1/1/08

No bridge? That sucks. I'm like a big kid, so I like to go over those high bridges and "ooh" and "ahh" as I look at the water. Apparently the river turns north and US-730 never crosses it. Bummer.

It was a pretty short and simple drive to the customer. That was the only thing simple about today.

Let's start with the very beginning, a very good place to start. Like I said yesterday, I knew nothing about the load I would be hauling. I had no order number. I had no destination. I had no pick up number. I had no trailer number. With respect to the trailer number, I was not in fact told that it would be a drop/hook. So I knew nothing about this load, literally.

I checked in with the security guard and, much to my surprise, he asked me for no information. I guess that works out well when I have no information. He directed me to a drop yard across the street and told me to "check with my buddies." After dropping my empty, I concluded that my "buddies" were the other three CFI drivers sitting there. None of them knew where they were going either. No order numbers, none of it. We were all apparently waiting to hear instructions from Frank. Frank, as nearly as I can tell, is the shuttle driver.

After a little while, I got a message saying that the load wouldn't be ready until tomorrow on account of the customer not having completed the paperwork. Whatever. I started finding ways to keep myself occupied and kill some time. The other drivers, having received the same message, mentioned that they were heading out for some food. I chose to stay at the customer. I don't like people (aside from attractive young co-eds) much in the first place. Add in the fact that we were a collection of truck drivers who just got shafted... no thanks. That's a conversation I could do without.

An hour or so after that, Frank (I think) came up to my window. He said that the loads would in fact be ready today. Groovy. At some point during my latest battle with the Persians, I dozed off.

I awoke to a knock on the door. It was one of the other CFI drivers who had been there earlier in the day. He said that the loaded trailer was right across the yard, the paperwork was in the back, and the scale was right down the street. Sweet. Let's roll. So I hooked to the trailer, checked it over, grabbed the paperwork, and scaled out the load. Sounds okay so far, right?

There are a lot of things about my job that I like. There are a lot of things about my job that I don't like. There is exactly one thing about my job that I love. I love the fact that I am a nobody. I am never asked for input about decisions. I am never asked to solve problems. I am never asked to motivate people. I am never asked to provide direction. I am an irrelevant peon and that's exactly what I was hoping to become when I started this career. This paragraph is in green, but you'll understand in a minute.

I sent in my loaded call, complete with the trailer number and the destination - La Mirada, California. I rolled down the street a little ways and got a message asking what empty trailer I have and what was the license plate number. What empty? Now, I already sent a loaded call. I already provided the trailer number. What seems to be the issue? You know what, not my problem. (See green paragraph.) So I replied informing them that I had the trailer I have and that it was loaded. I was rolling down the highway so I couldn't see the license plate.

Next message - I was supposed to have picked up a different trailer, so they needed the license plate number to "make sure." Make sure of what, who knows? I can see the freaking trailer number in my mirror and I know their computer system has the license plate numbers in it. I know what trailer I am pulling. You know what? Fine. (See green paragraph.) I pulled into a rest area and checked the license plate number. I sent the number in a message, along with an explanation that I was never told what trailer to get, I was never told my destination, and I just did what I was told at the customer (see green paragraph).

Next message - I was informed that I don't need to get so upset about it. Huh? I hate to break it to ya homey, but I ain't upset about anything. (See green paragraph.) None of this is costing me anything. I have a loaded trailer, I have the paperwork that goes with that trailer, and I'm heading south. Whatever needs to be done on the other end is not affecting me at all. The rest of the message had me scratching my head...

I'm not a big fan of philosophers. I have a few philosophies of my own, but the ones that everybody quotes are usually a bunch of shit. I got my first introduction in high school, I think. I was out with this chick and she had just become acquainted with the notion that "all is in all." I had to listen to her pretend to understand it for like two hours before I could get in her pants. It wasn't... well, yeah actually it was worth it, but I still didn't like the philosophical bullshit. Be that as it may, I think old William of Ockham was right on the money with his famous philosophy. The simplest solution is usually the right one, all other things being equal. So, when I didn't know what trailer to pull or the location of my intended destination... and when I sent in a loaded call with a different trailer and a different destination... I would conclude that I got the wrong load. Acoording to the message in question, the folks on the other end concluded that I had the right load, on the wrong trailer, with the wrong destination on the bills. Umm?

I try to stay out of the analytical end of this job (see green paragraph). I really felt compelled to help out in this case though. Somebody was going to get the trailer that CFI had planned for me and never told me about, so I tried to steer them in the right direction. Maybe that would save the other driver from the series of confusing messages that I was seeing. I sent a message telling them that the loads are probably on the correct trailers and that I probably got the wrong load.

Then I was unassigned from the prior load and dispatched for La Mirada. I think they have it all sorted out, although they sent me directions to a place in Pico River. I'm set to deliver on the 3rd, so I'll try to get some clarification on my destination tomorrow. I think I've given these guys enough to think about tonight. I have no idea what the information looks like on their end, so I don't mean to minimize the amount of trouble they had. I'm sure it was confusing, but at the very least my dispatched miles are now correct so we'll go from there.

So, back across I-84 one more time and around Portland, I've set up shop at a rest area until morning. The ride down I-5 is not one of my favorites, but the miles on this run are decent so I can't complain too much. I'll try to cover a lot of miles tomorrow and then cruise in on the 3rd to make my delivery.