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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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210729 MN-MN 1 day cab tractor to Mankato MN (delivered) 1 trash truck to Mankato MN (aborted) ... spending the night at home Last night was late so we were not on the phone the 1st thing this AM. I did call local dispatch a little after they opened at 8 AM but they would have to check. Which meant we would have to wait. When I hadn't gotten a call after an hour and a half I called back, no answer so I tried a few more times. Finally they answered and put me over to one of the other dispatchers. That dispatcher wanted to know how much I could work next month. They have 39 trucks from a different shipper to move next month. All going to Elk Hart IN. (And our other company has a shipper in Elk Hart) Sorry, it is 500 miles but that is too far next month. Finally we got to what needs to be moved now. This company should have two trucks moved locally Friday and another one moved Monday. I committed to the two Friday but not Monday, that is too far off. As soon as I was off the phone I called the long haul company and got the local run, 72 miles. We will pick it up within the hour. I call the shipper and they confirm the truck is ready. 1st stop is the shipper in Burnsville. The person I talked to is out to lunch. After three people tired to help me they finally found the keys laying on the counter :) While they were still looking for the keys I got a call from the OH dispatcher wondering how far I was willing to drive. 200 miles, sorry. That was a short conversation. Quick inspection. Other than chips in the window the truck is good for 300,000 miles. And it has 3/8ths of a tank of fuel. Likely enough to get to the drop. 2nd stop is the drop. But they know nothing about it. At first they think I want it fixed, finally we go to the sales office and they are able to find the VIN in their computer. It was supposed to go to Des Moines. Another reason to always come prepared for changes. Not sure who sales called but I am to leave the truck. My next call is to my local dispatcher, they had called about 15 minutes before I got to Mankato. They have a truck going to Mankato. I have a few questions so dispatch calls the shipper and the drop. No one answerers at the drop but I have mis-guessed on the miles on the trip and we should be able to get to the shipper and back to Mankato in a few hours. 3rd stop is the Jersey Mikes in Mankato. Sloppy sandwich, it kind of dripped on me while I was driving. Good food, but not driving food. 4th stop is the shipper in Dodge Center. Dispatch has faxed all the paperwork to the shipper and they have put it in our lock box. I didn't know that so I had talked to the shipper. We find the truck almost right away ... it is a right hand drive. Dilemma. I want the work so I suggest I don't call dispatch until I have dropped. BB sees the big picture. I know that this company does not more the right hand drives (That is likely why this company didn't do the Des Moines one yesterday.) I call dispatch. NO, I can not drive the truck, they will call me right back. For a few minutes I thought of waiting until this load hit the other load board and move it for them. But instead I returned the keys and we headed home. I expect I will get some kind of a show up pay. 5th stop is home. Load board US - 153 IA - 29 MN - 8 WI - 3 Now I see that that dispatcher has three trucks from MN/IA going to ND. Nice runs, no time. And the truck that I wanted to move last Friday from Madison to Scranton is still sitting there. Lots of work. There will be more |
