My Life As A Rookie Driver

Lol...I don't think theres alot of MIL's that will root for their SIL....go figure..they raised the silly girl that picked em !!! Truckers have such a bad rep, its hard to find anyone who thinks we are anywhere above sub human on the DNA scale. but you would be suprised what "type" and educational background are out on the hiways in a truck. So don't let it get to you. Opinions are like fecal orifices...everyone has one. And given time, maybe she will come around.......BUT....no guarantees, as that would fly in the face of history.

Well it was my stepmother, and she was talking to my uncle and relatives on my dad's side of the family.

Dave

Because I am bumping into my 70 hours. I get the "honor" and "privilege" of getting up BEFORE the crack of dawn to drive to Kentucky and deliver one stop of a three stop load.

Dave

Lol...I don't think theres alot of MIL's that will root for their SIL....go figure..they raised the silly girl that picked em !!! Truckers have such a bad rep, its hard to find anyone who thinks we are anywhere above sub human on the DNA scale. but you would be suprised what "type" and educational background are out on the hiways in a truck. So don't let it get to you. Opinions are like fecal orifices...everyone has one. And given time, maybe she will come around.......BUT....no guarantees, as that would fly in the face of history.

This needs a like button Star!!!!!!

I am at my second of three stops. The third one is tomorrow. I have under 3 hours left on my 14 hour clock, and 41 minutes on my drive time.

Dave

Here's the deal...

I have seven minutes left on my 70 today. I pick up 8 hours and 38 minutes on my Recap tomorrow. I am in Jonesboro, Arkansas and have to be in Rochelle, Illinois by 2200 tomorrow.

How do I complete this mission?

Do I put in a delay?

Do I run and hope I make it to Rochelle in 8 hours?

Dave

Here's the deal...

I have seven minutes left on my 70 today. I pick up 8 hours and 38 minutes on my Recap tomorrow. I am in Jonesboro, Arkansas and have to be in Rochelle, Illinois by 2200 tomorrow.

How do I complete this mission?

Do I put in a delay?

Do I run and hope I make it to Rochelle in 8 hours?

Dave

how long of a trip is it? if its an 8 hour trip with only 38 minutes to spare that will be pushing it hard.

I have read your past few postings and everyone without fail has something to do with almost running out of hours. If your not careful you will get burned out fast running this type of stressful schedule. Not to mention one time you will not make it within your hours and get a big fine on top of being placed OUT of Service if you are caught.

However you plan on handling it make sure you are in close contact with your DM and let them know when its getting to be to much. Being new to the industry does not mean you can be stepped on or worked like a dog.

Dave...Always remember that YOU...not they..are the one in control.....If you have an accident or get a ticket, it is YOU who will be held responsible...not them...In fact, your company will disavow any knowledge of anything......here's my 2 cents...Just simply do the best you can......The" best you can" means being SAFE as well as legal...Safe is FIRST.......Allow time for traffic, a reasonable amount of time for meals, rest stops, etc....Figure it out and then you TELL "THEM" when you will be there......You can be NICE about it....but be FiIRM.........Always remind them that you will always do the best you can, but you will do it safely...and stick to it....

Any decent company will respect you for that....and if yours doesn't......You don't want to be there....If you don't do things this way, you will drive yourself crazy!!.......

I totally agree with Guyjax and Stormlover except I'd like to make on distinction for new drivers coming into the industry:

Always remind them that you will always do the best you can, but you will do it safely...and stick to it....Any decent company will respect you for that...

I would say any decent dispatcher will respect you for that. You can work for an awesome company but have a lousy dispatcher that will punish you for things you shouldn't be punished for - like if you insist on running legally or refuse to run because there's a safety issue with your equipment.

The only reason I make this distinction is because the #1 image problem that trucking has is that it's full of "bad companies" that you have to look out for. And that's total baloney. Within any company you're going to have some bad apples. It's simply the law of averages. And what keeps happening is a driver will get on with a rogue dispatcher or a dispatcher who doesn't get along with the load planners. So the driver isn't happy with how things are going. It could be a number of things - not enough miles, too many short runs, too many runs in the Northeast, failing to get home on time, etc, etc. And drivers tend to blame "the company" when these things happen. But it's almost never "the company" that's to blame.

No company policy dictates that their drivers should get lousy miles. No company policy dictates that their drivers should get home late. No company policy dictates that a particular driver should get stuck with nothing but lousy runs. No company policy dictates that drivers should take incredible risks and run illegally to get the job done. These are all decisions that are made within the realm of dispatchers and load planners.

Companies and drivers are in this together. When the wheels are turning, everyone makes money. When they're not, everyone is losing money. So trucking companies want drivers that are happy. They want to give everyone good miles, fair treatment, and get them home on time. It's in the company's best interest to run things this way. But the company is still a group of individuals, and you can't control every move that every individual makes no matter how hard you try.

One rogue dispatcher or load planner can make life a mess for a lot of drivers. But if those drivers were to switch to a great dispatcher they would likely find themselves in an entirely different situation and most of their problems would be solved instantly. I've had this happen numerous times throughout my career. You get on with a lousy dispatcher and your life stinks. You're not getting the miles, you're not getting the good runs, and getting home is like pulling teeth. You switch to a better dispatcher and it's like you're working for a whole different company - you're getting miles, you're getting good runs, and you're getting home without any problems.

So for new drivers or those coming into the industry, if you're having issues like those I've mentioned, do not think you're working for the wrong company. The first thought should be about yourself - are you truly doing an awesome job out there? If so, then you should be getting good miles overall and fair treatment. If you're doing a great job but you're not getting the miles, fair treatment, and home time you were promised then you may just have a lousy dispatcher.

The problem is almost never "the company". The problem is either you've chosen the wrong company for your life goals and expectations, or you've chosen the right company but were placed with a lousy dispatcher or load planner. If people understood this distinction there would be a lot less turnover, drivers would have a lot fewer problems, and the industry would have a much better reputation.

I totally agree with Guyjax and Stormlover except I'd like to make on distinction for new drivers coming into the industry:

Always remind them that you will always do the best you can, but you will do it safely...and stick to it....Any decent company will respect you for that...

I would say any decent dispatcher will respect you for that. You can work for an awesome company but have a lousy dispatcher that will punish you for things you shouldn't be punished for - like if you insist on running legally or refuse to run because there's a safety issue with your equipment.

The only reason I make this distinction is because the #1 image problem that trucking has is that it's full of "bad companies" that you have to look out for. And that's total baloney. Within any company you're going to have some bad apples. It's simply the law of averages. And what keeps happening is a driver will get on with a rogue dispatcher or a dispatcher who doesn't get along with the load planners. So the driver isn't happy with how things are going. It could be a number of things - not enough miles, too many short runs, too many runs in the Northeast, failing to get home on time, etc, etc. And drivers tend to blame "the company" when these things happen. But it's almost never "the company" that's to blame.

No company policy dictates that their drivers should get lousy miles. No company policy dictates that their drivers should get home late. No company policy dictates that a particular driver should get stuck with nothing but lousy runs. No company policy dictates that drivers should take incredible risks and run illegally to get the job done. These are all decisions that are made within the realm of dispatchers and load planners.

Companies and drivers are in this together. When the wheels are turning, everyone makes money. When they're not, everyone is losing money. So trucking companies want drivers that are happy. They want to give everyone good miles, fair treatment, and get them home on time. It's in the company's best interest to run things this way. But the company is still a group of individuals, and you can't control every move that every individual makes no matter how hard you try.

One rogue dispatcher or load planner can make life a mess for a lot of drivers. But if those drivers were to switch to a great dispatcher they would likely find themselves in an entirely different situation and most of their problems would be solved instantly. I've had this happen numerous times throughout my career. You get on with a lousy dispatcher and your life stinks. You're not getting the miles, you're not getting the good runs, and getting home is like pulling teeth. You switch to a better dispatcher and it's like you're working for a whole different company - you're getting miles, you're getting good runs, and you're getting home without any problems.

So for new drivers or those coming into the industry, if you're having issues like those I've mentioned, do not think you're working for the wrong company. The first thought should be about yourself - are you truly doing an awesome job out there? If so, then you should be getting good miles overall and fair treatment. If you're doing a great job but you're not getting the miles, fair treatment, and home time you were promised then you may just have a lousy dispatcher.

The problem is almost never "the company". The problem is either you've chosen the wrong company for your life goals and expectations, or you've chosen the right company but were placed with a lousy dispatcher or load planner. If people understood this distinction there would be a lot less turnover, drivers would have a lot fewer problems, and the industry would have a much better reputation.

Great stuff, thanks Brett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

G MAN

Part of it is me. I have been having a run of BAD luck lately, with getting lost, getting on the wrong road, listening to directions given by other truck driversl, etc. I sent a delay to my DM , and I hope he understands. Well, I have 4 1/2 hours of drive time left. I'll try and get as close as I can.

Dave