Sometimes it seems like the less work I do, the more I have done. Or something like that. I know this makes no sense, but that's just my impression of today.
Unloaded quickly this morning, then a nice easy two hour ride to Columbus. The load was scheduled to go at 9pm, but I headed to the brewery anyway. One of two things would happen. Either it would be loaded and I could roll north or it would not be loaded and I could drop my empty and go to lunch. I really had no preference at the time.
First issue: The outbound scale area is under construction. So, all trucks had to share the two inbound scales - one lane going in and one lane coming out. Half hour, gone.
Second issue: The load wasn't ready, which is no big deal. But they didn't have a trailer available for the load so they may or may not have needed me to put my empty in the dock. So what would they have done if I showed up at 9pm? I don't know. Anyway, I was told I would have to check with the dock foreman to see what he wanted me to do.
Third issue: They needed a bobtail weight. What the hell? I've been to that place a bunch of times and they only took a bobtail weight the first time. Since then, I've been in their computer system. Nope, gone. So I put my trailer in the drop lot and waited in line... again... to get on the scale.
Fourth issue: Nobody was in the dock office. So I got to hang out until some peckerhead showed up and told me that he didn't need my empty. He told me to drop it in the drop lot. Joke's on you fella, I already did that.
Fifth issue: Leaving. The backup of trucks was all the way back to the drop yards. It took over 45 minutes to get out of there.
I finally took off and had a nice lunch, then relaxed for an hour or so before heading back. It only took about 15 minutes to get back in, so that was cool.
Sixth issue: Weight. Beer loads are heavy, but that wasn't the problem. My axle weights were good. My gross weight was good. According to the brewery's computer, I was too light. Apparently they have some kind of fail-safe to make sure no pallets are missing. If you're 1,500 pounds under the weight that their computer says, you don't get to leave.
Seventh issue: Door 36. That's where they told me to go. Only, when I got there, someone else was backing in. 20 minutes later, he pulled out so I started to move toward the dock. Then he backed in again. What the hell? A little while later, he left and I backed in.
Eighth issue: Nobody was in the dock office. More accurately, one guy was there for a little while but he ignored me and then left. When a guy finally showed up, he was a real prick. After he took his sweet ass time making a few phone calls, he looked in my trailer. It took about 30 seconds to count the pallets and tell me I could leave.
So, that sounds like a lot of work, right? It sure as hell felt like it, even though it doesn't amount to much. On the bright side though, I did end up leaving early so I have time for a nap before I run on into Michigan. It looks like it's going to be a snowy bitch of a night, so I plan to get going before long and leave myself some extra time. For now though, goodnight.
Visits to this here blog dohickie.
During your little fiascal (i kant spell) at the brewery, how is this time logged in the log book. I am trying to understand the hours of service stuff, but it seems too confusing. And does this time apply to your 70 hour rule?
ReplyDeleteIt isn't confusing once you actually have to put pen to paper and do it, so I won't bother with a bunch of definitions that will complicate things, but that day was:
ReplyDeleteSleeper/On Duty/Driving/On Duty/Driving/On Duty/Driving/Off Duty/Driving/On Duty/Driving/Sleeper
I got two consecutive hours of off duty time in the afternoon, so I could use the split sleeper and get by with an eight hour break at night. All of the time either driving or on duty/not driving counts against the 70 hours.