Stevens Transport aviary

It is -4 here right now and we have a whole night to get colder!
(In Billings)
10 hours in the dock last night in Burley. I think they had to count each chicken piece.
Managed to stay ahead of the storm and got here tonight with 15 mins left on my 11. Drop tomorrow morning, but don't expect to be fast. this is a sysco drop.
then off to Houston.
At least water there is in a liquid state...

 

Here's a question for you guys. What is an "APU"? I've seen this term referred to, but have no clue what it is, except that it sounds like a good thing to have in your truck.

 

APU = Alternate Power Unit

Its basically a generator with Heat and A/C so you dont have to idle. Comes with an inverter for 120v power and it keeps your batteries charged.

 

Hey clegg,
another option, since it is not your mistake that has routed you to the wrong city, but Stevens, I would propose the following:
When I am empty here in the wrong city, and I have been out for the entire training period, and I did not make the mistake on the cities, I will be deadheaded home to the correct city, I do not expect paid for these deadhead miles, nor will I be charged for out of route miles.

This is an equitable solution for both parties. You get home, and Stevens only pays a small price for their mistake.. the fuel you will burn getting home. The staff in dallas makes the drivers suffer for their mistakes, and we as drivers need to hold them accountable for their mistakes.

 

Thanks Corporal. I thought it may be something like that but wasn't completely sure.

 

Well I made it out of Billings today. -14 ambient this morning!
Roads were good. Made Limon, CO tonight. It's the bananna belt here...22 degrees!
And this will blow your mind...
I pulled up to Sysco this morning and they had me in the dock, unloaded and out of there in 35 minutes start to stop!
Some days just work out that way.

 

I thought I'd stop by to say hi and let you all know that I completed my training period with KLLM and I'm headed back to Jackson, MS to get into their Lease opperator program/class which takes 3 days. They have a lease program that is a walk away if it doesn't work out and at the end of the lease payoff you own the truck for a payment of $1 or something like that.
Be safe and keep it between the lines.

 

Thanks for the idea TLEA,
It ended up working out anyway. In the middle of this they switched my DM to a pre-alliance DM. (thought thats what I had but was told there was a waiting list .. wtf lol? )

I called my new DM and asked if previous DM and filled him in on the hometime debacle. He said yes so I asked him if he was sure he couldnt get me routed closer to home, or get me approved to deadhead home. He said no, sorry to both. I went back over everything with him, the mistakes, the 400 deadhead miles I did on a trip earlier in the week, everything. He said that the 400 mile deadhead I did was paid for by the customer. (huh? this doesnt sound right to me, but what do I know?) So I said, understand that Im not mad, and I understand your folowing company policy but I would like to speak to a supervisor to see if I can get an exception. He says that it wont help, that the super will say the same as he says. That the rule came down from the President and she doesnt allow the rule to be broken except in very rare cases.

I said that I understand and that I believe him, but I would like to explain the situation to the supervisor even with it only being a rare chance of getting it approved. He balked again saying it wouldnt help. I said, Im sure it wont but I have to try. So he says, the only way it would work is if I had a pickup close by and the only 2 places we regularly pick up are in Tarheel, NC (close to my last drop) and Clayton, NC. I said Dude !!! Clayton is 15 miles from Raleigh, which is right down the road from where I would have to leave the truck anyway. So he does some quick math and says he will call me back.

He calls back an hour latter. Take the trailer and drop it at the shipper in Clayton, then bobtail to the TK dealer in Wilson (about 30 mins from home)

YAY it actually worked out. Was so simple a solution to a problem they made overly complicated.

Anyway, thanks again for the help !!!!

 

At times one has to keep the pressure on the DM, they really don't like us talking to someone over their kingdom. Sounds like you gave your new DM just the ideas he needed, to make it work. Amazing how the driver can figure these things out, but they can not.

Glad you are getting home Clegg.
And Yes the customer pays the deadhead miles at times. That is why on Walmart loads stevens wants 0 (zero) deadhead.

 

#### just got off donner heading east after sitting for 2 days waiting for caldot to open the mountain.