Communication, Consistency, And Commitment

I know it has been covered heavily here on what it takes to be a top tier driver at your company or wherever you go. I am not trying to claim that as I am still a rook out here however, I'd like to show you all who are either thinking about trucking or just getting started with your career, what it takes to turn the miles and an example of what loads look like for a great couple of weeks. Everything you will read are experiences of mine and may differ from others but nonetheless...

Communication is the biggest key in all of what we do. Let your DM or FM know when you will be where you will be. This works to your advantage as well as the company's. It gives the load planners a better idea of when to find your next load. You may sit for a while at first even after having sent and met your ETA but dont get frustrated. Either freight is slow or you haven't proven yourself enough yet for the planners to book your next load before you are empty. You will know when you've earned their trust, it takes time.

Consistency is paramount. You either run hard or you dont. There is no Inbetween. The drivers out here that run hard are highly motivated, detail oriented, and obsessed with their own performance. You will find yourself upset that you "only" ran 2900 miles for the week when you know you can run 3500. Now, though, is not the time to complain to your DM. You are proving yourself and earning the load planners trust.

Commitment will set you apart. Think of it this way, how would your marriage be without commitment? Or your relationship with your S.O.? The point is you are part of a team and if you are not committed to the other party and the overall goal (which is delivering the freight on time or early and damage free) then you cannot expect them to be committed to you. Run days, run nights, splits, recaps, or whatever you have to do to get the load there on time. If the load has plenty of time on it then run even harder and get it there early if possible. You are showing your commitment to the company by doing so and you will be rewarded.

Be safe. I cant elaborate on this. There is a safety department in every company. If you cannot operate a CMV safely, you put others at risk. The end.

With all of that said I will leave you with this quote by a source unknown, "you can say anything to anybody, it's not what you say but how you say it." You will find yourself frustrated early in your career and you will have a lot of alone time to think of ridiculous ways you would be better off at some other company, for any number of reasons. This goes back to communication, your DM or FM will never know you are unhappy if you dont tell them. Do it professionally and with tact.

I've been on the road now since November of last year, not long I know, and I have averaged just under 3000 miles a week. I have also averaged over 1000 net a week which includes hometime where I earn zero dollars. I am not plugging my company, you can do this with any company in your first year. It's not hard, it's just hard work.

Below you will see examples of what your load assignments will look like for a couple of good weeks. I'll see if I can crop the settlement for last week as well. Goodluck to you all and be safe.

I shower every day lol. Those were just showers I had to pay for because I didn't have shower credits at the time or I was at a mom and pop which we do not fuel at. Obviously i was reimbursed for said showers which i appreciate because i know not every company reimburses shower expenses. I very rarely miss a shower but on the days i do i am usually too tired to give a care.

Great Stuff Juicebox!

It looks like you're doing real well out here.

Thanks Old School! I am trying and my efforts have not been going unnoticed. This November I will get a .05 cpm raise which puts me at .50 cpm. This is definitely a rewarding career if gone about the right way.

Awesome topic!

I notice that some of the more successful drivers with my company, when asked for one important piece of advice, will almost always list communication at the top of their list.

"When you stop for a break or for the night, send a macro. As soon as you pick-up, deliver, relay, whatever - send a macro. Running late because of construction, etc., send a macro. Keep the office (usually your DM) informed of your whereabouts and what's going on at all times!"

It seems the more you keep in touch, the better your DM can do their job - which is to keep your wagon full and headed somewhere.

I've also noticed that my current trainer has a habit of staying in touch with the DM. He does well when we hit a hiccup somewhere. He calls our DM right away. But he doesn't open with a fantastic story about how traffic was stopped for 12 hours because comic book heroes were fighting in the street, etc. Instead, first thing he says is, "Sorry, I messed up and didn't leave enough time for this traffic jam we hit. We're gonna be two hours late."

Not that we've been late more than twice in the last few weeks, and those were both due to rare and strangely justifiable circumstances. But... He called right away and immediately took ownership for the delay.

There are other people in this company who are rogues and rebels and will not be stuck on some DM's leash! They do the job and that's all that matters. This company sucks anyway, so why should they check in every 5 minutes like they're kids or something?!?!

Yeah, cant imagine why the company sucks for them. But I bet, with that attitude, just about any company would suck for them.

I've learned from great examples that communication is a huge factor in one's success.

And I'm so grateful to see it covered here again. It's something I can't tell many people about because I'm still riding with a trainer. But when someone who is crushing it out there (obviously with good reason for that) says it, I pay attention - and hope everyone else does, too!

Thanks for an awesome post, JuiceBox!

Jeremy, something I forgot to list was positive attitude. You definitely have that from everything I have read. You will be crushing it out here too in no time. Thanks for your reply!

Juicebox

Great post. I like the disclaimer at the end of the first paragraph lol....make me chuckle.

Chris

Juicebox

Great post. I like the disclaimer at the end of the first paragraph lol....make me chuckle.

Chris

Thanks and yes it was a must. I have seen firsthand the vastly different experiences drivers have within the same company. We all know what that comes back to though.

Awesome !