What A Day That Was

Or should I say days? If you read the previous post before you read this one, I left off thinking I was empty and without a load going anywhere. You see, I typed that post as I was being unloaded. Before any of what follows transpired.

The facility I was at doesn't want you in their way so they instruct you to stay in your truck and they will bring your bills out to you when they are finished.

So... when one of the lumpers (the people that do the unloading) came out and asked me to move my truck so they could get another one in that particular door and, he didn't have my paperwork, I knew something was up. I just didn't know what.

So, I obliged them, moved my truck out of the door, and found a spot out of the way so I could go back inside and find out where my paperwork was.

I went to the back of the trailer to close the doors and found out why they didn't have my paperwork ready. There were three pallets still in the trailer.

At this point a few scenarios ran through my head. There is another stop on this load that dispatch forgot to mention. The product is somehow damaged or is the wrong product. Or they weren't done unloading me and they moved me out of that door so they could get one of their trucks in there and I'll have to wait God only knows how long til another door opened up so they could take those last three pallets off.

As I was walking across the parking lot to the receiving office, I convinced myself that it was the latter. I could feel my blood pressure rising with each step.

I went inside about ready to pop, but I kept it in check when I checked in at the receiving window. I told them one of the lumpers asked me to pull out but there were still three pallets on the trailer.

The lady on the other side of the glass informed me that the pallets in question were overage. Whoever loaded it at the other end apparently couldn't count and they double loaded those three pallets.

Which begs the question. Where was the driver? Our company policy is that we're to observe every load to ensure we don't get shorted and also to make sure some hotshot forklift operator doesn't punch any new holes in the inside of the trailer.

Either way, somebody somehow, somewhere didn't do their job and it looks like yours truly is going to get to deal with it, like it or not.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn't going to have to wait around all night for another door to open up but, having to deal with the extra merchandise is no picnic either.

I said that this happens all the time and that most places just keep the extra product and add it to the bills. It was then that she rather rudely informed me that they only order what they need to fulfill their customers orders. They are not a storage facility, nor did they have the room to store it. She gives me only the coversheet back which has none of the product codes I'll need and refuses to give me any of the detail sheets with said product codes on them or make copies of them... I'll be back!

OK then. Let the fun begin. A quick call to my people to report the overage and the first question they have. "What's the product code on the first item?" I tell her what just transpired inside and she tells me go back inside and they will give them to me.

I'm beginning to feel a bit like a yo yo but, back inside I go. Only this time I get the detail sheets, a slightly nicer attitude and a smile. I don't even want to know what they said to her.

Well by this time it's too late for them to call the shipper to see what they want to do with the extras so, off to bed to wait for daylight.

The next morning I'm stirred from sleep by my phone ringing. It's OS&D (Over/Short and Damaged) and they want me to take the extras down to an LTL (Less than TruckLoad) company in Terre Haute, IN about 60 miles away and they'll haul it back to the shipper.

A quick drive down to Terre Haute, check in at the office and they ask "It's not a refrigerated load is it?" Nobody thought about this til now? I didn't think I needed to mention this because the people that sent me here already have all this information, and nobody likes it when some dumb driver tell them how to do their job.

No surprise here. They refused to accept the freight. I already figured this when I pulled in and not a reefer trailer in sight, no refrigered storage section in the warehouse. I sorta saw this one coming.

Man the phones. We ain't done yet. Call OS&D yet again to see what we do now. I'm told to sit tight while they figure this one out. Oh gee, I can't wait.

A couple of hours later their big solution, take it back to the original receiver. What, they suddenly have room now? I don't know why but, I just knew this wasn't going to happen.

Drive back to Danville and they won't let me in. I'm told I have the wrong PO#. So I call receiving to try to get this straightened out and guess who answers the phone. Oh she remembered me. Attitude and all.

It's obvious at this point this is not going anywhere with her so I call my people again but, this time I'm too late. They've already taken off for the day so another night of waiting it out to see what the morning will bring.

Fast forward through all the boring sleeping part and it's now the morning of the 18th. This load was supposed to finalize on the 16th. I've accumulated a whopping 120 miles in the past two days going back and forth. I should be a thousand or more miles into the next run but, I can't seem to get this one off my back.

I call OS&D and and they don't have a solution yet. Again I'm told to sit tight. Oh I heard that one before. It's five o'clock in the afternoon before they call back.

Go back down to Terre Haute. Back to that same LTL company. They contacted the shipper and the product that is still on the trailer does not require refrigeration so they can take it.

Are you sure? It's mayonnaise and sauerkraut. Yep, they're sure. OK then. Fine by me. If it means I get to get rid of it I don't care if we dump it in an alley at this point.

Back down to Terre Haute one more time. This time they do unload me and finally, finally, I'm empty.

Off to the nearest truck stop to lick my wounds and call it a night. Hopefully tomorrow will bring something new. Something to... I don't know. Texas maybe.