How do you trip plan?

The 2 companies I worked for were 300 to 500 trucks. I'm not going to mention names here.

This thread is about trip planning and that can be impossible as I have said.

Saving a couple weeks of money that's not my issue. It's the hassle of changing jobs all the bs that I don't like.

 

Just because a dispatcher wants you to drive unsafe is no reason to drive unsafe. The DOT doesn't give you a "because my dispatcher said so" exemption. You will go to jail or pay the fine for unsafe driving, so you decide how you drive. The points go on your license. Companies that go through drivers like paper towels are always willing to sacrifice your license, health, freedom, and home time for some insignificant reason or another. It's your job to obey the rules and be professional. You aren't going to argue a dispatcher or a company into a different personality. You can't walk into a Mexican restaurant and argue them into being a pizza parlor. ALL of your power is when you decide where to work. Never work someplace until you have gotten as much info as you need from current working drivers at that company doing the job you are considering.

 

Imagine the BS of letting someone talk you into a wreck or damaging a customer's property. If your company has lots of drivers, they will quickly learn which drivers are willing to sign-up for the "drive like your hair is on fire" runs and those that don't. Once they learn you aren't driving like your hair is on fire, NO MATTER WHAT, they will quit asking you. I want to please people and I follow authority, by nature. Your dispatcher will be happy to run you into an early grave and then then run your replacement into an early grave, over and over until her retirement. EVERYTHING in trucking is always pressuring the driver to do more, go faster, sacrifice more. NOBODY will take responsibility when their pressure forces you to make a mistake. EVEN IF you had proof they were pressuring you they will claim you misunderstood what they told you and put all blame on you for the mistake. You have to develop the habit of slowing down when you feel pressure. It needs to become second nature, a habit and instinct. You shouldn't tell the company "I'm going to slow down when you pressure me to hurry up." But when they pressure you with a load give the same response, I'll have to run my numbers and I'll let you know when I can get there, then run your numbers, pad it enough to be certain that it gives you the time to do the trip plus for the most common delays you might face. Ideally, your dispatcher won't know how you feel about any load you've been assigned because all she hears is "let me run some numbers and I'll let you know when I can get there."

If you don't like the working conditions where you work you need to look for another company you can eventually move to and then move. Staying at the wrong place for you will only destroy your health, your MVR, or worse. Don't take the unreasonable demands personally. Don't argue. Start looking for another company and make sure you talk to drivers and have them tell you what working at the other company is like. It's hard for everyone, especially until you find a place that fits.

 

I found it was better to keep my anger hidden, which took me years, and to let them think I was "slow" and trying hard but might not have understood what they wanted. When they want it 590 miles away in 8 hours, I'd ask them to help correct my math not give them a Norma Rae speech about speed limits, speed governor, HOS, and safety.

 

50 mph is NOT an industry average or standard.

Bqck when we were governed at 60 mph, my company had 3 basic driver settings.

1. Slow run based on 48 mph
2. Normal based on 50
3. Miles based 54

There is a lot more than basic mph in the calculations. Are they focusing on just drive time, with fuel/inspections broken out? What's the length of haul? What lanes are we talking about?

When we talk about trip planning you'll hear a variety of approaches and calculations, but they generally end up with the same final answer (assuming working with the same goal of maximizing productivity). Unless you provide the details of the dispatch, we can't identify if it is an impossible load or not.

I get assigned a lot of impossible loads. Most times it's a B.A.D load - best available driver. I send in my safe/legal etas and they try and work with the customer. On occasion I get asked "what are you seeing that we're not?". When that happens it's a quick message outlining my plan, and that's it.

 

That question is asked because they trust your ability to offer a viable solution.
Probably their trust is based on years of delivering their loads on time.

 

No, they asked because their little computer said it was possible. The computer doesn't understand that there is no guaranteed parking leaving Charlotte heading west on I26 after 1600. Yeah, I have 4 hours left but no where to park. I could run an hour which leaves in a dinky hole of a truckstop and 700 miles to delivery or I can head to the yard and be 740 miles. Doesn’t make a real difference, load ends up getting there at the same time either way, so I'm going to be comfortable.

If they're willing to pay me to be uncomfortable, I'm willing to have a conversation, but my teddy bear prefers it when I shower daily.

 

A the East coast...
I keep looking for a black teddy bear and I couldn't find one yet.
All are brown due to reasons unknown.
Oops. Are you talking about a teddy bear that make non-stop demands?
Then, that's totally different. LOL /s

 

Bearington Bandit Plush Stuffed Animal Black Bear Teddy, 18 - 3D Puzzle Games

Stuffed Black Bears and Plush Black Bears at Stuffed Safari

 

Great find. Thank you.
It even has my usual angry look on his face.
A real bandit. I'll order it ASAP.
Once arrived in Canada I have to pick him a name.
And start showering daily. Summer is almost here up North.
But plenty of cold nights in Calgary, due to Rockies proximity.
Summer again. I can't believe it's back.