Carriers Claim Financial Benefit Of Putting Up Drivers In Hotels
Topic 25295 | Page 3
Personally I didn't mind staying in the truck but I really did enjoy getting a hotel room once in a while. It feels like a castle! Plus, you can take like 5 showers a day and the hot water never runs out.
I wouldn't want the hassle of staying in a hotel every night, and I certainly wouldn't want to be OTR in a day cab. But getting a free night in a hotel maybe once a week would have been an awesome perk that I definitely would've taken advantage of.
That might make for a good incentive to stay with a company. Once you've been there for a year you get one free night in a hotel each week. It would also be a huge benefit to a lot of companies to get the opportunity to haul more freight using the much lighter day cabs, so they could consider offering drivers the option of day cabs and hotel stays or sleeper cabs.
Very interesting article.
Good idea Brett!
(Sorry... did not (yet) read the article).
So guessing it is not just the cost savings buying day cabs but the lighter weight which means more potential freight, better fuel economy and probably slightly reduced maintenance as well.
Not really a joke. It's the kind of thing which makes you say "Hmm..."
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Day Cab:
A tractor which does not have a sleeper berth attached to it. Normally used for local routes where drivers go home every night.
Thanks Bobcat Bob. Good stuff as always!
Sorry to get off topic, but bobcat says
"are you swapping tractors" I have personally never done it bit someone must or they wouldn't have the option. Personally I dont see it the benefit it's faster to drop and hook a trailer than switch trucks.
Only time I could see that being beneficial is if the tractor needs service and the yard it's based from doesnt have a shop. Saia has a yard here that has a few docks but doesnt appear to have a shop so maybe they do tractor swaps to get trucks serviced without paying an outside company to do so.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
Sorry to get off topic, but bobcat says
"are you swapping tractors" I have personally never done it bit someone must or they wouldn't have the option. Personally I dont see it the benefit it's faster to drop and hook a trailer than switch trucks.
Only time I could see that being beneficial is if the tractor needs service and the yard it's based from doesnt have a shop. Saia has a yard here that has a few docks but doesnt appear to have a shop so maybe they do tractor swaps to get trucks serviced without paying an outside company to do so.
Rob T.,
Not sure but the impression I got was it was just a way some (one or more?) company(ies) did the hotel exchange. Some swap trailers... another entire rigs.
All just conversation but it was one I had briefly with an "old school" trucker and trainer I drove with in school. He had 47 years of mostly heavy and oversized hauling experience before he retired and started working with a local technical college as a driver trainer. I found when it came to certain quantities and sizes of liquid "totes" which require a tanker endorsement - that was something he didn't serm to know. But that was about the only thing trucking-related that he didn't seem to know. (He did say he has read ALL the FMCSA regulations as well as his Teamsters contract). I think he was on their negotiating committee too...
We were at a KwikTrip staring at a bunch of Holland day cabs discussing driving opportunities when the discussion turned to the daycab and hotel swap scenarios...
Day Cab:
A tractor which does not have a sleeper berth attached to it. Normally used for local routes where drivers go home every night.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
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Since your in Florida that will probably be pretty common unfortunately, there is only so many places you can go from there.
It all depends on the company, terminal and route. Most OD are home daily, I believe XPO, Dayton, FedEx and Ups are as well. ABF does the 5 nights out.
I know UPS does it, not sure about anyone else. Although when I do a meet of the options we have when doing our arrival card is "are you swapping tractors" I have personally never done it bit someone must or they wouldn't have the option. Personally I dont see it the benefit it's faster to drop and hook a trailer than switch trucks.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Line Haul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.