In the world of trucking, it's the drivers that are always give, give, give and it's the companies that are always take take take.  

But in my world, getting older, I am not really taking a lot of that is a given, I want the company to be as flexible as they require me to be in working any days regardless of weekday, weekend, weather conditions, holidays, this that and the other thing.

To preface this little story, the trailer I was pulling up from Brownsville the other day had bad landing gear on it. I tried taking it to a TA truckstop and I tried fixing it myself. I found it to be junk landing gear that needed to be replaced. Well, the dispatcher was having a small cow, not a big one, but a small version of one in stating that "I need you for the holiday weekend starting Thursday".  During this ordeal, she stated that fully 3 times and I said yes, I"m available, no worries, I just need to be able to get out from under this trailer, I'll try to make that happen when I get back to the yard.

So, yesterday, she sent me a Oklahoma run. No biggies, I just had a Brownsville run, I can deal with it.  While doing that run yesterday, it was brought to my attention about some folks coming over on Sunday and hoping I would be there.  I've been off for so long being sick, I really can't just ask for time off, I need to take whatever they are going to give me.

But, I went ahead and asked to be given a second Oklahoma run in a row for tomorrow (Saturday) so I could be back in time on Sunday to be available for a - personal reason - no need to tell my company my personal plans.  We are doing a pool party is the gist of it.  The dispatcher came back and said, well I have you being dispatched on Sunday.  

Huh? I thought you said you needed me all weekend long? (this is a very short version of the story, I just don't want to go into all of the details, too much).  She was getting way over-dramatic about this, like, heading into full blown meltdown territory and I simply wasn't going to do that with her.  I succumbed to the fact that she wasn't going to give me what I wanted and I didn't complain about it. But, what had happened to needing me the entire weekend? The drivers that said they wanted off for the 4th changed their minds and decided they needed to work.

My dispatcher hadn't told me about that little detail, hence my confusion.  She started going off which is when I ended the conversation.  "You aren't hearing what I'm saying and so I'm ending this discussion. Not worth arguing over have a good day".  She didn't reply to that so I just blew the whole thing off. As I said, drivers are expected to give up their entire lives, sacrifices at the gods of the transportation industry who demand you give them every inch but are pretty uncompromising when you want or need something.

Note I did say want something. Is there something wrong with wanting to do something that might have come up at the last minute?  They certainly have no qualms contacting me on a day off and saying, oh by the way, we need you to go to such and such a place and also btw, can you come to the yard now and leave?  Anymore? If I'm in the middle of doing something? No.  I'm busy, sorry, you'll have to find someone else.  Now, if I'm not truly busy, I will likely say ok  Mostly to stay in their good graces. But I'll put my foot down if I'm doing some pre-planned thing with people.  

Anyway, I got to the casino truck stop, decided I wanted to go into the casino and have dinner at Chili's, hadn't played blackjack in quite a while so I went to a table with this rather .... fiesty - dealer, won $110, gave her a tip and left.  Dinner was great, lol, paid for by the casino.  I didn't want to play too much, I end up staying far too long and they have casinos set up so you have no idea the time of day it is.  No clocks and no sunlight or lack there of comes into those places, or very little anyway, by design.  

So, I drove back to the yard, got in my  hot vehicle - they still don't have the part to fix the AC - and drove home. On the way home, she contacts me.  I'm giving you the Oklahoma run for tomorrow per your request. Note that I had completely blown it off and expected to have tomorrow off and work Sunday.  Just flat gave up on it, she wants to do things her way, I have no control over that and my manager is still "out of service".  

Thank you! and I appreciate it!  I offered her I could work Monday - the 4th of July - as well if needed.  Didn't hear anything back on that one, but I am certainly willing to make sacrifices if they budge a little on their end.  

That's it. It isn't even noon yet, I have basically the whole day to lounge around and take it easy.  Doggy was happy to see me, very happy lol.  Kids are gone til next Friday so we're just enjoying some peace and quiet around here.  If I am home the 4th, it will be the first one in quite a while where their friends aren't celebrating it with us. That's a long story and rather personal, so I won't go into it, but we'll just call it an extreme falling out that occurred late last year.  

Y'all have a good day.