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

Normally a valid point. But it was a DH (sailboat fuel, dispatcher brains) run. I wouldn't have been able to get 675 miles in a day out here (left coast). I only had one day over 600 miles.

 

Exactly. Most companies won't touch a driver if he/she less than 6 months experience.

 

Maybe it's your DM, maybe it's your terminal, maybe it's a number of things. But, I am not sitting at all. Next paycheck will reflect close to 3000 miles and, no, there were no late scans. (I'm averaging right at 2400.) These are all miles for the week 9/21 - 9/28. My DM knows and I continually tell her that I DO NO WANT TO SIT. I have new PPs coming in shortly after I send in a Macro 2 if I'm on a relatively short run. Right now I'm running from Stanwood MI to Harrisonville MO (about 750 miles) and I've just started the run so, in this case, I don't expect to be offered another plan until I'm closer to the final. Get proactive about this deal. Swift has freight but Swift needs to know, in no uncertain terms, that you WANT IT!

 

Make sure you are communicating well.
Always do all your macro messages on time and if they are asking for available hours you need to make sure they are accurate.
Talk to them in person if needed about your miles or what, if anything, you are doing wrong, or that you can change to improve the situation.
NEVER for any reason get a service failure. Always check every load to be 100% sure you can get it done in the time set.
Add on extra time for citys and construction. You will not average more than 55 mph on a load very often.
And again communicate, communicate, communicate.
I see no reason at all why any Swift driver should be getting less than 2000 miles per week. The company has the freight.
This weekend is a little slow industry wide. We just finished up the 3rd quarter, so the last few weeks had allot of freight and the next 2 weeks will be down some.
Then things will start on the Christmas rush and freight will pick back up.
1st quarter will probably be slow again, this is normal as well till spring.
Give it a few more months and see how it goes. Good luck.

 

not to mention, newbies start out at like .25cpm....

One thing you dont want to do, is to plop down in a chair next to your DM, and start pointing at the desk and say, "i need miles or i walk" or "i need miles or i'm putting you on probation/look for another DM/look for another terminal". Cause you know what they'll say? "ok...walk"...or they'll let you go to another DM/terminal, cause you know somethin'? EVERYTHING you say or do, is put under a 'notes' section in the computer with your truck. I don't know exactly what they all say, but i do know the DM and planners communicate your attitude and work ethic in there. If you start 'demanding' and telling your DM they're on probation...when YOU YOURSELF ARE ON PROBATION....its gonna look kinda dumb. Just be professional, and let them know what you NEED to keep running 2-3 weeks.

One thing i find amazing, while sitting at terminals, is how long drivers are out for at a time before getting hometime. Maybe its how they want to work or if their DM just sucks that bad...or maybe the location they're in for 'home'. One driver said "i've been out for 2 months"....i think the ONLY time i was out that long was because i wanted memorial day weekend off (3-4 days) and wanted to ensure i was getting it off, but this was back in 2009.

just be polite.....it goes a long way.

 

and some wont touch you if they see you work at 'company a' for 3 months, then went to 'company b' and worked 4 months, etc. They wont look at ya becuase they'll think "well if they're only going to be here for 3-4 months, we'll nto waste our time....

 

I'm not a driver yet. I will be, though. As a former manager I had 40+ employees (non-union) under me. Of course hours for newbies were bottom of the barrel, but if I had someone who would bust their butt and let me know they were willing I would arrange things so they would be at the right place at the right time for hours. I had plenty of senior people who played the entitlement game and were crap. Don't complain, but let them know that you are ready and willing. Remember, even burger flippers start at the fry counter.

 

heck...burger flippers start sweeping the floor and cleaning the bathrooms. =)

 

I've seen a lot of folks saying be proactive about your loads. I will add to that: keep your log book as up-to-date and lean as possible. That's your time and you have to utilize it to its full potential in order to make it pay what it's worth. Make sure you send in Macro 10 every day. If the planner doesn't know what you have available, he or she can't count on you having hours to run longer miles, regardless of what you are looking at on your paper.

It is important to talk to your DM. I call mine at least twice each week. With the exception of a couple of short weeks due to home time, I have not run less than 2,500 miles in any week. The past three weeks looked like this: 3,188, 3,032, 3,173. The week prior to this, 2,863. The freight is there. You have to reach for it and be willing to run odd hours.

 

My paycheck for 10/12 will reflect 2846 paid miles. The freight is out there but you have to put yourself in position to get it, i.e., run anywhere, anytime. Planners need to hear, from your DM, that you are a worker/runner and then your Macro 9s accepting preplans need to back that up.