Now where were we...

Ah yes. I parked near my consignee in Springfield, Missouri last night and was up before the dawn to get checked through the guard gate and get a door assigned. That taken care of, the lumper locusts descended on all of the waiting trucks and we made arrangements to get the freight unloaded.

My appointment time was 0600 and I was there almost an hour early. Eight hours later at 1300 the unloading was complete and I was allowed to leave. Freaking food warehouses.

I was assigned a load I had to pick up in Kansas City, Kansas and shuttle up to Omaha tonight. This involved about 190 miles of driving empty over snowy and icy roads, finding the shipper in a hard-to-get-at location, deducing that they place the shipping papers in back with the shipment instead of in the box meant for that very purpose on the front of the trailer, then hauling the few thousand pounds of styrofoam containers that Omaha Steaks uses to mail its products to its customers to Omaha.

Another four or so hours along snowy and icy roads and I arrived about 45 minutes ahead of schedule.

Now, when I was offered this load I was told it was a drop and hook at the shipper (it was) and it could be dropped at the consignee at any time before the shipping deadline. When I get to Omaha Steaks I'm told in no uncertain terms that not only can I not drop my trailer on their lot, I HAVE TO FREAKING UNLOAD IT MYSELF. Imagine 7-foot tall pallet-size bunches of styrofoam with a cardboard base and shrink wrapped. No real pallets under them, just the floor.

First, I had to wait for another unlucky Hill Bros soul to finish up unloading his 53' trailer then I was allowed into the same door to unload mine. I had thus far been up approximately 20 hours, I was tired and really not interested in fingerprinting all this stuff off my truck. Night dispatch was unconcerned, but did inform me I would be paid $25 for my efforts, even though I was told over the phone and the satellite unit this would be a drop. Bunk.

I had the crap off my trailer in about an hour and then got to take my aching, tired, stinky butt off to the local truck stop and spend more time taking a shower.

My legs were cramping most of the night so I had to sleep stiffly, keeping them straight so I didn't wake up in the agony of clenched muscles.