. I'm sure as hell not going east. I'm not getting into that gravity well. NY/NJ to PA, PA to NC, NC to TN... And the days tick down and past RTO.
No. Not happening. Not this time.

Where does one get a list of planner emails? I've heard that works better...

 

I'm not sure if the email works better with the planners than anything else. With all the new 'rules' on the planners, it simply eats up their time. It's a pretty chaotic position right now.

Here's something I have been meaning to mention to everyone...
when you call in, please turn down your QC. Due to the way electronics work, your digital phone will pick up the volume of the QC and transmit it to our digital phones and all of this drowns out your analog voice.
In other words, if your QC says anything when we're on the phone, it will drown out anything you say. We just can't hear you.
And it's very annoying, to say the least.