Well just a quick update. As I was waiting for the Trailer to get here...Had to get taken off of it so that my headlight could get fixed. Discovered no shop nearby but could call road service and pay 2 to 3 x the normal rate because it was so late....ummmm no thank you. Tried calling Dispatch to get them to work with me by giving me a load I could travel with in the morning. Course they proceeded to argue with me and tried to tell me that if I waited tell morning I could get Orlando load there....Gee ummmm Orlando in 24 hours legally based on Federal regulations.....nope not possable....So arguement ensues and yet they still assign me the load....SO I have to re call and get taken off the load....You don't want it the idiot says....not a matter of wanting it...a matter of gee...shell out extra $$$ or risk a ticket to get it there....
So....NOW...come tomorrow the hoop jumping begins all over again. First I will have to try and reach dispatch and see if they can get me a load I can travel with during the day till I get the light fixed...Then if they don't co-operate I will have to call road rescue and wait several hours to get it fixed and then wait on dispatch again. (Bolt is stripped or I would have done it by now).
All of this because my rep in the company didn't follow my instructions and have a load ready for rolling at 5 am this morning.
Was I being unreasonable by asking Dispatch to work with me....I think not. WIll I get in trouble for turning down the load....probably some damn lecture if anything (I am an Owner/Operater and have that right when it comes to loads.) Has another day been wasted because of the incompetence of others.....Most Certianly.
I wish I could tell you that this is a rare occurance....but it isn't. Especially when it comes yto the part time help that works evenings and weekends. Here are some things I have learned.
1) Never trust a Driving rep that uses the words I'll take care of ya....ESPECIALLY if he has the coming day off.
2) DIspatchers don't give a D$#@ about the driver...All they care about is getting assigned the load. DOesn't matter if the only way it could get there is by being Superman and flying it there. Once assigned it isn't their fault if it doesn't get there. I had one dispatcher trying to convince me that a load could get to its destination in 15 hours. It could have,...at 65 MPH...only one problem...I was in a state where the limit was 55....and I was deep in the state.....Did Dispatcher care...nope.
3)Apparently when a driver goes to work in the office as a rep or Dispatcher....they lose common sense.....
4) every portion of the office contradicts each other .....Safety says Safety first...the load can wait,,...Dispatch says get it there....forget about what safety says...so what if you have to rig your log book so you drive 13, 14 hours...all that matters is the load gets there on time...and your Rep who is supposed to be your allie.....will sell you out if it is in their own interest.
People think all a truck driver does is drive....HAH BU#$^&$#@....... This is only ONE of the many hassles we have to deal with.
AM I fustrated.....yeah I am. Watched close to $900 in revenue get shot today by not rolling. As well as knowing that tommorrow will be yet another battle to get this truck moving. Watched a rather good milage and fat paycheck week dwindle greatly by not rolling the past 3 days....so yeah fustrated is an understatement.
Anyways....just an update and giving you an insight to one of the many trials and tribulations that is just another day in the life of a truckdriver.
