Talking Shop: The Just Talking Thread

Yep. Quite often, the people in the office miss the entire Forrest, while looking at the itty bitty line tree sprout.

My company has monthly safety training we have to complete if we want to get our monthly bonus.

This month was discussing workplace violence. The video said that one way to avoid violence was to avoid going to unfamiliar places.

My job is 99% going to unfamiliar places lol

Yep. Quite often, the people in the office miss the entire Forrest, while looking at the itty bitty line tree sprout.

We get weekly messages that as a fleet our idle time is too high. Don't freeze or sweat to death but don't idle needlessly (such as while we're in the store we're delivering to). Then you look at their routing and it's so idiotic its wasting far more fuel and money than idling. It's not uncommon for the routing system to send someone out of route over 50 miles to deliver a couple cases despite someone being closer because it would exceed the parameters they set for cubic feet. You can't tell me that load is too big it can't fit an extra couple cases. Instead we'll waste the fuel to drive there, an additional $32 to the driver for the stop on top of 57.2 cpm , just to deliver a couple cases. Just last week we had a driver delivering to his last store in the same town as one of our loads was picking up but he didn't pick it up. Instead he picked up a load in Des Moines and they sent a different driver 100 miles to pickup that load not even a mile from the other drivers store. I gave up telling dispatch as I was frequently told " that's how the system routed it so we'll leave it be". Needless to say I don't take the anti-idle texts seriously but will still do my part to avoid wasting fuel.

The video said that one way to avoid violence was to avoid going to unfamiliar places.

Guidance like that is great for people that work in the office. With out job its not practical. Back when everyone shut down for Covid my (local) company created a policy if you travel out of state you must quarantine for 2 weeks before you can return to work. It played a role in why I didn't attend my grandfather's funeral in southwest Minnesota. The kicker? We deliver loads every day in that same area. It's safe for me to deliver to your stores and deal with the general public in those areas but not interact with my immediate family in an enforced social distanced funeral limited to 10 people. Seriously, Minnesota was so strict with Covid protocols my family that did attend the funeral was not allowed within 6 feet of each other while in the church for the service.

That's awful, Rob. Really sorry to hear that.

Yep. Quite often, the people in the office miss the entire Forrest, while looking at the itty bitty line tree sprout.

We get weekly messages that as a fleet our idle time is too high. Don't freeze or sweat to death but don't idle needlessly (such as while we're in the store we're delivering to). Then you look at their routing and it's so idiotic its wasting far more fuel and money than idling. It's not uncommon for the routing system to send someone out of route over 50 miles to deliver a couple cases despite someone being closer because it would exceed the parameters they set for cubic feet. You can't tell me that load is too big it can't fit an extra couple cases. Instead we'll waste the fuel to drive there, an additional $32 to the driver for the stop on top of 57.2 cpm , just to deliver a couple cases. Just last week we had a driver delivering to his last store in the same town as one of our loads was picking up but he didn't pick it up. Instead he picked up a load in Des Moines and they sent a different driver 100 miles to pickup that load not even a mile from the other drivers store. I gave up telling dispatch as I was frequently told " that's how the system routed it so we'll leave it be". Needless to say I don't take the anti-idle texts seriously but will still do my part to avoid wasting fuel.

The video said that one way to avoid violence was to avoid going to unfamiliar places.

Guidance like that is great for people that work in the office. With out job its not practical. Back when everyone shut down for Covid my (local) company created a policy if you travel out of state you must quarantine for 2 weeks before you can return to work. It played a role in why I didn't attend my grandfather's funeral in southwest Minnesota. The kicker? We deliver loads every day in that same area. It's safe for me to deliver to your stores and deal with the general public in those areas but not interact with my immediate family in an enforced social distanced funeral limited to 10 people. Seriously, Minnesota was so strict with Covid protocols my family that did attend the funeral was not allowed within 6 feet of each other while in the church for the service.

Sorry to read this and I hope things will get better for you.

Question of the Experienced Truckers:

If you could go back in time and speak to your younger self (your first year in trucking), what advice and/tips would you share with yourself to make the process easier for you?

Question of the Experienced Truckers:

If you could go back in time and speak to your younger self (your first year in trucking), what advice and/tips would you share with yourself to make the process easier for you?

Research companies better before starting would be mine. My first place was teaming only, and the second company was very low pay.

I was driving through downtown Chicago on I-94/90.

Lots of construction that I had to keep an eye on. It was early morning so light traffic.

Then I saw the sign "BRIDGE HEIGHT 13-"

I immediately panicked. I see bridge height anything 13 or less and I think "DANGER!"

Did a double take, bridge height was 13'11". Still way closer than I'd like but it'll do.

Meanwhile, was driving around Houston the other day with bridges marked 20'. Like ok I think at that height maybe you don't need a sign. Seems like a waste of taxpayer dollars on signage.

I was driving through downtown Chicago on I-94/90.

Lots of construction that I had to keep an eye on. It was early morning so light traffic.

Then I saw the sign "BRIDGE HEIGHT 13-"

I immediately panicked. I see bridge height anything 13 or less and I think "DANGER!"

Did a double take, bridge height was 13'11". Still way closer than I'd like but it'll do.

Meanwhile, was driving around Houston the other day with bridges marked 20'. Like ok I think at that height maybe you don't need a sign. Seems like a waste of taxpayer dollars on signage.

Good on you for watching bridge height signs!! Being local it’s sometimes hard to Renner to watch them because I drive the same routes almost all the time. I’m the opposite though…I think ALL overpasses should have heights listed because of over dimensional loads. Seems like it would be helpful imo but I’ve never driven oversize

It's funny because a lot of times, to me, it seems like bridges that should have the signs don't while bridges that probably don't need the signs have them. I mean nationally, not just Chicago.

I feel the same way about curves. Get up to a curve, see a bunch of signage letting you know it's a sharp curve when, in reality, its a pretty mild curve. Yet other times a super sharp curve will sneak up on you, no signage at all.

Just some things I've started to notice now that I'm driving. The inconsistency!

I was driving through downtown Chicago on I-94/90.

Lots of construction that I had to keep an eye on. It was early morning so light traffic.

Then I saw the sign "BRIDGE HEIGHT 13-"

I immediately panicked. I see bridge height anything 13 or less and I think "DANGER!"

Did a double take, bridge height was 13'11". Still way closer than I'd like but it'll do.

Meanwhile, was driving around Houston the other day with bridges marked 20'. Like ok I think at that height maybe you don't need a sign. Seems like a waste of taxpayer dollars on signage.

Good on you for watching bridge height signs!! Being local it’s sometimes hard to Renner to watch them because I drive the same routes almost all the time. I’m the opposite though…I think ALL overpasses should have heights listed because of over dimensional loads. Seems like it would be helpful imo but I’ve never driven oversize

Hey Trucking Friends,

It's been a while...last week, I was looking to park a trailer and I did not compensate for the distance of my trailer to another trailer in this lot and I ended up hitting it.

The company I work with gave me 3 points on my safety record (making 7 points in total now) and they have decided to suspend me for 3 days with no pay. I will work today and Friday only.

I own the incident...learn from it and will move on, by God's grace.

These three days will allow me to reflect, reset, and renew.

This setback is a set-up for a comeback.