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Viewing 1 - 5 out of 5 Blogs.
I learned something new last week about states that don't participate in the SSR program (Single State Registeration Program). Oregon, does not recognise International Registeration (IRP) or IFTA. You have to have them but they don't do much good other than save you from additional fines.
I passed through the Port of Entry from Idaho to Oregon at Ontario, Oregon and was passed through. Later at a weigh station in Pendelton, Oregon I was stopped and asked for my Oregon permit. I showed IFTA and IRP certificates and was told that was not what they were looking for.
After a few minutes of discussion, I was informed that I was getting a $425 citation for not having a trip permit. I also had to buy a trip permit. The permit was $36.
Apparently, Oregon likes to collect their road tax up front because truckers are too dishonest to file quarterly fuel tax reports. They like to collect it up front. If you are passing through the tax is .20 cents per mile, dropping off it is around .13 cents per mile. Or, you can file a $2,000 bond and file monthly mileage reports. Bandits are alive and well in Oregon.
The weigh master took up 2 hours of my time including me having to call a 24 hour hotline to get a permit faxed to the truck stop at the bottom of the hill. I wonder how much it costs the state to man that service 24/7???
A few days later I called the court house and discussed the ticket with a clerk. Apparently, this little dramma plays out many times a day with unsuspecting drivers being the bad guys.
The clerk forgave the ticket because I purchased the permit immediately. She asked how they, the state, could prevent this in the future. The answer was obvious, "Join the rest of the world and do it the easy way."
Hopefully, someone will read this and be able to save themselves some time and aggrivation in the future.
There is so many useless regulations and procedures out there on the road....it's a wonder we have time to drive after all of the paper work is done.
Last week , 9/25, I pulled into Little America Wyoming tp fuel up. They are an easy off and on in I80. After putting $600 plus dollars in the tank I went in to pay.
Before paying, I thought a little coffee might be in order to shake the mid morning cogwebs. There were no coffee or soda cups to be found around any of the machines. I figured they must be behind the order counter or behind the fuel desk. Not many truck stops hide the cups. There was a long line at the food counter so I went to the fuel desk to pay for the fuel.
While the lady was ringing up my purchase, I asked about the cups. I was told that "The Upper Mnagement" ( who ever they might be) had descided to put up the cups, no reason given. Well, I says (knowing that this was going nowhere) how about a cup on the house since I had just purchased 200 gallons of their finest diesel (it had to be a very rare vintage because of the price) Politely, I was told no free coffee, management had decreed it some time ago.
As I was talkin to the lady, I noticed a sign pinned to the counter saying, "If you bought a 100 gallons of fuel you could get a free shower." I asked how much a shower was if I didn't buy fuel, $10 she says. So you are willing to give me a free $10 shower but I can't get a $1 cup of coffee. "Thats right, she says." Having had enough of this total lack of customer service, I left.
Once outside and heading for the truck, I descided to voice my concern to the Manager. I called back in on my cellphone and asked for the manager. I was transfered 3 times to different places where the manager might be. No manager available. I think I finally wound back with the same lady I had conversed with before at the fuel desk. I got the same answer "Upper management had made a decision a while back not to offer coffee to drivers who had purchased fuel." Apparently drivers need showers more than they need coffee.
After a few more words. I told her that neither she nor the home office got the point. There are two points here, 1. I control when and where I stop for fuel....Is my money not some companies money that says I buy fuel at Little America. 2. The point that they are missing is the very basic of all successful business , "It's called Customer Service."
In conclusion, I won't buy fuel there anymore, however, when I need to I will use their parking and restrooms but I won't leave any money there. By the way 15 mile down the to the West the fuel was .10 a gallon cheaper...had I only known.
Another thing, I don't buy at Flying J since they quit taking Visa for fuel. I do use their parking and restrooms when needed.
Little America is part of the AMbest network and I have been at many AMbest stops where the coffee pot is setting right there for any driver that wants a hot cup...no charge.
