City P and D.

i did ltl for 25 years i will rack my pea brain to give you some tips.

get to know your customers (receivers). learn their names, opening and closing times and especially lunch times. write it down if you have to until you know them by heart. schmooze them but not too deep and remember to smile. be cordial until you form a relationship then you can flirt, tease and cajole, but not before. this is your insurance policy. it will get you a door when you don't have an appointment, a forklift driver for 1 skid when they're on break, and a "go ahead and do that stop around the corner, i'll count this order then go to lunch. your bill will be on my desk" it will also give you the confidence to re order the stops on your trailer that the idiot router decided just had to go this way. never mind that your last stop closes first and your first doesn't open until 9. you'll know better.

know how long it is in mileage and time to get between your stops and p/u's. that way you can come back at dispatch if they want you to fly to make that p/u at a place that closes in 15 minutes and you're 20 miles away. oh yes he will!

learn that just because it's an interstate that depending on time of day it might not be the fastest way to get to the next stop. back roads can be your friend at times. be willing to learn a new route. i hated wasting time sitting on the BQE, i found running surface streets cut off 15 minutes of waiting in traffic because i was willing to try a new way.

always carry small tools, a couple of door tieback kits, a spare mudflap (tied to the catwalk if you can) and know how to use them.

whether you use maps or a pc, be proficient! i carried both, but mainly used my laptop. google maps and streetview were my boyfriends and they got me to places i had never been before without getting lost. best feeling in the world.


cultivate a good working relationship with your fellow ltl drivers. you're all in the same boat, just rowing on different sides. i had no less than a dozen drivers cell numbers that i could call for directions or advice. and i would gladly take calls from them when they needed help.

if you can manage it get yourself a pallet jack, for all the hassle it can be, one day it will save your butt. a hand truck is a must. bungee cord it to the back on top of that mudflap, that way you'll always have both.

 

Donuts occasionally delivered to the people who work the customers docks will go a long way to keeping them happy, and willing to do favors for you.

 

I like to do my papers in my truck before I go in. Put an x where they need to sign and say "sign it at the X" so they aren't looking everywhere for the spot. Everyone's bills are different. Always go in and pop your door first, before anything else. Receivers don't like to sit and wait for you to get to your door. When doing pick ups always pop door first then papers. Again, don't have them waiting on you when they could be loading you up.

 

practice blindsiding whenever you can. when you come to a stop that you have plenty of room with no chance of hitting anything, take that little bit of extra time to practice. if you have trouble and it's taking too long, back in on the right making mental notes of what you can do to do it better the next time. then practice, practice until you are great at it. that will give you the confidence to know that you can do when you will have to, and believe me that day will come. then when you do it, whisper "#### that V was right", but with a grin on your face.

so much of ltl is the minutiae that will either frustrate the hell out of you and break you, or make you a good driver.

wash your windshield and mirrors every morning. yes it's irritating, but it will give you time to strategize the day. plus it's less of a hassle than running down the road frustrated that you can't see clearly. seeing clearly is paramount doing ltl. one of your main goals is to minimize those seemingly minor frustrations so they don't build up. you can then concentrate your energy on the stresses you can't control. sounds stupid but it works.

 

LTL is the way to go in my opinion. Ive been in the business for about 13 years.

Its too bad more new drivers dont go looking for LTL jobs. Many of them will let you work their dock and promote you to drive when they need you...Yes, even rookies are accepted at alot of these companies.

You will be taking tight corners, backing into to docks and tiny little places without docks all day long. You will learn how to find addresses better too.

In P&D Ill hit about 15-20 docks a day. You will be able to black up blindfolded in no time.

Care to name the company you are working for?