Picking operating hours (not HOS)

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by finsternis, Jul 30, 2017.

  1. reverendhandy

    reverendhandy Medium Load Member

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    Not so with flatbed anymore.
    A lot more of your steel, copper and aluminum Mills are just as weird at loading times as some of your DC's.
    Some only load out bound trucks between 8pm and 4am, some lumber yards I've gone to only received 12am to 4am.
    It just depends.
    But you and the others are right, if he plans to be in this business for any length of time, he will need to learn how to adjust his schedule, or he won't be out here for long.
     
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  3. TaterWagon#62

    TaterWagon#62 Medium Load Member

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    Unless he slips into a local or dedicated gig. The beauty of this profession is its variety.
     
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  4. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    Local can have crazy hours too like 2 AM start times.
     
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  5. dryside

    dryside Light Load Member

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    I have to agree it is going to depend on when you load and where you are going. If you are getting max driving time you probably have no choice except by starting your week at a certain time. 14 hr workday 10 hours off pretty much will keep you working at the same time all week. If you are starting at poor times it is a dispatch problem and should be brought up with them but waiting at a dock is the reason they started this ELD thing.
     
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  6. Rooster1291979

    Rooster1291979 Road Train Member

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    Pulling OD you will almost never drive at night. This was my whole day today. 340 miles. 56.5 mph through AZ. 20170802_200350.jpg
     
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  7. rabbiporkchop

    rabbiporkchop Road Train Member

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    It kind of sounds like you would be cut out for the Coast to Coast Produce business. Once the truck is loaded you're pretty much free to run whatever hours you choose.
     
  8. trucking.shine

    trucking.shine Light Load Member

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    @finsternis I agree with @tinytim that is your planners' job to understand your service hours. But in some cases, it's hard on the planners' side, because there are no good loads available.
    I'm dealing with this issue right now. I'm trying to help my Drivers and book 3 to 4 loads ahead and understand how we can optimize the time and get the best loads possible. And I'm thinking in preplanning because maybe I don't get the best paying load in a certain lane but if I do a combined several good loads, we could increase our Rate x Mile.
    The thing that I'm having trouble with is the amount of information in Load Boards and how to search and find a good set of loads. With the Load boards, you can only see what's available at that exact moment. I'm trying to figure out what's best: if waiting for loads to appear vs. grabbing what seems to be the best at that exact moment. I'm also trying to search for tools that help me with the planning, anyone heard of something good out there?
     
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  9. trucking.shine

    trucking.shine Light Load Member

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    @driverdriver you're definitely right... Part of the Dispatching job is to understand the Drivers hours and work with that for the planning.
    But what about the times were no good loads are available? What about when the good paying load is on a shift that the Driver is not so comfortable with?
    I think better planning is a good solution to this. But if you don't have ways to find good loads from all the information out there, it doesn't make much sense. You're stuck with "not so good" or "bad" loads for your Drivers.
     
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  10. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    jaba23, if you know the bedrock foundation per mile what it costs to exactly break even with your trucks you should be able to book a load that pays better than that particular minimum break even on sight. Time for the drivers will have to take care of itself.

    More often recently I have been advocating pretty loudly for drivers to maintain a recap last 8 days, they will know in a few moments with a load you give them will be on time or not.

    Remember not to neglect any of your empty trucks, those are a repower oppertunity should you require it.
     
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  11. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    I hope to god the ingrateful not so good driver gets to shut up and stop whining when he gets a good load.

    I hate people who whine when they are given what is really supposed to be a beautiful load. That has to be worth something to someone. Give me that load and you will see it done right. I yell at you sometimes but I don't whine.
     
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