It's Already Only Been A Year?

                Last weekend was my 1-year anniversary since I came back to Freymiller.  When I thought about that in the days beforehand, I had mixed emotions.  From a work standpoint, it feels like “wow, it’s been a year already?”  When I think about the changes in my personal life over the past year then it feels like “holy guacamole, it’s only been a year?”

                The Greatful Dead song comes to mind… “What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

                I had some apprehension about coming back.  While I knew that I had a good reputation as a driver here, I was worried that I would be judged on the fact that I’d left newly married and came back a year later with that marriage ending.  Thankfully that wasn’t the experience.  Everyone was very supportive.  I told several people that “everyone seemed genuinely happy to see me and if anyone wasn’t, they hid it really well.”

                I’ve taken enough trips around the sun to know that life is constantly changing.  I’m no longer where I was 5 years ago, personally or professionally, and while I can’t give you specifics, I know that in 5 years my life will look very different from today.  Isn’t that the whole point? One of my favorite mentors once said “Do you know why the desks in the 5^th grade are so small?  Because you’re not supposed to still be sitting in them when you’re 22!”

                No matter where I’ve been and no matter where I’m going, I can say for certain that I’m very thankful to be sitting here in this truck right now.

Cash For Cans

                In California, a $0.05 deposit is charged on beverage containers; i.e. aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles.  The idea is obviously to encourage recycling.  When someone takes these items to a recycling center, they get the nickels back. 

                Almost every time I stop in Barstow, CA, one of the local residents is digging through the trash cans on the fuel islands looking for cans and bottles to take in to the recycling center.  I admire the people doing this for two reasons:

    1.       It’s hot in Barstow… All. The. Time.

    2.       Digging through trash sucks.

        I really do admire the people doing this.  In truck stops and on street corners all around the country we see people panhandling, but these people are out earning money.  No, it isn’t glamorous.  I can’t imagine it’s very lucrative.  (I can tell you from when we lived out there, a lawn & leaf sized trash bag full of crushed cans will get you about $28.)  But, they’re DOING SOMETHING, not just looking for handouts.

        This really strikes a chord with me because when I lost my house in 2012, I had choices to make.  I didn’t choose to go squat on someone’s couch, I didn’t go get two cardboard boxes (one to sleep in and one to make a sign with.)  I went to work at a job that also afforded me somewhere to sleep.  I’m a hardcore conservative Libertarian, so this is a big deal to me, but that’s all I’m going to say about politics.

        I was thinking about it on my way back from my last CA run and the fact that I drive all over this country throwing away cans and bottles.  I decided to do something about it; I decided I could reduce my environmental footprint and help people who are showing initiative at the same time.  So… now I’m saving my aluminum cans.  I go through more cans than bottles, but decided I can’t save everything without making it look like a landfill in the truck.  I crush the cans and put them in a plastic shopping bag.  Right now I have one full – tied off and in the sidebox – and I’m working on filling a second.  I’m hoping to get back out there before I get a third filled.

        So who is with me?  I would love to see more drivers doing this.  You’ll never see me chained to a 600-year-old tree that some corporation wants to tear down, but I do believe in doing my part to take care of the little piece of the planet that God has blessed me with; and while you also won’t see me doing things for people that they can and should be doing for themselves, you will regularly see me helping people who are putting forth effort to take care of themselves and/or change their lives.

        So who is with me?

Load Security

                There have been several messages come out over the Qualcomm in the past week about seal integrity and using lock boxes.  Honestly, it blows my mind that we have to be told this. Over and Over.

                Have we forgotten that we are at work?  Have we forgotten that we’re transporting thousands of dollars in products between our customers? I was thinking about this today; about how if I left the grocery store after purchasing a couple of hundred dollars of groceries, got home to find that two of my bags never made it out of the store, I would be going right back to the store to get those two bags.  Wouldn’t we all?  Don’t we expect to receive what we pay for?  We expect cashiers and baggers to properly handle the products we bring to them for purchase, shouldn’t our customers be able to expect the same from us?  It is our job to ensure that our customers are getting what they’re paying for (look at the bills) and then to transport those products securely (seals and lock boxes) and then to make sure the customer has received all of their order (look at the bills after the delivery.)  If there are any discrepancies, we have policies in place and people to contact to deal with problems that do arise from time to time.

                Why are we slacking in that area?  And do we understand the risks when we do?

                When I am training a new driver, I explain load security to each one, as many times as necessary.  Freymiller issues security tools to each driver upon being assigned a truck.  They expect us to use them.  When there is a cargo claim, there is a $1,000 insurance deductible.  A driver can be charged that deductible if he/she fails to use these tools.  I tell my trainees “I can’t force you to use your lockbox when you’re in your own truck, but understand this… the decision to not use it is the decision to risk $1,000 of YOUR MONEY if someone breaks into your trailer.”  This isn’t a joke; this is our job.