Another day...
So I spent the first half of the first day of Autumn sitting in my truck watching a movie while waiting for a new load assignment to come across the Qualcomm (the onboard computer system we use). I sent in three messages letting the powers that be know that I was sitting there available and anxious to get rolling again. Finally a message came through around 11:30 am saying... "what is your driver , we do not show anyone assigned to this truck".
OK WTF?
So I replied with my info and then immediately went into the OC (Operations Center) and got on the phone. After holding for nearly 8 minutes I finally got a live person to talk to. Apparently what had happened was one of the college kids that works the weekend shifts at Operations Support had fat fingered my account and taken me out of my power unit (truck) in the system. UGH! So they fixed the problem and I got off the phone and went back out to my truck.
I called N8 since it was already nearly noon and I figured that he'd be awake. He was and we talked for a good bit. Then the beeps ensued! The Qualcomm will beep everytime a new message comes through. Generally load assignments have at least 5 messages total, sometimes as many as 9. I got 7 beeps and I was getting anxious to get moving. I read through the messages and got all the info written down in my handy dandy notebook. And yes that WAS a Blues Clues reference... but seriously we have these handy little "pumpkin books" (as we call them) that we can organize all of our load information in. But I digress.
Woo hoo! I was headed for Menomonee, WI. The far west side of the state... which would also be the farthest west I've been in my truck yet! Finally I got moving, I did my pre-trip inspection and went to the fuel island to top off on fuel and then went back to the lot where the load was sitting. You see I was told this was a relay load that was sitting in our OC parking lot. Relay means someone else got the load from it's origination point but for some reason or another they couldn't made the delivery on time. The oringinal driver will drop the load so that another available driver can finish the delivery.
I got in the drivers seat and drove to the area where loaded trailers are parked and searched. And searched... and searched. Finding nothing. I parked my truck back in the front lot and went into the OC to get a tracking location on the load.
Turns out the guy hauling the load was still on the OTHER side of Ohio and was therefore about 7 hours away. I once again called my Support Operations folks, the college kids that work on the weekends just to earn beer money... to ask for advice....."Sit tight and just wait for the trailer to arrive."
Gee thanks.
I did sit tight at the OC until about 5 or 6 pm yesterday evening. I played on my laptop in the day room and talked to fellow drivers, laughing and telling stories of things such as being lost thanks to company provided directions. Then it was decision time. Do I spend the night in my truck or do I go back to the hotel.....
Hmm... tough one.
Hotel.
I came back to the Holiday Inn and enjoyed an evening of internet chatting and the Season Premiers of The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Family Guy. All great by the way! I also got room service again... but this time it was simple... Three beers and a slice of cheesecake! haha I totally spoiled myself this weekend!
So here I sit this morning, still in the hotel. The load is surely at the OC by now but my delivery isn't to be made until 9 pm tonite. Menomonee, WI is only about a 6 hr. drive from here. So I will probably head back to the OC around 11 or 12 and get a good lunch in me then get on my way. No sense in rushing.
So there you have it... another day in the oh so exciting life of a truck driver. Bah!
.....nothing at all like the day I had my first wiener flashing.....but that's another story from another day... hahahah
OK WTF?
So I replied with my info and then immediately went into the OC (Operations Center) and got on the phone. After holding for nearly 8 minutes I finally got a live person to talk to. Apparently what had happened was one of the college kids that works the weekend shifts at Operations Support had fat fingered my account and taken me out of my power unit (truck) in the system. UGH! So they fixed the problem and I got off the phone and went back out to my truck.
I called N8 since it was already nearly noon and I figured that he'd be awake. He was and we talked for a good bit. Then the beeps ensued! The Qualcomm will beep everytime a new message comes through. Generally load assignments have at least 5 messages total, sometimes as many as 9. I got 7 beeps and I was getting anxious to get moving. I read through the messages and got all the info written down in my handy dandy notebook. And yes that WAS a Blues Clues reference... but seriously we have these handy little "pumpkin books" (as we call them) that we can organize all of our load information in. But I digress.
Woo hoo! I was headed for Menomonee, WI. The far west side of the state... which would also be the farthest west I've been in my truck yet! Finally I got moving, I did my pre-trip inspection and went to the fuel island to top off on fuel and then went back to the lot where the load was sitting. You see I was told this was a relay load that was sitting in our OC parking lot. Relay means someone else got the load from it's origination point but for some reason or another they couldn't made the delivery on time. The oringinal driver will drop the load so that another available driver can finish the delivery.
I got in the drivers seat and drove to the area where loaded trailers are parked and searched. And searched... and searched. Finding nothing. I parked my truck back in the front lot and went into the OC to get a tracking location on the load.
Turns out the guy hauling the load was still on the OTHER side of Ohio and was therefore about 7 hours away. I once again called my Support Operations folks, the college kids that work on the weekends just to earn beer money... to ask for advice....."Sit tight and just wait for the trailer to arrive."
Gee thanks.
I did sit tight at the OC until about 5 or 6 pm yesterday evening. I played on my laptop in the day room and talked to fellow drivers, laughing and telling stories of things such as being lost thanks to company provided directions. Then it was decision time. Do I spend the night in my truck or do I go back to the hotel.....
Hmm... tough one.
Hotel.
I came back to the Holiday Inn and enjoyed an evening of internet chatting and the Season Premiers of The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Family Guy. All great by the way! I also got room service again... but this time it was simple... Three beers and a slice of cheesecake! haha I totally spoiled myself this weekend!
So here I sit this morning, still in the hotel. The load is surely at the OC by now but my delivery isn't to be made until 9 pm tonite. Menomonee, WI is only about a 6 hr. drive from here. So I will probably head back to the OC around 11 or 12 and get a good lunch in me then get on my way. No sense in rushing.
So there you have it... another day in the oh so exciting life of a truck driver. Bah!
.....nothing at all like the day I had my first wiener flashing.....but that's another story from another day... hahahah
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