Arrive at the plant today. Get through the security gate and over to the scale. Sit there and wait.
Normally don't have to wait more than 5 to 10 minutes. I was there 40 minutes.  First load, it's early but that doesn't mean anything at that plant.  Well, except for today.

Everything changed there overnight, they didn't bother to tell anyone outside of the plant.  The scale house is closed even to plant employees, the only ones allowed in there are the personnel assigned there.  So, the loading rack personnel can no longer go in, input the weight of the truck/trailer and then go to the rack.

So, after sitting there all that time, a plant pickup pulls up next to my truck, a dude gets out - it was still dark - and then I recognized him when he got up to the window.  I'm thinking, what is this dude doing?  He says he can't into the office, I can go to the rack. There is a readout on the building in full view of the trucks so you can see what your empty and loaded weights are.  You need the empty weight to give to the rack employees, you definitely want to know your gross weight. If it's overgross, we be going back to the rack and getting product unloaded.

So anyway, I get to the rack and everything there appeared normal. But it was not.  I got into the container - it's a shipping container converted into an office - sat down as normal and then saw the operators looking at a printed sheet.  In huge letters it said that drivers were not to come into the office at all.  So I just sat there and waited for them to tell me whatever. They had contacted us about all of this stuff.  The main operator was clearly irritated.  He didn't want to answer any of  my questions.

Note: He is normally very sociable and we talk alot, so this was unusual in itself.

Next thing I know, yes, please go get into your truck in the passenger seat, we will bring the paperwork out to you.  This is all Corornavirus stuff.  As the pandemic spreads, so does the fear.  Not that I want to get that s*** and neither do I blame them for not wanting OTR truck drivers in there potentially bring that virus in with them without even knowing it.  But please. Get rid of the attitudes, we are all in this together, we all have difficulties to face in this crisis, don't act like you are alone in your misery.

Of course I didn't say that to him, I just got up and walked out, got into the truck and texted the group of drivers about everything going on.  Also note: you are not allowed to run your truck while you're forced to sit inside the thing and wait. It wasn't hot this morning, but hot days are here. Sitting in a hot truck without the AC? No thanks.  I'd rather sit outside under a shade tree than sit in a hot truck.

Clarice saw my message to the group and later asked if I was off the rack? Yup. Call me.  She dropped more F bombs and other lovely niceties than I have heard coming from anyone in a while.  She was pissed that they hadn't contacted her about this change and also extremely irritated that drivers were having to sit in the truck while loading explosive material. We can't see if there is something going on at the back of the truck.  That wasn't my concern tho, lol, I just don't want to sit there sweating my ass off the next time I go in there and it happens to be warm and humid. But she went on for 10 minutes, dropping expletive after expletive after expletive, about her disdain.