Almost Screwed
I don't know how it is with other companies when it comes to dispatching and load assignment information, but with my company there are instances like the one I'm about to describe where somewhere along the way the info gets either lost or really screwed up. It makes for frustration and aggravation and embarrassment. It can also leave someone, almost screwed.
Just yesterday and the day before I blogged about the load I was to deliver at 10pm last night here in New Hampshire. When I received the load assignment I saw that the load was to be a driver hand unload (DHU). I had contacted my company to verify that this was accurate and to check to see if there may possibly be lumpers on site to do the work for cash. I was assured no lumpers were available and that I would be the one doing the work.
I had resigned myself and had accepted it and moved on. Yesterday I took a nap from 5pm to about 7:30 pm hoping to be rested enough to have the energy to do the unload and then make it back to the truck stop for some real sleep. When I woke up I was feeling rather impatient so for shits and giggles I dialed the number to the consignee to ask if perhaps they could work me in earlier than 10pm.
This is when I learned two very important things. 1) My appointment was NOT for 10pm it was actually for 8pm and if I would have shown up at 10pm I would have likely been turned away and told to reschedule by the consignee; and 2) There were in FACT lumpers on site that would be happy to take my money in exchange for doing the grunt work of unloading the trailer.
Now I was stoked to learn about the available lumper service and was relived to know that I wouldn't have to do anything laborious for the night. But I was really peeved at the fact that somewhere along the way either my company, a broker, someone somewhere got the information regarding my appointment all screwed up. According to the gal I spoke with when I called, if I'd waited to arrive at 10pm I'd have been turned away because I was then two hours late for my appointment. If that had happened I would have been more than peeved, I'd have been pissed.
I can laugh about it now because it's over and done with and I was unloaded and out of there by midnight, but the fact still remains that I was almost screwed. It just goes to show that nothing and no one can be truly trusted to give you the right information all of the time. It's annoying, but at least I survived!
Of course, now I sit here again probably for another 24 hours waiting for freight. The company had this bright idea some time ago to start these "First In First Out" market areas (we call them FIFO's, not to be confused with the F'n Idiots From Ohio) I don't know if other companies do this also, but I hate it. Because it never fails that you end up sitting a lot waiting for your name to be moved up the list as freight becomes available. As of this morning I was 18 of 32 in this particular area on the waiting list. More than likely I'll get an assignment today for a load that picks up tomorrow.
But who knows... it really just depends on what becomes available. I just hope I get something so that I can get moving again so I can have some semblance of a paycheck for next Friday. I will be working a short week since I am due to go home for time off this weekend so every mile I can get counts. Of course, if I sit here 24 hour waiting to be able to pick up a load, I'll get layover pay so that helps... but it's not as much as I could potentially make running actual miles.
Lucky for me I've got books to read and movies to watch and games to play. So I've no lack for entertainment. I just have to hope I don't get caught idling, in this no idle state, to keep my batteries charged up! Ya know, the batteries that desperately need replacing but the company won't replace because I can still start my truck in the mornings. My batteries last with just the dome light only for about 4 hours... a dome light should be able to stay on for 24+ hours without having to idle to charge the batteries at all.
Woe is me. ;o)
Just yesterday and the day before I blogged about the load I was to deliver at 10pm last night here in New Hampshire. When I received the load assignment I saw that the load was to be a driver hand unload (DHU). I had contacted my company to verify that this was accurate and to check to see if there may possibly be lumpers on site to do the work for cash. I was assured no lumpers were available and that I would be the one doing the work.
I had resigned myself and had accepted it and moved on. Yesterday I took a nap from 5pm to about 7:30 pm hoping to be rested enough to have the energy to do the unload and then make it back to the truck stop for some real sleep. When I woke up I was feeling rather impatient so for shits and giggles I dialed the number to the consignee to ask if perhaps they could work me in earlier than 10pm.
This is when I learned two very important things. 1) My appointment was NOT for 10pm it was actually for 8pm and if I would have shown up at 10pm I would have likely been turned away and told to reschedule by the consignee; and 2) There were in FACT lumpers on site that would be happy to take my money in exchange for doing the grunt work of unloading the trailer.
Now I was stoked to learn about the available lumper service and was relived to know that I wouldn't have to do anything laborious for the night. But I was really peeved at the fact that somewhere along the way either my company, a broker, someone somewhere got the information regarding my appointment all screwed up. According to the gal I spoke with when I called, if I'd waited to arrive at 10pm I'd have been turned away because I was then two hours late for my appointment. If that had happened I would have been more than peeved, I'd have been pissed.
I can laugh about it now because it's over and done with and I was unloaded and out of there by midnight, but the fact still remains that I was almost screwed. It just goes to show that nothing and no one can be truly trusted to give you the right information all of the time. It's annoying, but at least I survived!
Of course, now I sit here again probably for another 24 hours waiting for freight. The company had this bright idea some time ago to start these "First In First Out" market areas (we call them FIFO's, not to be confused with the F'n Idiots From Ohio) I don't know if other companies do this also, but I hate it. Because it never fails that you end up sitting a lot waiting for your name to be moved up the list as freight becomes available. As of this morning I was 18 of 32 in this particular area on the waiting list. More than likely I'll get an assignment today for a load that picks up tomorrow.
But who knows... it really just depends on what becomes available. I just hope I get something so that I can get moving again so I can have some semblance of a paycheck for next Friday. I will be working a short week since I am due to go home for time off this weekend so every mile I can get counts. Of course, if I sit here 24 hour waiting to be able to pick up a load, I'll get layover pay so that helps... but it's not as much as I could potentially make running actual miles.
Lucky for me I've got books to read and movies to watch and games to play. So I've no lack for entertainment. I just have to hope I don't get caught idling, in this no idle state, to keep my batteries charged up! Ya know, the batteries that desperately need replacing but the company won't replace because I can still start my truck in the mornings. My batteries last with just the dome light only for about 4 hours... a dome light should be able to stay on for 24+ hours without having to idle to charge the batteries at all.
Woe is me. ;o)
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