I used to picture a day on the road... oh, I covered that yesterday? That's right. Well, today was just like yesterday. Another 660 miles behind me and not much else to say. I tried to stop and watch some football for a while. Apparently, in North Dakota, even the wifi hotspots give you painfully slow internet access. So, no football, but at least I got some work done.
Back at it tomorrow for another ten or eleven hours. It looks like I'm getting ahead of my intended pace a little, but the weather out here could derail me in a hurry so I need to keep going.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
11/23/07
I could say, with 100% accuracy, that this job has been almost exactly what I expected it to be. In the big picture, perspective-based sense, that would be completely true.
I could also say, with equal accuracy, that hardly anything in the day-to-day routine goes the way you picture it before you get out here and do it. Today was almost exactly like the kind of day I pictured before I started this job.
I always pictured real long days on the road, cruising vast distances with minimal stopping. In reality, eight hours is a pretty typical day and I've had as many two hour days as eleven hour days. On the longer ones, I usually stop a few times for no other reason than boredom. Today I ran just short of eleven hours and only took a quick piss break.
I never pictured sitting in stationary traffic for no particular reason on an almost daily basis. Most days, whenever I get close to a city, we'll come to a stop at least once but there won't be any apparent reason for having done so. Today I took I-90 straight through Chicago and never dropped below the posted speed limit.
I never pictured all of the ways that incompetent office personnel could find to waste my time. Today I was in the middle of a long run so the office didn't exist as far as I was concerned.
I never pictured the amount of time that it could take to load a trailer. I've had full loads put on in ten minutes, so I know it can be a quick process, but I've also had half a trailer take five hours. Today I was already loaded and ready to roll once I drove to work in the morning.
I never pictured the asinine places into which shippers and receivers would ask us to back our 53' trailers. I've had some where, even after I got the trailer in the door, I looked outside and thought, "I'll never get out of here." Today, there were no docks to bump or drop yards to navigate.
I always pictured myself just setting the cruise slightly below the speed limit and letting it ride. In reality, there is always someone going slower. Try driving 50mph on the interstate sometime. You'll still run someone down and have to make your way around. I guarantee it. Today I ran 60mph in Michigan, 65mph in Indiana, 55mph in Illinois, and 65mph in Wisconsin. I rarely had to leave the right lane or disengage the cruise.
All of this just confirms a previously held view of mine. If every day of the year fell on a holiday weekend, I would absolutely love my job. They don't, and thus I don't, but today was exactly what the doctor ordered. I got to Hudson, Wisconsin, just outside Minnesota. That's plenty of ground covered for today and with no aggravation.
I even got a kick out of seeing all of the full arms and smiling faces as I rolled through the towns and suburbs, especially Chicago. Analysts expect a sharp decline in consumer activity in response to rising gas prices. Anybody who knows anything about America knows our attitude when it comes to Christmas shopping - 'Fuck gas prices. I want to see my kids smile.' I guess I'll try to catch on with one of these think tanks. It sounds like people get to make shit up and get paid for it.
Well, I guess that's all for today. Skipping yesterday to visit with family has left me pigeonholed into a hard-running weekend, so I have a lot more ground to cover tomorrow.
I could also say, with equal accuracy, that hardly anything in the day-to-day routine goes the way you picture it before you get out here and do it. Today was almost exactly like the kind of day I pictured before I started this job.
I always pictured real long days on the road, cruising vast distances with minimal stopping. In reality, eight hours is a pretty typical day and I've had as many two hour days as eleven hour days. On the longer ones, I usually stop a few times for no other reason than boredom. Today I ran just short of eleven hours and only took a quick piss break.
I never pictured sitting in stationary traffic for no particular reason on an almost daily basis. Most days, whenever I get close to a city, we'll come to a stop at least once but there won't be any apparent reason for having done so. Today I took I-90 straight through Chicago and never dropped below the posted speed limit.
I never pictured all of the ways that incompetent office personnel could find to waste my time. Today I was in the middle of a long run so the office didn't exist as far as I was concerned.
I never pictured the amount of time that it could take to load a trailer. I've had full loads put on in ten minutes, so I know it can be a quick process, but I've also had half a trailer take five hours. Today I was already loaded and ready to roll once I drove to work in the morning.
