I am sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing with your dispatch, Malaki. I am glad to see that you plan on waiting until you get more of your debt paid off before jumping into running your own truck. You are wise in thinking ahead and planning for contingencies in case things do go exactly as planned. I would think that there would be some good buys on trucks when you are ready.

You just wait GMan - I'll be picking your brains like a zombie on shore leave when the time comes.

What he said!

Couple weeks ago I got a load. Showed up at 12pm. Broker was suppose to have a truck there at 9am.
Called the shipper, got my directions (they knew what load I was coming to pick up)
Drove 150 miles
When I got there they said the load wasn't going to be ready until 6pm or later.
Called broker. Explained the situation and was told they'd call me back.
Waited fifteen minutes, no call.
I rolled out. My truck, my trailer, my numbers.
Jerk me around, I leave.

After they finally got me loaded yesterday and I went into the office for my paperwork, there was 4 or 5 o/o's in the office that were doing the exact same thing - leaving.

I went ahead and delivered the load today. On the way up, I stopped, updated my eta on the QC, then asked what freight was like. Was told it was very slow - hopefully a load by tomorrow.

So, when I sent my empty macro, within 2 minutes I was assigned to my next load. Pick up a preloaded trailer 60 miles away tomorrow anytime after 6am with 850 miles loaded.

That works.

hey mal. when you do get your truck. Please tell me you are not leaseing on to your company. Their rates for O/O are a joke.

Thats the only way to run a truck. I could never lease my truck on to a carrier. You are nothing more then a company driver with a truck payment. I like calling all the shots and telling people to go get F-ed if need be.

Damn it!!!

Just had a stupid drive tire blow out. That's bad enough, but this is what gets me:
I'm on I-44 heading west. Just as I went past the entrance ramp for exit 4 (where the Petro, Loves & Pilot) are, the tire blew. When I say "just past", I mean the tractor itself "might" have went past the ramp - the trailer was still "at the ramp."

So, now I'm sitting in the weigh station waiting for a truck to come from Wingfoot. But, at least it's not a long drive for them.

Did you see where the tornado crossed the highway at MM 11? When I came through there a couple of weeks ago I noted the milepost but I didn't have time to look around because I was in heavy traffic.

And the best way to do that? Sounds intriguing...downright hard to resist...probably shouldn't be a company driver without that kind of insight...

For 'training' the bosses, it's simple: put your foot down and don't let them push you around. If they want you to do something illegal, say no and the reason for saying no (on the QC, always on the QC). Same if you're too tired - say no, weather - say no. Eventually they'll learn what you will and won't do. My regular DM knows exactly what I will and won't put up with. I run hard, but I also won't put up with them trying to have me do BS either. The problem, of course, is that there's nights, weekend & weekend night DM's that are changed every shift. Those are the hard ones to train.