Good night from...

'squeak, there is always risk when going for something new.
Perhaps you just need to learn the new system a bit better, so you can use it to your own advantage.

I'm near Gary, IN.
Delivered at Sears DC in Romeoville this afternoon and promptly got 2 pplans.
The first was to take my mt over to the Costco DC in Morris, then bt to the terminal in Gary to pick up a t-call that delivers 35 miles away in the morning.

One small hickup. When I tried to get out of Sears I was told I couldn't keep my mt because they were short on trailers.
Wish they had told me that on the way in.
So I spend another hour calling Fontana, twice, who messaged the planners, twice, about what to do.
They finally cancelled the current load to Costco and sent me on my way to Gary to get that load.

I got out of the terminal and to Love's so I'd have some decent coffee in the morning.
Hopefully they won't run me around the area with tiny loads after this one.

 

In UT ... deliver tomorrow in ID ...

 

One small hickup. When I tried to get out of Sears I was told I couldn't keep my mt because they were short on trailers.
Wish they had told me that on the way in.

Along those lines -
A while back at Kohl's DC near Macon Ga. -
Dropped my MT and picked up one of theirs. Did 2 live unloads and returned it to the DC.
They told me I couldn't get my MT back.
Kinda felt like someone had just picked my pocket and I helped them do it, lol.

 

By shrevport doing a reset. Talked to ATBS just now. They said I'm doing OK, but I'm burning to much fuel. The a qualcom has showed 7 mpg or better on all the loads I've done except for 2 where I only got 6.8mpg. All heavy loads 40, 000 and up. And driving between 55 and 65. What should be my goal mpg wise? How are the other o/o on here doing in comparison? I don't like to do just ok, I'm not built that way. May have to start turning down anything over 35, 000lbs. What do you guys think?

 

Using too much fuel or paying to much for fuel? Not to mention that ATBS data is 6 weeks old by the time they get it to you.

You need to be monitoring your cost of fuel daily and fuel use weekly. ATBS just told you you're fuel cost is out of line for April. You're now a week into May ... any adjustments you make, you won't know their effect until June, if you are relying on ATBS for that info.

I don't really worry about load weight, it's a factor but not a dominant one. Topography, trailer, weight and wind can all have an impact. I've pulled a 7K load in a crappy T trailer into heavy wind from Iowa to Minnesota and got 6.2 mpg ... ran a load, that depending on fuel level, I was at 79,850 to 80,600 on a 12 series trailer from Idaho to Indiana, with the wind at my back most of the way and got 8 mpg. I just pulled 19K on a 12 series from Texas to Idaho and got 9mpg.

Do yourself a favor though, if you do turn down a load due to weight - and I have - use some other excuse other than weight.

P/U up tomorrow and head to Reno for a 2 drop Wednesday morning.

 

Rochester, NY.

It's strange being the only Swift truck at the truck stop.

 

Picked up in Palmyra MO delivering to Palmyra PA.

 

What are the chances of picking up and delivering to the same city in two different states?!

It's kinda like beaming three people from two locations to one pad, as Scotty would point out.

 

Probably about the same as dropping a trailer on a drop and hook ... going 750 miles, unload, go down the street for a drop and hook and getting back the same trailer you dropped 750 miles ago.

Reno, NV ... deliver tomorrow AM ... don't know what the future holds. But I know it doesn't any of the trips back up to the NW that I keep getting offered for the last 4 hours.

 

Question for all you Swift drivers - my hubby has been driving for Swift since Nov 2012 (he did not train with them, he has 10+ years of experience). He is a company driver and is supposed to be paid by the mile when driving over 100 miles, but paid hourly if "local" under 100 miles. He never gets paid correctly on local miles. He tried to get it corrected, but it didn't get corrected. Is there a "trick" to getting paid local? He's already so frustrated with Swift he's ready to quit. Obviously, he has other complaints, such as having them change loads on him 6 times yesterday, keeping him up all day, then giving him a load to pick up at 2am, which, after he picked up, they changed and had him take to the closest terminal for another driver to pick up instead of leaving him on the load. He is not short hours so there was not reason to do this. AND, again, he figures he isn't going to get paid for the "local" miles after all that. Any suggestions? I would like to keep hubby happy instead of looking for a new company for him to apply to!