Butch & Traveler - Unexpected Change~

 Mid-June, Butch began hauling trailers for Jacko Logistics out of Vancouver, WA.  He was driving Traveler, owned by Blake Scott Logistics LLC. Just recently, he was notified Jacko would be taking over authority for the six Blake Scott semis. This required a change of the DOT information on the truck, truck computer, GPS etc. 

When he arrived in Vancouver on Friday, he was sent out for a drug test.  We expected it was a requirement of the new insurance carrier.  (A tech wasn't available at the first clinic he was sent to.  Another call to Uber & the task was completed at a second clinic.) The results wouldn't be available until Monday. (With 34-hours left on his 70-hour clock he hadn't planned to be off the road.) 

Late Friday afternoon, his dispatcher found a trailer & sent him to Salem to pick up a load of paper going to Pt. Angeles.  The plan was to keep him driving, run down his clock & still return to Vancouver by Monday morning.  

Arriving in Salem - he was told the load had been cancelled.  He ended up sitting in Salem all weekend.

New blue USDOT~

Monday, he returned to Jacko in Vancouver.  Traveler went to the shop, where the identifying USDOT information on the side was updated.  Since Jacko is leasing the truck - the main logo remained the same.

A new windshield!

While at Jacko headquarters, Big Rig Glass replaced the cracked windshield.  It was just a small crack, but enough to fail a DOT inspection.

New windshield being installed~

While Traveler was getting new glass, Butch was in the office filling out paperwork.  When he called to ask for our bank account information, I realized he must be changing employers.  He hadn't been notified of that change prior to - it came as a surprise.  (He had been driving for Blake Scott over 16-months.)

Traveler, ready to roll~

I received a text mid-afternoon, Butch reporting he had passed the driving test!  He had been pulling Jacko trailers since mid-June & had accumulated over 200,000 miles of safe driving in 19-months. 

By late afternoon, all the steps required for employment as a new driver with Jacko had been completed.  It wasn't until mid-morning today; a dispatch finally came through & Traveler is - back on the road.  At least it's AZ this time & not another run to CA!  (This change in Authority resulted in a loss of over three days drive hours.)

Butch did his best to politely negotiate his way through a changed employment landscape.