Saturday, August 18, 2007

Week 53 - The End

Week Ending 8/18/07

Loads Delivered: 1

Total Miles: 633
* Loaded: 557
* Empty: 76

Gross Pay: $279.53
* Mileage Pay: $259.53
* Accessorial: $20.00

Hours Logged: 21
* Driving: 16
* On-Duty: 5

$/Hour $12.36

Off-Duty - Not Logged: 4.5
* @ Customer: 4.5
* In Laurinburg:
* Waiting Assignment:

All Hours: 25.5

Actual $/Hour: $10.18

Deadhead: Brook Park, OH Friday, August 10, 2007
Shipper: Leetonia, OH Friday, August 10, 2007
Consignee: Sylva, NC Monday, August 13, 2007
Commodity: RR Ties

The prior week, I had two loads that that I arrived on time, only to find the customer wasn’t expecting me. I had waited almost 4 hours for a work assignment. Nothing was changing. So, over weekend I sent a macro that Friday, August 17th would be my last day with Maverick, and to plan a load that would return me to Laurinburg by that day. I planned that day because OG would be in Columbia, SC on business, so would be able to pick me up in Laurinburg when she returned home on Friday.

I was instructed to DH to LRBG when unloaded in Sylva. On way to LRBG, I received work assignment for a Canada load. I sent back macro that I had requested to be taken off all Canada loads, and it would not get me back to LRBG by Friday, as requested. The load was removed, and I heard nothing more that day.

The next morning when I asked about status of load, I was told to come into office, where Tina and a man I had never met were waiting to give me my walking papers. They never asked why I was leaving, only offered to pay for the remainder of the week, and a rental car to Knoxville. I told them that I would only need the car to Columbia, SC – a 150 mile difference – and they gave me a ComCheck to cover the cost of the rental car. On my way out, I asked the man’s name, and was surprised to find out it was Derric. I had worked for the company for a year, and didn’t know who the man was.

I returned the car in Columbia the next day, and because it crossed state lines, and same day rental I was charged by the mile – a total of $140. When I attempted to cash the ComCheck, I was told there was a $90 limit. When I received my final paycheck, it did not include any extra for the remainder of the week. But, then, that didn’t surprise me.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Week 52 – The Last Straw

Week Ending 8/11/07

Loads Delivered: 3

Total Miles: 3026
* Loaded: 2313
* Empty: 713

Gross Pay: $1,260.66
* Mileage Pay: $1,240.66
* Accessorial: $20.00

Hours Logged: 72.25
* Driving: 56.5
* On-Duty: 15.75

$/Hour $17.45

Off-Duty - Not Logged: 3.75
* @ Customer: 0
* In Laurinburg:
* Waiting Assignment: 3.75

All Hours: 76

Actual $/Hour: $16.59

____________________________
Load #1

Deadhead: Oviedo, FL Thursday, August 02, 2007
Shipper: Ft. Pierce, FL Thursday, August 02, 2007
Consignee: Indianapolis, IN Sunday, August 05, 2007
Commodity: glass

Shipper wasn’t expecting me until the next day, even though work assignment was for same day.

Had just enough time to get home for Reset – 15 minutes to spare by time I parked truck.

Arrive Home: Friday, August 3, 2007, 7:00 PM
Leave Home: Sunday, August 5, 2007, 11:30 AM
Hours Home: 41.50
Days Home: 1.73

____________________________
Load #2

Deadhead: Indianapolis, IN Monday, August 06, 2009
Shipper: Ottawa, IL Monday, August 06, 2007
Consignee: Fredrick, MD Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Commodity: glass

After dropping load in Fredrick, waited 3-1/2 hours for work assignment. Sent 2 macros. Finally requested detention pay. Request was not acknowledged, but I was instructed to Deadhead to Laurinburg. Received work assignment 6 hours later, en route to LRBG.

These photos were emailed to Brett on 8/12

















____________________________
Load #3

Deadhead: Fredrick, MD Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Shipper: Laurinburg, NC Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Consignee: Brook Park, OH Friday, August 10, 2007
Commodity: glass

Arrived LRBG Wednesday night. Load was ready to leave LRBG first thing Thursday morning.

