Yesterday afternoon, our customer service department dropped in 390 orders for our 2nd biggest customer to ship on Friday at 3:15 pm. Today, they released 650 orders for our biggest customer at 3:30 pm. On a normal day, we do not create new shipments after 3 pm. Why? Because the trucking companies like to have their next two days planned out and drivers assigned by no later than 2 pm every day. But on holiday weeks when most of our CSAs won’t work again until Monday, they try to get everything out. Then they shut down and leave it up to transportation to secure carriers for their fucking shipments.

Why is this so difficult? First, because we are not the only company trying to ship their goods. We are one of very many. Second because believe it or not, truck drivers are also human beings with families with whom they would like to enjoy Thanksgiving. They do not exist for no other purpose other than to deliver our goods. So these late shipments end up getting rejected by all our carriers because they have no available drivers. Then we work until 7 trying to beg someone to take the shipment.

If we get them covered, senior management thanks us for doing what we were supposed to do. If we can’t, they scream to high heaven about the millions of dollars left on dock due to our incompetence.

Order fulfillment is the bastard child of all consumer goods corporations.