Load Question

If a company gives you a load that is already late will they hold that against the driver that picks it up if the receiver rejects it? How common is it to be told to go get a load that is late? Will a company give ample time to make a delivery? I mean if you have 5hrs left on your 11hrs and a delivery is given for a destination 7hrs away that must be delivered ASAP would you drive 4.5hrs find a place to park take your 10hrs break then finish the delivery? Would it then be considered late? Would the company hold the driver at fault for it being late? Sorry if these are kinda dumb questions about loads.

When getting a load, always trip plan to make sure that you will have enough hours for delivery. If there's any doubt in your mind always let your DM know. Here's a good line I used:

"Hey boss, just got my next load going to (Insert City). Don't think I can make this delivery on time with my hours. Do you still want me to take this load? Current projected ETA: 2/18 @ 1800."

From here on out, it can go one of two ways; they'll either find you a different load or they'll tell you to take this one and either do your best to make it on time or they will reschedule. Always, always do the communication via Quallcomm so that there is proof should you ever need it. They'll only hold it against you if you take the load without informing them that you cannot make the delivery on time. Communication is key!

When getting a load, always trip plan to make sure that you will have enough hours for delivery. If there's any doubt in your mind always let your DM know. Here's a good line I used:

"Hey boss, just got my next load going to (Insert City). Don't think I can make this delivery on time with my hours. Do you still want me to take this load? Current projected ETA: 2/18 @ 1800."

From here on out, it can go one of two ways; they'll either find you a different load or they'll tell you to take this one and either do your best to make it on time or they will reschedule. Always, always do the communication via Quallcomm so that there is proof should you ever need it. They'll only hold it against you if you take the load without informing them that you cannot make the delivery on time. Communication is key!

Thanks for the reply man

If you use Macro 9 on a Qualcomm , there is a place to enter the time you believe you could deliver.

At least let your DM know. Also remember this:

If you do your job in good faith (you don't mess around), and circumstances make you late, it's not necessarily a failure on your part.

Things happen, from weather to breakdowns. If you need a 10 hour break, your DM should see that on their computer screen. But let them know about that delay.

Once, as a new driver, I was short a hour to make a delivery. I told my DM when she assigned it, but she said take it anyway.

When my time was running out, I pulled into a truck stop & shut down. My DM did not argue or get mad, but she did dispatch a bobtail to re-power & deliver the load. I was paid mileage from pickup to the truck stop.

If you use Macro 9 on a Qualcomm , there is a place to enter the time you believe you could deliver.

At least let your DM know. Also remember this:

If you do your job in good faith (you don't mess around), and circumstances make you late, it's not necessarily a failure on your part.

Things happen, from weather to breakdowns. If you need a 10 hour break, your DM should see that on their computer screen. But let them know about that delay.

Once, as a new driver, I was short a hour to make a delivery. I told my DM when she assigned it, but she said take it anyway.

When my time was running out, I pulled into a truck stop & shut down. My DM did not argue or get mad, but she did dispatch a bobtail to re-power & deliver the load. I was paid mileage from pickup to the truck stop.

Thank you

All the preceding responses are well said and true to my experiences. My understanding is that it is the responsibility of the driver to know whether or not he/she can deliver on time. The few times that I received a dispatch with too little time, I always advised my Fleet Mgr. and was usually assigned to a different load. If no other driver was available, they would have our Customer Service department re-schedule the appointment. Only one time did a receiver refuse to check me in late because, guess what, our CS people had not done a re-schedule. Before things were settled, my 14 hour clock expired and the fiasco cost me a day's pay because of their delay and me having to take the 10 hour break. Fortunately, this rarely happens, at least in my experience. As a brand new driver, it is vitally important to double check your trip plan and make certain that a careless dispatcher is not putting you in an impossible situation and you end up getting a Service Failure write up in your file.

That is my point. We all learn to do what we're told, like "deliver 03/08, 1330-1530". And we figure if we can't get there by 1530, we blew it.

That's not always the case! Simply keep your DM updated with what's happening - flat tire, snow storm, 5 hour unload on your previous dispatch. Even the consignee can't complain about delays like these.

All the preceding responses are well said and true to my experiences. My understanding is that it is the responsibility of the driver to know whether or not he/she can deliver on time. The few times that I received a dispatch with too little time, I always advised my Fleet Mgr. and was usually assigned to a different load. If no other driver was available, they would have our Customer Service department re-schedule the appointment. Only one time did a receiver refuse to check me in late because, guess what, our CS people had not done a re-schedule. Before things were settled, my 14 hour clock expired and the fiasco cost me a day's pay because of their delay and me having to take the 10 hour break. Fortunately, this rarely happens, at least in my experience. As a brand new driver, it is vitally important to double check your trip plan and make certain that a careless dispatcher is not putting you in an impossible situation and you end up getting a Service Failure write up in your file.

I am not a driver yet but hoping to get on with Swift in the next 2 or 3 weeks, I have never been in the driver aspect of things, been a mechanic know how to work on trucks. But I have so much to learn about driving and the logistics, I am looking forward to all the good and bad situations that a newbie will face in the first year or too.....

In addition to what everyone has said, I have found that the delivery time I am given is often earlier than actually required. The exception to this is when it is an appointment for a live load or unload.

Also if they give you a load that is already late, it usually means there was already a failure somewhere and you are essentially doing them a favor in delivering it.

But ultimately, as already noted by others, communicate everything with your fleet manager and everything should be fine.

What he said, explain why i.e. This load is 6 hrs and I've got3 1/3 left. If they tell you to roll they'll se get it there or get as close as you can and call us back

When getting a load, always trip plan to make sure that you will have enough hours for delivery. If there's any doubt in your mind always let your DM know. Here's a good line I used:

"Hey boss, just got my next load going to (Insert City). Don't think I can make this delivery on time with my hours. Do you still want me to take this load? Current projected ETA: 2/18 @ 1800."

From here on out, it can go one of two ways; they'll either find you a different load or they'll tell you to take this one and either do your best to make it on time or they will reschedule. Always, always do the communication via Quallcomm so that there is proof should you ever need it. They'll only hold it against you if you take the load without informing them that you cannot make the delivery on time. Communication is key!