OH-MI-OH-MI-OH-IN

Wild couple of days. Dispatch called on Wednesday morning with a load from Raymond OH to Grass Lake MI. Initially turned it down as it did not pay enough to make it profitable. Dispatcher got nasty saying that I would have to talk to the fleet coordinator for not accepting the load. I advised her that this is my business and I will not accept a load that means I will operate in the red just to make her job easier, and if the fleet coordinator wanted to talk to me about it he has my number.

She then apologizes and says that I am the only one available and it is a shipment from one of the company's steady customers. I asked her why she didn't say that in the first place instead of trying the intimidation tactics. I told her ok, I'll take the load and I expect her to remember that I did it to help a steady customer.

I was on the way to the pick up when I got another load offer from Coldwater MI to Anna OH. Pick up was 0200 Thursday deliver by 0600. This was from the same customer as the Raymond shipment only a different plant. Made both deliveries with no problems and went to the J in Beaverdam OH after dropping in Anna. Initially stopped off at the Speedco in Beaverdam to get the oil changed in the truck and the Idlebuster serviced. I got there 30 minutes or so before they opened, so I was waiting in the back for one of the bay doors to open. Shortly before they opened, a kid arrives and starts to open the store. He came out a few minutes later and tells me that they don't service Sprinters, that it's company policy. I asked for the manager, and he said he wasn't in. OK, we're not done with this.

Went over to the J and got some chow. Came out to the truck and called Speedco's main office in IN. Spoke with the district manager for customer service in charge of the Beaverdam location. He confirmed that Speedco will not service the Idlebuster on the Sprinter vans, but had no idea why I was told they wouldn't change the oil on the truck and asks me to hold on while he calls Beaverdam. He came back and apologizes for what the guy said and he hoped I would go back over and get the needed service. I said I would think about it. Hit the sack for a few hours. Got up about 1300 and since I was #3 on the board I decided to go back over to Speedco and get the oil changed on the truck. They did the service and took $10 off and will take $10 off the next one I have done there. Dispatch called about 1500 with a load from Van Wert OH to Detroit MI picking up at 2200 delivering at 0600 Friday. Picked up at 2200 and drove to the rest stop in Monroe MI to sleep for a couple of hours. Woke up to heavy snow, but made the delivery on time. Was #3 on the Pontiac board, but decided to head south as I didn't want to get snowed in. Went to the Pilot in Monroe after fighting the idiots on 75 in 6 inches of snow. Ended up being #7 on the Toledo board. Hit the sack figuring I wasn't going to get a load. Dispatch calls about 1330 with a load from Gibsonburg OH to Rushville IN. picking up at 1530. Had moved up to #4 on the board, but the other 3 vans were still there, so I figured it was the load size. Sure enough, it was three pallets of crankshafts that would not have fit in a regular cargo van. Dropped in Rushville at 2052. Headed home from there rather than sit in the truck over the weekend. Four loads, won a partial victory over Speedco, and will start the war with Idlebuster next week. Right now, I'm tired.

My other Sprinter is back in service and has already run it's first load and has been dispatched for its second load for Monday. A Hazmat load from Columbus to Brookpark OH.

The International's generator is finally fixed an the truck is ready to roll. Lost a week getting the generator fixed, but it had to be done.

I've noticed that I am spending more and more time on the phone taking care of little things related to the trucks. Hopefully, this is just start up pains with two new drivers and a new truck and will subside soon.