I had driven a truck just over 2 years when I came to local work at TMS. The dispatcher Frank is a great dispatcher with some 30 years expedrience. The evening dispatcher was Bruce, for a while. At first I did flatbed work in most of 2006.in mid, they had me do deliveries (P&D). No Hoopies at this company, only full-size day cabs and 32 foot liftgates.
Eventually Bruce went to full-time Metro (bus route) driving and Rich was hired. He couldn't take the owner's (Marty) tirades. So another Bruce was hired, a former Central employee, who a friend of mine says is a heavy drinker. All this time, Frank did a great job as day dispatcher, the evening guy, Bruce finally settled in and did okay.
I eventually side-contacted a car on a 12 hour/20 stop/150 mile day, causing about $2500 in damage to the car. This was about 2 miles from the yard on the way back in.
About May or June of this year Frank decided he wanted to go back to local driving. A substitute, Paul, did not want the dispatch position. A non-driver, Dennis, who hadn't dispatched either, was hired. A washout from Priority, whose job was cut when they were bought by Old Dominion. Dennis claimed to have "run" Priority, but that's not what I heard - that he was an accounts recievable clerk, or something. He often called me "buddy." That's job Knowledge?
In I was delivering local LTL all around the Tacoma area (Yelm, Eatonville, Spanaway, Puyallup, Enumclaw, Olympia, Shelton, Ft. Lewis). But the minor incidents were beginning to add up. Many stops were on gravel roads or 1-lane roads, but I was catching wires with the trailer. I moved up to tv cables, phone lines, and lastly a power line (Thursday 8/21).
I was upset, as would be normal, but Dennis had to show off his new-found authority. On Monday, 8/25, I called to talk with Dennis after being denied work Friday and told to call in Monday. He said I "didn't fit the company", I said "I have another job lined up."
I have since been working to cut off ties with TMS, my Unemployment is on hold during the investigation. The lies TMS has made to the state is mind boggling. They didn't report 3rd Quarter 2007 earnings for all of their employees. Dennis stopped monitoring driver health card dates, I got the ticket, and 4 others were driving with expired cards. Bruce has since left
TMS, reason not known to me.
Rebuttals may say I was inexperienced or a difficult employee, but I have found other employment, again. It wasn't easy coming from TMS and Prime, as Forest Gump says, you never know what you're going to get. And Frank, you didn't like me saying it but you are "The Greatest." Dennis, get a CDL so you can see what its like. Marty, keep on being the way you are, you'll never change.
Gravy
Seattle, Washington
U.S.A.
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