The Crime Of Delivering

My weekend was cut short. I was kinda hoping for a long trip because I was taking my son so this seemed a good opportunity. Plus my original load was north and 100 miles less and this would put some miles behind me quicker.So we hauled arse to Macon, GA. Before I left I told dispatch that I was happy to do the run as long as I wasn't stuck with the Foxboro, MA run. I did that run last Thanksgiving and it was a newbie's nightmare. We do runs to NY and MA for this retailer who I will call BPS out of Macon and the chance is there when I do this run. We got there in good time, dropped our trailer and was told nothing until Monday am which is what I expected. So we headhead to Jackson and hit the bunk. Monday morning rolls around. Well guess what run I got Monday AM?

This time I was prepared. Awhile back I had been assigned this load and wrote down the best possible route. I busted out google maps, street and trips, and called the fuel desk. Plus I had my GPS. I didn't have any of these tools last Thanksgiving and just winged it and made some horrible decisions last time. I had showed up and a miscommunication occured that had the load scrapped. But I kept the notes I made just in case and they came in handy. I have learned a few things out here in the last year. Why is this a big deal? Because going NE there is a hundred different ways one could go. I don't know the area that well and made some key mistakes.

So we get to Foxboro about 9pm. My appointment time is at 5am and the stadium security is real strict on not letting in people early. So we pay the $6 to park at the truckstop a couple of miles from the stadium and hit the bunk. I woke up at 4:30am and drove slowly down to the customer. Here is where things get good. I find the wrong entrance. 1st security guard is a nice fellow. He tells me that I need to turn around and he believed that the store personel would not be there until 7am. He calls his boss on the two-way radio and boss confirms. I know that they are wrong but I don't argue I will just find the right entrance.

I go to entrance #2. This time a guy with a golf cart and another mobile security guy stop me and try to tell me not to comeback til 7am. If I did that I will get a service failure for being late so I call the overnight dispatcher. A few words were exchanged pleading our case that we deliver here several times a week and it's always at 5am. No dice. By this time it is 5am and now things are looking grim.

I know that entrance #3 is the right one or is at least the same one I used nearly a year ago so after a tight U-turn I go in. This time the mobile security guard parks in front of my rig forcing me to stop. He says "We have told you THREE F*&%*ING TIMES to come back at 7 and now we are gonna have the police here if you don't leave here now!!" By this time I go from annoyed to mildly amused. I am gonna get arrested for doing my job. This is awesome!! So I point to the employees who are bright and early to unload my truck who are parking their cars as we speak and I point to them. "See they are here at 5am. Can I go now?" "NO" yelled the cop wannabe. So I called BPS and luckily the manager answers. I told him my ridiculous dilemma and he comes out of the store. Now the security guard argues and cusses with the store manager. One boss has to call another boss, more words are exchanged and I get to bump dock at a little past 5AM. Apparently security is so good here that 3 deliveries a week are made here at 5am without them knowing it. I was only guilty of trying the wrong entrance and making our existence known. I guess before me it was easy to sneak in and deliver stuff without their knowledge.

So now my next load has me picking up 200 miles north in MAINE. The furthest NE I went with my dad was Boston so this was gonna be new for me and my son. We pick up without incident and we are heading for the caves in Independence, MO which my son is also excited about. Me not so much. We pull in the truckstop just outside of KC. We don't have to deliver until 4am monday am so we are getting in a 34 hour reset. When I set the brakes last night my e-log said I had 17 minutes left of my 70. Yay.