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Grubble Grubble
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Thursday, August 22, 2002 :::
Hello all,
I have been gone this last week helping a friend move from New Jersey to Oklahoma. Suffice it to say, I have not been available to rant.
Well, I'M BAAAAACK!!!
rant
I hate moving.
I want to talk about the high cost of moving. My friend has a one bedroom apartment and she split the contents of this apartment with her ex. In effect, she had the equivalent of a studio apartment to move.
She decided to price "full service" movers. She packed all her stuff into boxes and appropriate packaging herself, so all the mover would have to do is load her possessions and transport them to Oklahoma.
Now, I will note quickly, that what she had eventually fit into the front 6 feet of the truck for the company she did finally hire.
She was quoted a low price of $2000 to a high of $2600. For 6 linear feet of space. That would be me, lying down in the truck with my feet against the leading wall. $2000. Give me a break. I will not name the companies that listed these prices during this segment for reasons that will become obvious later.
She then decided to move her stuff herself. She contacted several places that do this. Ryder wanted $1300 for the full truck. That is a decent price. Of course, we would have to load and drive it ourselves, but still, a reasonable rate for a move across country, I think. Well... maybe a bit steep, but not too bad.
She also spoke with Consolidated Freightways. Anyone who has driven across the country has seen their trucks hauling a couple short trailers behind. Big CF printed across the side. Can't miss 'em.
Well, they wanted the same rate as Ryder, but they would drive the load across country. My friend would still have to load the truck, but they will drive. Good deal. There is one catch. They will not supply the loading ramp or dollies to help with the move. You have to rent those items yourself. Ok, she found out Home Depot will rent these items. Good enough. She books Consolidated Freightways.
Now, this is where I come in. She IM's (Instant Messages) me and asks if I can help her move. Keep in mind, I live in Oklahoma and she is still in New Jersey. Well, she is my friend and I care about her. My brother, bless his heart, is an pilot for Delta Airlines (at least til Sept. 1 when he gets furloughed, but that is another rant). The bottom line is, I can fly to New Jersey one way for around $50.
I fly out (again, another rant entirely). My friend picks me up at the airport at 1 am. She advises me that she needs to call Consolidated Freightways at 8 am to find out how early in the morning they will be delivering the truck. Ok, I was in the army. I am used to doing things with not much sleep.
The next morning, she is told that the truck will be delivered at 9:30 am. Wonderful. We can be loaded and on the road, driving her car to OK, by 1 pm, 2 at the latest.
At 10 am, she calls the dispatch office for Consolidated Freightways. She is told that the regularly scheduled driver did not come into work that day and they are finding another driver. The truck will be delivered at 11. At 11, they tell her the truck will be there at 2 pm. At 2, they tell her 4. Keep in mind, they are also supposed to come get the truck the same day.
At 4:15 pm, the truck that was supposed to be delivered at 9:30 am is finally delivered. For those of you that have moved yourself, this is a trailer from an 18 wheeled truck. It is not some Ryder truck that has a low lip for ease of loading. The bottom of the trailer stands 4 feet off the ground. My friend rented an 8 ft. ramp. Are you starting to get the picture?
Ok, I am a large man. I can lift heavy things. This will slow the loading down as everything must be loaded onto the truck one item at a time, but at least we can still use the dolly to bring things down from her 2nd floor apartment.
The truck is loaded by 9 pm. By now, it is quite dark and I am arranging by moonlight. Not an easy task. I blocked off the load with two pieces of plywood and tied it off.
Now, we called Consolidated for a pickup at 8 pm, knowing it would take a bit for them to get there. At 9, my friend called back. They said the driver was almost there.
At 9:30, I called the dispatch office. The dispatcher advised me that he has spoken with my wife (this is not an improbable mistake) 30 minutes prior. He then went on to advise me of all the reshuffling they had to do as they did not have this night pickup on their schedule and how they had to cancel other things to be able to do it.
Was I feeling sympathetic towards him? I do not think so. I explained, in short easy to understand words, why they did not have this scheduled for night as this pickup should have occured no later than about 1 pm.
At 10, the driver arrived. He locked the trailer and then proceeded to slam the tractor portion of the truck repeatedly into the trailer, I assume in an effort to link the two. I am not a truck driver, but I do not think that is necessary.
Suffice it to say, it is my not so humble opinion that Consolidated Freightways is NOT the method you should choose if you decide to move. I give them an F. And I said many words beginning in F that night.
Now, let us talk about the human costs involved in moving. Our tempers flaired several times with each other the day of the move. Admittedly, stress was a factor, but damage is still done even when an apology is proferred.
This move caused a strain in our friendship. Now, I am not going to entirely blame the move. It just shortened fuses enough so that issues that we did have with each other bubbled to the surface.
My father taught me when I was a youth to be true to those you love. Protect and care for them and be there when they need you. I have always taken that to heart. Sometimes, I get used by people. Most of the time, though, I am just there when friends need me. Unfortunately, sometimes this happens.
I hate moving.
/rant
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