What would you do in this situation(regarding home time)

Where will he be on Thanksgiving day? Definitely won't be worried about where you are spending yours! Don't let companies own you and control the guidance of your own life.

 

Change companies; ;go to Freymiller.

 

Plenty of smaller companies do just that. Let the drivers find their own loads, pay a percentage to the driver to motivate them to get higher paying freight.

 

Winner.

The other game they're playing is the load 'through' the house to Houston. It happened to me on my previous job. I wanted to be home the entire week of Christmas for a hunting trip. I was in Houston Friday the week before. They get me a load 'through the house' that HAD TO BE THERE December 26th. I had been out for 4 months. I told them months ago and weeks ago about my time off. When they tell me that this load HAD TO BE THERE in Chicago on the 26th, I asked ,"but what about my home time? I'm supposed to get the entire week off."

My dispatcher cheerfully said, "Well, at least you will be home for Christmas!"

Not if I have to be in Chicago on the 26th! Heifer...

You lurkers and wannabes and rookies, I'm going to tell you some secrets...
1.) if they issue you your truck after you get done with the training phase, you are now, according to many companies, an experienced driver. So, whatever you're going through in the trainer truck, do your best to stick it out until you get your own truck. The game changes then.
2.) If you have experience, and a clean record, you can find another job quite easily.
3. ) add in solid work history to show that you are not a job hopper, and you can have another job faster than your travel agent can eat lunch...so keep yourself clean.

So, that Friday, I put in an application online and a company called me and I arranged to be in orientation the first Monday after New Years. I took that load through the house and cleaned out my truck. Delivered the load and parked the truck at the next terminal. The heifer was saying something about how I just couldnt quit and walk out as I got into the cab. No arguments about the last paycheck,

 

And the owner does what?

 

Owns the trucks. Pays the bills. Does the billing and other paperwork. Handles the maintenance on the trucks. All that sort of good stuff.

 

I was being facetious......

I Don't like the fact these guys that own 2-5 trucks wont hire a dispatcher/planner to ease the pain- Make a Driver book his own work........

Sure,I Hope this guy's puttin' up 40% of the Load revenue to the driver, if Not, Drivers Doing extra for nothing,

Since when is a Driver(Whom is paid to drive) suppose to have Motivation to find higher paying loads?? THATS THE BUSINESS OWNERS JOB,Not the drivers.......

that's Just Lazy in my Book from a substandard trucking company-Way substandard

 

Stop thinking like a mega company driver. Plenty of drivers prefer this sort of system. Gives them control, and gives them better earning potential.

 

lol,.Never happen-

I get what your saying- But it "never" works out for the Driver,It Never Does-I've seen everything.In's and Out's- You Show me a driver getting 40% for booking his own loads Consistently,And I'll Shut up forever.

I Don't buy it for a second- it Gives the Owner free time to go Bang his Wife or paint the deck while his trucks are pounding asphalt making his drivers "think" their on there way to success.

I Don't buy it for a minute, Hire a dispatcher for chrissakes!

 

The mistake DAX made was not steering himself home early enough.

At Swift there are options for accepting loads, and a few for flat out refusing them.
One valid reason for refusing a load is a home time request.
A load going to Denver when the delivery is 2 days away from home time in TX could have been turned down for that reason. The next load offer would have likely resulted in something that got him closer to home, with the next getting him there on time - or a day later than the date requested.
And if he was smart the requested day would have been 1 or 2 days before, not the actual day.


I have been there and done that with Swift.
If you refuse loads that are not headed in the right direction they will find a solution.
But you HAVE to be pro-active in the process.


Live and learn.
If you want a home time to be on a certain day, even or especially a holiday, you really need to plan things correctly on your end.