Recaps or 34 hour reset?

You can run on recaps as long as you average 8.75 hours or less of drive time and on duty per day, plus whatever you have left when you get to your receiver

 

There is no good answer as it really depends on how your company runs and rheir delivery windows.
If you do the math a 34 is better. Thing is that's a perfect world. In the real world appointment times are the biggest effect on when it's best to shut down.

 

If I do a pretrip, I want to be able to drive without worrying about running out of hours! I normally prefer to run recap, until I get to a day that gives back less than say 5 hours or so. I'm not pretripping and worrying about finding a spot to park for 5 hours or less of driving. I'll take the reset, if it's in a decent place and not out in the middle of nowhere. I've done resets in awful places with no amenities, except a port a potty. I've done this a few times early in my driving days, I'm not doing it again!

The best way to always have hours is to log just over 9 hours per day, you can do the math on it.

 

If you are trying to maximize earning potential a 34 is your best bet, after you run so hard that you need one.
That is, if the loads allow for it.

That way also, in my opinion, maximizes the potential for accidents and burnout.

 

I preferred re-caps when I was OTR - hated doing those 34 hr re-sets

 

I like to take 34 resets. It doesn't directly have to do with running hours, but work life balance. My general rule is, if I'm earning recaps, usually don't care how many hours are actually on my 70. It means I've worked at least 7 days without a day off. I'm ready for a day off. However, I don't always take take a day off right away. I work it out with my Driver Leader. Sometimes they're tight and need me to run some more. So, I usually do. But, they are pretty good at getting me a day off regularly. I seldom run more than 10 days without a day off. Other drivers either don't want or need a day off regularly and run as long as they have hours to run. To each their own I guess. I get too grumpy if I don't get days off here and there.

 

When I was running OTR I ran hard... Really hard at times. I consistently burned my full 70 in 5 to 7 days. In that amount of time I would handle 2 to 3 loads, and cover 3400 to 4200 miles. If you can constantly run that hard, and dispatch can keep you scheduled tight enough... Then a 34 is your best bet to maximize the amount of hours you work. The biggest hold back to this is that from what I've heard from most drivers, at most companies, is that dispatch cant keep them moving.

I work for a company that had my reload scheduled 1 to 2 days before I delivered my current load. Because of this I very rarely sat anywhere longer than I needed to.

 

There's too many variables. Today I typically run so hard I need to 34. When I ran for a mega I typically could run recaps and never needed to sit. Personally I dislike sitting, as I feel like I am losing money, it leaves me sitting around brooding, and overall leaves me as a rather bad person to be around.

 

Well, I am the lazy type. I like running recap.

I like a more consistent schedule that allows me to get out at around 0600 and shut down at around 16-1700.
Easier to find good parking spots.

I also like to have time to relax every day, as opposed to sitting for almost 2 days after stressing over tight schedules for nearly a week.

I might make a bit more money running hard, but that is really not my objective.
My objective is to enjoy what I do.