Overdue for hometime?

With Schneider, about a day and a half. With another carrier, about three days if I remember correctly. NEVER been a week late in getting home.

Exception: the home time I am on right now. My truck broke down the Thursday before my scheduled TAH, and I did not want to remove everything to a loaner. I elected to stay in the region I was in when I broke down to more easily get my truck back when it was ready.

 

They alays get me home within one day of my requested time.

 

never, and i mean never less than 3 days. the longest has been a week and a half. never less than 3 days though. and i start nagging a week before hand. and i do a mac 8 for two days before i expect to get home.

 

This time I was about 3 days due to be home and in Denver. Night crew sent me a preplan to Chicago. I rejected it and cited home time. Then got a preplan for Missouri. I send a freeform asking if they were blind or drunk. Got a preplan for home. 1 day late. The kicker is those were the only 2 plans that offered more than 1000 miles this entire time out with the exception of 1 So Cal to Denver and then back.

 

On the same note, if you live in California, and are in Georgia, dont turn down a load going to El Paso because it doesnt go home. I know its hard to believe, but there are not loads going to every point in the US from every other city in the US. Thats why after you turn down 2 or 3 loads for home time, you may not get another preplan for several hours, because loads are not created out of thin air.

 

A lot depends on where you live too. Do you live in a high traffic lane, or do you live in Miami, or upstate NY? It depends on freight.

Also, that blue book you were given in orientation that is now propping up your TV? I believe in there it says the only day Swift promises you will be home is Christmas.

Now having said that, hopefully you will read to this point before writing a response flaming me, I think there are some planners that do not really focus on home time. However, I have seen guys that are due home in 3 or 4 days, and they are turning down every load because they dont go home. So, if I want that driver to cover a load for me, I will put together a stack of loads, no more than 3 usually, getting that driver home.

I worked for a company once that got me home once every 4 weeks (they promised 2 weeks). In Memphis. They would swear there was no freight coming through Memphis, even though they have a huge terminal in West Memphis.

 

Shrek, alot depends on the planners. Yesterday I had to decline 3 pplans out of Memphis. One was dh 100 mls to t-call 180 miles, then pu another ldd trlr and drop it 150 mls from my home, and then yank a mt trlr back to cols, no pay. After finally declining the 3 pplan, within 3 mins, got another one, pu at the same shipper that was my 3rd pplan, and this one, right to Cols. Me thinks that they where just trying to get me to cover something short, and see how far I would bend. I wonder if they really look at the reason for declining. I told them after the 1st, home time, and 2nd, Memphis area to Maryland. No where near Columbus, and also sit on it for 4 days b4 del.

 

I am with Schneider and the most has been 3 days, I am due home tomorrow but my load is heading the wrong way for that.

 

Overall Swift has been good about getting me home. Have I been late getting home? Yes I have. Sometimes the available freight in a certain area simply is not going in the direction you want to go (what Shrek said). The trick is to learn what locations you don't want to go when you are getting close to scheduled hometime. In both instances that I was very late in getting home, I was partially responsible because I accepted preplans that took me to remote locations. No complaints here...

 

I agree, the planners are a huge part of it. I think that weird 3 stack you had was someones dea to get you home, but then they figured out a better plan maybe?

Planners are under pressure like anyone. They get told by their bosses "these loads needs to get planned and committed today!" and they concentrate on that. Sometimes, under pressure, they come up with some weird stuff.