Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

Well, here is a trip planning exercise for all. I just accepted a 2300 mile load from the Cleveland drop yard to Tacoma, WA that delivers on Wed. at 1000. Seems easy enough, 4.5 days, no problem. Here's the catch. I am at 56 hours and the 14 plus my recap between now and Tues. midnight adds up to 42 hours. The trip at 55 mph adds up to 42 hours of driving time. So, I am in the middle of a reset, I can drive again at 2145 on Saturday. Will I make it? I think I can do it. I plan on driving 4 hours tomorrow night and then Sun, Mon and Tues will be 11 driving in 12 hours. So, those 33 hours plus the 4 tomorrow will be 37 and on Wed. morning I will drive the remaining 5. The 3 hour time difference will definately give me 3 hours to play with and deliver on time. I calculated at 55 because 99 percent of the trip is on the intersate. Either 90 or 94 the whole way. I checked the weather along the route for the next 4 days and surprisingly, right now all forecasts are clear during my trip(although that can change and would screw everything up). My DM told me not to be afraid to take risks when I met him, so here I go. If I deliver before midnight Wed, that will be a 3700 mile week for me..WooHoo!!! BTW, I am driving only 4 hours tomorrow night to time the delivery in the morning on Wed. For all the veterans, am I thinking this out the right way?

 

Not experienced in any way shape or form - but I'm looking forward to reading what others say.

 

Are you going to be staying a the Econo also... if you are maybe we can get together and I'll buy ya a soda (if they have a soda machine )

I still need to check out to see what is around the hotel as far as places to eat....

Speaking of.... I know that they give us .08 per mile per diem while we are on the road... but when you were training; did they offer any kind of per diem while you where on the road?

 

there is no per diem when you are training. When training it is 64.28 per day.

 

Yeah! Other drivers looked at me funny!

 

I dropped to about 2200. By I was taking time for t-giving and Xmas

 

Yeah you can make that one. The 94 is hilly in s Dakota. I think your biggest problem will be the 90 in mt. Depending on how much the load weighs, you will probably be doing 25 up the hills west of butte. Company trucks with heavy loads and only a 9 speed don't do too good on long uphill grades.

 

One thing that I see new guys doing with their planning that they are trying here.
Make sure you know where you are going to be stopping.
Not just what town is in that area.
Is there a truck stop there, or anywhere you can legally park?
What time will you get too each parking place? Many truck stops fill up early. In the East normally they are tight by dark. And only one or two holes open each hour till 0400.
In the west you will have till 2000 or so, and then parking is at a premium.
So in order to not be using hours looking for a spot when you get to your planned stopping point, you should know where you will be parking when you plan.
They sell a very good pocket guide for this.

 

is tda a good school.

 

Hey Chrome, I think that is what's going to take them by surprise! Thinking that when they are done for the day you just whip off at any exit and there is truck parking and someone there to back it in for you! Hell, on the east coast if you are not parked by 1400 then good luck to you! 1430-1500 is when the show begins! Especially when its snowing and the parking lot is full of RV's (usually an out west occurence) or how about in Cali orAZ when you have to run in to use the bathroom and there 6 buses of chinese tourists with cameras and the bird flu all waiting to go in the bathroom! "You go now!!!!