[headborg]

Originally Posted by OKtrucker

Wal-Mart-- whom requires haz-mat endorcement


Just curious, if you are for certain about this, I have several friends driving for Wal-Mart and they do not have haz-mat and won't be getting it anytime soon.
Some drive out of the Buckeye DC in AZ other are in IL. Wonder if that makes a difference...

hmmm, all the one's(drivers) I've ran into say it's a hiring requirement-- how long have your friends been driving for wally world? maybe grandfathered in--or too valuable to let go of?

[headborg]

Originally Posted by txdrvr

I hate to hear it Headborg but understand. Been chatting with quite a few Crete drivers the last few months that have been unhappy too and are planning on leaving. I also am starting to look but plan on later this year so taking my time.

Was even at my Ottawa terminal and was asked to chat to a driver that was thinking of turning his truck in because he could never get home. It was bizarre as I am planning on leaving myself and am unhappy at Crete myself. Anyway after chatting with him for over an hour he planned on sticking around for a bit more.

Good luck Headborg. Also have you thought of Marten. They used to be a good company but haven't heard anything new on them the past 2-3 years?

Wife doesn't want me to quit...no one wants me to quit--- I'm not 100% thrilled with leaving right now either-- they are still really good about getting me HOME- n fact I deliver to wal-mart bentonville, ar tomorrow and heading home after for dentist appointment Wednesday- 3+ days at home.

The whole Paper load from Maine-- I have mixed feelings about-- was told Friday( by another Zone dispatcher for the Georga area-- that no-one even asked him about T-calling it Tuesday--- this I could/sould have done but figured it was the dispatcher from Maine's job to decide/suggest such a course of action. It was Her Load. Tom even said if He had noticed me(my truck) just setting for 2 days-- he could have used me on something- he had freight. That's the problem with slicing up the country like that--- no continuity--- from a driver's standpoint($$$$) it's a big down side. Then 2nd we have the issue of being 500lbs over gross-- If I had t-called it( then the next driver would have gotten in trouble if he had more than 1/4 tank of fuel).

[txdrvr]

I am just curious. In all the years at Crete I have had two loads that were overweight and a couple that were illegal in some way and I refused to run them and took them back. One of the times I was told at the shipper they wouldn't do anything and still refused to run it until they did. They ended up reworking it. Why did you run with it?

[headborg]

Originally Posted by txdrvr

I am just curious. In all the years at Crete I have had two loads that were overweight and a couple that were illegal in some way and I refused to run them and took them back. One of the times I was told at the shipper they wouldn't do anything and still refused to run it until they did. They ended up reworking it. Why did you run with it?

I ran with it, because it was Saturday evening, they wouldn't cut the load until Monday morning- and before they would- I would have had to get the 1.75 feet of snow off the top + get all the other "snow" weight off the trailer- that would have required me to run around Maine Sunday( and probably wouldn't have gotten/seen the money for those miles.)

So I took the gamble that all the 3000 pounds was snow-- and was close but no cigar.-- instead of setting all day Sunday. Also gambled that since it was a paper load-- I could probably deliver it as soon as I got there- I did not know the Receiver were A-Holes and only unloaded by Appointment only.

Monday I sent my ETA to Consignee -- 2 pm Tuesday-- and got back a short replay--- that If I could make it by 2pm the receiver would "work" me in that day-- but no later than 2.
Tuesday morning, after running down US29 across Va and N.C. then US1 in S.C.-- I sent a message at 7am- that I was behind my previous ETA by 2 hours and that I only had 5.5 hrs avail that day anyway and would be out of hours when I arrived at consignee.

That's went I was informed-- that the reason the load was originally scheduled for Friday was because they weren't expecting it to be ready until Monday sometime-- and that Tuesday would have been to "tight" for any driver to make-- and Wednesday & Thursday the Receiver was "booked" up--

It was my feeling then-- that this should have been information included in Monday's information( that if I couldn't make that 2pm-- I was screwed for
2 whole days.--- Even then, I think( knowing I wasn't going to make the 2 pm-- She could have told me to take it into Marettia and drop it.

Basically, I should have just not taken either of those offers sent out Saturday Night.

[mbadriver]

Spring fever came early for me. I quit tank yanking the middle of February and went to a local flat bedder. Want to get into hauling ovesize loads. They pay better and you only run during daylight hours.

Originally Posted by headborg

Well boys and girls, seems it's that time again-- Spring right around the corner, you've just made it through your first Winter perhaps it's time to pay back that (*(^-XXXking company that's given you your start in the industry, but non-the-less, has also been anal raping you all these months.

Is it time to hop, like the Easter bunny? I'm thinking so.....I'm on day 2 of setting on a load of paper 10 miles from the receiver-- the company wouldn't dream of letting me drop it at a yard--- they might have had trouble getting it "covered" by another driver--- seems that's all they do now-- is "cover" loads--no management of truck production--- this is called "zone dispatch" and I've felt this problem before ---

Name me a good company; while I run this application into the fax machine.

[txdrvr]

Understand. Sometimes gambles pay off. They should have had you T-call the load for sure. The regional dispatchers are idiots or most of them are. Some are great.

The thing is they should do the right thing always and it makes us want to do more for them. I learned many years ago to say NO to certain dispatchers. I have after time go and do things asked that were extra and give them a chance to do me right and they do now.

[headborg]

Originally Posted by txdrvr

Understand. Sometimes gambles pay off. They should have had you T-call the load for sure. The regional dispatchers are idiots or most of them are. Some are great.

The thing is they should do the right thing always and it makes us want to do more for them. I learned many years ago to say NO to certain dispatchers. I have after time go and do things asked that were extra and give them a chance to do me right and they do now.

One of the interesting things is the difference in the way they handle the two different situations:

Situation A: over on a axle- but under max GVW.

The night/weekend "coverage" will differently "order" or instruct you to return to shipper and get it "adjusted"

Situation B: Over GVW

In this situation, product must be cut from the order to get you legal.
When you "Cut the freight, You cut the Rate."--
Shaffer must have told them we could haul 44500 in our reefer boxs.
The bills read 44460- my empty weight( last friday night at the Chicken Processing Plant) is 34230.
Cutting freight requires higher authority than Night/weekenders have--
+ with all that snow -- it was a better call than setting.