Plus One

I hope you didn't accept it.

 

While getting tires replaced in Laredo yesterday I was talking to another driver that was in for repairs.

He has been solo for 2 weeks.
He said he was glad for the break because they were running him very hard. The last load he barely had time for a quick pee break, and was nearly late.
All of his loads have been like that - not nearly enough time, then he barely has time to get to his next load.

I explained Plus-1 to him, and how to turn down/adjust loads like that by adjusting the pu and delivery times to show more reasonable times.

I'm surprised his mentor didn't explain things to him. Poor guy was ready to collapse.

 

Nope, took a JIT load... Much more flexible when it comes to planning... I like JIT loads... They seem to be planned so you can actually make the run on time... Go figure

 

They need to do away with this plus one system! I'm frankly quite sick of it.The one biggest thing I learned coming up thru Swift(all the way from their driving school) do not rush things! And i dont mean be lazy and slow about stuff,just keep your mind clear know where you are going thru planning then execute with out rushing! 5 hours now since drop off,think they forgot about me,or maybe its just early,then a blizzard of pp,all of them 2-3 hr pu appt,no time to really plan it,(theoretically enough time to get there if i go now!) if i know the facility no problem,but when i have to locate and determine the "real" miles and thus drive time,factor in approx times spent pu and unloading,checking my hrs,looking at a google map or getting directions from the quallcom or gps.......then as an l/op i need to see if the pay will fit for this week and or next week......then the fxxxing thing expires on me,or i put alternate times in,it gets taken off me? And I have been mt for 5 hrs now! if i got it earlier then i can do any of them! could have gotten in position for the pu time early,or on time......and then when i do get the load,have to sweat a sf if i need to take a break,tired or what ever! Plus the fact that the Times are hidden from me,I didnt sign up for this crap! Is that the way to treat a business partner? Hide the real times from them..........hasn't help my miles at all! Am I fighting it some? yeah,because I don't like information hidden from me at all! I'll work hard,but give me something doable!Because I have a CDL,and a nice clean record here at swift I'm not going to rush things to satisfy a computer generated time. I read and hear everyday about you guys not even feeling like you cant stop to even use the restroom.....that doesn't seem right does it?

 

I have gotten to point now that when I get a pplan and accept then when the load assign comes accross, and all of a sudden my open window has changed to a appt, I just send a mac 22, give them a reason, ld accepted was open. Plus one does not drive this truck. I have talked to a few DM's, and they all agree, as far as Plus 1, us L/O should have not been forced onto it. We are in control of our trucks, not the computer.

 

Threw big old fit directed all my msgs to S.S. my pod leader,told her as much,and asked to OPT OUT OF PLUS1,got a message back no go,it is company wide,cant opt out! I never asked for it!........I even had a planner from Decatur send me a message to call him about the load i finally settled on.....know what he told me???? Said when I get a tight load ask my dm to adjust the times...........guess what my pod leader says always????/ blsqueak knows....if you cant make the pu or del time decline load,well i could do that all day then!!!! so pod is really no help either,think i might want to go back to traditional dm/driver relationship,more accountability that way.........

 

Fr8, that was one of the battles that I had with that POD. PPLAN says this, now the assign says this. I accepted what the PPLAN says, not what the assign, so S. S. and C would try and give me a ration of crap, out comes MAC 22. I have heard today that this Plus 1 might become part of the law suit, because the Plus 1 is making us become more of an employee and not Independent Contractor since they are now telling us when we have to work and how we have to work. FR8, since I have transerred, I have never been happier. Miles are up, and actually have someone nice to talk to on the phone, that actually helps and understands. I think something is going on with the POD, considering the msg that came out a few weeks ago, asking the drivers how the pod was.

 

FR8, it sounds like you are in the same boat as my hubby. He's out of Decatur too, and he's really hating it. The only difference is you're an owner and he's a company driver, so he gets to put up with the bad loads, or no loads at all, plus he gets attitude from the planners, the DM, and especially the weekend crew. Seems like the "higher ups" at Swift would want to look into how Atlanta is managing its drivers. A few days ago, he got a PP for 500 miles and they gave him 8 hours to do it. When he declined it, he got screamed at for letting it go because his DM said it was doable. When he pointed out that there was no time figured in for the mountains of West Virginia, no pee break, no time figured in for fueling...he got told that she had been doing this for 30 years and if she said there was time, there was time! She might have an attitude, but at least she does try to give him something. If he doesn't have a load to carry him through the weekend, he can forget about getting one from the weekend crew, they won't even talk to him, and he even had one tell him to "fend for himself" because they were "too busy fielding phone calls and answering QC messages" to help him when the truck broke down and he was stranded on the side of the freeway. Maybe my expectations for what a DM and planners should be are set entirely too high? He's VERY green around the edges in the transportation industry, maybe this is just how it is everywhere, and if not, where is it any better?

 

Hey wilma,no,I'm not out of the Decatur terminal,I was just there for a night (its ok tho) I am actually from "the devils spawning ground" it's self(cue the scary music.....) Corporate Hdqtrs Phoenix Az.But have been in decatur plenty enough and yeah,there is a whole lot of attitude around there sometimes,but have to say also some of the nicest,most helpful people swift has that I have encountered.......and just because I am a lease operator dont think that I dont get the same crap,only difference is I have lived it,so have more experience than your hubby......just takes knowing a place for awhile,he'll figure it out."But the first year is tough" my main message on that is know the job keep the job,and he really has to love doing it,despite the crap,and believe me,if he survives the first 6mo-12 mo.He will make it in this industry.We where all green and came from different fields to start doing this.The plus1 system is new to us all and those that knew the old way that swift planned probably complained there was to much time on the loads,and for most that was true,all of that will improve slowly for hubby,he needs to take it one load at a time.By the end of a year he will be making 33% better pay per mile than now,getting longer and better loads,and maybe Swift will find some middle ground instead of going to such an extreme like they have with this,besides especially with new people,"do not rush with things,still need to plan,plan,plan..." then execute....best he can do...good luck to him and you on the home front.........

 

Hubby got a call from his dm saying he is doing a good job. He was so thrilled when he called me to tell me that. I was happy for him. Been a long time to hear him sound like that.