Had an 8am "appointment" to deliver a load of steel in Bridgeport, CT. We picked it up in Roanoke, VA. Spent the night at the (way too small) rest area in Morristown, NJ off I287. Traffic over the GW was not bad (7am) and only a few times did I have to stop in traffic on I95. The receiving window for my final was 8-11am. When I got there a few minutes after 8 (bad directions), it turns out they don't go by appointment - it's first come first serve. There were 3 trucks in front of me. I got unloaded at 2pm. Yes, you just read that right, 2pm! I sat there for six freak'n hours. This is a very old 75,000 sq. ft warehouse with only 2 shipping/receiving doors. One of their ancient cranes overheated and caught on fire about noon due to the heavy work load. Apparently this happens at least once a week. The "crew" here consists mostly of Latinos, African Americans and Russians. All fine young men whose motivation to quickly unload trucks and do a efficient job is stifled by a moronic cheap pin headed management. With capital investment, which would add to the value of the property, they could unload and ship three times the capacity.
During these six hours I had the opportunity to speak with the other (company)drivers waiting around. There were about 6 trucks behind me. For those of you that think I make up all this "blog stuff" out of my head, I actually do speak with numerous drivers day in a day out to see what's on their mind. A subscriber told me I was wrong about Siricom and that he likes the service. As I'm writing this I'm actually on Siricom. It took me over 30 minutes to log on and just like FJ, unless you're parked very near the building - in this case the Pilot off I-95 in Milford, CT - the reception is poor. So, for those of you that after reading my blog care to play games or see Mary Jane screw John and Fred (or Fred screw John), you'll get it, but everything will be in 1/2 speed, like using an old modem and telephone line. If you're in the back of the lot, I wouldn't even bother. FJ tells me the FCC regulates and limits the transmission power for wireless internet. Ya know, along with OOIDA, the DOT, and ABC, bla, bla, bla I am sooo tired of "agencies" like the FCC, who claim to have "our" interests in mind, screwing around with things. The FCC is just another (boondoggle) government bureaucracy we need to cut in half or completely do away with, and let the free competitive market take its course. If Sirius and XM want to merge, they should be able to without any "government" interference.
Anyhoo, back to speaking to the drivers and what's on their minds. #1 issue is the 68 mile hour governed speed limit. I'm for it, nobody else it. #2 issue - OOIDA. Everyone agrees it is waste of money, they don't represent or "care" about company drivers - and - to quote one driver "the unions have them (OOIDA) in their pocket, they (OOIDA) are too political and they (OOIDA) are not for the drivers." I'm not honestly sure what he meant by that, but you get it unfiltered right from the horses mouth as they say. #3 issue is log books and HOS. Bring back the split sleeper birth time and create a two line only log - either you're on duty or off. Another driver said he talked to a trooper somewhere who said the whole "thing" is too complicated and he also mentioned a two line only log. Issue #4 - the minute you get to a shipper or receiver you should get paid and you should remain on duty. No more wait, wait, wait to load or unload without compensation. Again, you're either on duty or off. Sitting around waiting to be loaded or unloaded is on duty - plain and simple.
So, does OOIDA do anything right? "They sell a great jacket and I like the stickers. But I wouldn't send them a dime of my money!"
Moving along here - I wanna talk about the Pilot in Greenfield, VA off I81. So it's 10am and trucks are backed up 3 deep to fuel. This is the place where after you fuel you (hopefully) pull forward, park and have to walk about 50 yards down a hill under a metal cover "thing" to go into the building. So there are two folks behind the counter. One is a befuddled manager and the other the not so typical Pilot employee who does everything and knows everything and she does both efficiently and fast. The customer line is 5 deep and growing because the manager is trying to help someone do something. And he's doing it badly. This manager seems lost. He stops what he is doing and goes to bang on the office door - the one with a two way mirror. Inside is where Pilot employees, who should be working, go to hide.
Finally three (very overweight) women waddle out with black Pilot shirts milling around talking, in the process completely avoiding the customers. And that is what really ticks me off. It happens time and time again, in just about all the Pilot around the country. Not so much at Love's and T/A, but also at some FJ's. Now I've seen the pinhead regional managers who work for Pilot make their scheduled inspections when everyone knows their coming. They're never there when the real "action" happens. Now either their too stupid to realize what really happens or they just don't give a shit. "Their only truck drivers and bus passengers the hell with 'em." Someone has to tell these folks that the counter is not there to shield "them" from customers so "they" can conduct your personal business on company time. You are to stop what you are doing and say "welcome to Pilot, how may I help you?" Nothing else is acceptable. And drivers, you more you complain about such bad service, the more chance "we" get of changing things and receiving a lot more respect from these pinhead corporations that think they know who we are and what we want!
Here's news from the world of EZ Pass - sources tell me tollbooths that use this service will now be photographing any vehicle "speeding." So if it's posted 5 mph through the tollbooth, make sure you go 5mph. Until these "facilities" are upgrading - for example open road tolling similar to what they did in and around Chicago - crank it down and proceed cautiously. Yes, it would sure by nice if Indiana would use the EZ Pass system on I80/I90. Yes, it's too bad Florida uses Sunpass and not EZ Pass. Now, if you "speed" through an EZ Pass tollbooth 3 times, your "service" will be stopped for 6 months.
Back over in NJ, the governor left the hospital, after his 90 mph crash, being driven home at 71 mph in a 55 mph zone. His "official" vehicle was not using its "emergency" lights. We do not know if he was wearing his seat belt.
I've now been on Siricom for about four hours. I'm parking next to the fuel island in front of the CAT scale. It's 8:30pm and parking here is max'd out. They are 3 deep next to the scale, basically blocking trucks from safely leaving. This 11 Mpbs is just not enough to move through the internet fast enough. And this has nothing to do with the FCC.
