Riding the Bus

Well now, what a deflate to a bouyant morning. It ends okay, but the middle was uncomfortable.

D.O.T. laws read that a driver can drive 11 hours OR a combo of driving and ON DUTY for a maximum of 14 hours from the starting entry of a shift on the logbook. Federal law.

At either mark, the driver must come to a complete stop for a FULL 10 hours. Do not pass go.  Take a full ten hour break!

In the beginning of my driving career, I used to ask what in the world I was supposed to do with 10 hours off duty straight??  Since then, I have figured it out.  Play solitaire online, of course (NOT!).

Since Sunday though, the loads have required 16 hours EACH on duty / driving.  Both times, I communicated to the driver manager and planners. Offered them to relay the load, make OTD. Team effort is cool by me. Late is not.

Driver manager each time told me, thanks, run with it. So the "late" kept growing a wider divide.

I got a QualCom message to call into Operations in home office in Iowa.  I knew what it would regard.  WalMart fined Kimberly Clark for my late delivery.

When I was able to show the chain of command on QC and phone calls made, that I knew I did not have enough 14 hr shifts?  Well, it rolled back to the driver manager.  He dropped the ball by not performing the relay I requested.

Still,, I did all I could do, but it wasn't enough.

I then called my DM to let him know the call he was GOING to get.. he is not upset.

If it had been JayJ,  he would have been enraged. He accused me more than once of "throwing him under the bus".  And I would pay for my crime against him next time.

Ole was a 6' tall Dane. My Dad, over 6 feet. JayJ 5'11"..... only Lewis was 5'7" and he treated me the best of any man saftey-wise,,, I never had to fear anger from him. He might get mad, but he never physically attacked me. At 5'3" I was a bug most men squash.

Why do the big guys react that way? Is it in the Code of Conduct for 6 feet tall?  Why not pick on somebody your own size that stands a chance of defense or protection?

I tell you, conflict, discord, just makes my stomach recoil.  I hate conflict.  It's expensive.

Still a reflex to duck or flinch when a man moves towards me. I dislike that about myself, but must be re-conditioned to a new way of coping. I try.... I really do.

So now,, my DM is taking his "butt chewing" from Iowa, and I am left to calm my fears and nerves. 

I know, or am learning how to do that.. and just need to pause to see the new behaviors through.

Meantime, I'm fending these phone calls while AT my Tampa shipper, checking in, docking, dropping, connecting etc.

Won't be meeting with Angel today either.  I understand.  But,,, well,, I guess I need to take a second round of relaxing  and diffusing,,, so off I go.

Bus stops here! Jan is getting off this ride to Nowhere Fast!

Jan M. Olsen
~J~