Whatta week.  Manager having issues with associates and I as well.
My situation with the inside salesman has been dealt with.  At least, as far as management goes it has been.
After my manager wrote out - whatever he wrote - to the inside salesman manager, well, both he and the operations manager showed up at our shop this morning.

I wasn't there.  Out on the road.  In fact, out on the road for 11 hours today.

The information that came my way when I finally got back to the shop though, was interesting.  "We know that when Ben gets upset, it's because it's for the good of the company". In other words, it was a compliment, even though they pretty much made it clear on both sides - the inside salesman and I - that there would be no more talking to anyone outside the company about internal affairs.  Well, issues, I should say, with other individuals within the company who seem to have a calling - to do something else in life, cause' what they are doing now?  Ain't workin'.

Meanwhile, we are potentially going to get a part-time person to help out at our branch.  We are always asked if we need more help, we always say yes and it is always put on a backburner somewhere.  All well and good - I don't really care at this point, I will just work the unbelievable hours and whatever.  But, things that need to get don't - won't.  It consumes a large amount of time just doing pickups for deliveries.  That's because the companies we buy from are spread out all over the place.  Not to mention the fact that some of those places are not exactly in a big hurry and at least one place will tell us a time when we can pick it up - and more-often-than-not, it isn't ready.  Such as yesterday at that place, I waited for almost 2 hours.

It also doesn't help when our customers - contractors - have issues getting the truck unloaded.  This morning?  I just ended up unloading all 86 sticks of pipe by hand.  The bantering was getting ridiculous, the workout was good.  Later on, I was at a jobsite waiting to get 5 megalugs unloaded.  About 1,000 pounds, I couldn't unload those things by hand.  Not without risking dropping them and having them break.  After calling the contractor several times, I finally called the inside salesman on the account and informed him that I would be leaving and we can bring this stuff back on Monday, since they don't seem too interested in unloading it today.

The contractor - this dude is the site superintendent. He is above almost everyone else out there.  He told me repeatedly he was going to call whoever and get them to unload the truck.  Either he didn't call them - or more likely - they just didn't listen.  After calling my company's salesman for that account and asking about leaving - and that salesman getting instantly pissed "They told me they needed those things today" and telling me he would call me right back - that got the ball rolling.  A few minutes after that phone call and a pickup truck came flying up to their yard, a man got out, walked over to a group of workers and started getting nasty with them. It became obvious that he HAD, indeed, called them and that they had ignored his request to get the truck unloaded.

You see, I told the salesman that I had a LOT of other things left to get done in the day, that I had been sitting there for 40 minutes and if they can't get to unloading the truck, fine, we'll bring it back on Monday.  I like OT, but I am also cognizant of our company's need to keep costs down and keep it's current head-count intact.  Well, whatever works.

Company party tomorrow afternoon with the 3rd annual Corn hole competition.  I'm pretty good at it.  If I'm coupled with a person that is also pretty good at it, good chance to win. Last year the pot was over $200 to the winners.  I won't be driving out there.  I am going to my manager's apartment to get a ride.  It's probably 60 miles from his place to the manager's house (Phoenix metro area: VERY spread out).  I absolutely LOVE just riding in a car and not having to worry about driving.  I just ignore the road completely.  I can't hardly EVER do that.  I have to focus on traffic all day long in the semi and let me tell you, driving that thing in city traffic takes a great deal of concentration.

I think the next time my son and I go on a trip somewhere, I'm a gonna make him do at least some of the driving.

It's late.