Well that was interesting.
Just got back from Brownsville - unfortunately no detention pay- there were 2 trailers waiting for me when I got down there.  But, when I pulled back in tonight, there were a bunch of drivers all sitting outside talking. I had 25 minutes of stuff to do, but when I got done I joined them.  2 drivers quit.  One of them there 6 years, another was standing there telling me about it.  The one standing there has been sitting around in the yard so much, he just couldn't deal with it anymore.  Actually, he's not quitting, he's transferring over to a different division.  18 down to 16.  It needs to go down to between 12 and 14 to keep us sufficiently busy. 

We've simply lost work to other trucking companies because of the period where we couldn't keep up with the demand last year, the production plant went out and solicited other companies to take up the slack. But they are taking more than the slack, they're taking a large chunk of what we used to do away from us.  And some of the prime, money making runs we aren't getting anymore. 

Now, if we could get rid of the 2 "loaner" drivers from another division, we might be getting somewhere.  But, apparently we can't.  The division where those drivers came from allegedly is so slow the manager didn't want them to come back. But, the story that came out tonight is that they were busy, but busy doing "callout" work - it's work where you are contracted out to a plant to do whatever they want you to do - and they didn't like it.

Well tough s***.  We don't need them.  I was wondering why I was busy around Christmas and New Year's - everyone went on vacation. But now? Back to the same old junk of not enough work and tonight - 13 of the 18 trucks sitting in the yard.  I'll be curious to see if I get a run this weekend.  I"m also curious to find out if anyone else is going to quit.  But, there are opportunities in other divisions, you don't have to quit to do those, but I am not interested in any of it excepting perhaps the gasoline division.  They're over in Shreveport.  I don't know what the pay is tho. The rest of the divisions I wouldn't be getting home much.

I dunno what to make of all of this.  I get so little information I feel like I'm totally in the dark.  My manager was complaining yesterday morning about all the bitching going on - they were texting her all weekend about it.  Drivers complaining about other drivers and people complaining about not having enough work.  Well I can see about the second part.  Anyway, for right now, I"m going to just sit back and watch what happens.  I'm kinda hoping more drivers will quit and then perhaps the remaining will get enough work to keep us busy and getting paychecks.  But, I have to have a run this weekend.  Even if it's a Cheniere run, I need something. 

Oh, and the driver I was talking to? He's the driver trainer.  They aren't losing some schmuck losing him, he's the go to when anyone has a question about what's going on. 

Well whatever.  Uneventful trip both ways? Not hardly.  I was driving along when one of my GPS alerted me to a "new route".  Huh? I looked at the map, Highway 59 had a really long yellow line on it and then an even longer red line. Meaning no one was moving and in that area? Had to be an accident.  The other GPS was showing the red line but not giving me a change of route.  I was hesitant at first, but I thought, this will only cost me a few extra minutes going around this,  I'll just do it. 

And Lord have mercy am I glad I did.  Because when I went through a couple of small towns and thorough some slow speed limit areas and finally back to Highway 59, it takes you on a bridge over 59 to get back to the other side. What did I see?  To the north a line of vehicles as far as the eye could see.  And right there, just past the bridge? Well it was a tractor trailer right.  It was blocking the entire highway- like as if it were crossing the highway from a side street.  Except, there was no side street there.  It was perplexing - but there was State Troopers on the south bound lanes - opposite side of the highway - standing under a gazebo they had put up - in the middle of the highway. I didn't know what I wasn't seeing, but for them to be doing that, it must have been bad. 

When I got on southbound 59 and got to the other side of the truck, it was one of the most gruesome sights I have ever seen. The vehicle - whatever it was - was just completely crumpled up into kind of a ball.  I found a story on it and a pic - but it just said at least one person was dead with no further info. Yeah I don't imagine anyone in that vehicle surviving.

Well whatever.  At least driving through Houston today was a breeze. Much faster than normal. 

I'm just a bit concerned about my income right now.  I'm still going to wait this out for a while and see what happens.  And fill out job applications here and there. 

Free day tomorrow - at least.  I'm going to smoke some ribs, have a fire, and try to get some stuff done.  And work out.  I say "at least" cause I don't know how long before I get another run.  But, tomorrow's paycheck? Pathetic. Reminds me of Ferguson days. Next week? I'll get nothing. 

It's late, I'm outta here.