I never pictured the asinine places into which shippers and receivers would ask us to back our 53' trailers. I've had some where, even after I got the trailer in the door, I looked outside and thought, "I'll never get out of here." Today, there were no docks to bump or drop yards to navigate.
I always pictured myself just setting the cruise slightly below the speed limit and letting it ride. In reality, there is always someone going slower. Try driving 50mph on the interstate sometime. You'll still run someone down and have to make your way around. I guarantee it. Today I ran 60mph in Michigan, 65mph in Indiana, 55mph in Illinois, and 65mph in Wisconsin. I rarely had to leave the right lane or disengage the cruise.
All of this just confirms a previously held view of mine. If every day of the year fell on a holiday weekend, I would absolutely love my job. They don't, and thus I don't, but today was exactly what the doctor ordered. I got to Hudson, Wisconsin, just outside Minnesota. That's plenty of ground covered for today and with no aggravation.
I even got a kick out of seeing all of the full arms and smiling faces as I rolled through the towns and suburbs, especially Chicago. Analysts expect a sharp decline in consumer activity in response to rising gas prices. Anybody who knows anything about America knows our attitude when it comes to Christmas shopping - 'Fuck gas prices. I want to see my kids smile.' I guess I'll try to catch on with one of these think tanks. It sounds like people get to make shit up and get paid for it.
Well, I guess that's all for today. Skipping yesterday to visit with family has left me pigeonholed into a hard-running weekend, so I have a lot more ground to cover tomorrow.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
11/22/07
Ahh.... That feels good. The first solid night of sleep since I don't know when. I rolled out of the sack around 9:30am. Okay, now for the headache. Nope, gone. Oh, but the nausea. Hey, that's gone too. The joint pain, stomach cramps, dizziness, diarrhea? All gone. I'll chalk it up to the healing powers of money. More money = less aggravation = I'm all better. I know there's probably no science to back that up, but it works for me.
I have numerous tattoos, each of which has some meaning or symbolism for something that I consider important enough to etch on my skin for the rest of my life. On top of my right shoulder, there's an angel. On top of my left shoulder, there's a devil. To me, they represent the constant inner dialogue between right and wrong that each of us faces every day. The importance, and hence the reason it was worth the etching, is that we should never allow ourselves to forget to listen to both sides of that inner dialogue. If you just ignore the little devil on your shoulder, you might lose track of what he's saying. Then, somewhere down the road, you find out that he's speaking on your behalf all the time. You know the conversations I'm talking about:
Eat the last slice / Watch your cholesterol
Screw that guy, I'm in a hurry / You should slow down and let him merge
Try to get her panties off / You don't even know her name
Sweet! We got free cornflakes / Tell them the scanner missed an item
Think of a good excuse / Just admit your mistake
And so on, and so on...
So anyway... Today, about an hour after I got rolling, the little devil got started. I was approaching the exit for I-280, which would run me north to I-75 and up toward Detroit. Screw this. You've put up with enough crap lately. You need a day off. To that extent, he did make a pretty good point. The only catch was that Detroit was not on the way to Washington, which is my destination. Then I heard from my little angel. You could surprise your family on Thanksgiving. Wouldn't that be nice?
So there I was, thoroughly confused. These two never agree with each other. Then it continued:
You can have a few beers and watch football.
You can play with your niece and nephew.
Everyone else is going home, why not you? (He's been using that tactic on me since I was a kid.)
A lot of people would be grateful for this kind of opportunity. (She's been using that tactic on me since I was a kid too.)
So there I was. If these two agree, what can I say? I hung a right and headed home. Now I'll show up at Mom's house with a bag of dirty laundry and it will be just like coming home for the holidays when I was in college. I'll have four ten-hour days starting tomorrow and I should be fine. Then, my appointment is for 9am Pacific on Tuesday, which is noon for me, so I have that whole morning to make up for any lost time due to weather. Done.
I'll burn some extra fuel by taking this detour, but after thinking it through I'm pretty sure I'll save enough money to make it even out. I'll skip the rest of the tolls in Ohio and all of the tolls in Indiana, since I'll head west on I-94. I'll be cruising through Michigan at 60mph instead of Ohio and Indiana at 65mph, probably saving a few gallons. I'll take on around 80 gallons at the terminal, saving some more money. I'll sleep in my bed at home tonight, so I won't have to idle the truck to stay warm. And lastly, I won't be submitting a reimbursement form for the $15 Thanksgiving dinner that they offer to us, since I won't be buying food on the road today.
