Trip planning

I will agree that most of the time this is true.
If your running across the map and have hours to spare, it's better to spend them close to the destination rather than stop early "because you have some spare time". You never know whats going to happen. Like getting a flat tire. Is there time to handle it or did the driver stop for a 15 hour break prior because there was extra time on the load... Better to try and get the job done first.

It's risky business nowadays to push drivers if they tell you something isn't going to happen _legally_ when they have a valid reason like the OP. Could easily find yourself in trouble with The Man if wanting to strong-arm them and threaten their job or fire them for it.

Why risk running out of hours in an undesirable location (stuck in city traffic) when there is another option? An option that doesn't comprise the delivery appointment? Makes no sense to me.

 

I took a load on a friday evening out of borger Tx, I was in liberal Ks and they closed at 3.30. They said I couldn't get there in time but they would load me first thing monday morning. I told them I would be there, and would not wait till monday under any circumstance, just don't close early. This was back in the 55 mph days, so I put it in the wind and got 21 miles from there and a tx trooper got me. He ask what I was in a hurry for and I told him, I wasn't anymore, that I had all the time in the world. He then ask what that was suppose to mean, so I explained. He looked at his watch and said, it's just 21 miles and you have 19 minutes, can't you make that. I said, noooo problem, if I wasn't standing on the side of the road dealing with you..
He said I will do this in a hurry, and wrote me a warning without even walking back to his car, then told me he was headed the other way and the coast was clear. lol

 

Dude wtf? 1am you must be running reefer #### that #### lol go flatbed

 

Even when it makes no difference to the total miles run during the week?

I've had weeks where if I had 15 minutes more on Monday I could have been home a day early. I also have weeks where I pushed hard and it had zero impact - I could have rolled nice and easy and ended up at the same place at the same time come Friday night. Unless that driver already had his next assignment and his stopping early put it in jeopardy, then any disciplinary action is unwarranted.

What would you say to a driver that went 50 miles oor? Would you fire him or would you look at WHY he made the decision to run oor?

I've often wondered where the micromanaging in this industry comes from. Your responses make me understand a little more.

 

I have to wonder, how many of you guys boss even knows where you park to take a break.
I only ever had a handful of drivers at a time, but I would never have hired one that I had to tell how to drive to be on time. I was very picky, but all I had to tell them was where to be and when, not how to get there. I never ask where they slept, that I can remember.

 

I could debate that.... You might not need to deliver at 01:00 often. But you usually need to be there by 14:00 the day before because they quit receiving at 14:00 until 09:00 the next day.

I want to go home at 14:00....

 

Well I don’t go home and I always make my appointments so I dunno what your debating daycab person you lol

 

I wish.

 

It was a rare deal I ever had an appointment pulling any kind of open deck trailer. About the only times I did was when it was a load they had to have a crane come in to load or unload.

 

Sometimes you are up against them closing for receiving.