I’m a contracted medical courier for my State. And I will tell you, it’s Hell.
I got hired on at the peak of COVID to deliver meds and supplies to people all around Arkansas, no matter the distance. Sometimes I even had out of state orders.
At first, as I was put on, the lack of drivers was a big issue. But then again, I don’t blame them. In order to sign on, you would need to pay for a background check, a drug test, a HIPPA/Bloodborne Pathogens course, and pay to be your own LLC. All the while you have to forgo an entire month without pay. And when you do get paid, it’s only a certain amount (because if you terminate your contract with then, this is considered theist payment). Best part: it’s your vehicle used for deliveries.
I know we went through at least three different dispatchers, until my own mother decided to take lead. Despite the shortage of drivers, my mother was a logistical genius and worked with drivers and the pharmacy for effective route coverages.
However, things started going south. Another pharmacy we worked with also had issues with drivers. Not a shortage, though. In fact, they have an abundance. But, the drivers are lazy and often take random days off, forcing drivers on my side to cover them, making it stretch thin. After all, in this line of work, you can be your own boss and set your own schedule. Bad thing is, this isn’t the job you really need drivers lacking. Patients need meds and supplies. Soon, this pharmacy was driving us nuts. 3:00am phone calls just to take a med they forgot to pack, or to get a prescription copy picked up and returned. All because the drivers just say no.
When my side’s pharmacy closed down last year, we then got two new pharmacies. And holy shit, they were the most disorganized groups possible. When they send one order, they expect someone to immediately come get it, and as someone does get it and leaves, another order is ready that the pharmacy does not tell my group that would go in the same direction.
With this, combined with the other pharmacy’s lack of drivers, I was working practically 6-7 days a week, with no time to myself. I practically lived in my car more so than my own home. And saying no was not optional for me. Even when I told the companies I needed time off, they wouldn’t let me rest. There was one time I requested a weekend off. I told them I am going to my deer camp. I said in quote, “do not call me this weekend. I do not care if the President of the United States or the Goddamn Pope is dying and they said they want me to deliver the meds. I am going to sit in a blind, drink moonshine at camp, and hopefully get deer or boar in my freezer.” I came home Sunday. Not even 5 minutes I walk through my door…
phone rings “Hey, we need you to run a STAT to West Memphis.”
Me: “why the fuck are you calling? I told you to not call me this weekend.”
“Well, you need to come and take this order.”
As soon as I heard that, I blew up. I shouted every expletives in various colorful colloquialisms at that dispatcher. But my mood soured from then. Worst of all, I snapped at my own mother. And her case was just as worse, if not more. Not only is she dealing with my fluxing temper, she had incompetent leadership not helping, pharmacies being clusterfucks, but a husband who is angry that he is not being cared for (because of Cancer). She quit when the director got angry at her for telling the pharmacies one day we had no more drivers to spare. I should have joined, tbh. But the director agreed to give me more free time, and any needed coverage was to be given a notice instead of the last minute.
This year has been more shit though. The dispatcher I work with now is logistically stunted. Of course, she lives in North Carolina. We lost that problematic pharmacy with the incompetent drivers (they decided to do their own courier service).
Nevertheless, this dispatcher was so bad, if she gave directions to the Fellowship of the Ring, they would have an extra 300 miles to get to Mordor. Not to mention she was power hungry. Disobeying her is a financial death sentence. I know, because she retaliated when I called the director that her route made no sense. The last time we butted heads, I gave a two week notice. Thought I was free, if it wasn’t for the Tornadoes in March. I rescinded, because some of the other drivers got hit. I kept on for them, along with helping the area.
Nowadays, work is too scarce. I went from $750 average a week to now barely $310 average. I really don’t know what to do. I can’t afford to work for this group. And job boards in AR are only for nurses or truckers.