I am Grateful !!

Those of you who may be new, and quite a few of you who don't really know might not understand that while I tend to complain a lot on this here blog, I am actually extremely grateful. I have such an awesome job, if you don't mind a little hard work, and I don't.

For the week of January 24th, I ventured beyond my personal restrictions and took a load heading into Chicago. I hate Chicago, and I have good reason. Years ago, I use to run into Chicago on a weekly basis and have seen 2 fatalities on 294. I just had no desire to return to the area because of the graphic memory.

So I surprised Dispatch by latching hold of this money run. With a total of 3600 miles and 15 stops, it was guaranteed to be a long week. But the week was to get longer before it even began. Back in the spare truck, and at this point, it does not even matter as long as it gets me from point A to point B. My first stop in Tennessee did not open until 9am, and was a crane unload which takes a little time. Because of these delays, Tennessee was going to be my only delivery for the day.

My route included 3 stops for Sparta, Tn; Cincinnati, Oh; Akron, Oh; Detroit, MI; Troy, MI; Flint, MI; Arthur, Il; 2 stops in Chicago, Waukesha, Wi; Schofield, Wi;Hawkins, Wi and Winona, Mn.

Tuesday morning started out in Cincinnati and even though I only expected to get 2 stops that day, I somehow managed to slip into Detroit and make that delivery as well. My day ended at 4pm and I had 9 customers left on the trailer. I was a little discouraged because I am normally on my way home on Tuesdays.

Wednesday was all about playing the odds. After making Troy and Flint, I had to make a decision. I called the next 4 customers to arrange for deliveries and confirm hours of operation. At first glance, it looked like my day was over before I ever left Wisconsin, but luck smiled upon me and I was able to get both the Chicago' drops and the Arthur, Il as well. How did I manage? All three customers agreed to wait for me after hours.

I had already come to the conclusion that I would not be empty until Friday, but I was a bit frustrated when my 14th customer asked why I was taking so long to deliver.. Seems the Customer Service Rep at my plant told the facility that they were 4th on the load and I would make delivery on Tuesday...Grrrr, they were actually 14th on the load, and Thursday afternoon would have not even happened had it not been for the generosity of the Illinois customers. But, I understand, someone has to be blamed, and a truck driver is an easy target.

Friday morning I made my Minnesota delivery and began the journey home. The only thing to deter me was the nasty winter storm encroaching my path. After making a quick call to my father, I determined I would not make it much further than Mt Vernon, Il, before the storm manifested and true to prediction, I was greeted with almost whiteout conditions just south of Mt. Vernon. I decided to call it a day in Paducah, Kentucky and quickly grabbed the last parking spot.
I awoke to several inches of snow the next morning, but road conditions were excellent. That is until I made my way into Tennessee. Seems they were a little behind schedule in keeping the roads clean. In fact the only plow I saw near the metro Nashville area was upturned in a ditch.

But Kentucky was on the ball!!

Because of all the delays, I decided to head straight for my next load. After a quick drop and hook, I grabbed a motel room and was treated to a $20 discount, plus a 15% off coupon for the steak house next door. And to top it off, the clerk let me use the "housekeeping only" laundry to wash my clothing.

I think I may have forgotten to mention that 7 of my customers refueled my coffee mug. And, there were the 5 customers who unloaded after hours. This is my job. This is my story. This is why I love what I do. In the generic freight division, it is unheard of to receive these amenities, but yet, they are offered to me on a daily basis. I truly am a lucky girl, and I am forever GRATEFUL for my wonderful customers!!