The start of my first year with Swift.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Sheriff1/6, Jan 1, 2013.

  1. MPH2

    MPH2 Light Load Member

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    Nov 20, 2012
    Strawberry plains, TN
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    If the delivery is over 24 hours out you can get it t called at a terminal if there's one close. Start going up the chain of command first your dm if nothing then their fleet manger then the terminal manager. That's stupid on there part. If they pull that crap on me along with the crap they already pulled on me I will be changing home terminals.
     
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  3. Mrh2008

    Mrh2008 Road Train Member

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    May 25, 2012
    Mesa, AZ
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    Corrine is about 60 miles north of SLC on i15. What I want to know is, are you deadheading to corrine from hometime/delivery? Also are you doing stircly wally and sams club loads now? I wouldn't mind that gig!
     
  4. Sheriff1/6

    Sheriff1/6 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 16, 2012
    Boise, ID
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    I'm strictly Wally/Sams. Loaded out and empty back. I haven't officially taken home time yet. Even when I went home for four days I was under load. When it comes time for me to do a 34 they send me to Boise with a load. Once I finish my stops I take the trailer to the drop yard and then bobtail home.

    I got up early this morning and drove back to Corinne. I had enough time to shower before I got another load. They tried to send me to NM, but I didn't have enough time. I took the load to Butte/Bozeman. I made my last stop and got to the closest rest area with 8 minutes to spare.
     
  5. Sheriff1/6

    Sheriff1/6 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 16, 2012
    Boise, ID
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    I'm back in Corinne. Had a hard time sleeping last night at the rest stop in Bozeman. The truck next to me idles all night and the exhaust was blowing in my vents.

    I dropped my trailer and hoped to have a repeat of yesterday with a new load before I got out of the shower. No luck! They have all the loads already planned and I was asked if I wanted to change my PTA to tomorrow morning...not a good sign. I didn't change it. If I don't get a load in the morning then I'll still get the $50 layover pay. Changing my PTA would put me out of that window even further.

    I will say that as of yesterday I've had my best money week since I started. $961 gross. I had 1996 miles for the week. The pay for the stops and the short haul really make a difference.
     
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  6. Mrh2008

    Mrh2008 Road Train Member

    1,288
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    May 25, 2012
    Mesa, AZ
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    Sure wish I could average 48CPM!!! Pretty good gig you got going if they can keep it up!
     
  7. Sheriff1/6

    Sheriff1/6 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 16, 2012
    Boise, ID
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    I know it's going to end sometime as I'm just part of the "surge" fleet. I'm not going to complain about while it lasts.
     
  8. Sheriff1/6

    Sheriff1/6 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 16, 2012
    Boise, ID
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    Today my luck ran out or should I say changed back to normal.

    I started out with a load that had three stops. At the first stop we unloaded more pallets then were supposed to go to the store. They were all marked for it. We looked a the next two and there were for my next stop, off I go.

    I get to stop #2 and I know there is a noise ordinance and I can't deliver until 7. I go in and talk to the manager who tells me to hit the dock at 6 because that's when his produce people get in and they unload trucks at 6am all the time. I wait until six and hit the dock. I ring the buzzer and a wild woman opens the door like she's been kicked out of the bar. She yelled at me that she had a noise ordinance and what was I doing there. I told her the store manager told me to dock at 6am. She kept yelling at me as we walked to the dock door. I tried to be polite, I really did. I told her there was no reason to yell about it...It didn't stop. I finally told her I was willing to pull off the dock and park in the lot until 7. Not what she wanted. She starts moving pallets. She pulls three off the truck and sure enough there were three pallets for my first stop. She calms down, I calm down, and I head back to stop #1.

    I know I'm pushed for time so I call ahead so they can be ready. I end up standing outside the door for 15 minutes and had to call the store to get a manager to let me in and unload the truck.

    Stop #3 was cake but by now I'm running short on time.

    I get back to the terminal and I drop off my paperwork before I drop the reefer. The dispatcher acts like she knows me and hands me the paperwork for my next load. I tell her I'm worried about running out of time. She confers with someone and they think I can get it done. I know it's going to be close but the finale is a drop and hook so I agree to go. I drop the reefer and pick up the trailer. I get my routing and notice I have to get fuel in Perry which is going the wrong direction. I'm starting to get worried about time. As I'm pulling into the pump I get a call from dispatch. They want to confirm what paperwork I have. They gave me the wrong load by mistake. The routing I was given was for the preplan I agreed to. The paperwork was for another load. I know, my bad for not catching it. Anyway, I sit there and wait for a DM to show up with paperwork. I tell him about the time issue as now there is no way I can make the preplanned deliveries. He tells me to keep the paperwork I have and make those deliveries. He will fix the routing. After about 30 minutes I got new routing.

    My first and second stops go ok. The thirds stop is a drop and hook and again I'm pressed for time. I call ahead to find out if they have an empty trailer. They do so I tell them I'm going to hit the dock, drop my trailer, hook to the empty and them come in for signatures. It was a great plan. I got there, dropped my trailer and hooked to the empty. That's where the plan fell apart. I rang the buzzer...four times, Nothing. I call the store and tell them I'm back there and request someone come unlock the door. Still nothing. I call my dispatch who then called the store...still nothing. After 30 minutes someone comes to the door. She tells me she heard the call but thought someone else would take care of it. She signs the paperwork and I'm out of time. I idle my truck out of the dock and park out of the way near the dock.

    Tomorrow has to be better.
     
  9. Milktanker

    Milktanker Medium Load Member

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    Jun 25, 2012
    Frenchtown, mt
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    Dang dude sounds like they threw you in the deep end. Normally they don't give surge drivers those kind of loads, they save them for the guys who have been running out of there for a long time. And now that you've seen some of the things Walmart does with order filling and getting the load set up you really have to pay attention to the stickers on the pallets. You might have say 2 pallets of dairy deli on the back end then have to move 3 or 4 to get to that stores frozen pallets behind the next bulkhead.
    Sounds like your doing good there dude, they wouldn't give you runs like that if you weren't impressing someone. Most otr guys we would bring in couldn't run hard enough to get it done. Kudos on getting that done, that will impress the dispatchers there.
     
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  10. Sheriff1/6

    Sheriff1/6 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 16, 2012
    Boise, ID
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    I have learned that the number of pallets the order says, might not be the actual number a store gets. It seems like there is always an extra pallet on there.
     
  11. Sheriff1/6

    Sheriff1/6 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 16, 2012
    Boise, ID
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    I made my way back from Rock Springs early this morning. As soon as I came in I was given a short load to Murray, UT. It was a one stop load so that was good. I was glad to have the load because once I start my clock I don't see the point in just sitting. A short load is better then no load. Anyway, I made that delivery and got back to Corinne with five hours remaining on my clock. The lot was full of tractors and there were several drivers in the lounge. They set my PTA for midnight as there was nothing else for the day. I'm sure I'll get another load early in the morning. I'll have about 21 hours left on my 70 so maybe I'll be able to get a load back to Boise for my 34.
     
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