Good Night From II

We have had similar, but different experiences.

I started in SoCal out of Fontana in 2010. Good people there and my first DM told me what she considered a true home time.
3 days off means 3 full days, meaning midnight to midnight off duty time. Even if I got home at 0600 it didn't count towards a home time day, because I worked that day. I used that standard going forward.
I got home every 4-5 weeks for a 3 day home time. If I delivered my load on Monday I would take Tuesday through Thursday off and have a PTA of 1000 Friday. I was about 30 minutes from my truck, and I didn't want to get up super early on my last home morning. I need the relaxing time in the morning for my coffee and packing things up.

I never ran peddle to the metal hard during my 14 years with Swift. I averaged my time so that I could have decent breaks and run mostly during the day.
Sometimes that didn't work out, but not often. I really hated 34's so I averaged my time to stay running between home times.

And sometimes you have to push back and say no.
Case in point... I ended a load at 1100 and they wanted me to pick up a load at midnight. I said no because I would get no sleep.
They said that I am allowed a 10 hour break and then be on duty and ready for another load.
I told my DM that I got up at 0600 and delivered my load, and that I would not be getting any sleep before 2200. I am not a machine to be turned on and off at whim and I won't run like that. Not those exact words, but you get the point.
That was the end of the story and I was never bothered with that problem again.

No retaliation, by the way. Just as using the mac9 to my advantage has never caused me any problems.
I love mac9. It gave me relative control over the loads I wanted to run vs the ones that would leave me in a bad spot.

And I have found that the smaller terminals are much better to work in.
I started out in Fontana, was transferred to Otay Mesa, then went to Inver Grove Heights after I moved to MN. After IGH closed down as a terminal I was transferred to Menasha, WI.
All small terminals with happy drivers because everyone from the mechanics to the Terminal Leader are friendly and helpful people that really care.
At Menasha nearly 45% of the drivers are million+ mile drivers and have been with Swift more than 10 years.
Most of the complaints are from younger drivers in the larger and more dense terminals.

And, personally, I never found it to be hard work unless I had to crank a landing gear up or down with a very heavy load.
Trucking was one of the least stressful jobs I have had. As a comparison... Security guard, waiter, bartender, computer tech.
I worked longer at Swift and I made more at Swift than any other time in my life, which really helped with that SS check.

 

I said it before, and I’ll say it again, never thought I’d be happy to get a load going down into Long island, but with the drop bonuses this might be one of the best paying loads I’ve ever taken. Another day in paradise

 

How does your home time work on this account? Do you have to park at the DC and go home from there? Set days off or random?
Also do you have an assigned truck or is it slip seating?

 

You’re assigned to a truck if you stay out for two weeks/a month at a time, if you go home every night/34 you slip seat. Once your on the account (no longer “surge” or just helping) then you move your car up there, and you can take a weekend every 2 weeks or 4 days off 4 weeks/a month on.

 

You’re assigned to a truck if you stay out for two weeks/a month at a time, if you go home every night/34 you slip seat. Once your on the account (no longer “surge” or just helping) then you move your car up there, and you can take a weekend every 2 weeks or 4 days off 4 weeks/a month on.

 

All depends on the company.