This morning I got a call from dispatch informing me that the 8-9PM pick up appointment in Houston was a typo and it was supposed to be AM. Well, a little late as at that point there was no way I could be there in time, but I pushed on anyway and hoped for the best.
When I got there I showed them the paper with the appointment time on it, she checked her sheet which was also screwed up, so we called it a draw and decided to load me up.
The pieces of steel I was supposed to be picking up were listed as 6 pieces, 14ft long, weighing a total of 26,000 lbs. Turns out the count and weight were correct, but they are actually 20 ft long. That complicated things a bit as they couldn't ride on the front and back decks being too long.
We measured and fiddled and I finally decided to just load them on the bottom deck and would simply drive the excavator right on top of them. Hell, they're 4 inch thick solid steel bars, I don't think it'll hurt them any.
Because of the sudden time change I didn't bother to stop and pick up the 4x4 lumber needed to set them on. I was hoping that I could talk them into providing it for me. While checking in I noticed a sign that read "Drivers: No lumber, no load". I didn't even bother to ask about it and decided to wait and see what happens.
Well, while I was waiting to be loaded I noticed a pile of old scrap lumber laying on the ground. I found some pieces of the correct size and laid them on the deck. I felt guilty about taking them and so when the forklift guy came around to load me I told him what I had done. He said not to worry about it, the forklift guys leave the stuff laying there because they know some drivers don't have lumber and the management were pricks about that sort of thing. Nothing like a little worker solidarity. The guys in the yard were all pretty friendly, but the girl in the office where I got my paperwork after loading was a real bitch. One of the most unfriendly people I have run across in my job in a while.
I loaded the steel and then headed out. I stopped here for breakfast/lunch and am now getting ready to go see if I can find this place where I am supposed to pick up the excavator. I was told it wasa in Livingston but when I called them for directions I discovered that it's actually out in a little place called Coldwater and judging by the directions it's really out in the sticks. There are a half dozen back roads I have to turn on at various points. I just hope I can find the place, get loaded, and get out again before it gets dark as those country roads aren't well lit and it would be easy to miss a sign coming back out of there.
The adventure continues...