Need Help. Averaging 1700-2000 miles

The advice about running your time out is partially wrong. You have a FM, planner and location issue all rolled into one. The lanes you're running are horrible and you are getting stuck in them. You should talk to the terminal manager for a new FM. Your travel agent (FM) is not looking out for you and only you can do that. Even only staying out 2 weeks at a time you should get better than that. My company has a .10 per mile bump for anything above MD which makes up for shorter miles.

If you don't get the satisfaction you want then switch companies. Do put in notice via QM. Expect either no miles or the promise of miles at that point. Do not just drop the truck anywhere or at a terminal. Like said before take pics or vid of it. If the shop does an exit inspection, even better.

I run between 2 and 4 weeks and the worse I've had was about 1900 because of being in the shop for 3 days. Some days I'll run my time out and others I won't. With 4 weeks out I have never done a reset. Ran from Richmond to Alberta and back on recaps at 3200 miles each week. We have a bunch of guys that live in FL. One trainer lives near Palm Beach and only stays out 2-3 weeks and runs about 3400-3600 solo but about 6000-7000 training.

 

But if you're not running your hours out, then you're potentially starting your clock to run to the consignee/shipper, then sitting there and wasting more of your clock to get loaded/unloaded. E logs and this 14 hour stuff kills your day fast when you have to wait for hours to load or unload. I'd just rather get to where I need to, than sit at a truck stop and waste my hours. The only time you have to worry about a lot violation is when your red light is blinking. Proper trip planning helps a lot as well. Stopping with 1.5 hours on the clock shows that he hasn't planned his trip and is just stopping because he may not know of another truck stop an hour down the road, or that he could push it in to where he's going. Could just be lack of confidence as well. Lots of factors could be going into his miles being so slim. But I would definitely start with my DM.

 

put your hometime somewhere out west. that way it gets you out of that planners area.

 

Push your DM also like others said show up early.(like me now my appt is for 1300 its now 07:30 they said give them 2 hours and I will be on the road) Turn the CRAP down Swift is not forced dispatch. 1 mt 23 loaded say yes if its drop and hook now and back me up with at least a 600+ mile load. if your DM does not help you switch terms you CAN do that.

Hang in there your first year is the toughest.

 

That's about what I was averaging too. A lot of their loads are crazy tight. A driver has to have no fear of log falsification for example if the load picks up at 1400 100 miles empty and delivers 500 miles away at 0700,Typically you get the load offer about 1200 so right away you have to edit your logs to show a pretrip and leave to pick it up. Then drive straight thru to the final and immediately log sleeper for 8 hours which depending on if you got fuel and a 30 minute beak during the night will be up around 0730 or so.

Loads like this I would ask for delivery window 50/50 chance they would tell me or it would be a firm appointment. I would turn it down for possible log violation but many Swift drivers these are their bread and butter loads.

Sent arrive at final around midnight and do all checkin and docking while logged sleeper til time comes back on elogs. because Weigh Station Bears don't know how to read elog data Swift driver gets away with murder in this way lol.

Swift is sorta 2 headed beast, Swift Safety preaching stay 100% legal at all times and Swift Planning, push til the last possible minute and service the customer at all peril.

 

LMAO...YePp..that's the way it GOES...BeEn TheRe DoNe ThAt!

 

contact the fleet manager of the terminal you would like to switch to and he/she will call your current fleet manager and if they have room for you and your FM doesn't have anything bad to say about you they will switch you right then and there.

 

BTW Jonestown is my least favorite terminal, as far as the personnel go. Any one I come in contact with who is starting out in Jonestown I always tell them to switch home terminals ASAP.

 

Find a company that'l pay you at least $0.41cpm, otherwise move to Colorado and haul sand-water-or crude, you'll average $60,000 but won't have a life, many days with little sleep and will never start at the same time ever. Also, you could work directly for the oil companies, many work you 12 hour shifts for 3 weeks, 7 days off. North Dakota and Texas pay more, but you gotta deal with extreme weather and high cost of living. Otherwise, look at local dry powder, grain, liquid, gas or food hauling. Stay away from Central Refridgerated(0.29cpm). Also, might try Schneider National; that's were I started, teams, I averaged $47k, but remember not to voice your opinions with your codriver, simply find a new one as soon as you realize you cannot put up with their style any longer. Hope that helps.