Expectations

There I was on Monday morning ... delivering in Elgin. Then parking in their lot while waiting on a load. At noon, I was called to pick up a load in Paw Paw, MI at 3:30 p.m. (they are Eastern time) ... I'm 40 miles NW of downtown Chicago ... in a 55 mph state ... 167 miles from Paw Paw ... not counting road construction on I-80 and I-94 ... it would take a minimum of 3 hours to get there ... the 90 mph broker was only allowing 2.5 hours to get there. So, 3.5 hrs later, when I legally arrived, I was "late" for the pickup. This put me at the end of the list, behind every truck that continued to show up on time for their pick up.

At 11:15 p.m. they finally loaded me. I drove to the nearest commercial truck scale ... my trailer axles scaled at 38,220 lbs. TOO HEAVY. I slid the wheels all the way to the rear ... scaled this time at 36,000 ... still 2,000 lbs TOO HEAVY ... with no way to change that.

Back at CCNA in Paw Paw, I showed them the scale tickets ... they unhappily removed the entire load and re-loaded my trailer with more of the heavier things further forward. It was now 1:00 a.m. and I was at the end of my DOT legal day. I had to go out the gate, find a place to park, and go to sleep.

I couldn't start work until 11:00 a.m. I pre-tripped the truck, drove to a scale, and this time was able to get all axles legal ... with no room for error (this is a heavy load). I then proceeded to drive 677 miles in just under a DOT legal 11 hours. I stopped just before the "open" GA DOT scale at exit 345 on I-75 at Ringgold, GA. There is supposed to be a 72-hr DOT inspection blitz going on ... and I wouldn't want to be caught doing anything illegal.

So at 8:00 a.m. I could inspect my truck and head down the road to Atlanta ... and then over to Dacula, GA to deliver.

It seems someone forgot to tell me that the delivery appointment was at 5:30 a.m. EST (4:30 my time) ... SO, when I arrived, Publix refused to unload me ... saying I was 6 hours late ... call your dispatch and have them make another appointment ... if you are lucky, you might get one today after 1600 hrs (4 p.m.) ... maybe 7 p.m.

Which "shoots down the tube" the load load I was supposed to pick up at 12:30 p.m. and deliver tomorrow in Tallahassee area.

If I'm not told your expectations (delivery time), I can't meet them. (gripe ... ) Of course we are not admitting to any illegality or possible sleep deprivation to meet expectations.