Being from Detroit, the Lions are obviously a traditional deal. I'm not a Lions fan though, so I usually have to manufacture some kind of rooting interest. This year it's simple. My 'Skins aren't catching Green Bay. That much seems obvious. If they have any hope of overcoming Joe Gibbs' amazing ability to blow games in the fourth quarter and making a playoff run, they will have to pass Detroit. Go Packers!
Game 2 has always been one where I have a clear-cut favorite - whoever plays the Cowboys. J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!
As for the college games this weekend, I'll be driving all day through the weekend and my XM Radio is broken so I don't know that I can properly whore out my loyalty to any teams playing day games. I'll have to see who plays at night, while I'm stopped, and take it from there. Even then, the internet service gets pretty sketchy out that way, so I have no high hopes of watching football this weekend.
Anyhow, happy Thanksgiving everyone and we'll catch up with you tomorrow.
I have numerous tattoos, each of which has some meaning or symbolism for something that I consider important enough to etch on my skin for the rest of my life. On top of my right shoulder, there's an angel. On top of my left shoulder, there's a devil. To me, they represent the constant inner dialogue between right and wrong that each of us faces every day. The importance, and hence the reason it was worth the etching, is that we should never allow ourselves to forget to listen to both sides of that inner dialogue. If you just ignore the little devil on your shoulder, you might lose track of what he's saying. Then, somewhere down the road, you find out that he's speaking on your behalf all the time. You know the conversations I'm talking about:
Eat the last slice / Watch your cholesterol
Screw that guy, I'm in a hurry / You should slow down and let him merge
Try to get her panties off / You don't even know her name
Sweet! We got free cornflakes / Tell them the scanner missed an item
Think of a good excuse / Just admit your mistake
And so on, and so on...
So anyway... Today, about an hour after I got rolling, the little devil got started. I was approaching the exit for I-280, which would run me north to I-75 and up toward Detroit. Screw this. You've put up with enough crap lately. You need a day off. To that extent, he did make a pretty good point. The only catch was that Detroit was not on the way to Washington, which is my destination. Then I heard from my little angel. You could surprise your family on Thanksgiving. Wouldn't that be nice?
So there I was, thoroughly confused. These two never agree with each other. Then it continued:
You can have a few beers and watch football.
You can play with your niece and nephew.
Everyone else is going home, why not you? (He's been using that tactic on me since I was a kid.)
A lot of people would be grateful for this kind of opportunity. (She's been using that tactic on me since I was a kid too.)
So there I was. If these two agree, what can I say? I hung a right and headed home. Now I'll show up at Mom's house with a bag of dirty laundry and it will be just like coming home for the holidays when I was in college. I'll have four ten-hour days starting tomorrow and I should be fine. Then, my appointment is for 9am Pacific on Tuesday, which is noon for me, so I have that whole morning to make up for any lost time due to weather. Done.
I'll burn some extra fuel by taking this detour, but after thinking it through I'm pretty sure I'll save enough money to make it even out. I'll skip the rest of the tolls in Ohio and all of the tolls in Indiana, since I'll head west on I-94. I'll be cruising through Michigan at 60mph instead of Ohio and Indiana at 65mph, probably saving a few gallons. I'll take on around 80 gallons at the terminal, saving some more money. I'll sleep in my bed at home tonight, so I won't have to idle the truck to stay warm. And lastly, I won't be submitting a reimbursement form for the $15 Thanksgiving dinner that they offer to us, since I won't be buying food on the road today.
Being from Detroit, the Lions are obviously a traditional deal. I'm not a Lions fan though, so I usually have to manufacture some kind of rooting interest. This year it's simple. My 'Skins aren't catching Green Bay. That much seems obvious. If they have any hope of overcoming Joe Gibbs' amazing ability to blow games in the fourth quarter and making a playoff run, they will have to pass Detroit. Go Packers!
Game 2 has always been one where I have a clear-cut favorite - whoever plays the Cowboys. J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!
