08-04-2016, 05:19 PM
0
At work lately it seems that it's either "We ain't got shit to do." or a frantic "Oh fuck, this has to get done yesterday!"
For Monday I was given the option to either take a run that left no earlier than 8 AM or take a vacation day. Now since a late start will affect me for at least the next day and possible more (due to log book regulations), I opted for the day off.
Tuesday it was a normal run a tank to Elizabeth thing so no big deal.....go in to the truck at midnight and be in Elizabeth around 4am. This run gets me done around 9 - 9:30 am.
Normally they don't get the runs for the next day figured out until between noon and 2pm.
Around 10:30 I get a call from dispatch and they ask if I could take a run to Avon,OH and deliver by 10:30 am Wed morning. I had the time on my log so I took it. Within 15 minutes they text me that I could deliver as early as 6am if I wanted to. Well I did the math and told them NO PROBLEM with a 6am unload!
We counted on a 6 - 7 hour ride to the customer and I planned accordingly.
Hell I even told them about where I would end up on the return leg and when I would be able to get back to the plant so that if there was something for me to do on Thursday they could plan for it.
What I didn't know was that........
1. The load only weighed 6,500 lbs
2. For the 6am unload dispatch should have called the customer back and told them that I could in fact make it there at that time.
Sooooooo.......since Barb's Tahoe is down right now and Maxine was out in Pittsburgh and due to return on Thursday and needed to be picked up in Harrisburg (the nearest place she could get a bus home to) around noon I had her run me in and then she could have the Ram to use.
Tuesday evening at 9:30 we leave the house. I fire the truck up at 10pm and am under the trailer and heading to Avon by 11pm. Now I never know how heavy the load is until I pick the trailer up. Well except when it's a tank. Those are almost NEVER under 46,000 lbs and usually 48,000 - 50,000.
The light weight greatly shortened my travel time since hills were no issue and I could maintain speed. I planned on getting there around 5:30 but with the light load I got there at 4:30! No big deal....with just 4 pallets and a 6am unload I could make it back WAY farther than I had figured counting on getting out of there by 6:45 or so.
Well.......6am came and went with no a person in sight at the dock. No signs of life till 7. The guy told me that if they would have let him know that I was going to be there then yes 6 would have been ok but as far as he knew I wasn't to be there till 10:30. FUCK!
Anyway.....I am empty and pulling out at 7:30 and figure I can make at least Clearfield, PA before my clock runs out. I call dispatch and let them know this. They tell me to call back around 1 or 2 and see what they came up with.
By a bit of slick routing on my part I am able to avoid Cleveland at 8am and gain about an hour of driving range! This gets me to Lamar, PA at the end of the day......63 miles closer to the plant than Clearfield.
Since log rules say we must be finished 14 hours after we start and for me it was 10pm I had till noon to be done. I skid in at Lamar at 11:52am. I text dispatch that I made it there.
At 1:30 I call in and they tell me to bring my empty to the plant and then grab a tank to Elizabeth as soon as I can roll with it.
At 4:30 this morning I'm on my way back from Elizabeth with an empty tank and at 8:45 Barb picks me up to head home.
What a fucking mad rush! Just short of 1,100 miles. 15 - 20 years ago I could have done this standing on my head but now..........well like I said, I'm getting too old for this shit.
For Monday I was given the option to either take a run that left no earlier than 8 AM or take a vacation day. Now since a late start will affect me for at least the next day and possible more (due to log book regulations), I opted for the day off.
Tuesday it was a normal run a tank to Elizabeth thing so no big deal.....go in to the truck at midnight and be in Elizabeth around 4am. This run gets me done around 9 - 9:30 am.
Normally they don't get the runs for the next day figured out until between noon and 2pm.
Around 10:30 I get a call from dispatch and they ask if I could take a run to Avon,OH and deliver by 10:30 am Wed morning. I had the time on my log so I took it. Within 15 minutes they text me that I could deliver as early as 6am if I wanted to. Well I did the math and told them NO PROBLEM with a 6am unload!
We counted on a 6 - 7 hour ride to the customer and I planned accordingly.
Hell I even told them about where I would end up on the return leg and when I would be able to get back to the plant so that if there was something for me to do on Thursday they could plan for it.
What I didn't know was that........
1. The load only weighed 6,500 lbs
2. For the 6am unload dispatch should have called the customer back and told them that I could in fact make it there at that time.
Sooooooo.......since Barb's Tahoe is down right now and Maxine was out in Pittsburgh and due to return on Thursday and needed to be picked up in Harrisburg (the nearest place she could get a bus home to) around noon I had her run me in and then she could have the Ram to use.
Tuesday evening at 9:30 we leave the house. I fire the truck up at 10pm and am under the trailer and heading to Avon by 11pm. Now I never know how heavy the load is until I pick the trailer up. Well except when it's a tank. Those are almost NEVER under 46,000 lbs and usually 48,000 - 50,000.
The light weight greatly shortened my travel time since hills were no issue and I could maintain speed. I planned on getting there around 5:30 but with the light load I got there at 4:30! No big deal....with just 4 pallets and a 6am unload I could make it back WAY farther than I had figured counting on getting out of there by 6:45 or so.
Well.......6am came and went with no a person in sight at the dock. No signs of life till 7. The guy told me that if they would have let him know that I was going to be there then yes 6 would have been ok but as far as he knew I wasn't to be there till 10:30. FUCK!
Anyway.....I am empty and pulling out at 7:30 and figure I can make at least Clearfield, PA before my clock runs out. I call dispatch and let them know this. They tell me to call back around 1 or 2 and see what they came up with.
By a bit of slick routing on my part I am able to avoid Cleveland at 8am and gain about an hour of driving range! This gets me to Lamar, PA at the end of the day......63 miles closer to the plant than Clearfield.
Since log rules say we must be finished 14 hours after we start and for me it was 10pm I had till noon to be done. I skid in at Lamar at 11:52am. I text dispatch that I made it there.
At 1:30 I call in and they tell me to bring my empty to the plant and then grab a tank to Elizabeth as soon as I can roll with it.
At 4:30 this morning I'm on my way back from Elizabeth with an empty tank and at 8:45 Barb picks me up to head home.
What a fucking mad rush! Just short of 1,100 miles. 15 - 20 years ago I could have done this standing on my head but now..........well like I said, I'm getting too old for this shit.
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