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gridloreDoug's average day:
1. I show up in the morning, and take my daily purchase orders (POs) from a bin marked "Livermore Valley." Each of these orders has, along with a detailed listing of what's being shipped, a total count of boxes, kegs, bundles, and pallets. This allows me to see at a glance what I'll be loading.
2. I then check the pick-up board. There is a column for each route, and the days are color-coded. So I can see at a glance if I'm going to be going to Bay Standard, or have to make the run up to All States Stamping.
3. I sit down and fill out my route sheet. This means arraigning the jobs in a sensible order. If something shows up that confuses me, there's a Thomas Guide sitting at the table. I tear the yellow pages off my PO's and put them back in the Livermore Valley box.
4. I then find all my product. Written on each PO is where the product is located. "LV pallet" is where my loose boxes normally are found. Bundles of strut and pre-loaded pallets are in "Yard 2" I find each item, and check it off. Additionally, every item is labeled with both the PO number and the name of the customer. As I go, I plan how I'm going to load the truck.
5. I wait for the early drivers to clear out so I can get loaded. I use a forklift to bring over my pallet of loose boxes (which go into a large box strapped to my truck bed) then use the same forklift to load the rest. First on are any pallets, then strut loaded in reverse order; stuff that is coming off first is loaded last. Strap everything down, double check my totals, note my start time and mileage, and get Tim the Boss' signature.
6. Make two copies of my route sheet. One goes on the receptionist's desk, the other on the board in the dispatch office in the correct box (labeled "Benecia" for reasons strange and obscure.)
7. After that, I'm getting paid to drive and listen to KFOG. At each stop I make sure that the customer gets his product (they off-load 90% of the time) and that I get a signature on the PO. Customer gets the pink copy.
8. When I reach the Livermore area, I call Cassandra to see if there are any changes.
9. When I've finished, I turnover the paperwork for the pick-ups I did to Jerry, the Receiving Manager, and off load the truck, bringing everything over to Yard 1.
10. If I get back early enough, I might be sent out with a hot delivery or sent on a local pick-up. This is rare, due to the length of my route.
11. At the end of the day, take all my POs and staple them to my route sheet. Note the time I returned to the yard and my ending mileage. Park and lock the truck. Put my phone on the charger, my clipboard on the shelf, and my paperwork in the correct bin.
OK, still with me? Steps 1-6 take about an hour. They are the closest thing to "work" I do most of the day. The rest is driving, reading a map, and chatting with my customers. I get paid for this. Yes, I'm tired and dirty and the end of the day, but it's a good thing.
So I ask you, how on Earth can somebody get fired for incompetence from this gig? I found out today that I'm the third driver in three months they hired for the LV route. The other two managed to screw up so bad neither of them lasted more than a few weeks.
It's even worse when you realize just how helpful everyone is. Everyone, from drivers to warehouse staff to office staff have been ready to lend a hand helping me get used to the routines, and as I get into the groove its becoming obvious that we just work that way.
Today was good example. I got back with four pallets to unload. Raul was already in our tiny yard unloading his truck. So I jumped up and loaded the all-thread (which is pretty light in 10' lengths) onto the forks of his lift. Sped up his off-loading. He then pulled three pallets off my truck while I loaded a fourth with the loose boxes I had picked up at a supplier. End result, both our trucks were off-loaded in ten minutes.
You have to work hard to get fired from that place, and by no means are we lacking our fair share of "less gifted" intellects!
A lot of this is just culture shock coming over from PODS (which was more regimented and corporate) to Lord & Sons (which is far more casual in approach.) But I ask you, can you look at my day and imagine what you'd have to do to get fired for incompetence?
