Friday was one of those days I don't want to think about, even more, I don't want to talk about. BUT, two days later I am still fuming.

This had been a super sucky week, thanks to the dispatcher. Exactly half the miles I had run Tuesday through Thursday had been empty miles. The story I got every day was "We just don't have anything coming out of there!" Thing was every day either I watched as multiple other trucks, dispatched by the same dispatcher underwent load counts and inspections with loads they were taking back to Abilene, or through conversations something was slipped and I became informed. I am also beginning to pickup on another sure tell/tale sign, if I call in and the secretary answers the phone and the dispatcher is too busy to talk, there is a rat in the making. I have worked in the office with these people and I know how their backbone is a little flimsy and they just don't quite have the stomach for conflict and altercations. They would much rather defer to someone else.

I should have known something was up Thursday. The dispatcher new I was wanting to go to Lubbock, but she had set another truck up to go to Lubbock, and set me up to go to Odessa. (YUK!). I told her I wanted to go to Lubbock for the grandson's birthday and she replied "Let me see what I can do". Later I learned that she and the driver who was scheduled for Lubbock had gotten cross ways, but in addition to this, a few other drivers called in taking Friday off. Then my call came, "I got a problem", she said, "I can get you to Lubbock, but I need you to go to Odessa first". Oh, so now we need a favor. I have never turned a load down to this dispatcher (that may be part of the problem), and my only complaint has been shortage of work or return loads. So I agreed. Thing is both of them were scheduled with the customer for Friday morning departure.

I left Abilene about six-thirty in the morning, Odessa has two people that unload, but until Charlie come in at nine-thirty nothing gets done. I have been there when they have unlocked the gets at seven, and been unloaded at one in the afternoon. I arrived at nine-ten and there were two trucks ahead of me and of course no Charlie. One truck was a unload, reload, the next an unload, and I was supposed to be an unload, reload. I called in to tell the dispatcher that the Odessa-Lubbock double wasn't going to happen. She replied, " You make the call, you can drop your loaded trailer at production and pick up your Lubbock because is is already loaded and waiting, if you can't make the receiving times today they will take it Saturday morning". Wow, did she make it sound smooth! Finally, I bumped the dock and Charlie did a good job of unloading me and reloading me and I was leaving their plant at ....... one in the afternoon! Even though I drove the wheels off Blacksheep, there was no way I was going to arrive in Abilene, change trailers and be in Lubbock by five-thirty. When I had dropped the loaded trailer at production and went to warehouse to get my Lubbock load, I asked the dock office worker, "What number trailer the Lubbock load was on? What number trailer do you want it to be on?", the dock worker replied. I told him it was a pre-load and he said "Get a trailer and put it to the dock". I was furious. Screwed over again by the dispatcher. I headed out the gate while grabbing my cell phone to call the office. The secretary answered, I identified myself, and asked if the dispatcher was available. "No she isn't", the secretary replied, "she is running late and trying to get her boys and go to the pool, if there something I can help you with?" I blew a gasket and in no uncertain terms I told her yes, tell me what the problem was that almost twelve hours after it was supposed to be loaded the load still was not loaded and over five hours after the dispatcher assured me the load was ready, it was still on the dock! The secretary told me "Hang on a second I think I can catch her!" After a brief delay someone picked up the line, it wasn't the dispatcher, it was the owner (I told you this people have a backbone problem). "What's the problem', he asked. I told him "You know damn well what the problem is!" After several attempts to cool me down I got my point across and told him he was NOT going to win this argument, and he knew I meant it.

Another worker at warehouse assured me if I would go ahead and put a trailer to the dock he would have me gone in ten minutes. This worker has always been good, quick and polite. I bumped the dock and after twenty minutes he and I visited briefly after he sealed the trailer. I told him it was bad enough when their people didn't make a time, it was too much when our dispatcher lied about it. He understood. He thought it comical that I told him if his "fat boy" co-worker in the office had given me the slightest reason I would have slapped him so hard that his goatee would have ended up on his ass!

Sooo, Saturday delivery to Lubbock. Another weekend screwed. Thanks dispatcher.

I plan to get even, and I will. It just requires picking the very best moment when it will have the most impact on the dispatcher. We have talked about dispatch problems, about her being torn between her work and being a Mom. Thing is she is doing a half-ass job at both. If they want to turn the corner they are wanting to turn in this competitive business, she needs to go to the house and they need to hire a really good dispatcher. $$$$$$$$$$$.

Best part of Saturday delivery was Rian and the boys coming to the plant. Actually they were on their way home from the park where they had had a birthday party for Reid and invited his friends! Both Reid and Holt were very tired! Holt finally thought Dandy's shoulder was just too appealing and sacked out!

Have a day!

FATHER, I continue to struggle.