Remember I slept at my customer at Bridgewater, NJ so that I could get unloaded first thing in the morning and get started on my day quickly, because I had a lot of ground to cover and five stops to deliver.
Here's how my stops break down...
1st stop - Bridgewater, NJ
2nd stop - Mountain Top PA. This is a SAPA plant
3rd stop - Hamden, CT. This is a customer that I go to often.
4th & 5th stops are actually at the same location in Farmington, CT. This is a really big customer on this account. We send at least three truck loads per week to these guys.
Well, sleeping at Bridgewater was a smart move. At about five thirty in the morning several other flat-bed trucks showed up thinking they were going to be the first in there to get unloaded. As I cracked open my sleeper curtain and peered at them I could see the dejected look on their faces when they realized I had outsmarted them. A slightly evil grin involuntarily spread across my face as I eased the curtains back together. At 7:15 I was unloaded and the race was on! I sometimes speak of this job as being competitive, and this is a great example of what I'm talking about. Had I not been competing with those other drivers by getting ahead of them with my approach, everything could have broken down for me on the execution of my plan.
There are several problems with loads like this, but you just have to take the initiative and solve the issues. That's how you make a success out of this career. One of those issues is the time it takes dealing with the tarps at each stop. Here's a look at how I pull the tarp up to the top of the load on one side so that the customer can get their product off the truck without me having to totally remove the tarp. Then I will just pull it back down, throw the bungees in place and roll. If you want to do these types of loads you have to be prepared for this - it requires some agility and work, but it is all part of the gig.
As I was racing through this load and getting near to Hamden, CT, I realized that I was not going to make it to Farmington by three o'clock, which is the cut off time for receiving. Not a problem, I have the fork lift operators cell phone number, and he has waited on me before. I send him a text message letting him know that I will be there around four o'clock, and was it possible for him to unload me then? He sends back that their boss has really been cracking down on the overtime pay, and that I had better check with him first. Hmmm, that doesn't sound promising, but I give the man a call anyways. He doesn't think well of the idea. He tells me they are having a little Thanksgiving party and dinner for the employees starting at 3:30 and it just wouldn't be fair to pull the fork lift operator from the party to have him unload me. Okay, fair enough, I will just pull over there when I can and sleep there so they can unload me first thing in the morning. Only problem is that will put me at Ilion around noon. That works, but it isn't what I told my dispatcher. I send another text to "Jorgo" the fork lift guy and tell him that Jody said no, and that I will just park out back and see him first thing in the morning. I get a text from him in a few minutes that says, "Just roll on over here and we will see what happens."
When I pull in at four o'clock Jorgo is sitting on the fork lift waiting on me at the unloading area. He tells me that he doesn't enjoy all the small talk at the beginning of these company parties, so he slipped out to unload me while they get that part over with, and he will join back up with them when the food starts being served. So, as you see his little act of kindness made my whole plan come together. Remember what I said about these guys, the lowly fork lift operators, and how they can help you or hurt you. Usually your attitude toward them will set the tone for your future encounters with them.
Jorgo's generosity (he was off the clock) set me up to get myself onto the sleeper berth line by 4:30, which allowed me to start driving at 2:30 a.m. That put me in Ilion, New York at 0700, and I was sending my MT call in at 7:15 a.m. BOOM! It all came together!
Not bad! What's really great about this load is that I get to split it up and take my Thanksgiving break at home in the middle of the load. How cool is that?
Remember what I told you about the detention pay I got on this load? Take a look at the total X-pay on this load. Sometimes this stuff really adds up!
I'm down in Cressona, PA tonight where I will spend the night and pick up my load in the morning, Then it's back to the races!
I hope this stuff helps some of you see the tactics and strategies for success out here.
It's funny, this week we've had a couple of drivers in our forum over at Truckingtruth.com who were throwing in the towel and complaining vehemently about this industry and they way they "feel" they have been treated. One of the complaints was the crazy hours one has to keep, flipping your sleep schedules from night to day and starting your day at 2 or 3 in the morning. Did you notice how I drove all night the first two drive shifts on this load, then I flipped it back over to day time so that I could make those five stops happen? Then I had to start at 2:30 in the morning to get to my final destination first thing Friday morning like I had communicated with my dispatcher. That is how you make a success out of this crazy job. You are responsible for putting the pieces of the puzzle together - nobody is going to hold your hand. That is responsibility, and that creates success. I like being responsible for my actions and then enjoying the fruit of my labors. If you can take your own initiative to tackle the issues out here, then you can make it a pleasure and a joy to be an American Truck Driver.
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ReplyDeleteThank you Dale, your advice and insights are invaluable. I feel you are going to teach me a great deal about this industry before I even get started! Quick question... did you tip Jorgo for unloading you while off the clock? There is no judgement intended here, I am just wondering if it is a practice in the trucking industry or not. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHello Pete, it is nice to have you in here. I'm glad if I can be of some help to you, as I really enjoy sharing with new drivers the keys to success out here. It is a tough industry to make a decent start in, and unfortunately there are volumes of misinformation on the internet. I don't consider myself an expert, in fact I could probably teach you everything I know in about five minutes! I still learn something everyday.
DeleteAs far as tipping goes it is not something that is done out here. Jorgo did me a favor because I often do him favors. That particular customer has requested of my dispatcher that they send me to make that run whenever possible because they like the fact that I always communicate with them and make things happen on time. There is a lot of preference and respect given in this business if you do a really good job, but one of the sayings I use is that you will always be remembered for your last screw-up. It is a performance based business all around and performance speaks volumes out here. The problem with all that is that there are so many things that can mess you up each day.
I did pay a fork lift driver forty dollars one time in North Collins, New York. I had called him in advance to ask if he would unload me late. It was two hours after they close and he went home and gave me his cell number to call when I arrived. I felt it was worth it because he helped me get another roughly five hundred dollars on that week's paycheck. I had offered him the money in the phone call, so that may have been what caused him to be so agreeable, I can't say for sure. Most of the time I find people helpful if I have been helpful to them.