2008 Shaffer-Heartland CHRONICLES
#231
06-16-2008, 03:53 PM
Originally Posted by headborg
week#24
Transition Week: Friday 13th, 2008 I final out around 7pm and rush to the Pilot for shower and transflow-- after being told I couldn't get a load offer until empty( which would be night dispatches honor) and might not load until Saturday Morning-- but there was plenty of North Carolina Freight. That was ok with me as- I only had 3 hrs remaining on my 14 clock...and missed the prior evenings shower...hey, staying clean is important to me. So I reach the Pilot- and read the load offers: (1) Rocky Mount, NC- Trenton, Oh-- picked up that evening 120 miles away-- delivered Tuesday Morning 0100. 570 miles Sat,Sun,Mon (2) Rocky Mount, NC- Pittsburg, Pa-- same pickup by midnight 120 miles away 420 miles- Sat+Sun+Mon Deliver Monday Afternoon Ok, either load I'd need to skip my shower to make it-- and both would have me Out of hours before signing the BOL. and setting there at Shipper for my 'break' 10 hrs. So, I informed them of this small inconvience- and was further told-- If I didn't accept one of those loads-- there was nothing else available until Sunday! This-- after being told there was plenty of NC freight available. I just added up my weeks production-- and found I had just topped 2100 miles in the last 7- days. And it sounded like night dispatch was threating me with setting all day Sat if I didn't accept one of those non-productive loads which would end up wrecking my productivity for the next week! Hmmmm, regional work was looking better ...and better... 2100 in 5- days is better than 2100 in 7. So I went in took my shower-- came back out and sent a message that someone could set my pta for as early as 5:30 am-- that would give me a solid 10hr break and be ready... I got back a curt -- I've already sent out the only load offers available-- which that pissed me off even more-- he'll be going home by 7am when the 'Regulars' arrive-- and he's not going to show me available early Saturday-- as a reprisal for not covering one of those two loads... Saturday Morning: I get new load offer 8am---- Greensboro, NC- Dothan, AL delivers Monday morning 9am 500 miles Saturday+Sunday showed loading late saturday night 1900-midnight<<< but the kicker is-- Friday night before I went in to shower-- I talked to the Shaffer driver parked on the fuel island-- he was taking that load into the Greensboro yard and dropping it --then Friday night. So the load was actually ready there at the Greensboro Yard Sat+Sunday 500 miles What has this industry came too! I'm more than willing to run 500 miles over night-- or even 500 miles 1.25-1.5 days--- but all this setting is killing me. So before I called a quit. I ran through all the 'communication' I asked if it could be made productive- delivered early, dropped- Marietta, Was there anything else- something that 'Could' be worked with--- nope, nope, nope, I even asked for an equally non-productive load that would get me to New Kingstown to turn in the truck there--- as that would be a better place for them to have an available truck-- but, they then wanted me out of the truck asap-- nearest terminal-- Greensboro.... little more trouble for me... but... no one likes someone 'setting on the fence' very long anyway.
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#232
06-16-2008, 08:30 PM
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Speedway Indiana
Posts: 1,751
Originally Posted by headborg
instead they wanted me to take the trailer 150miles up to Stockton Cal drop it- and get another one-- so 300miles round trip -- then--
now, 3 years later-- with the cost of fuel going thru the roof-- they spend over a hundred dollars having me chase down a trailer with a chute- This is an example of spending Dollars to save Dimes!--- they've had YEARS to install chutes in all those trailers--- but, instead ...no. Yet they still have the nerve to bully drivers about idle time? They won't be operating like that for very long. Their past is catching up quicker than they ever could have imagined. You have to wonder just how long they can juggle before it all comes crashing down? BOL at your new endeavor headborg.
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Fuel for free. Pre/Post trip for free. Sit at shipper/receiver for free. "Work 80-100, log 70, get paid for 40." Welcome to OTR coolie carrier truck driving!
