Above you will see a photo of what my Qualcomm unit looks like. The unit is located inside of my cab. On the roof, usually on the sleeper of an over the road truck, is a white dome shaped object called, obviously, a dome. I get my load information thru this computer like device. This is a basic example of how it works: My dispatcher, located in Murray, UT, sends me my load information which includes the shippers address, time of pick up, all pertinent load and pick-up numbers, the destination, as well as as the address, also any fuel stops along the way and a suggested route to take. It goes from his computer to a satellite in space down to the Qualcomm headquarters in San Diego, CA where it gets relayed back up to a satellite and down into my "dome" straight to my keyboard unit. When I send messages it is just the opposite.We were on the "old" system that worked just fine. Now trucks are being switched over as they come back into out yard, hence all the confusion because we are now, in essence, running off of two systems: The drivers that have not came into the yard are on the old system, and the drivers that have already cleared the "training" and been fitted with the new software. Or should I say, our dispatchers are running off of two systems. Now, I'm not pointing fingers saying that some of our dispatchers are lazy and not monitoring both systems, I'm just saying that perhaps the work load is such that there isn't enough dispatchers for both systems...at the time. (Am I making sense to anyone??)
But I digress. July 1st they have told us that everyone will be on the new software and all the bugs will be worked out of it. (Ha!) anyway, after all that mindless chatter, I come to my personal problem this week: I received a load in the yard on Monday, leaving Tuesday for Mira Loma, CA, delivering Wednesday at 11:00 am... Or so i was told. I look at my Qualcomm message Tuesday morning at 8:00 after waking up and saw that the Qualcomm said to deliver on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. Yes, that's right, that very same day. Now, it's a 10hr drive into that area from the yard. I got with my dispatcher and he informed me that is was in fact a Wednesday delivery at 8:00 am and he would resend the delivery information to me. Well, he resent it alright. The same information.
I'm sure I'm boring most of you right now, so, wipe the drool off of your chins, wake up, and just give me a few more minutes.
To make a long story short, this system will take alot of getting used to, and will take someone to clean out some of our bugs. such as when I ask for directions over the unit, it should send an automated message back to me with directions to the receiver or shipper. But I say nay nay. For most of our accounts it sends me the name, address, and the rest of the information is blank lines. Now, for some of you you may ask, "hey Max, what's the big deal?? Can't you find your way around the city?" And to that I respond, "hey you, why don't you take my keys to the truck, get loaded and go to downtown Los Angeles to the Produce markets, find the designated truck route, and find your own way to the one of hundreds of receivers there, where, if you were Joe Blow off the street in your own car, and you were to travel down some of these back streets in the markets in your own car, let alone a 70ft tractor trailer, one wrong move, buddy, and its curtains for you.
That's all for now. The next topic I'll write on will be more entertaining. I promise. But for now,
"Keep the bugs off your glass, and the Bears off your ass." I'll catch y'all on the backside.
--Max
