The day before yesterday was interesting from where I was sitting, but very trying for poor Matt.I remember we got up very early and drove to NE New Jersey where we waited and waited to be unloaded, and hearing Matt complaining about having to use a broken litter box seat. I don't know why he can't just aim-and-drop like me, but he has to sit down sometimes. Here's the picture on the left. Hey, at least they scoop out the litter between usages, right?
Then we had to drive through New York City on the big bridge, and then take another big bridge to a long island called Long Island to deliver more stuff. But then Matt cussed and swore and got angry when they sent him a message for him to go to Brooklyn to pick up a load. Traffic was horrible and we showed up 3 minutes late, so no detention pay for the upcoming 5 hour ordeal.
It was every-cat-for-himself as far as backing into a dock. Matt had to move his truck 4 times before he could check in at the shipping office because the street was so crowded with busses and cars and trucks. We were next to some kind of bus turn-around and it was BUSY.
2 hours later when Matt finally backed in, the guys who were loading trucks already started drinking beer. Matt's loader was drunk and stumbling before he was even half way done loading our trailer, and the idiot started falling down and tipping over pallets full of boxes instead of loading them up. At one point the guy got into such a giggle-fit
that he pulled down his pants and exposed himself to his giggling buddies. But the worst part is that when the boss came down and saw all of this he simply threw up his arms and said, "I can't control this guy!" But he did nothing.It didn't take long before Matt was running out of hours on the 14 hour rule thingy. That means that 14 hours after starting work, ie, driving or loading like at 5am,...he would have to park for the day before 7pm even if he sat and rested for a few hours. The 14 hour clock never stops. And if Matt were to drive anyway and get caught, he would face a stiff fine and possible imprisonment. Nice, huh? The drunkard got done loading at 6:45pm and Matt had to make a mad dash for New Jersey where the truck parking was. We certainly couldn't park for the night in this particular area of Brooklyn. We would get towed if we were lucky. So Matt enacted the safe-haven rule that, according to his safety department, says he can drive over hours only if searching for a safe haven at which to park. Fortunately it only took a half hour to cross two other bridges and get to the Vince Lombardi service plaza on the turnpike in NJ. And all of it is logged for the D.O.T..
As for the loader,... the safety department suggested phoning 9-1-1 with regards to the "exposure" incident; but if Matt had done that we never would have gotten out of there. And Matt is too nice a guy to "clock" the guy, though I would have scratched his thing right off if he'd flashed me and giggled. And that was our day, Thursday.
5 comments:
Ah, so that is why mom sez "don't like NY and won't go there again". She sez most of the city smells like peepee, now we know why.
Looks like the loader was getting ready to take a picture of you at the same time. Or, just as likely, his own body parts.
Not me, Dog! I was in the truck watching the hookers sashay by. Matt was on the dock taking photos. And now we're in Zanesville, OH waiting til Monday to deliver because our Friday night delivery appointment number was wrong. We'll never get compensated enough to make up for this disaster of a crap-load!
Sounds like a good reason to turn tail and run next time a dispatcher tries to route you toward New York.
If that loader is running a forklift while obviously drunk, the boss will probably get fired, too, once that loader causes a serious injury. From what you said, that is only a matter of time.
LCC, Matt would love to do that if he weren't under forced dispatch.
He also would like to add that he phoned his employer and voiced concern about the liability factor if the drunken turd had fallen inside the company's trailer and injured himself. They seemed unconcerned about that, and thought Matt was being overly dramatic. Also, I forgot to mention it was a pallet jack rather than a forklift being used.
When the economy improves Matt will search for another line of work. I cannot wait for this.
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