#233
06-17-2008, 07:00 PM
Originally Posted by Orangetxguy
Originally Posted by headborg
week#24
Transition Week: Friday 13th, 2008 I final out around 7pm and rush to the Pilot for shower and transflow-- after being told I couldn't get a load offer until empty( which would be night dispatches honor) and might not load until Saturday Morning-- but there was plenty of North Carolina Freight. That was ok with me as- I only had 3 hrs remaining on my 14 clock...and missed the prior evenings shower...hey, staying clean is important to me. So I reach the Pilot- and read the load offers: (1) Rocky Mount, NC- Trenton, Oh-- picked up that evening 120 miles away-- delivered Tuesday Morning 0100. 570 miles Sat,Sun,Mon (2) Rocky Mount, NC- Pittsburg, Pa-- same pickup by midnight 120 miles away 420 miles- Sat+Sun+Mon Deliver Monday Afternoon Ok, either load I'd need to skip my shower to make it-- and both would have me Out of hours before signing the BOL. and setting there at Shipper for my 'break' 10 hrs. So, I informed them of this small inconvience- and was further told-- If I didn't accept one of those loads-- there was nothing else available until Sunday! This-- after being told there was plenty of NC freight available. I just added up my weeks production-- and found I had just topped 2100 miles in the last 7- days. And it sounded like night dispatch was threating me with setting all day Sat if I didn't accept one of those non-productive loads which would end up wrecking my productivity for the next week! Hmmmm, regional work was looking better ...and better... 2100 in 5- days is better than 2100 in 7. So I went in took my shower-- came back out and sent a message that someone could set my pta for as early as 5:30 am-- that would give me a solid 10hr break and be ready... I got back a curt -- I've already sent out the only load offers available-- which that pissed me off even more-- he'll be going home by 7am when the 'Regulars' arrive-- and he's not going to show me available early Saturday-- as a reprisal for not covering one of those two loads... Saturday Morning: I get new load offer 8am---- Greensboro, NC- Dothan, AL delivers Monday morning 9am 500 miles Saturday+Sunday showed loading late saturday night 1900-midnight<<< but the kicker is-- Friday night before I went in to shower-- I talked to the Shaffer driver parked on the fuel island-- he was taking that load into the Greensboro yard and dropping it --then Friday night. So the load was actually ready there at the Greensboro Yard Sat+Sunday 500 miles What has this industry came too! I'm more than willing to run 500 miles over night-- or even 500 miles 1.25-1.5 days--- but all this setting is killing me. So before I called a quit. I ran through all the 'communication' I asked if it could be made productive- delivered early, dropped- Marietta, Was there anything else- something that 'Could' be worked with--- nope, nope, nope, I even asked for an equally non-productive load that would get me to New Kingstown to turn in the truck there--- as that would be a better place for them to have an available truck-- but, they then wanted me out of the truck asap-- nearest terminal-- Greensboro.... little more trouble for me... but... no one likes someone 'setting on the fence' very long anyway. Hmmm, where would you infer this! the part where the Wilmer Terminal Manager- after finding that I didn't need to be "worked" back toward Tx- so I'd be closer to home for that Grayhound Bus? told me to just go ahead and drop it off 20 miles away at the Greensboro Terminal? Let's just say- there better not be any thing like that placed on my DAC- I always return the equipment within the parameters of Policy-     Got it all inspected and cleaned out--signed off as returned etc. And yes, I have copie of all that-- so, it would be very difficult to charge me with abandonment--- in fact it would be a total lie. Now if the circumstances were different - like say- I was home at the time of quiting-- and they got nasty-- I'd call my neighbor-- he's the County sheriff-- have him come over and document that the truck was secure & I was no longer authorized to operate it- since I'd just quit or had been fired. Then 8am the next morning-- we'd be down in front of the Judge and there'd be the start of a lien against it-- for storage on my property. It's been done before.( not by me personally )
#234
06-17-2008, 07:29 PM
This is the KIA Sadona mini-van I rented to make my quick exodus from Shaft-a-must.
