highway Posted January 18, 2015 Posted January 18, 2015 I'm sure those of us who do more than build big rigs but drive them to afford our hobby too all have had days like this, a day when you wish you would have just stayed in the bunk. Well, yesterday was one if those days for me! It all started with it actually being one of my scheduled days off, but I decided to work it for a couple reasons, one being that I had just gotten back to work on Wednesday after two and a half weeks off thanks to the flu that ended up turning into bronchitis. The other reason was my girlfriend has a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, so I figured I'd take today and tomorrow off instead of the scheduled Friday and Saturday. Anyway, the first part of the bad day started when I first got my load assignment for the day. It wasn't the load itself, but the last of four stores (for those of you that don't keep up, I drive on a dedicated Walmart grocery account) just happened to be a store that I have been to three times in the past two months to and each time that store has left me sitting for over two hours each time just because of store associates that seem they just don't care to actually work for their paycheck, but other stores in the same area can have me in and out within 30 minutes, so seeing that store on the route didn't thrill me, knowing it was my last load for the week and that store's performance would dictate whether or not I slept in my own bed last night. I went and got my paperwork and hooked up to the trailer and found the last driver figured he was too good to top off the reefer fuel like we are supposed to before dropping the trailer, so a few more minutes of time wasted for me to fuel it. After that I went to scale out before I checked out at the guard shack, and steer axle weight was 11,700 lbs like normal, the drives were 33,600 lbs, and them I rolled the trailer tandems on it and seen 36,000 lbs on the scale readout, NOT GOOD!! I turned around and went into our office, the dispatcher let the DC know, and I had to get one pallet taken off, so I had to put it back in a door, and I go to the door the DC assigned me, and there is a trailer in front of it!! It wasn't in the door, just parked (poorly if I might add ) about 10 feet from the door blocking it, and it was an outside carrier trailer to boot! Another 5 or 10 minutes of wasted time getting another door, and then more time for the DC to pull the pallet and rework the paperwork. In all, just for 2,000 lbs and one pallet, I lost 2 hours! I seen the chance of actually getting home last night slipping away very fast, especially with the last store and their poor unloading reputation, which even the other stores in that area have heard about and other drivers have been complaining about in our office as well. At least after my trailer went on a diet and I scaled out legally and I finally got rolling, the day got better even though I was 2 hours behind what I planned to be. The other three stores all got me in and out in about 30 to 45 minutes each, and even the nightmare store surprised me! Even though it took them almost 30 minutes to let me in the back door at the docks to be unloaded and the manager heard about the past three times I had been there and I'm used to waiting up to an hour just to even be let in, he actually had me unloaded and in and out (including the wait to be let in) in just a little over an hour!! I made sure I thanked him for getting me out so quickly, hopefully some things are starting to change at that store, because I told him because if it had been like the past three times, I would have probably not had the time to make it home last night. And yes, the day ended much better than it started, because I had plenty of time to get the truck back to the DC and get in the car to come home and sleep in my own bed last night!
Mackvision Posted January 18, 2015 Posted January 18, 2015 Adventures in trucking! I know the feeling!...............................................Mark
Petetrucker07 Posted January 18, 2015 Posted January 18, 2015 Yes sir, i hate them days. I had to babysit a trainee last week. Everyday was an aggravation. It all started last saturday. He went to our main terminal, 45 minutes to an hour from our yard. He was told to go pick a truck up that the engine had just been rebuilt, as luck would have, my assigned truck till the new 2015s come in. He was suppose to do it first thing saturday morning, but didnt. Our shop goes home at 3 on saturdays and he didnt leave till 330. Fault #1. He hooked up to the trailer, didnt do a proper walk around, but he found the electrical plug had been ripped off the tongue of the trailer. Fault #2. He didnt call the shop foreman or the dispatcher to inform them the truck could go out. Fault #3. So i meet him at the yard and he tells me this. The cord that i screwed up charges the batteries for the trailer box, it has an electric drive motor to transfer it into the truck(another day ill explain how a transfer works for those who dont know). I told him since we cant unload it, theres no since in loading. I tell to go home and call the office at about 8 am. He didnt. Fault #4. So he didnt work monday and since he didnt call in, he got tuesday. Now since he didnt walk around the truck on saturday, he lost work. Another driver in our yard was gonna drive that on tuesday since his truck is in the shop, he has no transfer experience, so i have to transfer for hom, no big deal. Now numbnuts on monday didnt walk around the truck. I know this because on tuesday morning the next guy found 2 flat tires. So if your counting thats fault #5. Once the