Plus One

Hey! This left foot spends a bunch of time pumping up and down on a piece of metal. It NEEDS a foot massage every now and then!

 

Thanks for the info Injun. This is long overdue for Swift. Makes me feel pretty confident about making a decent paycheck when I come back. If you are rewarded with miles for actually doing your job...that is sweet. It wasn't like that at all back in '09.

 

Or do it the old fashioned way. Use a paper map. Find a phone booth. Do paper logs.

 

OK I think I had one of these type of loads Tuesday night. I took it because it was 469 (500+ miles in the real world) miles delivering on Wednesday morning - the last day of the pay period to turn in miles for the week. It was pick up between 2000-2359 Tuesday night and deliver 0800-1200 Wednesday. Coming out of the Seattle area to Boise area you know this will take just about the full 11 driving time. I did it in 10 but my 14 did run out and had to park on the street which I HATE. I've turned spoiled and want my hot and cold running water, toilets, showers and hot meals on demand, not being stranded 7 miles from the truck stop in 38 degree windy weather eating peanut butter and jelly sammiches and chili beans with a straight from the jug chaser of milk. I prefer my milk in a champagne glass with diamonds floating in the bottom.

I was able to make this load work because I was bobtail. Moved myself close to the shipper and took a nap for a couple hours then went on duty when I showed up so I had the full complement of 11-14 available. If I'd had to drive the 70 miles deadhead on duty, don't think I could have made it. Snoqualamie and Cabbage plus pulled into every scale that was OPEN. (Speculating that they use red Open and green Closed to see if the drivers understand English).

So get ready to 'make' parking space for yourself with this new Plus 1 program. Probably for the best anyway when the new Hours of Service become implemented on Jan 1st. Swifties will have a leg up on the competition in the creative parking department. Drive to the absolute limit of your clock every day then just shut down and continue when the computer says it's time to go.

 

Okay, a little more on this. Some will complain there is no human element to this program. Well, maybe that isn't such a bad thing. When you get near a terminal notorious for "taking care of its own" like Decatur or Memphis, OTR drivers from other areas seem to get crap loads. This program is another way to keep that from happening. Sometimes planners have "pet" drivers who they take care of and if you're not in the clique, you get the leftovers. Again, this program is an attempt to stop this. It evens things out so that those people with the same rating level will be treated the same. In theory. We'll see how it works in practice.

There are still some bugs that need to be worked out. They are working on it. Gotta remember, it was first tested on a dedicated fleet and then rolled out for OTR. Dedicated and OTR are two entirely different critters.

Reviews from the office staff are like this: had a driver who never got over 7K miles in a month. Ever. With Plus One, he is now hauling a little over 9K. That's a 22% improvement in his productivity...and not too much to ask from a driver. The driver? He likes the increased pay check.

 

Well ... I spent some time talking with R/R yesterday. Plaus one is designed to work with the EOBR. I'm still on paper. It has essentially locked me out from Mac 30 and I no longer control my PTAs. PTA is set by the computer and is supposed to update via EOBR. No EOBR, no PTA update.

The net result is I'm spending lot more time sitting. Case in point I have 24 hour drop window this Sunday. I drop around 7 am with 10/12 on my hours. My PTA is for 0030 on Monday. Mac 30, the system and the planners see that as my PTA. I can't change it. The DMs can, but the system will reset it every hour.

It's nice for the guy going from 7k to 9K. I've gone from 12K to 10K. Peak season and I'm slowing down.

 

Another one of the problems they're trying to deal with.

I can see where the mac30 thing can be a major irritant.

 

I'm still on paper as well. Currently PTA is set by loaded call (by me) and again by empty call (by me). Never used that mac 34, I guess that is something for elogs. I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and go ahead and get elogs first terminal I go by that offers it.

 

Will see how this plus 1 and elogs works for me this Friday nite. Del at DG in Ardmore, OK at 2100, live unload and the computer has my PTA at 2200. ANyone ever get mt at a Dollar General in one hour. Then later this morning get a fleet msg, this is the busy time of the season, try and get loads on Friday that deliver on Monday. Saturdays are the slowest time to get loads. Great. Del Friday nite, come Saturday morning, and also in OKC. Two strikes against me.

 

Might say live unload at that DG, but I've never had that. Every time I've been there it's D/H.