Union Shops, The Death Of America

When we take a load, if I suspect it's a union shop, I try to get out of taking the load.  Most times I have to take the load anyway but I'd rather not. 

To load or unload takes forever.  You have to deal with breaks, lunches and just flat obstinate idiots who know they hold the power in their grubby hands and are going to make you wait.

The worst, IMHO, is Boeing in Seattle.  Once I had to unload there and it was a 20 minute unload, simple and easy.  It took them a whopping three hours to unload!!  Of course, I made the forklift guy mad and I'm pretty sure he took his sweet time. 

Another one is a shop in Louisville and I had to wait till the next day to get loaded and it took them about 5 hours to load some steel.  With all the breaks and shift changes, I thought we'd might as well move in and take up residence. 

Another one, I went to some place out in the middle of nowhere where they were building a power plant of some sort.  A bunch of guys were sitting off to the side, doing nothing.  The guardshack lady told me that they came to work every day and sat around all day, doing nothing, and then went home and did the same the next day.  I was appalled.  As usual, it took forever to get unloaded. 

What is with this??  I can do without unions for the loading and unloading.  I will avoid union places to the best of my ability.  They take too long and it messes with my logbook.  "Change your logbook" they tell me.  Um, oh, hell no!!  The DOT can do more to me than a union shop can and with the way the DOT is getting more power, I'm not messing with them!! 

America was built with blood, sweat and tears, not sitting on your butt and collecting big bucks for nothing.  I guess, if I were smart, I'd join a union and do the same but something in me wants to work honestly for my money and be proud I did a good job.  I can't do nothing and then get compensated for same and feel good about myself.  Just can't do it.

Unions can go the way of the Do-Do bird and it wouldn't bother me a bit.  Have I made myself clear?? 

A Reminder To Male Truckers

Never, never, never, ever, ever, ever stand in the way of a female trucker and the bathroom.

You've been warned before and here's another one.  Read it and remember it. 

The Keystone Kops...A Loading Story....

Swear to God, you would have had to have been there to believe this loading story.

Hubby and I went to this teensy little town in the middle of Ohio to pick up a load.  I backed our rig in and then we set back and watched the loading. 

Suffice it to say, it was pretty damn entertaining! 

First off, the guys kind of ran around like the old cartoon Keystone Cops of yore, know what I mean??  If not, I mean they were all over the place and no rhyme or reason to anything they did.  It had to be a union shop because there were too many of them for the job (more on Union shops later or in the next post).  No one seemed to be a leader, well, there was one guy with a huge, walrus mustashe (sp??) but even he seemed to just roll around, no pun intended. 

Due to deck space on my flatbed, they had to reconfigure the load to make it fit.  Alright, simple enough it would seem.  Someone had put together the load in such a way and strapped with the metal strapping that it wouldn't fit.  So, walrus-guy decides to change it around.  While he's moving the whole shebang with the forkllift, the load falls off the prongs.  Instead of stopping and picking things up, he continues shoving it down the way.  Nothing happens to the load, other than a torn box (of which I made them sign that it wasn't my fault the box was torn, oh yes, I've learned to do THAT). 

Okay, then the other 'helpers' toddle over and they pick boxes up and restrap, but again, no rhyme or reason.  Just a wad here and a wad there.  Then they put cull pieces on the tops and bottoms (cull pieces are pieces of wood or whatever that will be thrown away at the end of the journey, they aren't any good) and start loading.  Except that the load is lopsided this way and that.  Ended up, the back of the load looked like one of those Tetris games when you're almost out of room.  Yep, that's how bad it was.

Hubby and I are sitting on the sidelines watching in amazement.  What we saw were a bunch of grown men roaming around and putting things here and there and tripping over each other and redoing the load numerous times and....get what I'm saying??  Another guy who works there happened by while on his break, noticed the commotion and said, sotto voce, "Tweedledum and Tweedledees" and continued walking like he hadn't said a word. 

No kidding. 

I finally piped up and said this thing can't go 'there' and that thing needs to go 'here'.  In general, I made myslef really, really popular with them.  Hubby got up to help them with the plastic sheeting that was required and it was all he could do to keep from strangling one or all of them.  Hubby doesn't get excited about much and is a calm guy but theses clowns about caused him to lose it. 

Honestly, while sitting and watching, the whole scene looked like the Keystone Cops movie, just a bag or human-worms wiggling around and not getting anything done. 

I was going to end here but I have to tell my faithful readers, when we got to the other end of the trip (we did end up legal, which is the only way I haul anyway), the customer wanted to know whatinthehell had happened to his load.  I started to 'splain about the Keystone boys but he stopped me and said that almost every load they get out of there looks like that.  This one just happened to be particularly bad.  At any rate, the freight got there safely and in one piece, sort of, and everyone was happy. 

I Gotta Start Writing My Ideas Down

So many things happen on the road and I think of putting them in this blog and then when I'm on the 'net at a truckstop, I forget just about everything that has happened!!

So, I'm really gonna try to write my ideas down right after something really good happens, good, bad or ugly and then I can relay it on to my faithful readers!! 

Please bear with me on this, I'll get things right!! 

Told A Male Trucker To Move His Rig. Yep, I'm Still Alive To Tell The Tale

Good Lord, what is with some people?? 

Hubby was driving and we pulled into a Pilot and there were a lot of rigs waiting to fuel, so Hubs picks a line and pops the brakes.  We sit and sit and sit some more.  The rig in front in the fuel island isn't moving.  The trucks to the side, are.  We don't move.  Hubby looks out and sees the guy in front finally put the spout in his tanks.  Then he pulls up a bit to do his refer tank and for some odd bodkin reason, BACKS UP and pulls his brakes.

Now, we're getting ticked.  All we wanted was to stop in and grab some sandwiches and get back on the road.  But, nooooo, this clown is taking his sweet time. 

Finally, he pulls up but not far enough for us if we were to fuel.  Remember, we have a long wheel base KW and the tanks are towards the back, not under the doors. 

Patience not being one of my many virtues, I jump out of the truck before Hubs can stop me (I wonder if he even tried....hmmmm...) and I walked towards the front of his truck but he was already heading into the Pilot.  I followed him and caught up with him whilst he was in line.  So, in front of God and everyone, I said..."How much longer are you going to be in line??  We're behind you and it's been 30 minutes."  I forgot to mention, I had my fists on my hips and a direct way of standing.  

He was so taken aback that he just stuttered, "I'm getting my ticket and be right out."  I turned and walked out of the door with a 'thank you' thrown over my shoulder.  He kind of pulled himself together and talked to the others in line about how he was trying to hurry and there was a problem with his card (of course there was!!). 

At any rate, it was extremely satisfying to let loose on a nitwit who thinks the world is his oyster and it doesn't matter whom else he inconveniences!  I'll  just betcha he hasn't had ANYone to speak to him in such a way in years, especially a female driver!! 

Yep, felt pretty good!! 

Sooo Tired....

I had a lot of things to post about but I'm whooped and going to bed.  Will post the next time I'm on the net, just not right now.  A girl has to get her sleep!!  'Night to all for the time being. 

How Can You Be A Flatbedder And....

Be able to park in the handicapped spaces at truckstops??  Inquiring minds want to know.

I don't have anything against handicapped spaces (except when I can't find a freakin' space and that's the only ones open) but yesterday we saw an empty flatbed in one. 

Just one of those things you have to mull about.