Some nights you just have to accept the fact that the gremlins are out and you are their designated plaything for the night. Last night was my turn. I was hooking and pretripping my first set of pups and discovered my lead trailer had a flat. Called our local tire vendor and then called Central and you know what that is like. Several minutes of hold time and 30seconds of actual call. One hour later, the tire man had replaced the tire and off I go but now I am running some 45 minutes late. I arrive at my first stop. I hope that I can make up some time, but no. The trailers are manifested closed but that doesn't mean that the door is closed now does it. My lead trailer is still at the dock. I back up to the trailer, check the rear of the trailer before pulling the jackstand, and not only is the trailer still being worked but the dock is stripping the trailer! It seems that a dockhand had misloaded a pallet of freight, and of course, the pallet had to be in the front of the trailer. Finally, they get everything back in and the door is closed. However, the dockworker doesn't have a seal so he goes to the dock stand to get a seal and guess what he finds on the dock,more freight. The door goes back up, some goes off, all goes back on and then the door is closed again. Now I'm running about 1 hour late. Get to the meet site, swap trailers, and proceed to dispatch myself to the house. I should have known that it would not be so easy. The dolly number was not being accepted. Called Central, listened to that music for several minutes before someone picks up. I find out that my meet man, who by now is several miles closer to home than I am, somehow got his dolly numbers mixed and Central had to switch the numbers. Finally on the road but now I am running about 1 1/2 hours late. That means I am going to run into any number of school buses and zones on the way home. I did. Finally got home about 2 hours later than usual. I hope that the gremlins pick on some else tonight. anyone else have a story?
: happens.. Just another day of Saia Paradice