Far Too Cold

 So Friday morning I was woken up early by one of my other managers because they were trying to coordinate changing the schedule around for today so that we would still have two people opening the store in the morning. And as I was originally scheduled to come in an hour before the store was set to open...they wanted to know if I could come in half an hour earlier than that so I could be the second person in the store with my other manager for the morning shift.

The reason for the change?

Well. We were supposed to get our supply truck in yesterday. 

Where we'd be getting in both product for the store...and our shipment of fish as well.

But when my managers checked the tracking system to see where the truck was and when it would be expected to show up at our store.

And it showed the truck was in New Mexico. 

I've never seen the truck in New Mexico when the tracking system is pulled up. 

Usually it's somewhere in Nevada as that's where one of our DC suppliers are. So that's where the truck usually picks up the shipments.

So basically. The truck hadn't even arrived to the DC yet to pick up our shipment. 

And while the expected arrival of the shipment would be for sometime today.

The estimated arrival was that it would actually arrive on Sunday.

A full Two Days late. 

RIP our fish shipment.
Especially considering we've had snow storms over the past couple of days. 
It wasn't looking good for our truck and the fish on it.

So my stocking manager decided to switch their shift around since they wouldn't be needed today as the truck wasn't expected until this afternoon or tomorrow morning. 

Hence the early morning text to see if I could come in slightly earlier today.

In any case.

Out truck actually made 'good' time today.

Arriving this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning.

So there was hope that our fish shipment would still be alright.

As the fish shipment has come in a day late before and been alright...I mean there were still higher amounts of fish death. But overall it comes in alright.

Not so today.

We knew there would be trouble when we opened the boxes as part of procedure for putting out the fish is to take at least four temperature readings of the inside of at least four boxes on different levels. That way we can keep track of how cold or hot the shipment is when it comes in.

And it's sad.

Because the shipment was one of the larger ones we've had in a while. We had 4 levels of boxes. FOUR. usually we have like two. 

And the readings we got of the boxes were between 46 degrees and 52 degrees. 

That is SUPER COLD.

Like usually the fish should be in the 70s. And during winter we may find them in the 60s. 

But to have the shipment in the 40s and 50s?

Not. Good.

It meant that the truck hadn't had a heated interior like they were supposed to for fish shipments. Or if it did...the heater hadn't been turned on or hadn't been able to reach the back of the truck where the fish were. 

*exhales* 

It's not a good sign. 
Especially when we started pulling the fish out of the boxes.
And basically every single bag had dead fish inside. 

There was a slight hope that maybe if we let the fish thaw out a bit that some will come back to life. 

And we did...we had 4 fish come back to life once they'd warmed up a little. 

But with such a cold shipment....

Most of the fish died.

Overall 800 fish froze to death.

Which is super high. 

Normally the amount of dead in a shipment is around a hundred (with most of the dead being dead ghost shrimp) 

So 800??

Yah no. Disaster there.

Which is so depressing. We finally get in a huge shipment of fish. One that we desperately needed...

And all the fish died because the truck was late for some unknown (possibly weather) related reason.

*exhales*

It's depressing.

Until you next find these words; 
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi