Papa Pigs Zainy Rookie Solo Adventures

It’s been an interesting few days and I have had a few firsts. And learned some valuable lessons. 1. I missed my first hard appointment yesterday morning. Most of our loads only require us to get to all of our stores between 8 am and 9pm. But we get about 2 loads a weeks that require us to be there by 0600 due to bad parking lots, traffic situations, etc. I received the load information Tuesday afternoon when I was in mobile to have a 0600 apt in Starkville,Ms we’d morning. To do this load I would have made it there very late Tuesday evening. I had been hearing about the Icy conditions in MS and attempted to call the store with no answer. Something in my gut still didn’t feel right so I called the local police for that area to get a traffic update and they confirmed my suspicion that I probably shouldn’t attempt to go that night due to the roads freezing and being kind of tired. Once I got back to the Dc I dropped my trailer and messaged after hours. They told me no problem . It felt weird to me to not turn and burn but I got over it after looking at live feed from “MDOT”. The next morning my dispatchers were understanding and confirmed that store wasn’t even open.

2. They gave me a load to Tennessee and after checking the weather and seeing only snow instead of ice I accepted it and went to hook up my trailer. I approached it, noticed it was setting high and thought “I need to get out and lower that a bit before i hook” fully intending on backing up and stopping short of the 5the wheel like I always do. Well.....that didn’t happen and I had a brain fart. I kept backing up and you guessed it..proud owner of my first high hook!! I felt like a total ass. It didn’t take long to fix, I remembered a few YouTube videos I had watched recently. I cranked the trailer a bit higher, tilted my 5th wheel back down and propped it up with my baby sledge hammer. And she slid right out. Lesson learned. Stop the daggum tractor every time and look before you hook! I think I have gotten in such a habit of judging by a glance to see if the trailer was low enough to go on auto pilot and keep backing up to a high one even after I made a mental note to stop short and crank down

3 Got to my store in Tennessee and the parking lot was a sheet of ice. There was only one person working and the delivery area had not been cleared off. Now , According to dollar general and Werner policy it is the stores responsibility to shovel and salt the area but i could have either waited a very long time or get busy with it. She didn’t have a snow shovel!!! I had to get a hand dolly and use the blade of that to make a little path after using my lift gate as a snow scraper. With all that and a little salt it was mostly cleared off. When I tell you that was one of my hardest deliveries I am not kidding. Pushing fully loaded rt’s of dog food and water through slush and ice SUCKS! My lesson learned is to carry a snow shovel and salt with me. Being in the south is no security blanket even if you don’t really leave the south .

4 . Got to my second store yesterday around 1600. They were already closed due to weather. They are still closed and I am waiting to hear back if they plan on opening today. There is nothing around me and the next Truck stop is around 40 miles away at least. All local restaurants are closed. If they don’t open I am gonna give the roads a Luther hour or so to melt and go catch a shower and hot meal. If I feel the route is safe enough.

Lesson learned. Have more food and entertainment than you need. I have food but could see it running out in a day or 2 with boredom eating. I am going to carry more from now on.

I hope all of you guys are safe and keeping the greasy side down.

Having done snow removal for many years, for shovels I would recommend a plastic grain shovel for the snow and a long handle, flat metal transfer shovel for scraping packed snow/ice. I keep these 2 in my pickup bed at all times in the winter along with a bag of salt and a bag of calcium chloride pellets

It’s been an interesting few days and I have had a few firsts. And learned some valuable lessons. 1. I missed my first hard appointment yesterday morning. Most of our loads only require us to get to all of our stores between 8 am and 9pm. But we get about 2 loads a weeks that require us to be there by 0600 due to bad parking lots, traffic situations, etc. I received the load information Tuesday afternoon when I was in mobile to have a 0600 apt in Starkville,Ms we’d morning. To do this load I would have made it there very late Tuesday evening. I had been hearing about the Icy conditions in MS and attempted to call the store with no answer. Something in my gut still didn’t feel right so I called the local police for that area to get a traffic update and they confirmed my suspicion that I probably shouldn’t attempt to go that night due to the roads freezing and being kind of tired. Once I got back to the Dc I dropped my trailer and messaged after hours. They told me no problem . It felt weird to me to not turn and burn but I got over it after looking at live feed from “MDOT”. The next morning my dispatchers were understanding and confirmed that store wasn’t even open.

