Help a trucker wannabe out!

ORG your stated goal of being full OTR is going to be a good thing for you. It will allow you more of a chance to get more miles. However, don't be surprised if you find yourself sitting clear across the country from your home, waiting for a load, for possibly several days. It isn't likely to happen often, but it does happen.

You asked how a driver can only get 1500-2000 miles a week when he is OTR? It just depends on a lot of things. WHERE you happen to find yourself without a load. WHAT company you are working for. WHO your dispatcher is. THE time of year, due to the differing volumes of freight at different times.

You are asking a lot of questions, and that is great. But some questions can only be answered with a "well, that sort of depends..."

 

Hi again ORG- well glad to see you got more questions and more answers and that some of the drivers are putting in their 2cents. No one is trying to discourage you but keep researching.

Yes it does suck to have so many variables out of your control-remember 'trucking happens' and that you just have to go w/the flow. You may have your whole route planned out and day and then one thing or 17 things changed what you had planned.
Any yes expect everything to be the norm your first year.

Attitude Attitude Attitude have a good attitude

 

I wish you well.

I WILL continue to follow this thread, however, most of us already know the ending.

Do NOT take this the wrong way, but I really doubt that trucking is the answer you are looking for.

Enjoy the ride !!!

 

No one is writing you off- just remember you are going to get opinions good and bad on here. Some are happy w/what they are doing and others are POed so take that in to consideration with what some are posting.

People actually are intersted in what you are doing and asking are following the thread ( like me) and I still wish you good luck!

 

I know that we rag on dispatchers all the time here. I do it myself. But the fact is that a dispatcher can make your life pure hell, or make your life fairly reasonable.

Some dispatchers actually do care about the drivers they handle. More care about a certain few of their drivers, and the rest they tolerate.

So ask yourself this, if you are a dispatcher, and you are handling a whole pot load of drivers, which ones are you gonna go to bat for, and which ones are you gonna do the bare minimum necessary. It's a simple concept really. Treat the dispatcher the way you want him/her to treat you.

You don't have to kiss arse. But these folks are human, and should be treated as such. They do not appreciate being yelled at. They certainly don't appreciate being cussed at, (even though a lot of them deserve both a yellin' and a cussin'.)

They are literally you key to making it or not in the business. But keep in mind that you are only one of many responsibilities they have. Yeah, they do sit on their backsides behind a desk while it seems that you are doing all the "work."

But they have one heck of a lot of pressure on them too.

So treat them right, and hope they will reciprocate. You may be able to ask for a different dispatcher if you feel you are not being well treated. But this does not look very good to the company.

 

Very nicely put BigDon- and ORG since you are currently in management- you kind of have an idea of exactly what the FM/dispatchers are doing and how you like being treated by your staff. Middle managment sucks no matter what (been there) the top craps down on you and the workers scream up at you. Treat them like you want to be treated.

Just talked to hubby -hours late going from PA to Mass for 7am unload still on road @11pm po'ed to the hilt cuz of a traffic jam near NYC-po'd cuz he had some rollers stolen from his rig when he was switching trailers yesterday (cuz he does not have racks on the truck...after 3 months) just PO'ed in general. Spoke to his FM today at the DC and I REMINDED him that his FM has a job to do and that he actually KNOWS him by name and face as does his FM's boss-amazing I think- ''you are not just a number, seat warmer or steering wheel holder- they actually know who you are.'' Okay so he's PO'ed but said while he was talking to the FM he was calm and collected and made his point. So the long and short he got to beeach to me about his sheety day but he kept his cool with the FM and treated him like he wants to be treated. Not so nice for me but that's part of my ''job'' to help him do his job. I would much rather have him beeach at me than the FM. I get over it and can't fire him. Plus he lets me beeach about my job too!

 

ORG: having that experience will probably help you but like you said you might get POed sitting around. Just remember the worker always seems to find out last and sh*% rolls downhill.
About routes: I reminded hubby that it is all done on the computer/qualcom and if the route is X miles x 62mph you should get there:______ O'clock. Unfortunately as you said traffic, construction, weather, stopping to go the the bathroom etc all adds time to that formula but the 'office' does not want to hear that piece. Driver-it's all about time management!
A few on here have said ''keep the left door closed'' which sounds like good advice but you also have to OCCASIONALLY stop and do ''things'', move your legs (blood clots!) get food fuel etc.
Keep us updated!