As for the college games this weekend, I'll be driving all day through the weekend and my XM Radio is broken so I don't know that I can properly whore out my loyalty to any teams playing day games. I'll have to see who plays at night, while I'm stopped, and take it from there. Even then, the internet service gets pretty sketchy out that way, so I have no high hopes of watching football this weekend.
Anyhow, happy Thanksgiving everyone and we'll catch up with you tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
11/21/07
Easton, I hardly knew ya.
I got an empty today at 11am and my assigned load picked up at 8am, so I guess you can figure out that much. So another missed load, what's the difference, right? That's honestly how I felt this morning, but some of the nonsense surrounding the whole deal had me all worked up.
I went back to the drop lot in Hazleton at 5am, a full three hours ahead of my scheduled appointment at the place in Easton. What say you, Mr. yard dog? "Maybe another hour or so." That's fine, I could leave at 6am and still make my appointment with no trouble.
Okay, it's 6am, how about now, Mr. yard dog? "It's gonna be a while, but they're gonna dump eleven empties when they get done." Freaking useless. I need one empty, not eleven. I need to know when, not "a while."
So I called CFI and got some dude on the phone. I told him what was going on, then he put me on hold. When he came back, he said that they were trying to get a hold of someone at the customer to see when they would get me an empty. Yeah well, most office types aren't taking phone calls at 6am. Besides, why would anyone think they have any real idea, when they've been lying to me since last night? So I got unassigned from my planned load.
Around 9:30am, after getting another runaround, I shot a message to CFI. I apprised them of the fact that I had been at the customer for 14 hours, I still had no empty, and I do need to eat this month. I imagine that last bit of sarcasm did the trick, prompting a defensive reply from my fleet manager. He said I wasn't planned on anything because I said I would board in the morning and I never did. Ummm... At that point, I went from 'pissed but dealing with it' to 'I'll punch you in the mouth.' I never boarded? Kiss my ass pal. The rough draft of my response read, "Okay genius, how in the fuck am I supposed to board with no fucking empty?" Once my editors got through with me, the final version (the one I actually sent) said, "I can't board without an empty."
My fleet manager then put me on the board with no empty and said he was calling this mysterious guy who apparently has the power to make empties appear. I was told they were calling the same guy last night and we see how that went. A short time later, the mystery man sent me a message saying that the trailer in door #32 was empty and I could pull it once the light turned green. I sat in front of it for an hour. The light never turned green. Finally the yard dog brought me an empty from some other door.
This was a pretty big customer of ours (which is why there are no names listed here) and I guess all we can do is put up with their shit when this happens, but that was unacceptable. If a loaded trailer comes in, an empty goes out. If an empty comes in, a load goes out. There's no excuse for what I dealt with there. If they're seeing a shift in their business, they need to get excess empties in there to accomodate the changes. If not, they just need to get their heads out of their asses. Either way, that's time for which I won't get paid and I can't do anything about it.
Tired of my whining yet? I sure as hell am. Okay, let's try this on for size: I got a load assignment right around the time I finally got an empty trailer. Pick up in Telford, about 70 miles away. Okay. And... go to Kent, Washington, 2,830 miles away. Beauty. So thanks for all of the offers, but it looks like I may not have to sell a kidney for rent money after all. This run got me up to 4,053 miles and I'll have four more days, after I'm empty, until the month is through.
I was planning to tend to some business matters at home on the 29th, but this run will force me to reschedule since I deliver in Washington on the morning of the 27th. I was already leaning toward staying out, since my income has been so pathetic this month. This way, they just made the decision for me.
I found that I had to take a break every couple of hours today, on account of not feeling so great, but I still got halfway across Ohio before my 14 hour clock ran out. My strength is definitely not 100%, but I think my biggest issue was the neck pain. Through drills and forced habit, I'm compulsive about checking my mirrors every few seconds. Each time I turned my head today, my neck hurt like a bitch. Then, the next time, it would be worse. And so on, and so on, until eventually I would pull over and lay down for a spell.
Along the way, I missed the turn where I-80 and I-76 cross. Nothing new for me. I'd say I miss at least one turn a day. I was passing a guy, then I needed to be in the right lane, then he sped up... Anyhow, getting to the point - My unintended route took me through a couple of towns. I know that some people lament the effect that Wal Mart has had on small towns in America. I stopped in at the one on OH-14 just south of the turnpike and I got a new work coat for $15. For deals like that, they can run a whole state out of business as far as I'm concerned. (I recommend California.)