Trailer didn’t have securement box or bottom attachment U bracket on headboard. Rear marker light was pushed inward so I had to repair.

I have now sent Brett 9 emails with photos attached. I had response to the first email only. To say that he had forwarded to the appropriate person. I didn't bother to send these.

























This final photo depicts the amount of items that need to be secured to the headboard at times. Also note that the both the securement box and lower-right attachment U-bracket(for strap) are missing.




When I arrived in Brook Park, the customer wasn’t expecting me. I had to wait 3 hours for them to make space for the load. Sent to Leetonia, OH to pickup load that would take me through home for reset.

Arrived home Saturday with 69 hours logged.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Week 51 - The Lesson Learned

Week Ending 8/4/07

Loads Delivered: 2

Total Miles: 1854
* Loaded: 1184
* Empty: 670

Gross Pay: $804.14
* Mileage Pay: $760.14
* Accessorial: $44.00

Hours Logged: 49.25
* Driving: 37.25
* On-Duty: 12

$/Hour $16.33

Off-Duty - Not Logged: 14.75
* @ Customer: 0
* In Laurinburg: 14.75
* Waiting Assignment:

All Hours: 64

Actual $/Hour: $12.56
______________________________________
Load #1

Deadhead: Owatonna, MN Thursday, July 26, 2007
Shipper: Elkhorn, WI Friday, July 27, 2007
Consignee: Calhoun, GA Monday, July 30, 2007
Commodity: Tractor Parts

Took Reset at Home with 66 hours logged.

Arrive Home: Saturday, July 28, 2007, 12:15 PM
Leave Home: Monday, July 30, 2007, 6:30 AM
Hours Home: 42.25
Days Home: 1.76

Load went smoothly.

Red Tagged trailer for handle, electrics, latch jam and eminent wing failure (See prior week for photos).
______________________________________
Load #2

Deadhead: Calhoun, GA Monday, July 30, 2007
Shipper: Laurinburg, NC Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Consignee: Oviedo, FL Thursday, August 02, 2007
Commodity: glass

Delivered to Calhoun, and received instructions to Deadhead to Laurinburg. Sent macro to shop at 6:43 am that windshield needed replaced and driver’s side electric window not working. At same time sent a macro to Tina, asking if PM was due. Tina wasn’t in and I received generic macro in return from Stan: “go to T/A but don’t affect schedule". Since I was on a Deadhead to Laurinburg, and truck would be in shop anyway, thought I would save company money by getting PM done in Laurinburg.

When I arrived in Laurinburg at 8:15 AM, I was told that the shop never received my macro about the repairs, and the earliest they could get me in was 3:30. At 6:30 pm I was told they had also found a transmission leak and it would be at least 8:00 PM before they were complete. By now I had a load assignment, but would be out of hours at 8:00, so got room at hotel where I could get good night’s sleep and start early in the morning.

Truck was ready the next morning, and so was load. But three of the straps had been secured to the rub rail despite stickers on rail saying “do not or else…”:






The winches for proper securement were also missing and I had to go chase them down; and resecure load properly.



Headboard had one missing bolt, and 2 with stress cracks that caused it to list back.






All of the above photos were emailed to Brett on 8/5.

During load check, I noticed an oil seal leak on trailer and bad tire wear that I took to a TA for repair. Mechanic showed me grease in bearing that was “pukey” brown and probably contaminated.

Leaking Oil Seal:





Tire Wear:





I lost 3 hours during this repair. Add that to the time in Laurinburg for repairs, and I had lost almost 14 hours. I requested break-down pay, and was generously given $24 for the time at the TA. I also requested tarp pay for having to resecure the load. That was also denied.

A side note to the $24 for break-down pay: When I received my paycheck, I had only been paid $20. I asked Tina to correct and pay the additional $4 on my next paycheck. The next check, rather than $4, I received $24. So, I can say there is one mistake in my favor.

Lesson learned: Don’t try to save the company money by taking truck to Laurinburg shop. Take to TA, and get breakdown pay.