It's a Team's Life

Nine Stops - 3 States

First question is "How much does the load pay?" Load pays very well which means there is going to be some work involved. Next "What is the weight?" answer less than 1000 pounds. Next "How many miles?" less then 800 miles and two days to deliver the nine stops. Sounds like a challenge we want the load.

When we pickup the load we get the details and now we know part of why this load pays so well. At each stop after we set the table in the shoe department with the little topper on the table we need to take two pictures of the table, take a picture of signed bill of lading and then email all of this to the shipper and the agent.

Our first drop started near Chicago at seven in the morning with an underground dock. We had the choice to back in through the S curves or back out through the S curve. We did not learn of this till we were inside and realized there was no room to turn around. Not a problem we have backed out of worse places.

We unpack the table and topper and set on a rolling cart and off we go to the shoe department. The table is set near another table that looks just like our table but it does not have the brand name of the shoe on the table edge. These tables are heavy and made to last. The people who packed the table really did a great job, as they were not going to get scratched in transit. By the ninth table we were masters at unwrapping the table and could do it rather quickly.

When we made it to our second mall they had the same type of dock and by that time I had learned it was much easier to back in then to back out! After this stop we had one more easy dock and then the rest of the stores had us bring the table in either through the employee entrance or through the front door and straight to the shoe department.

A few nice things came out of this load. We were able to sleep at the malls and so we had two quiet nights with the windows open and a nice breeze. There are some pretty cool display managers at these stores. One lady saw EVERYTHING and as we were walking with her she straightened out signs, moved clothes to a different area, and was always looking to make sure her store looked perfect to the customer. She was funny and had been at the store for twenty years.

When the last table was delivered in pristine condition in Flint MI we were ready to find a TA for a shower and a relaxing evening.

Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
[email protected]

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
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