wolf_exp
09-08-2006, 09:52 PM
Well yesterday I got a call from dad and he said "hey Ill be home tonight.. and I have a run that delivers to Indianapolis tomorrow (friday) and Ill probably be picking up something there and coming back home with it.. want to ride along?" He didnt even finish the sentance and I said sure.
So Friday comes. We wake up at 5:30am and head to Greenwood, IN. We stop on the way at my favorite stop that has breakfast pizza -- just outside of albany, In. We go in and :wtf: no pizzas!! Im heart broken!! So I get a couple donuts and a pepsi (breakfast of champions) and wait for dad to get his stuff. We get to talking to the cashier and told her of my disappointment with the pizzas and she said "well if you can wait for 5 minutes Ill make one for ya real quick". Back to happy. We waiting and I got me a fresh hot breakfast pizza. So I munch on the way to the delivery.
We get to the city early. They wont let you in any earlier then 1 hr so my dad and I sat at the pilot 1 exit before the delivery place. We did some shopping, played some games, then sat at their tables. I look at my dad while hes reading a truckers news and get a little saddend because I realize how much he has aged in the month since my moms passing. He had more of a tired face, more gray hair in his beard. It was sad. So I started talking and then we got going.
We get to the delivery point. He checks in with the guard and there isnt an available door. So we have to sit and wait (not allowed to idle truck) and wait for the guard shack to call us. After about 15 mins she calls us and says to go to the door. Dad pulls in the door and I do my usual job of opening the doors for him. I watch him back in and learn. Once he's in he has to turn the paperwork in (which I did for him) then unhook his truck. Which i did that also. We have to unhook and sit in a parking lot across from the trailer and wait for the CB call again. 2 - 1/2 hrs later we get the call. I told him to get some sleep in that time and Ill watch the CB and Light. Then the light turned green I woke him up.. and about a minute later we got the call. So he hooks up to the trailer (which I did the leg work) and I got the paperwork for him. We check out and call in empty. "We are looking for a load" is what we here. So we back into a parking space and wait. About 15 mins later he gets a dispatch. Picks up in Plainfield, In and take it to Lima, Ohio. Well how cool is that.... or so we thought.
At this point I learned there is something worse then a dispatcher... a broker. My dad calls to get the information from the broker. "Oh we dont have any information on that yet.. call back in 20 mins". Umm.. you had the information to put it on the website.. now you dont? So we did. We headed down to south of indianapolis to the pilot at exit 4 on 465. JAMMED PACKED. The diesel price was 2.65 cash. Not to shabby-- plus my dad gets a 3 cents discount. Good. Not great.. but not as bad as it used to be. We wait in line for a while -- all the time my dad calls the broker still trying to get info. The first time the lady say nothings ready and she hangs up. Hes like... ok. So he calls again and gets put on hold for 5 mins. He hangs up and I suggested "try calling dispatch and make them call" He said good idea. So he called her and she said she would try. Then he calls back and dispatch says they got the info they will send over computer. After fueling we pull forward and dad calls the broker.. the broker says load was cancled. So he goes to call dispatch and the broker ends up calling him back saying they gave him the wrong load number.. that it was something else. So still on. We got the information and headed out. It was due to pick up at 3 and deliver at 7. Not gonna happen. Will take about an hr to load and its a 4 hr drive from indianapolis to lima. So he keeps calling dispatch and broker to let them know... made about 5 calls before the cosignee said just bring it in when you can we need it.
We get to the shipper at 2:30. He backs us in and they go on break. So we sit. And we finally get done around 4:30. We drive back home and rush hr traiffic. We make it through pretty good and try to get to Lima as legally possible. We get there at 8:30. Call the customer on the CB and Im suddenly reminded of expediting. In a rush to get there at a certain time.. to sit. They tell us to go to the back parking lot and wait for the CB call again. So we do.. they call us.. back us in unload us.. blah blah and about 10 we get done. We drive home and on the way home dad and I do some talking.
He says "one reason I bring you along is so you can see all the crap drivers go thru and hopefully will change your mind.. but you get a kick out of it!!" I laughed and said yeah I do. And the good news is.. monday im going to call the truck driving academey in my town and get information on their classes. I think Im ready to go to school now and dad is willing to send me.
