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“There’ll be a few bucks waiting for ya when this load gets to Rockford,” said Al, grinning.
“Well, today I’ve got the space; might as well use it, huh?”
“Your manifest usually calls for a full load, and I gotta jam my stuff in there,” said Al. “Today is easy.”
“Dispatch wanted me to get this stuff on the road. They knew it wasn’t quite full.”
“Lucky break. I can put all my stuff for Rockford in there,” said Al.
“I think they have a cranky customer in Milwaukee that wanted his shipment in a hurry and was willing to pay.”
“Did you do a good sweep for bugs in the trailer?” asked Al raising an eyebrow. “You’re on their shit list, you know.”
Fred nodded. “There’s nothing inside it. I’m sure of that. And, I just inspected every inch of the outside.”
Al pointed to the tractor cab. “You got that damn data radio up there. You be careful when you talk on the CB ‘case they got you wired for sound.”
“Hadn’t thought of that.” Fred shook his head. “Shit.”
“Just be careful.” Al handed the two manifests to Fred. “Paperwork is in order. Keep the phony copy visible. Hide the real one until you leave Rockford.”
Fred looked at the paperwork and nodded. “Okay.”
Al worked the forklift himself and put the extra pallets in the trailer. Opaque plastic wrap secured the shipments.
Fred had inspected the trailer earlier for security sensors, cameras or recording devices. The unit seemed clean, nothing suspicious. He knew that Al had rendered the cameras on the loading dock inoperable. Fred grinned. Seems like there is always something going wrong with them.
He had to be careful, now more than ever, Fred thought. He had ‘lost’ partial loads of high-end goods in the past. He wasn’t fooling anybody. He’d just been lucky and not been caught. The R&R Freight company inspectors had spot-checked the seals on the trailer doors on more than one occasion. Unable to explain the los-ses, he had been suspended pending an investigation. The company detectives were unable to solve the losses, and the union helped him get reinstated. But now there was a data radio and GPS unit on top of the cab to keep an accurate tally of his time and mileage, and let the home office computer know his whereabouts. But still, he thought, where there’s a will, there’s a way. The freight loss was now occurring at the warehouses, and Fred merely delivered it along his route.
Fred walked around the rig and checked the tires and air hoses. Anxious to get rolling, he looked at his watch and then checked the seals on the trailer doors. He was up on the dock and into the office just as Al hung up the phone
“You’re all set, Fred. I just told Tim what you’re bringing him. Shouldn’t be any problem with the paperwork.”
“Thanks. I better get goin’.”
Al nodded. “Have a good trip.”
Fred jumped off the loading dock and climbed into the cab. He looked again at the two manifests. It seemed like a clean and simple operation. When he had talked with Tim O’Brien earlier, Tim had mentioned that he was anxious to get the pallets of replacement parts for Audi, Mercedes and Volvo cars, because he had customers waiting.
Fred put the truck in gear and started for the gate. He should be in Rockford in a day and a half and the two-grand payoff he was promised would sure come in handy. In the meantime, he had to get out of Hartford and make his way up to Kingston on the NY Thru-way. He had a small load to deliver at a plastics company before heading up to Albany. Then it was hammer down on I-90, stop in Rockford, and continue to his main drop.
~~~
At the fuel islands, Bob tossed the bag of lunch trash into a garbage bin then selected the fuel pump. The ever increasing cost of gasoline was unsettling. He felt sure the price would go even higher. He seethed at the thought.
It’s not like the country didn’t have a warning. Shit, 1973 should have been a wake-up call, Bob thought as he filled the tank. He felt himself getting agitated, as was usual when he pondered the state of affairs in the country.
“Nope, the opportunity was wasted. … Bastards,” he said to no one in particular.
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