2. They gave me a load to Tennessee and after checking the weather and seeing only snow instead of ice I accepted it and went to hook up my trailer. I approached it, noticed it was setting high and thought “I need to get out and lower that a bit before i hook” fully intending on backing up and stopping short of the 5the wheel like I always do. Well.....that didn’t happen and I had a brain fart. I kept backing up and you guessed it..proud owner of my first high hook!! I felt like a total ass. It didn’t take long to fix, I remembered a few YouTube videos I had watched recently. I cranked the trailer a bit higher, tilted my 5th wheel back down and propped it up with my baby sledge hammer. And she slid right out. Lesson learned. Stop the daggum tractor every time and look before you hook! I think I have gotten in such a habit of judging by a glance to see if the trailer was low enough to go on auto pilot and keep backing up to a high one even after I made a mental note to stop short and crank down

3 Got to my store in Tennessee and the parking lot was a sheet of ice. There was only one person working and the delivery area had not been cleared off. Now , According to dollar general and Werner policy it is the stores responsibility to shovel and salt the area but i could have either waited a very long time or get busy with it. She didn’t have a snow shovel!!! I had to get a hand dolly and use the blade of that to make a little path after using my lift gate as a snow scraper. With all that and a little salt it was mostly cleared off. When I tell you that was one of my hardest deliveries I am not kidding. Pushing fully loaded rt’s of dog food and water through slush and ice SUCKS! My lesson learned is to carry a snow shovel and salt with me. Being in the south is no security blanket even if you don’t really leave the south .

4 . Got to my second store yesterday around 1600. They were already closed due to weather. They are still closed and I am waiting to hear back if they plan on opening today. There is nothing around me and the next Truck stop is around 40 miles away at least. All local restaurants are closed. If they don’t open I am gonna give the roads a Luther hour or so to melt and go catch a shower and hot meal. If I feel the route is safe enough.

Lesson learned. Have more food and entertainment than you need. I have food but could see it running out in a day or 2 with boredom eating. I am going to carry more from now on.

I hope all of you guys are safe and keeping the greasy side down.

They need to pay your more money. Your updates are the PERFECT example of why newbees shouldn't do these type of accounts.

At least you've been working. I sat from Saturday until Monday. Was able to deliver to one store Monday afternoon, the next Tuesday morning. Then I put my truck in the shop Tuesday afternoon. Still waiting for them to replace the window. And I think today was the first day my DC was letting drivers roll again. This weather has been crazy.

Great post with those hard lessons. These are how we learn: when things go bad or a difficult. Nice job pushing through!

Picture of my trusty scoop shovel that I "borrowed" from some customer... I've not used it, YET, but it's been hanging on every truck JUST IN CASE.

I bought metal ones years ago thinking they would last longer, they weren't good for snow but great for mulch off a truck or driveway. In the snow the metal scoop shovels have a tendency to stick to the asphalt or concrete making it hard to use. The plastic ones slide smooth like a true snow shovel

Update Store didn’t open so I rolled to the closest loves and got in line to get my full service done and get a tire replaced. Nice shower and got to put some wax on the handle bars. Luckily I got here around 3 and parking was already scarce! Now I get to watch truck stop follies for entertainment. I won’t go into specifics but my fm said to not worry about it getting many loads this week that the company was taking steps to make it right. We shall see.. Shawn, I have been working but nowhere near my normal pace. Auggie I agree on more money. Please contact Werner dg dedicated and hook a brother up 🤣😂 Packrat yeah I try to learn from my stupidity lol

I am feeling ya on this one. I drove 1400 miles through weather from Savannah Ga to St Paul Mn to find out they can’t take this load until at least Sunday. Dispatch is working to get a better answer. I checked into a hotel 1/2 mile from the customer. Dispatch told me she is pushing for a hard time because she knows they don’t normally take loads on weekends and she will bill them detetion till then. Messed me up picking up a load in the morning heading to Ga though.

Update

Auggie I agree on more money. Please contact Werner dg dedicated and hook a brother up 🤣😂 Packrat yeah I try to learn from my stupidity lol

Sending Mr Werner an email now ...

Update

Auggie I agree on more money. Please contact Werner dg dedicated and hook a brother up 🤣😂 Packrat yeah I try to learn from my stupidity lol

Sending Mr Werner an email now ...

Yeah, same here.

I'll have me people talk with yer people!