Realities of the Road-The Real World At A Shipper Earlier This Week

How would this make you feel?

 

Our industry is desperate for safe drivers.  It is no wonder that it becomes the job of last resort.  You feel like a second class citizen in every single encounter that you have with the public.   

Realities of the Road- Shipper in West Sacramento

Great trailer site here at Norcal Beverage.  We are doing a live load (every load this week has been live load/unload).

No parking was available on the street so we had to block the entrance (this brought on the wrath of another driver in roughly 10 minutes). 

 

Entrance to shipper 

Drivers licenses are a must for many load releases.  It stresses drivers out because they fear misplacing their CDL.  Edwina's license is barely readable due to constant use over the past 9 years. 

Your pick-up number is vital.  Get the number wrong and you go back to end of the line.  

We got here at 0830.  But, after parking and waiting in line we beat the pick-up time by 1 minute.

 

Doors are open and we are ready for freight.

 

Door #32 is our target.  

This yard is wide open and very easy to manage. 

Bullseye!  We are now ready to be loaded for Fontana, California.

Realities Of the Road - A Receiver of Choice

We dropped our trailer at our customer last night in Sacramento.  We tried to deliver early and the customer reminded us that our appointment was for 0700 a.m.   We asked if we could drop our

trailer for the night and they agreed.  Normally we would park for the night at this site because it is open and available for overnight parking.  But, after two days of no showers it was time to treat my driver to a nice meal and a hotel room. 

Edwina carries a titanium enforcer lock that allows the freight to be secure overnight.  She also carries a kingpin lock. 

 This is the negative concerning our strategy to leave the trailer and go to the hotel.  Our clock started this morning at 5:50 due to the hotel being more than 2 miles from the receiver.  Most drivers aim to park at the closest location to the receiver possible so they can protect every minute they have on the ELD.   

 While at the receiver I asked Edwina to show me why people struggle with pick up #'s so often.  One reason is that the driver has to scroll down the screen to get the necessary information.  In this particular case it took 7 swipes to get to this data.  

So, by dropping our trailer and getting to our appointment early we are ready for unload at 7 a.m. and we are confident we can make our 9 a.m. pick up in West Sacramento, CA.  With the shortness of freight in SF and UC, we cannot afford to miss our pick-up.  

Justen Roes is in the truck parked out by the curb.

 

Justen is another J.B. Hunt Western Regional driver that took advantage of the overnight parking that this customer (Hood) allows us.  He is tractor #323642 and his appointment is for 10 a.m..

He has a time off date for 2-7 and resides in Apple Valley, California, so it is important that he gets unloaded early and we get him a load out of this market.

 

This sign tells you how long it took to get unloaded this morning.  Bam!  Justen just walked in trying to get unloaded early too.  Good stuff this am in Sacramento!

Welcome Aboard Gray!

Please join us in congratulating Gray Hager on his promotion to Operations Manager for the PCS Southeast Regional Fleet.

Gray grew up and graduated high school in Siloam Springs, AR. Afterwards he attended the University of Arkansas and received a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business. Gray started with J.B.Hunt in August of 2009 as a Transportation Representative within ICS. His hard work and dedication provided advancement opportunities for him to move up to a Carrier Sales Coordinator and eventually a Transportation Manager role for the South Branch in September 2012.

Gray's dedication, knowledge, and leadership will help allow us to grow truck count, revenue, and profitability for the Truck Division.

Welcome to the team Gray!
 

Safe Haven-Portland, OR Terminal

Welcome to the Rose City.  This terminal is a welcome site when a driver needs to find parking and common amenities.

 The local team has a lot of pride in the city they live in.  They should as it is a wonderful city.

 Our facility boasts a full service tractor and trailer shop.

 The tractor shop has 6 bays.  The trailer shop is detached and not shown in this photo.

 The scan station is a popular item for a terminal with heavy use by intermodal local drivers.

 The team has a great multi-purpose room that can be used for any type of training.

 This second room is set up for interactive training and use of the learning hub.

Kyle is the Ramp Manager and was a terrific host.  His people are positive and treat drivers with respect.

Genchi Genbutsu---Look It Up And You Will Understand

We tried to keep it quiet, but the secret is out.  Our goal was to duplicate Undercover Boss, the popular television show.  We reversed the roles and let the information flow naturally.  Our loads have had no influence by anyone other than the regular assignment and optimization process.

 

So, I chose to ride with Edwina Webb for several reasons.  First, she is a female driver.  The female drivers we have at J.B. Hunt are a precious resource that we want to expand.  This is one of our main reasons for joining Women In Trucking.  We respect the organization and its goal to recruit women to our industry. 

 

 

 Secondly, February is Black History Month.  What better way to honor the struggle of African Americans in the United States by spending a week with Edwina.  We have found that we have a lot in common.  One funny commonality is our love of XM radio channel #50.  We have listened to The Groove all week long.  We challenge each other to see who can name the band the fastest.  I think I have her beat due to my love of Funk Music.  

 

Lastly, Edwina drives for one of our fleets that has the highest turnover.  She is a Western Network driver and has shared a lot of ideas with me during our 14 hours in the cab each day.  We can make this job and this fleet better.  We should not rest until our turnover is below 100%. 

 

I will share doses of our reality on the blog so you can see the reality of trucking on the west coast.  It has been one of the most valuable trips I have ever taken in my 48 years of life.  I am blessed to know Edwina and she and I have a bond now.  She is my Funk Sister in Crime.  

 

Realities of the Road : Customer Amenities

Fact or Fiction?

The unicorn is a legendary animal that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead

The driver breakroom is a legendary place at customer sites that have sparkling restrooms, healthy food choices, and comfy lounge chairs.  These are to be used while a driver gets loaded or unloaded.