I have contacted several brokers during the week of Sept ember 10. Apparently, they think the Mexican truckers are here all ready and are looking for loads. Several of the brokers I contacted were brokering, what used to be good paying loads, for eighty to ninety cents a mile for OTR. Loads similar to this were going for $1.50 to $2.00 a mile just a few weeks ago.
With fuel costs at .53 cents per mile or more, what are these morons thinking?????? When I told them that there was no way that anyone could haul freight at those prices, they promptly hung up. By the way, I was polite.
Hopefully, there are no US truckers that will touch loads like these. However, freight rates do seem to be droping.25 to .50 cents per mile overall this week. Oil closed today at $80 a barrel. The logic fails me. Fuel price up - freight rates down.
The only logic I can see in this is , "If no one touches the cheap freight the low buck brokers go out of business and the next ####### to pick up the account has to raise rates to move freight or they go out of business also."
The Mexican trucks are here inspite of what the news says. I just returned from 4 days in Texas and Oklahoma and saw about four trucks with Mexican Trucking Company names on them. Two of them had city of origin names of El Paso, TX on them and were brand new. The other two were ratty looking and looked like they would have a hard time passing any kind of DOT inspection.
Keep On Truckin!!!
This is an update to my previous blog. Update 6/25/07
Wife talked to Pat Walden at UTI today to attempt to resolve this issue on a lower level.
He was extremely rude to my wife. Bottom line they are angry about us filing with Credit Stop on another load board. UTI sent a letter asking to have the complaint removed from their credit report.
Apparently, it's all our fault for following the bol that we were given by the shipper, showing only one load and one drop. The UTI contract clearly states at the bottom, and I quote, "Loading point will provide driver with a "Select Stone" bill of lading, driver must use only that document for delivery."
I guess I am supposed to be a mind reader in addition to all of my other duties. I agreeded to a one drop load then the UTI dispatcher changed to a two drop load (all for the same price????) a day later and hours after the load was on it's way to the consignee.
If I had let a dispatcher change the load destination and had followed along without a second bol...UTI probably would have accused me of stealing freight.
As drivers we can only deal with the loads as they are configured by a shipper not as something that is made up after the shipment is loaded and on it's way. How much more would they pay to have me waste my time sorting rocks and dealing with other people?????? Don't need to think to hard, nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My time is money and if you mess up as a broker.....don't expect me or any other driver to fix it for you!!
We are not done with this yet. But you don't even have to ask the question, H*** no we won't deal with them again. Even if we are a thousand away from home and they have the only load going that way, I would rather eat the cost myself.
If you deal with this outfit...watch out!!!!!!!
The names of the "Gulty" are used to protect the innocent.
Bait and Switch Posting and failure to honor verbal agreement.
I bid on a one drop load. Shipper loaded truck for one drop with one bill of lading. Load going to All Seasons Landscaping in Ketchum, ID. Two hours after load pickup UTI sent an order for two drops. Diverting load to Haily, ID. Load set by shipper for one drop. UTI load order states, "Shipper, Select Stone", bill of lading must be the only document that driver can use for delivery. One bill of lading for one drop issued by Select Stone for 47,481 lbs of stone. UTI deducting $325 from payment for shipper and ####### mistake. Driver contacted All Seasons and was told to drop 47,471 lbs of rock at new delivery address in Haily, ID. Jobsite foreman ordered crew to unload all stone at the address, 170 Golden Eagle Rd, Haily, ID.
Contacted UTI Vice President, Pat Walden and explained the situation to him. He agreeded that UTI, and consignee had errered and the whole amount of $925 would be paid to carrier. Sent invoice in and UTI deducted $325 from payment stating that this was the redelivery amount. Carried delivered per original bid amount and per shipper and consignee instructions.
UTI OWES AN ADDITIONAL $325 TO CARRIER.
Any suggestions on how to collect on the remainder owed????
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