tires are fixed tuesday the goes fine. Now wednesday numbnuts is back to work. We leave the yard, all seems ok so far. We get to stateline, Prime, Nv. He was behind me till then, then he disapeared, for 2 hours! I go get loaded and head to where we have to unload, 4 hours west to Mojave, Ca. I get there, untarp, eat, sit there and eat, sat for 30 more minutes, about hour total. I call him, hes still an hour and half away. Now hes messin with my home time. He cost me 3 hours on wednesday. Thursday wasnt much better, he disappeared at stateline. Lost only about 2 hours. Now friday i kept him moving passed stateline, he wanted to stop but i told him no, get to our exit , 16 miles away. I saw him pull on that slot machine twice after he walked away from it, maybe its nothing but it could why he disappeared for hours the days before. Once we were loaded, he was speeding down the haul road, and blew a tire. Blammed it on me that i was rushing him. Well i dont rush because this load usually takes 11 to 12 hours to complete. So why rush?. Him saying that i rushed him and caused really didnt sit well since i didnt. Hes the fricken driver, its his responsibility. I call dispatch and the shop, not him. Dispatch told me to leave him and he can bring it to the yard. So this new guy got to sit and wait for our shop to show up and fix the tire, about 5 hours till the service truck showed up. All that with this new guy, the office is giving 1 last chance to show he can do the job, safely and in a timely manner. At least i got 160 bucks last week to babysit him, not sure if it was worth it. I guess i dont have the patience to train people or try to train somebody that just doesnt get it. But there was more to this guy with 3 other trainers, they all said same thing, he doesnt get it. I told the office what i saw and said it could be nothing or it could be everything. The company hired him a favor to a customer and is trying to help, but this guy has just about come to the end of his rope here. The company has had issues with some new hires that do the disappearing deal. 1 guy was cruisin the truck stops lookin for that commercial company, aka lot lizards. Another guy was straight up sittin at a bar, another guy drove around lookin for dope. So the company is leary of guys disappear.
Tesla Posted January 18, 2015 Posted January 18, 2015 Clayton, I hope your company parts ways with Mr. Numbnuts!
Petetrucker07 Posted January 18, 2015 Posted January 18, 2015 Hes on his last chance. This guy was with the last trainer, driving, and fallin asleep with the trainer in the passenger seat. This guy is a liability without a doubt, but the company is tryin to do a favor. I wouldve let him go the first day, how can a guy not check a truck out, when your supposed to, after its been rebuilt and the trailer sittin for 3 months.
cappy625 Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 hey highway, it could have been worst. it could have been a floor load!
highway Posted January 19, 2015 Author Posted January 19, 2015 Wow Clayton, sounds like he needs a new job NOW, and NOT in another truck! On 1/19/2015 at 6:25 AM, cappy625 said: hey highway, it could have been worst. it could have been a floor load! At least with Walmart, only the Walmart private fleet drivers that deliver the GM (general merchandise) trailers have floor loads, and all of those are drop and hook! The grocery side is always on pallets, even though when the DC forgets what shrink wrap is made for or they hide a case in the middle of the pallet that is too high to clear the door some does hit the floor! I just love when a store unloader doesn't catch the case dragging the top of the door opening and yogurt flies 7 feet to the floor and splatters! It does give our trailer washout guy at the shop job security though!
Petetrucker07 Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 He needs a 9 to 5er. He is definitely not a truck driver
kilrathy10 Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 At least yours had a happy ending, Highway.....Maybe Walmart will hire that guy to work at Highway's last store.... Just kidding, Man.....I wouldn't wish that on you, Dude..... Clayton, I feel for you, Man.....I feel for you....
highway Posted January 23, 2015 Author Posted January 23, 2015 On 1/19/2015 at 6:20 PM, kilrathy10 said: At least yours had a happy ending, Highway.....Maybe Walmart will hire that guy to work at Highway's last store.... Just kidding, Man.....I wouldn't wish that on you, Dude..... Clayton, I feel for you, Man.....I feel for you.... No, I think that guy was trained there and moved from OH and got a CDL to drive where Clayton works LOL!!!!
Petetrucker07 Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Well he don't work here anymore. He kinda got in a pissin match with boss last friday. Boy am I glad. Sorry to say it like that.but he was a hazard on the road and didn't need to be driving 80000 pounds on the highways.
kilrathy10 Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Yeah.....You hate to have to be that way, but he made his own bed by arguing with the boss....Can't bite the hand that feeds you....Says a little bit about his character....It's a shame.....
Petetrucker07 Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Yep. it is. He is younger than I am. I think his priorities just werent where they were supposed to be. Maybe this experienice will help him grow up.
kilrathy10 Posted January 23, 2015 Posted January 23, 2015 Sometimes it takes a kick in the pants to make you realize where you stand.....Some people HAVE to learn the hard way.....
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