Freight Is Slow?

Kurt you crack me up with your "paranoia" haha. Does sound like maybe some issue between your company and the bottled water company. Who knows? You're dedicated right? It's very possible another position in your company might have more consistent freight, but it does sound like you normally move pretty well. How long has the slow down been going on? A few months or a few weeks?

Yeah, I start these threads then it gets out of hand. I should probably just ask the question then thank people for their responses. Anyway, it's been a few weeks, or maybe a month. Since you asked, here's one thing that fed my paranoia: the first week of July I was very busy and had one of my best weeks, but my manager made a point of telling me a few times that it was freight from another, I don't know, "line of business" I think they call it. Then this week when I asked about why things were slow I was told things were slow in and out of Maine. So then I asked if that was true, then why was I getting *only* loads in and out of Maine, why not keep me out and not send me back until the day I'm supposed to get my home time. I was told that the line of business I'm in only does the stuff in and out of Maine. But I've done other things plenty of times, so I don't get why now it suddenly sounds like I'm not allowed. And I previously asked about switching to work for that other business, so I was thinking maybe my manager was trying to get me to switch by making me think the other job would get me more miles. Which might actually be true, I'm not sure. That's probably a question for the next level manager.

It might be worth a shot to try that other dedicated account. I guess you don't really know until you try. But the reason I asked how long it's been going on is that a few weeks really isnt a very long time at all. I mean, it is for us who live it every day, but in perspective it really isn't long enough to make any big decisions or get too riled up about. I guess that's why I was just like, "who knows?"

Well, that's kind of the reason for the thread. If my manage was purposely not giving me loads from the "other" freight and telling me "freight is slow" as an excuse, then it's probably time to switch. Otherwise, I might wait it out.

Well, today I ran in to another driver on my managers "team", and when I talked to him about how he was doing, he had the same story as me, so I at least I know now that it's not me personally. He also said that they had him go pick up an empty and take it away from one of the bottled water plants (it is Poland Spring, BTW), and I'm bobtailing in when I pick up a load tomorrow, so apparently they have reduced the loads our company is getting, and probably told them to get rid of the extra trailers.

Also, I know some people like to read this and assume it's my fault because I don't run hard like they do, but the first 4 days of last week I didn't stop except for legally or biologically required breaks, and the two loads that I had that had delivery appointments I just made by less than 10 minutes each time. So to me it sounds like a luxury when you actually have the spare time to arrive hours early.

I haven't noticed any excessive negativity from you, but I'm not really paying attention to people's attitudes unless the attitude leaps out at me.

I suspect that somehow you phrased a couple things in a way that tweaked the reactions of a couple people.

A LOT of lazy drivers complain about not getting enough miles. It's one of the most common complaints. At the same time, sometimes companies really do have a legitimate freight slowdown. It sounds like that might be the case for your company and region. That said, if you are the newbie, and the longer-employed drivers are solid and dependable, you're probably going to get the short end of the stick. If the company doesn't start getting more miles for you soon, you might want to start thinking about a different company. Give them notice and do it politely though. If they pick up few new contracts, you might get a phone call...

OK, so here's what happened today: I go to pick up my load and the shipper tells me the pickup number isn't in their system. So I call in and get someone in another part of the country because the one support person in our office is busy, and after being on hold 20 minutes I get no help. So I call in again and get the guy in our office, who tells me that the load was switched to a different location and I should go there. I asked him if he was changing the assignment to reflect that (i.e., route me there) and he said "not yet". At that point I probably should have said that I wasn't going anywhere until the QC dispatched me, but I guess I wasn't feeling paranoid enough. So I drove to the other location who also said the number wasn't in their system (because they have the same system), so I drive to a nearby truck stop. Then I call in and get the first guy, who tells me that I probably am just stuck here until tomorrow. Thing is, if I had been told that at the first location I would have gone back home, because it's only 30 miles and there aren't any truck stops closer. Now I'm at a truck stop 30 miles from home so I really can't drive back. I'll be lucky if the guy who told me to drive out here doesn't lie about it since I have nothing documenting it.

I know, I'm being paranoid. The only positive I can come up with is that I might get layover pay since I'm not at my home location.

Don't know if you know... but the water issue is real. There are companies filing suits over the ownership of the springs and who could bottle the water. It involves NAFTA violations.. thank clinton for. that.

Apparently Canada claimed the water is trickling down from them into the springs in the northeast... therefore they claim thw water and they want thw companies to pay them for the water they extracted from the US ground hahhaha

It's been dragging on for years and thru appeals.... but I read recently on an environmental site that some sort of temporary injunction was put in place for a new claim.

I hadn't heard that, and I guess it could be related. But I'm pretty sure the thing with our company is real because of the other driver I talked to. Also because I was bobtailing in, which we never do, but now I'm not even sure about that.

And this is why I like where I work. Slow season, busy season doesn't matter. The runs never change and ill always get my hours. The only difference is I may have thirty boxes to deliver as opposed to a hundred and thirty.

Heavy C, I saw your reply when I asked about Olympia, but there's no PM here any more. I was wondering, do you just drive or do you unload, and it sounds like you're paid by the hour, that sounds good. I guess you drive from a warehouse to stores?

Kurt, yes I am paid hourly. And yes we do touch freight. However all we have to do is bring the boxes to the back of the trailer, the store personnel take it off the truck. The warehouse is in Westbrook and we have stores all over the northeast. We run as far west as Ohio and south as Virginia. Weekends off and most holidays and some holidays that are volunteer basis. I generally work four days a week and get my hours no problem. You'll also occasionally drive a box truck on shorter day runs. Overnights are one or two nights and you're put in a hotel. You get per diem for food for each night you're gone. Or fleer is leased from Ryder and is currently comprised of all casscadias. Days usually start anywhere from 1am to 7am. Most runs you'll do around 5 stores per day give or take. Your day is generally done early afternoon with a few exceptions. We do pick up backhaul at our vendors which normally happen at the end of your run oh the way home. Those backhauls can be as small as a few boxes to a trailer full from a place like under armour.

This job is really pretty good. You go in get you're paperwork grab your rig and go. I rarely have to deal with my boss. Which is not saying he's a bad guy I just like being able to come in, do my job, and go home. When you're done you turn in your paperwork punch out and go home.

The downsides. They have blackout times for taking vacations. August and during the holidays they won't allow full week vacations because its the busy season. You may get a day or two here and there but nothing extended. The pay is only about average. You can find better pay but also lower pay.

Other perks. Really nice store discounts. No dealing with customers since its all our own stores. Company cookouts and parties. Generally good work atmosphere.

Hope some of this helps