 I had to upgrade from a full size, too much stuff still on board--because, truefully, my wife didn't want me to quit- Shaffer, and I came back from vacation- with every intent of sticking it out here-- surely things would improve- But then, after another bad week- and a night dispatcher trying to push a load off on me with the threat that If I didn't take it- I was going to set all weekend-- just Pissed me off. And then I had just totaled the weeks miles and now looking at the up-coming week which would have been wrecked- either way. And the 2100-2200( same miles) and not setting out there 7 days-- seemed worth every penny of a quick end of the B.S. Yesterday, while waiting for her assistent to get back from lunch- so she could step out to the truck and do the final inspection(turn in) I asked her to look up the total miles I'd ran(paid) from 1-1-8 to there-- then I felt totally vindicated in quiting--- 49,000 miles as of 6-14-08. at that rate-- I'd be lucky to clear 100,000 miles this year! Compared to 128,000 last year. I'm home now, unloading all this-- then It's back down to Memphis to turn it in: It was full-- this is almost unloaded- good to have help unloading.   Long enough to even fit my load locks! all the way forward!  P.S. -- this is my Bronco II and Cav- I was debating leaving the Bronco II down in Olive Branch- but then I wouldn't have a toy- and Hearland would probably want me to drive home the 193 miles for time off. (no thanks) 
#235
06-17-2008, 07:51 PM
The rental car cost me $477 ( including the insurance coverage ) from
Greensboro, NC to Memphis, Tn. My original plan was to go from Greensboro, NC just over to Kingsport, Tn- as Heartland has orientation there & Olive Branch, Ms--- If the terminal manager there at Shaffer-Greensboro- hadn't been as Nice as she is & had actually made plans and wanted to leave by noon Saturday- to go out of town for Sunday--- I would have had to gone with my first-- half baked plan-- and She & I would have been there ALL DAY & Night with me loading/unloading that truck-- tempers would have flared- cops would have been called-- I have a right to all my personal effects from the truck. So I had Saturday Night in a motel to do some better planning and make some calls- found a better deal- taking a car all the way to Memphis( that way- my tons of stuff could actually be brought all the way home first-- before orientation. Heartland didn't offer a rental- to Orientation, guess the fact that Crete/Shaffer is a little larger outfit is part of the difference here( as Crete/Shaffer did rent me a car when I came to work here(there). But, my recruiter Jason- has agreed to reimburse me up to the cost of a Bus fare from Greensboro- Memphis to help defray that $477.00 cost--- to the tune of $120.00 dollars.. which is a great deal... and I appricate that very much--- Seems like good people there. So it cost me about $600.00 total for the rental + gas-- to get away--fast and without the hassle of being "worked" around the country "working me back" toward Wilmer to turn in the equipment- meanwhile, bleeding off days of under-utilization... and then there's that-- long bus ride--- actually the bus riding is ok- gives you time to sleep-- it's those 6 hour layover's changing buses that makes that whole process of going home or even riding to the next 'gig' such a loser-- by the time all that's said and done- then 3 days orientation-- you could easily be looking at 2 weeks lost wages. Bail Fast- get away clean-- move on with life.
#237
06-17-2008, 07:57 PM
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Speedway Indiana
Posts: 1,751
Originally Posted by headborg
So it cost me about $600.00 total for the rental + gas-- to get away--fast
Originally Posted by headborg
Bail Fast- get away clean-- move on with life.
__________________
Fuel for free. Pre/Post trip for free. Sit at shipper/receiver for free. "Work 80-100, log 70, get paid for 40." Welcome to OTR coolie carrier truck driving!
#239
06-17-2008, 09:35 PM
Originally Posted by belpre122
Originally Posted by headborg
So it cost me about $600.00 total for the rental + gas-- to get away--fast
Originally Posted by headborg
Bail Fast- get away clean-- move on with life.
Yeah, but I'm not that happy about it-- it kinda depressing-- The first 2.5 years were pretty darn good-- the pay was good, freight great, equipment- ok, the people darn great- and even right to the end-- got me HOME for my time off. I just wish if felt down deep in my gut-- this Heartland WILL workout.... And what about Poly-Trucking--- damn them to hell--- that was going to be a move that I really felt was going to be great--- but all that work to end up with your application in a big stack... then a phone interview-- just to be back in another big stack..... Now, when I left Westside Transport -- after their "production based" payscale cut my pay from .41 to .37---- I was really AOK about leaving them... But, with the economy as bad as it is-- and with the still good points left with Shaffer--- it was just a difficult somewhat -- reckless-- move-- I'm generally not the "gambling" type-- but, I didn't see things with that organization picking up. Laundry is almost done-- then it's off to Olive Branch. |
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