I got an empty today at 11am and my assigned load picked up at 8am, so I guess you can figure out that much. So another missed load, what's the difference, right? That's honestly how I felt this morning, but some of the nonsense surrounding the whole deal had me all worked up.
I went back to the drop lot in Hazleton at 5am, a full three hours ahead of my scheduled appointment at the place in Easton. What say you, Mr. yard dog? "Maybe another hour or so." That's fine, I could leave at 6am and still make my appointment with no trouble.
Okay, it's 6am, how about now, Mr. yard dog? "It's gonna be a while, but they're gonna dump eleven empties when they get done." Freaking useless. I need one empty, not eleven. I need to know when, not "a while."
So I called CFI and got some dude on the phone. I told him what was going on, then he put me on hold. When he came back, he said that they were trying to get a hold of someone at the customer to see when they would get me an empty. Yeah well, most office types aren't taking phone calls at 6am. Besides, why would anyone think they have any real idea, when they've been lying to me since last night? So I got unassigned from my planned load.
Around 9:30am, after getting another runaround, I shot a message to CFI. I apprised them of the fact that I had been at the customer for 14 hours, I still had no empty, and I do need to eat this month. I imagine that last bit of sarcasm did the trick, prompting a defensive reply from my fleet manager. He said I wasn't planned on anything because I said I would board in the morning and I never did. Ummm... At that point, I went from 'pissed but dealing with it' to 'I'll punch you in the mouth.' I never boarded? Kiss my ass pal. The rough draft of my response read, "Okay genius, how in the fuck am I supposed to board with no fucking empty?" Once my editors got through with me, the final version (the one I actually sent) said, "I can't board without an empty."
My fleet manager then put me on the board with no empty and said he was calling this mysterious guy who apparently has the power to make empties appear. I was told they were calling the same guy last night and we see how that went. A short time later, the mystery man sent me a message saying that the trailer in door #32 was empty and I could pull it once the light turned green. I sat in front of it for an hour. The light never turned green. Finally the yard dog brought me an empty from some other door.
This was a pretty big customer of ours (which is why there are no names listed here) and I guess all we can do is put up with their shit when this happens, but that was unacceptable. If a loaded trailer comes in, an empty goes out. If an empty comes in, a load goes out. There's no excuse for what I dealt with there. If they're seeing a shift in their business, they need to get excess empties in there to accomodate the changes. If not, they just need to get their heads out of their asses. Either way, that's time for which I won't get paid and I can't do anything about it.
Tired of my whining yet? I sure as hell am. Okay, let's try this on for size: I got a load assignment right around the time I finally got an empty trailer. Pick up in Telford, about 70 miles away. Okay. And... go to Kent, Washington, 2,830 miles away. Beauty. So thanks for all of the offers, but it looks like I may not have to sell a kidney for rent money after all. This run got me up to 4,053 miles and I'll have four more days, after I'm empty, until the month is through.
I was planning to tend to some business matters at home on the 29th, but this run will force me to reschedule since I deliver in Washington on the morning of the 27th. I was already leaning toward staying out, since my income has been so pathetic this month. This way, they just made the decision for me.
I found that I had to take a break every couple of hours today, on account of not feeling so great, but I still got halfway across Ohio before my 14 hour clock ran out. My strength is definitely not 100%, but I think my biggest issue was the neck pain. Through drills and forced habit, I'm compulsive about checking my mirrors every few seconds. Each time I turned my head today, my neck hurt like a bitch. Then, the next time, it would be worse. And so on, and so on, until eventually I would pull over and lay down for a spell.
Along the way, I missed the turn where I-80 and I-76 cross. Nothing new for me. I'd say I miss at least one turn a day. I was passing a guy, then I needed to be in the right lane, then he sped up... Anyhow, getting to the point - My unintended route took me through a couple of towns. I know that some people lament the effect that Wal Mart has had on small towns in America. I stopped in at the one on OH-14 just south of the turnpike and I got a new work coat for $15. For deals like that, they can run a whole state out of business as far as I'm concerned. (I recommend California.)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
11/20/07
I have reached one incontrovertible conclusion regarding my job. If my first month with CFI had gone even close to how this month has gone, I would not have stuck around for a second month. It's been one shitty day after another, and my patience is wearing thin.