So keep yall informed. :cheers: :cheers:
So Friday comes. We wake up at 5:30am and head to Greenwood, IN. We stop on the way at my favorite stop that has breakfast pizza -- just outside of albany, In. We go in and :wtf: no pizzas!! Im heart broken!! So I get a couple donuts and a pepsi (breakfast of champions) and wait for dad to get his stuff. We get to talking to the cashier and told her of my disappointment with the pizzas and she said "well if you can wait for 5 minutes Ill make one for ya real quick". Back to happy. We waiting and I got me a fresh hot breakfast pizza. So I munch on the way to the delivery.
We get to the city early. They wont let you in any earlier then 1 hr so my dad and I sat at the pilot 1 exit before the delivery place. We did some shopping, played some games, then sat at their tables. I look at my dad while hes reading a truckers news and get a little saddend because I realize how much he has aged in the month since my moms passing. He had more of a tired face, more gray hair in his beard. It was sad. So I started talking and then we got going.
We get to the delivery point. He checks in with the guard and there isnt an available door. So we have to sit and wait (not allowed to idle truck) and wait for the guard shack to call us. After about 15 mins she calls us and says to go to the door. Dad pulls in the door and I do my usual job of opening the doors for him. I watch him back in and learn. Once he's in he has to turn the paperwork in (which I did for him) then unhook his truck. Which i did that also. We have to unhook and sit in a parking lot across from the trailer and wait for the CB call again. 2 - 1/2 hrs later we get the call. I told him to get some sleep in that time and Ill watch the CB and Light. Then the light turned green I woke him up.. and about a minute later we got the call. So he hooks up to the trailer (which I did the leg work) and I got the paperwork for him. We check out and call in empty. "We are looking for a load" is what we here. So we back into a parking space and wait. About 15 mins later he gets a dispatch. Picks up in Plainfield, In and take it to Lima, Ohio. Well how cool is that.... or so we thought.
At this point I learned there is something worse then a dispatcher... a broker. My dad calls to get the information from the broker. "Oh we dont have any information on that yet.. call back in 20 mins". Umm.. you had the information to put it on the website.. now you dont? So we did. We headed down to south of indianapolis to the pilot at exit 4 on 465. JAMMED PACKED. The diesel price was 2.65 cash. Not to shabby-- plus my dad gets a 3 cents discount. Good. Not great.. but not as bad as it used to be. We wait in line for a while -- all the time my dad calls the broker still trying to get info. The first time the lady say nothings ready and she hangs up. Hes like... ok. So he calls again and gets put on hold for 5 mins. He hangs up and I suggested "try calling dispatch and make them call" He said good idea. So he called her and she said she would try. Then he calls back and dispatch says they got the info they will send over computer. After fueling we pull forward and dad calls the broker.. the broker says load was cancled. So he goes to call dispatch and the broker ends up calling him back saying they gave him the wrong load number.. that it was something else. So still on. We got the information and headed out. It was due to pick up at 3 and deliver at 7. Not gonna happen. Will take about an hr to load and its a 4 hr drive from indianapolis to lima. So he keeps calling dispatch and broker to let them know... made about 5 calls before the cosignee said just bring it in when you can we need it.
We get to the shipper at 2:30. He backs us in and they go on break. So we sit. And we finally get done around 4:30. We drive back home and rush hr traiffic. We make it through pretty good and try to get to Lima as legally possible. We get there at 8:30. Call the customer on the CB and Im suddenly reminded of expediting. In a rush to get there at a certain time.. to sit. They tell us to go to the back parking lot and wait for the CB call again. So we do.. they call us.. back us in unload us.. blah blah and about 10 we get done. We drive home and on the way home dad and I do some talking.
He says "one reason I bring you along is so you can see all the crap drivers go thru and hopefully will change your mind.. but you get a kick out of it!!" I laughed and said yeah I do. And the good news is.. monday im going to call the truck driving academey in my town and get information on their classes. I think Im ready to go to school now and dad is willing to send me.
So keep yall informed. :cheers: :cheers: