SAPA Gainesville, GA Is SLOOOOWWWWWW!

Oh my goodness.

Any flatbedders know these guys? Are they always this slow? I've been here 4 hrs now, with no signs of progress.

Eh...four hours is waiting for a door for a reefer driver lol

Hit sleeper for the 8hrs then roll out. Get some sleep before rolling

Ha yeah I figured this wait is no big deal for reefer.

We got here a full day early, so I'm coming off a fresh 34 and a long sleep now. But I guess the 1530 appt time was just wishful thinking. Sigh...

Old School runs Dedicated for SAPA. I'm sure he will chime in and give you some pointers!

Ha yeah I figured this wait is no big deal for reefer.

We got here a full day early, so I'm coming off a fresh 34 and a long sleep now. But I guess the 1530 appt time was just wishful thinking. Sigh...

I went to Tropicana and the macro 19 said "hours 7am-7pm M-Sat."

Dispatch gave me a 2200 appt. So I ask them to check with sales "email confirmed appt"

I get there and have to beg them to load me then they leave for the night. As I'm leaving two other prime drivers come in. The one refused to get out of my way to let me leave cause he was mad he interrupted his basketball game to pick up a load from a closed plant.

I got my juice and high tailed it outta there!!!

Turtle, my friend, I hate to tell you this, but not everyone is treated the same when they roll into a SAPA plant.

For example, Old School usually has a preloaded trailer waiting for him when he gets there. If the guys in the plant have time, they even strap it and tarp it for him before he gets there. (I'm not sure if they do that for all of the dedicated Knight drivers on that account, or just for Old School.) That's why he loves SAPA so much. Who wouldn't?

I've also heard that the security guards in Cressona and the folks in the office in Delhi generally make sure that they have a hot meal for OS to eat when he gets there to check in, but that might just be a rumor.

Everyone else gets a roll of the dice. If you're lucky, you'll wait less than two hours. On average, you'll wait at least four hours. The longest I have waited for my trailer to be loaded at a SAPA plant is 21 hours. That was the last time I went there, and the last time I hope I ever have to go there. It's not that they're bad people, it's just that they are not very concerned about getting random drivers in and out of there in a timely fashion.

And no, I'm not jealous of Old School, because the drivers at my company get the royal treatment at other places where most drivers have to sit around and wait. At some flatbed places, it's all a matter of whether your company has a really good contract and you're a regular there.

P.S. They are famous for their emphasis on safety. I've never been to the SAPA plant in Gainesville, so I'm sure I would be entertained to hear what procedures they have in place there to ensure your safety while you are tarping your load.

Curious, what does SAPA stand for?

I've also heard that the security guards in Cressona and the folks in the office in Delhi generally make sure that they have a hot meal for OS to eat when he gets there to check in

What can I say?

Turtle, I've loaded there many times. I always feel sorry for the other flat-bedders when I go to some of these SAPA plants. They are slow, and they seem to be proud of it!

I'm generally picking up a pre-loaded trailer and a "hot meal" when I roll in there. Life isn't always fair.