Longest Trip Refused

[mikecop]

There have been many posts on the forum about turning down short trips vs accepting short trips to build points with dispatchers.

I may have the record for the longest trip that a driver refused. I was with Landstar and had delivered to Mechanicsburg, PA on the Friday before Memorial Day. I received a call from an agent asking if I would accept a load from Mechanicsburg, PA to Seattle, WA. I told him I would take the load, but since it was a holiday weekend, he should find out when the consignee was open because I didn't want to bust my butt getting there to find out that they weren't open. He got back to me about 30 minutes later and said, "The shipper has changed his mind and now wants you to take the freight to the final destination in Anchorage, AK." When I thought about the deadhead back to Seattle (which I thought was the closest location to get the next load) I refused the load.

When I told another trucker about this potential load, I was told that lots of truckers who get loads to Alaska take the ferry back to Seattle or Portland to avoid the long drive back. If I had known that at the time, I may have accepted the load.

 

[Wild Bill]

The longest load i ever turned down was from Knoxville, TN to near San Diego, CA. It was a A load, like 30 pounds but it only paid $150.00

It wasn't long before FedEx sent me a message stating that there had been a screw up. They were looking for a A or B unit to pickup the freight and deliver it to the Knoxville airport so an air cargo plane could take it to California.

I was glad to see it was a screw up. I had thought maybe TPS was really getting bold }> lol!

 

[RichM]

All in All not a bad decision,to put a truck on the Alaska Ferry service from Anchorage to Seattle is serious money. Plus you would have had to buy 2-3 fillups of fuel up there at aboput $2.60 per gallon,plus the deadhead time before you got your next run.You probably would have come out even,no big profit for sure..

 

[prescat]

MIKECOP, in the "for what it's worth department", I had a friend that took a (non-trucking) job in Juneau, AK. The only way to get there with a vehicle and possessions, apparently is via the Ferry in Seattle. (Anchorage, which is even further, atleast has roads to get there). My friend said it was 2 1/2 days of a miserable Ferry ride and even though his company paid for the expensive trip, all the extras were pretty costly....and he was transporting a car. So maybe it wasn't a bad call!

Mark F.
PS: it feels good to make that first EO Post

 

[Lawrence]

Mike,

Have you ever been to Alaska before?

When I was on the road - I always reminded myself that as a fleet owner, the only "paid benefit" I had was the opportunity to see North America. We had no paid holidays or vacation...but we could see sights that 90% of Americans will never see in their entire lifetime. On a few occasion I chucked the dollars and cents to the wind and trucked onto places I had never been, (and places I have not yet returned).

Ah, there is a little bit of "Wanderer" in all of us! ;-) ;-)

Lawrence
Expediters Online.com
http://home.gci.net/~bluffcam/akpix/buttec.jpg

 

[louixo]

Alaska and Hawaii, are the only two states i´ve never driven in. I, too would have taken the trip, like Lawrence, just to see it, and drive it. One of my trucking dreams has always been to drive the Alcan Highway. I may have to do it in my motor home when i retire.

 

[prescat]

Lawerence, all I can say is EXCELLENT POINT! I've been dying to see Alaska, the picture reminds me why! I guess we're all a little "different" and independent being in this kind of business and it is great to see things not a lot of people get to see. Even though I'm new to the business, (and not a true expeditor, I run a regional route NYC to Mass., although I hope to change that soon), I used to love when I ran through a Texas Border town, or passed a gator on the road down in Florida. Even now, a side benefit, (one of the few of starting in NYC every night), is seeing the Empire State Building standing proud, every night all lit up, almost as if to say F.U. to the slimy terrorists. (I know that sounds corny, but I'm from here and I still love looking at that building). Even when I'm delivering in parts of the city that you only see on COPS or documentaries about crime, it's kind of interesting being right there working. SO I GUESS MY POINT IS THAT IF I EVER GET OFFERED A RUN TO ALASKA, I PROBABLY WILL TAKE IT BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME THING. As to my last post.......I guess I was THE STATUE!
Your Friend in Trucking, Mark F