Having Fun With Your Logs

I love a good challenge. I enjoy the creativity in trucking when overcoming the obstacles involved. Everybody wants to blame the high employee turnover rates in trucking on the trucking companies, but I can never see it that way. Trucking has it's issues. Those drivers who succeed, manage the risks and difficulties in a way that allows them to excel at their profession.

I know I'm preaching to the choir in here. I have always enjoyed being connected with this group because I recognize in many of you the knowledge and drive that makes for success in such a challenging career. I really enjoy working my log book for success. It's critical to our enjoyment of this career that we understand the rules and how to use them to our advantage.

Last week on my dedicated account all the drivers on my DM's board burned up their 70 hours and had to do a 34 hour reset over the weekend. Everyone is frustrated. The holiday on Monday put them all behind one day and they couldn't get their finished loads turned in on Tuesday morning by the payroll cutoff. That has snowballed into this week because they are all sitting around taking 34 hour breaks.

I didn't realize I was the only one who managed to work things so I wouldn't be delayed until I got this intriguing message from my DM as I was driving Sunday. It said...

You are a logbook GENIUS!!!

Later when I stopped I replied...

You must be really bored if you're sitting around on Sunday afternoon studying my logs.

He came back with this...

HAHA, when I saw you were the only driver moving, I knew you didn't do a reset. So, I was intrigued by how you were working your logs. I'm impressed, but not surprised.

Forgive me if this sounds like self promotion. It's really intended to show the kinds of things that can separate you from your peers out here. Don't be afraid to learn how to excel at this stuff. I pushed it real close on my 70 hours. I had just 2 or 3 minutes left when I parked this morning at the truck stop near my first drop on this load. I start getting my recaps at midnight. I'll empty out at 0700 in the morning giving me two weeks in excess of 3,000 miles each.

It's honestly the challenges that motivate me. The money is nice, but it has never motivated me like the pleasure that comes from beating the odds and staying ahead of the game.

Running With The Big Dogs

Yoda of trucking!

Nothing but respect when I say this!

"Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?"

That song just popped into my mind, haha!!! That's what your DM was humming, I bet !!! When I get out there w/y'all big bois, I'm gonna COMB THROUGH your stuff!!

Heck, Tom being intrastate , has NO recollection; he even sometimes turns to 'me' for help on his 'long' local days, haha!

I actually recall 'me' helping 'him' meander, back in his early days, LoL ! Paper WAS easier, but ... we won't go there. I don't miss those dang expensive white out pens I had to buy him on a regular, hahaha!

You're awesome, good sir. Your DM obviously agrees!

~ Anne (& Tom!) ~

ps: I hope Dennis (the 25 day new Prime driver) reads this; but if not . . . please look at his most recent diary, and see if you can figure out what he was doing wrong with maximizing his hours with the split S/B. I tried for over an hour. He had 3 pages of 3 different ways, too!!

pps: Yeah, I know... it takes a WHOLE LEVEL of skillset, I've never had the opportunity to learn. YOU ROCK, thanks for sharing!

Yoda of trucking!

Nothing but respect when I say this!

Indeed! (I was typing my novella as you were posting, haha!)

~ Anne ~

Your DM was at work for Sunday? I've never had that occur.

PackRat, I have a very special Driver Manager. He works what seems like all the time. I've even had him call me at unbelievable times (like 0200). If he sees I'm driving, and he's got something he wants to discuss, he will call at whatever time I'm working. He won't disturb me during a 10 hour break.

He's incredible in many ways. We've worked together for eight years. We have a great relationship. He works strictly from his home. I have never even known him to be at my terminal for anything in the past eight years. He lives in Northwest Arkansas but my home terminal is Gulfport, MS.

I like my most recent dispatcher quite a bit, but I can set my watch by his time in and time of the office, Monday through Friday. His last name is the same as the company's, so there is that...

Still trying to train him and the breakdown shop guys that I can actually repair things on the road myself instead of wasting time at a shop, waiting in line. I did a trailer wall repair last week and had to send in photos of the repairs to prove I knew what I was doing.

You’re a special guy Old School! And that DM is special too. Teamwork makes the dream work!

I’m often surprised at the barriers drivers create for themselves; won’t go to this location or that, refuse to haul on weekends, etc. AND THEN complain about not enough miles. 😆

Thanks for keeping the bar set high. It helps to motivate me to be more like you. 👍 DRIVE ON!

OS you are very correct. Knowing how to make the rules work in our favor when possible is what sets top tier drivers apart from our peers.

You having a DM for that amount of time is awesome, but the exception rather than the rule. It makes a huge difference.

Congrats Sir!!!