I'm a flatbedder!

Liquid has a mind all its own!

 

Actually, in hindsight, you had an independent mind, and that isn't "The Maverick Way."

There's a difference between doing things the right way, and just doing them by rote. Maverick, expects drivers to be the latter.

They screwed me right out of the gate, after leaving a job because I was pre-approved for a position with them.

Driver's of theirs I've talked to since, have confirmed for me, that it was a good thing. My wife even told me when they had her join in a teleconference, they spend far too much time saying how honest they are. She called me on my cellphone during a break and said "Don't trust them."

After they tried getting me to accept a lower cpm rate (so much for honesty) and I told them, that's not the rate they promised that brought me to them, and I wasn't interested in going lower, I was finished as far as they were concerned. Like I said, they didn't like independent thought and backbone, just a strong back to do things their way....."The Maverick Way".

 

My problem is I don't like having a boss, I don't like having someone tell me where I have to go and when. Granted, my FM now doesn't bother me much but I'm still told what loads to take and have no say in it. I'm not complaining as I knew all this going into a company truck. What I'm saying is id like to be fully independent and choose where I wanna go and when.

I like to do things my way. I get in trouble a lot for going out of route. The thing is I don't care for a computer telling me which is the shortest route, I'll take the faster, more fuel efficient route rather than one an inanimate object came up with just because its shorter. The load I'm on now I'll be making my own route, don't know if I'll get yelled at or not because it runs parallel to the route I was told to take, but it will save about an hour all together.

Ethan

 

I have crunched numbers and ran tests. 90+% of the time the most fuel efficient route is the shortest route. It is very difficult to improve fuel economy enough to justify out of route miles.

 

What he means is Roehl loves to send us through long stretched of 35/55 mph zones with extremely steep hills. While a 10 mile more* route with more of a level road 65 mph zone so running cruise to keep one steady speed uses less fuel. (60 mph gvner) (61 in every other Roehl truck)

Maybe im completely wrong but a flat level land versus constant climbing, stopping for lights / signs, turning to the next back road, all of which uses more fuel then going straight.

 

Needless to say you are the man in charge around your truck. I wish to be in your shoes some day.

However drty just told me about the CRST flatbedding how they are O/Os. Never paid much attention to be truthfully. Does CRST rent trailers / provide or do you own your own?

 

You were just home the other day.

 

I understand what he is saying. I just think that drivers tend to overestimate the fuel savings attained by running longer routes. Let's say the route Roehl chooses is 500 miles and you will be able to get 6.0 MPG. It will take you 83 gallons of fuel. Let's say the route you choose is 540 miles and you will be able to get 6.3 MPG. It will take you 85 gallons of fuel. From my experience, gaining .3 mpg would be extremely tough. It would take a major change in topography.