The start of my first year with Swift.

My day started out ok, at least until I got to the shipper. You would think that Frito Lay chips were actually made of nuclear fuel rods. Security was tight! I was wondering if they were going to take some DNA in case I was attacked by Al Queada and blown up for the cargo. I burned up all my excess time waiting to be loaded. They had to be union as no private employer would allow that much screwing around time.

I got going and headed to Benoit, WI. The security wasn't nearly as bad, however I still had to wait two hours to get unloaded. This made me late for my next pickup, but it didn't matter since it was a load of water. I got that picked up and I'm now parked for the night at a little Fuel Mart, TS. The Pilots were packed. I had noticed a few small TS's on the way and there were very few trucks parked there. I took advantage of that knowledge and found one with no one else there. I got right in and had a nice hot shower, no waiting. It cost me $5 bucks, but worth it. I'll be in Memphis tomorrow and probably end up having to do a 34 since I've been burning up my clock.

That's it for now.

 

At least I didn't have to pay anyone while I sat around. I'm Tcalling this load in Memphis and will probably have to do a reset there. This the the furthest east I've gotten in a long time.

 

I made it Memphis on time. I had three minutes to play with. Oh what to do with all that time. On the way in a got a pre plan for a hazmat load. I called me DL and he said he would have been iffy on the time I had left and left it up to me. Once I got here I looked it over and was going to accept it, however a pressing bodily function became the priority. They ended up taking the load away. Oh well, sometimes things happen, more often to us older folks...lol

 

It's hard to believe this company has made a dime in profits. I accept a load to Edwardsville. There was a msg to go see the dispatch here in Memphis and get a trailer and go pick up the load less than five miles away. I go in and get assigned a trailer. When I check it out I notice a nail sticking out of one tire and the tire was worn down to the cords. I opened the door and it looked like they'd hauled firewood in it. I was going to sweep it out and was in a hurry as I only had 30 minutes to get to the shipper. When I got to the front of the trailer there was oil all over the floor. I knew no shipper was going to accept that mess.

I went back to dispatch and asked for another trailer. The guy asked me who told me I could have the one I was trying take. I had already handed him the piece of paper his cohort had given me. I guess he thought I had snuck into his office when he wasn't looking and took the paper and made up a trailer number. He told me to go to Sears and get a particular empty.

Now I drive 15 miles away and when I get there the guard says there isn't any empty's and that Swift drivers have been coming there all day looking for them. I send a msg and finally got a msg back saying I needed to go and look because the all knowing computer says there are six empty's there. The planner then sends me a msg with all the available trailers that are at Sears. I guess it was obvious I was hiding from them.

I get into the yard and start looking. Of the six trailer numbers they gave me, five were still loaded and one was damaged and needed repaired before it could be moved. I found one with a roll up door and sent a msg to see if it would work. No such luck. Finally, on my way out I spotted an empty trailer. It was parked in an odd spot and wasn't on any list that was given to me. I checked it out and called my DL. He said take it so I did.

On the way to the shipper I called Swift and got a different DL. I told him I was in rush hour traffic and only had 2 hours of drive time left and that I may have to sleep at the dock. He said that was fine. I asked him what happens if they kick me out and he said they would worry about that when the time comes.

I get to the shipper and the security guard asks me for a pickup number which I don't have. No one sent it to me. I sent a msg asking for it. As I talked to the guard I told him I only had 1.5 hours left on my clock and could I stay at the dock. He told me no and that I may as well leave because it would take them at least 2 hours to load me. I called me DL and told him what was up. I asked the guard if I could get the load on Saturday and he said no that I couldn't pick it up until Monday. My DL told me to go back to the terminal and he took the load off of me.

And that boys and girls is how my life goes on an almost daily basis. It's no wonder I enjoyed being overseas so much!