4X4 out of Fontana... Inside Scoop

I've been with Interstate for 5 months and have been running on the 4X4 fleet since day one. I seem to field quite a few questions on it... so here it goes!

The 4X4 is defined as being on the road for 4 days, and being home for 4 days. In reality it's more like 4-5 days out, and 4 days home. Your home time does not include the day you are dispatched, or the day you return home. During your 4-5 day tour of duty, you will run. HARD. I cannot stress that enough. I've logged quite a few 600+ mile days. Under 500 miles is considered a light day for me. Mileage on my time out runs the range from around 2150 - 2700, with 2350 being the norm. On the infrequent lower mileage weeks... stop pay or local pay tends to make up the difference. The last day out is more often then not a fairly short day. It isn't uncommon for me to burn close to 60 hours off of my 70 in that 4.5 days.

As far as where I've run, there use to be a fairly set loop. With the changes in freight and addition of new customers or whatever that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. How I'm running has not changed however. You will see Denver and Salt Lake most often. You will also see: Tacoma, Blaine WA, Sacramento, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tuscon, Silver City NM, San Diego, and points in between. Yes, You will be chaining on I70 in the Rockies when it snows. I've been dispatched on one overnight run. It picked up in Fontana at midnight, and delivered into Phoenix at 7am. All other overnight driving has been by choice.

Most of the loads are drop and hook. You are paid $10 for bumping a dock (live load/unload). You are paid for additional stops (had 1 load with multiple pickups). You are paid $13/hour + mileage for local work. Local work typically comes about when they need a load covered. It doesn't happen often. I do 3-5 loads every time I'm out. Oddly enough the fewer the loads the higher the mileage. Sitting is a rare occurrence. The Fleet Manager plans your loads. He will try to get you planned out over the weekends too if needed. Occasionally your loads will come from another FM or the planner.

The trucks used on this fleet are 2013 Cascadias. They are the smaller and lighter single bunk variety with the full rise roof. They do not have built in refrigerators or auxiliary air conditioning units. There is plenty of power to get you up and over the Rockies. These have dual 80 gallon fuel tanks, built in 1500 watt inverters, Shore Power, air suspension gauge, and 10-speed manual trannys. We are governed at 63 MPH. Your log cannot show over a 61 MPH average for the day however. Pretrip. Pretrip. Pretrip. You will be surprised what the previous driver(s) have missed. Marker lights that are burnt out and very obvious air leaks are some of the fun things I've run across. Report dirty trucks to the FM. You may run across a full size double bunk condo with all the bells and whistles in the rotation. These are loaner units... don't get use to them

The Fleet Manager is a straight shooter. Follow the rules. Send in your MAC 45s. Run hard. Communicate.

No job is going to be perfect, however the headaches I experience as a driver on this fleet are few... and a majority/all of those are not the fault of anyone at the company. I get home on time. The few delays I've experienced are due to outside factors. Flexibility in needing additional time home, or staying out longer, etc has never been a problem. The office staff are for the most part responsive to whatever it is I've needed. The company facilities are clean. Finding an empty trailer in the Fontana Yard can be a challenge. That seems to be improving though. They are very slowly moving out the scrapped trailers and moving in the new units. The wifi coverage in that yard and the tacoma yard is pretty bad. We are currently getting red lighted at every single weigh station in California. Our CSA score is garbage mainly because of log violations. Log it as you do it...

Questions? Ask here or PM!

 

Just to update a recent run... I was out for 4 days... 3 nights... over 2300 miles on 3 loads.