Leaving Hours On The Table

Yea there are instances where a Loves is 2 miles down from a tank wash but I can't PC there and back on a 34... Uber or walk it

Sadly corporate won't let us split

I have my Garmin GPS connected to my phone for real-time traffic updates. If it tells me that there is a significant traffic delay ahead, I will pull off at the next rest area or exit off-ramp to verify with Google maps. And also get on the CB to get more details from the trucks coming the other way. So, in the immediate circumstance, I'm off-duty while I'm figuring out the reality of the traffic situation rather than sitting in the traffic on the drive line. If it is a short delay, I'll stay there while off-duty and let the traffic clear or find a detour to get around it.

If it appears that the traffic delay will be long, let's say more than 2 hours, then I can sit there for the 2 hours, which will pause my clock with the 8/2 split.

Another strategy involves rather than driving through a major city during rush hour, use the 2-hour 8/2 split to pause your clock and wait to drive through that city after rush hour.

Schneider? It's one of them things where they probably don't want to deal with the violations that occasionally arise from the splits not being used properly. Rather than using the labor hours to better train drivers in using the split, it's cheaper and easier to not allow it, by policy.

If it’s Schneider, no split AND no PC.

Now I have both, but I value the PC the most. I don’t abuse the privilege, but it’s there when I need it.

Travis, whether or not to leave hours on the table seems (to me) to have more to do with your objectives, than just good or bad.

When I drove true (48 states) OTR with Schneider, I had to manage recap hours as well as planning for, as you said potential traffic issues. Sometimes that meant time leftover, sometimes very little.

For the past 5+ years, I’ve been southeast regional , home weekly or more, and rarely get close to burning my 70. Believe it or not, my weekly pay has been better the past six weeks, than the first half of the year, WHILE leaving 15-20hrs on the table each week. It’s because of a different strategy; I’m leaving home with a load that gets me in an area they need help with dedicated runs. The dedicated runs are short haul and pay a flat daily rate. Come Friday morning, I get a load back to our terminal & pickup a load to get home. Usually I’m home Friday night. This won’t last forever, but it’s working for now.

My main point is that you have to do what works for you and your objectives. Oh, and I have the use of PC, but rarely use it and my company has never even suggested I use it.

I hope this helps.