I think it is ..........

3 months is not long enough to bank time. Especially if you are a new driver. Try to stick it out if you can. Bailing with 3 months as a new driver usually hurts you more than it helps.

 

Maybe you should ask someone what the deal is. Have you spoke to your DM? Like notarps4me said, quitting will hurt you. I did almost the samething and its taken me a while to get back on the road for someone to hire me again. So I would say something before you quit, you dont have anything to loose at this point anyway...........

 

They may have deadheaded you in order to reposition you for better loads. Personally if it was me I'd call on the phone and talk to my DM. But if you quit after only 3 months......I'd be afraid no other company would touch you. Just my thoughts.

 

ill have to agree with Nana. You're a newbie. You expect to get 500-800 mile loads every Pre-Plan? You expecting to get 3000 mi weeks? Maybe your expectations are set unrealisticly high? When i first started...my first 3-4 weeks, i averaged 1200-1800 mi. Yeah, the 200-300 mi runs suck, but hey....they're miles. Would you rather be lumped in with the group of bums at the terminals sitting out back chain smoking thru a carton of cigarettes, and whining why they're sitting, when the last 5 loads they turned down averaged 200 mi each? thats 1,000 miles right there. $250+

I get a kick out of those drivers....the ones who complain they only get 1300 mi weeks, but after talking to them, you realize they turn down anything that isnt 500 or more. (basicly) I'm not saying this of the OP....i'm just saying 'in general'. Even i get stuck with the 65 mi runs once in a great while.....but i know when i take them.....i'm probably going to be stacked up for the next couple days.

Think maybe, too....to the OP....that you and your DM didn't sit down and let each other know what you each expect. After my 3rd week of sub 1500 mi...and getting $200-275 paychecks, i told my DM that i needed to make it worth my while to stay out on the road. 1200 mi wasnt cutting it. and slowly the miles got better. You've got to prove yourself to your DM, the FM and the TM.....and most importantly.....the planners. Turn down enough 200-300 mi runs, and you're basicly telling the planner "i want to sit". And they'll look at that like,..... "ok....they want to sit....they'll sit" and to the bottom of the rotation you go. I've sat 24 hrs waiting for loads before, when i first started. Now? it is RARE i'll sit longer than 4-8 hrs for one.

And when you DO happen to get that 800 mi run, but they happen to give you 3 days to get it there.....drive your az off...and get it there in 1.5 days. Yeah, you'll sit (prob.) till its scheduled appt time....or maybe you get lucky and get to T-call it somewhere. But dont think "oh they gave me 3 days to get it there....i'll run 250 mi now...another 250 tomorrow and finish the next day. Cause again, you're telling the planners and your DM that you only want to drive for 5 hrs a day. Keep that up, and thats all you'll see are 200-300 mi runs........

 

I have to agree with the others here and D-J is giving you some good advise.

Politely speak to your DM about not getting enough miles to make some cash. Don't whine, threaten etc; politely explain the situation. He/She will probably give you the line of "not enough frieght" etc, but will start pushing your truck number at the planners. Side note: my 1st DM and I got along pretty well, so after testing me with some runs, I started getting better runs quickly. The point is to keep the lines of communication open. You, the DM and the planners are a team, but it's up to you to get the team moving in the right direction.

Also check your terminal about small work while sitting. Short runs, picking up empties, sweep outs, trailer washes can add up your check pretty quickly.

 

Well, you did get a 675 mile run tho' right?

 

listen to what these guys are telling you. Give it some time. Talk to you DM. sometimes companys have too many trucks in one area and cant get freight for all of them. Sounds like you want to be 1st string player right out of the gate. Sit the bench some and see how it goes. only you know what you can take and how much you are willing to stick it out.

 

That's a decent point. At .28/mile 675 = $189. Not a bad day for a newbe.

 

Except your probably not going to load it and unload it the same day. Then $ 189 don't look so good.