I delivered in Fort Wayne, IN yesterday morning then spent a few hours organizing the truck until my satellite unit went off with a new trip. It was a lovely relay run leaving that afternoon for a quick trip through Indiana and Illinois to Missouri. Fortunately, my Hours of Service actually helped for a change and they took me off the load. After a short delay I was ordered south to Batesville, IN to pick up a load going to Laredo, TX.
The drive to the shipper was about 150 miles and most of it on state highways. It wasn't as bad as I had feared: I averaged almost 50 MPH along the way.
Whatever they were doing to load my trailer caused my truck to sway back and forth the most I have yet experienced as a professional driver. After several hours of this, one of the workers came out with the paperwork and I prepared to leave by pulling away from the dock and going back to swing the doors shut and put on my lock and the seal.
The company makes tools and dies for presses of some sort and some of these items were loaded in the back on steel supports. I noticed about a dozen big gouges in the floor of the trailer -- no small feat on a solid oak floor! A phone call to headquarters gave them the heads up.
As I'm finishing up the paperwork prior to leaving I look over the Bill of Lading and notice that it isn't particularly well designed or even complete. For instance, someone had used a hand stamp that put the following on to the bill: "Trailor#: ________________" Naturally, my "trailor" number wasn't even filled in and it left me wondering about this company with hundreds of workers on three shifts that has such a hand stamp in the first place.
Anyway, I was beat after a long day so I went down an exit on the interstate to a truck stop and took my break. This morning I left early and drove through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and finally dropped down into Arkansas to finish at our West Memphis, AR terminal. The load is set to deliver in Laredo by noon on Saturday, so I have plenty of time and will take it easy the rest of the way in.
