My comments to Tracy

I have been driving for almost 16 years and I am not at all done learning or being taught.I consider myself to be humble and open to the ways of the old rather than the new.I am old enough to know better and have reached that point in my life to care also.I am a young veteran in the industry.I am giving due where due needs to be given.A true veteran of the trade is someone who has been in the industry for 30 years or more.My granfather THE "LLINOIS CRASH"drove for 53 years(A MILESTONE ALOT WON"T SEE)and I consider him to be the one and only "ILLINOIS CRASH.AFTER THAT MANY YEARS OF SERVICE HE DESERVES IT. They know first hand how much the industry has changed and the actual open rode.Can you imagine just how open and free it felt in the good 'ole days..Although I cosider it fun and I have a feeling of freedom(especially on a 2 lane in the middle of nowhere at 2 am in the morning.I used to love that feeling and to describe it today,makes me on the sad side.I pray that I do get better enough to drive the open road and have that feeling hit me once again.It's a feeling that any driver who has it runnin thru his veins know.It's the feelin that makes us want it more an adrenaline feeling that is just like a drug.I didn't do it just for the money(LORD KNOWS I AIN'T GOIN TO GET RICH).I did it because of the love for it.The satisfaction of never being late on a load(OTHER THAN THE OCCASIONAL BREAKDOWN OR WEATHER).I was there that night or mornin after driving all night.Getting unloaded first thing was always a priority to me and then to sit All because the shippers load was either not ready or ready and they was just to lazy to load me had me there for hours and to turn it down or swap wasn't in the equation.I know I'm not the only one who has had this happen,or will we be the last it will continue to be a problem in this industry until we adress it in a way that the shippers and consignee's will get it.No matter what it takes.My answer to legally logging 4000 miles without cheating would be highly unlikely as would be 3500 although it has been done on perfect weeks,but I along with every driver that is long haul hasn't seen to many of them.I do understand that drivers who have dedicated routes may be able to log this.I dont know because I have never been a dedicated driver.I can say that I still feel it would be a struggle to log 4000 miles legally even for the dedicated run.I was a one sided team player.I kept our customers happy for the company and it would seem to me they would recipicate that feeling back to me.I never sat for more than 8 hrs for a load,other than a load I picked up and made clear to them I wouldn't take it to New York City amd they said no problem,just drop it on the Atlanta yd.Only to be told the next day to get back under it and I said no.I will wait for something else.I sat from Saturday to wensday morning before I got underneath another load.I Love my dispatcher and love her still,even though I'm off work at the moment.I don't blame her I blame the load planners and the ones who kept me grounded.I know they slapped my hand.It didn't work though and after that I said if it ever happened again I would be gone.I don't turn down many loads and you are right it is not forced dispatch,but I feel like I have a job to do and I'm going to do it.They do not know how to dispatch.I believe alot of companies out there hasn't one clue how to dispatch their drivers in a manner that would be benficial to both.I also understand that this concept is really in the making of becoming reality.What I mean by that is that the larger companies are expanding and building more terminals,all for the purpose of keeping the driver going and more of the drop and hook aspect of the job.This would be the best way in my eyes to keep a driver more log book friendly.My hope is that all drivers will get more cents per mile and be able to legally log it, or get paid by the Hr what they make driving the cents per mile way and get paid overtime.At .36 cents a mile and 60 miles an hr on an 11 hr day.We would be making $1866.00 with overtime for a 70 hr week.Take a 34 hrs off and do it again.What I am getting at I suppose is that every man or woman driving a truck get's angry or feels completely used by a company as I feel they have used and abused me.I know there are more in the same company who feels the same way I do and some who don't like yourself.I wish you 2 the best and I feel I need to say to not count your chickens before their hatched.I am a DAMN GOOD DRIVER and I'm sure he is also.One thing to remember is if they have done it to me and others like me,chances are the same will happen to you.Unless you know how to rub it just right to make it coo.I am not an ass kisser and I'm sure he's not either and I be damned I rub something that aint going to rub me back.Get it.THEY DID NOT RUB ME BACK.Good luck and best wishes.


Yours Truly,
THE CLIFFHANGER

Category Posted: General