So, after getting terrible miles for a week to start the month and then getting deadheaded home from Columbus the day after I highlighted, that first check was a beauty - $839 after taxes (for 15 days).
Then I go back to work and the computers are down, so I end up running a freaking fire drill.
Then we get the 834 mile, 3 day dispatch that, as it turns out, I could not have gotten rid of early.
Then my classy colleague screws me out of my turn and I sit for another day.
So what would today hold? Surely something had to give, right? Around 8:15am I got my assignment. You don't even want to know - deadhead 202 miles, back through The Bronx and into Jersey. Then pick up a load going 119 miles to Hazleton, Pennsylvania. That is not a typo. I seriously just wanted to go back to bed and pretend I never got the message.
So, a 202 mile deahead, that should take what, six hours or so? Well, today it did.
I got loaded, then headed west. A 119 mile run, that should take what, three hours or so? Well, tonight it did.
When I got dispatched to Hazleton, I caught a glimmer of hope that something might go my way. They planned me on a load picking up in Easton tomorrow morning and heading for Kansas City. At least that would keep me busy for a couple of days. Yeah, no. They have no empties at the customer. So I'm in limbo at this point. Maybe they find me an empty, maybe not.
So my job has pretty much sucked ass for this entire month, but I'm not even sure my job was the worst part about today. It turns out that even bulletproof Godfathers can catch a flu bug once every three or four years. So last night was another sleepless one. I'd put a blanket on and start sweating profusely. I'd take the blanket off and start shivering uncontrollably. Big fun.
On top of that, I was stuck with no food or beverages last night and this morning, on account of the fact that I got locked out of the ConWay yard and I wasn't planning to spend a day and a half on some quiet little street. So, when I got rolling, I stopped in at the truck stop in Rhode Island. I sucked down a few Gatorades and ate some crackers, then got back on the road.
Apparently the food I ate was not comfortable with the idea of a long-term relationship with me, because about a half hour later it decided it was coming out, and fast. I take pride in the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, I've never shat myself. I had no desire to do so today either. The catch is that we can't just pop off at the next exit and run in somewhere. It takes a little more room to park. I made it to a service plaza just in time. I swear I hate my life today.
I think I'm going to get doped up on Advils here and try to get this fever down a little. I'll probably have to pick up an empty in the morning and then haul ass over to Easton. Another glorious day in the biz...
So, after getting terrible miles for a week to start the month and then getting deadheaded home from Columbus the day after I highlighted, that first check was a beauty - $839 after taxes (for 15 days).
Then I go back to work and the computers are down, so I end up running a freaking fire drill.
Then we get the 834 mile, 3 day dispatch that, as it turns out, I could not have gotten rid of early.
Then my classy colleague screws me out of my turn and I sit for another day.
So what would today hold? Surely something had to give, right? Around 8:15am I got my assignment. You don't even want to know - deadhead 202 miles, back through The Bronx and into Jersey. Then pick up a load going 119 miles to Hazleton, Pennsylvania. That is not a typo. I seriously just wanted to go back to bed and pretend I never got the message.
So, a 202 mile deahead, that should take what, six hours or so? Well, today it did.
I got loaded, then headed west. A 119 mile run, that should take what, three hours or so? Well, tonight it did.
When I got dispatched to Hazleton, I caught a glimmer of hope that something might go my way. They planned me on a load picking up in Easton tomorrow morning and heading for Kansas City. At least that would keep me busy for a couple of days. Yeah, no. They have no empties at the customer. So I'm in limbo at this point. Maybe they find me an empty, maybe not.
So my job has pretty much sucked ass for this entire month, but I'm not even sure my job was the worst part about today. It turns out that even bulletproof Godfathers can catch a flu bug once every three or four years. So last night was another sleepless one. I'd put a blanket on and start sweating profusely. I'd take the blanket off and start shivering uncontrollably. Big fun.
On top of that, I was stuck with no food or beverages last night and this morning, on account of the fact that I got locked out of the ConWay yard and I wasn't planning to spend a day and a half on some quiet little street. So, when I got rolling, I stopped in at the truck stop in Rhode Island. I sucked down a few Gatorades and ate some crackers, then got back on the road.
Apparently the food I ate was not comfortable with the idea of a long-term relationship with me, because about a half hour later it decided it was coming out, and fast. I take pride in the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, I've never shat myself. I had no desire to do so today either. The catch is that we can't just pop off at the next exit and run in somewhere. It takes a little more room to park. I made it to a service plaza just in time. I swear I hate my life today.
I think I'm going to get doped up on Advils here and try to get this fever down a little. I'll probably have to pick up an empty in the morning and then haul ass over to Easton. Another glorious day in the biz...
Monday, November 19, 2007
11/19/07
Who thinks I can summarize a shitty day in five words or less?
I'm still in Rhode Island.
That about says it all. I'm under the distinct impression that I got fucked over today and I'm not too happy about it. We got a message asking us to stay off the phones if possible, on account of CFI's computer issues, but I doubt that I would have called just to get some bullshit excuse from those people anyway.
I got here last night, found the locked gate, and settled in. A few hours later, another CFI truck pulled up. The guy got out of his truck, so I stepped out and we shot the shit for a while. He's convinced that he's figured out the mathematical formula for how much of a pay cut we're taking by getting a penny raise. It's not a pay cut. To assume it's a pay cut, you assume a perfectly efficient operating model and an unrealistic blend of roads. American OTR truck driving is a long way from a perfectly efficient operating model and the speed limits... Honestly, I'm tired of explaining it to people who just have no ability to grasp logic, so forget it. Anyway, he told his stories for a while and I tried to play along, but it got too cold for me so I hopped in the bunk and closed my eyes.
I tossed and turned all night, peeking out my window every half hour or so to see if the gate had been opened. When I saw the gate closed at 5am, I hopped in the front seat. I figured they would have to be opening it sooner or later. Around 5:45am, a guy finally came out and pulled the chain off the gate. I went inside and they told me where to put my loaded trailer. The guy in there said that they had no empties, but I told him it was no big deal since the CFI computers were still scheduled to be down for a few hours anyway. As I pulled out from under my trailer, the other CFI driver entered the yard and went around to check in. I pulled off to the side and went to sleep.
Around 9:30am, I woke up and saw the other CFI bobtail sitting next to me. I went in and they told me I could pull my trailer from the dock, since it was empty. I pulled it, slid the tandems, and backed in at the end of the yard, next to the other guy's bobtail, where I had been parked all morning. I was #2 on the board when I sent in my empty call, so I started to get a little suspicious. That peckerhead next to me hadn't sent in his empty call before he was empty, had he? After all, showing up three hours after me, checking in twenty minutes after me, and retrieving his empty an hour after me - these are not things that would indicate that he should get a load before me, are they? Not the way I see it, they're not.
I took another nap. When I woke up, he was parked next to me again, but this time he was hooked to his empty. I signed on to the website and saw that I was still #2. Hmm. A couple hours later, the other driver left. I signed on to the website one more time - #1 now. The son of a bitch had sent in his empty call before he was empty so he could jump ahead of me on the board. But here at CFI we're a cut above right? Bullshit. We're a motley collection of assholes, to varying degrees. I'm just as big an asshole as any of the others, but I do possess enough integrity not to fuck another driver without buying him dinner first.
So I got to hang out at the ConWay yard all day... and all evening... and all night. They just kicked me out a little while ago so they could lock the gate. And here I am, parked on the side of the same street where I spent last night. I'm thoroughly pissed. I have made jack shit for money this month, and there's no telling whether or not anything good will come my way tomorrow. Maybe the computers are working. Maybe not. Maybe the 'low productivity' thing works and somebody at CFI knows I've been taking it in the ass all month. Maybe not. Maybe the planners will actually put something decent together. Or maybe not. It's a glamorous life, ain't it?
I'm still in Rhode Island.
That about says it all. I'm under the distinct impression that I got fucked over today and I'm not too happy about it. We got a message asking us to stay off the phones if possible, on account of CFI's computer issues, but I doubt that I would have called just to get some bullshit excuse from those people anyway.
I got here last night, found the locked gate, and settled in. A few hours later, another CFI truck pulled up. The guy got out of his truck, so I stepped out and we shot the shit for a while. He's convinced that he's figured out the mathematical formula for how much of a pay cut we're taking by getting a penny raise. It's not a pay cut. To assume it's a pay cut, you assume a perfectly efficient operating model and an unrealistic blend of roads. American OTR truck driving is a long way from a perfectly efficient operating model and the speed limits... Honestly, I'm tired of explaining it to people who just have no ability to grasp logic, so forget it. Anyway, he told his stories for a while and I tried to play along, but it got too cold for me so I hopped in the bunk and closed my eyes.
I tossed and turned all night, peeking out my window every half hour or so to see if the gate had been opened. When I saw the gate closed at 5am, I hopped in the front seat. I figured they would have to be opening it sooner or later. Around 5:45am, a guy finally came out and pulled the chain off the gate. I went inside and they told me where to put my loaded trailer. The guy in there said that they had no empties, but I told him it was no big deal since the CFI computers were still scheduled to be down for a few hours anyway. As I pulled out from under my trailer, the other CFI driver entered the yard and went around to check in. I pulled off to the side and went to sleep.
Around 9:30am, I woke up and saw the other CFI bobtail sitting next to me. I went in and they told me I could pull my trailer from the dock, since it was empty. I pulled it, slid the tandems, and backed in at the end of the yard, next to the other guy's bobtail, where I had been parked all morning. I was #2 on the board when I sent in my empty call, so I started to get a little suspicious. That peckerhead next to me hadn't sent in his empty call before he was empty, had he? After all, showing up three hours after me, checking in twenty minutes after me, and retrieving his empty an hour after me - these are not things that would indicate that he should get a load before me, are they? Not the way I see it, they're not.
I took another nap. When I woke up, he was parked next to me again, but this time he was hooked to his empty. I signed on to the website and saw that I was still #2. Hmm. A couple hours later, the other driver left. I signed on to the website one more time - #1 now. The son of a bitch had sent in his empty call before he was empty so he could jump ahead of me on the board. But here at CFI we're a cut above right? Bullshit. We're a motley collection of assholes, to varying degrees. I'm just as big an asshole as any of the others, but I do possess enough integrity not to fuck another driver without buying him dinner first.
So I got to hang out at the ConWay yard all day... and all evening... and all night. They just kicked me out a little while ago so they could lock the gate. And here I am, parked on the side of the same street where I spent last night. I'm thoroughly pissed. I have made jack shit for money this month, and there's no telling whether or not anything good will come my way tomorrow. Maybe the computers are working. Maybe not. Maybe the 'low productivity' thing works and somebody at CFI knows I've been taking it in the ass all month. Maybe not. Maybe the planners will actually put something decent together. Or maybe not. It's a glamorous life, ain't it?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
11/18/07
Okay I actually worked for a while today. Of course, the directions saying I could pull up to the gate and get in were bullshit, so I'm sitting out in the street, but that's just details. I guess it's good that I didn't hustle this load over last night.
Hey! We have a couple of milestones to anounce tonight! First, I'm now sitting in the 48th state of the contiguous 48 since I started driving a truck. Woohoo!
Second, Detroit was named #1 (most dangerous city in America) and Flint was #3 (most dangerous city in America). Go Michigan!
So anyway, I have to drop this trailer at 5am. They sent a message saying the computers will be down until 8am Central, so I'll probably be hanging out here for a while. Whatever. Oh, and after a hiatus from the CFI message board, I had a few things to say to some real characters who showed up this week. As a result, I've learned that I'm a CFI asskisser. I had no idea. I guess I should re-write about half my blog entries. Nah, fuck it. They'll figure it out.
Hey! We have a couple of milestones to anounce tonight! First, I'm now sitting in the 48th state of the contiguous 48 since I started driving a truck. Woohoo!
Second, Detroit was named #1 (most dangerous city in America) and Flint was #3 (most dangerous city in America). Go Michigan!
So anyway, I have to drop this trailer at 5am. They sent a message saying the computers will be down until 8am Central, so I'll probably be hanging out here for a while. Whatever. Oh, and after a hiatus from the CFI message board, I had a few things to say to some real characters who showed up this week. As a result, I've learned that I'm a CFI asskisser. I had no idea. I guess I should re-write about half my blog entries. Nah, fuck it. They'll figure it out.
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