Running with JCT

or if its a prostar like someone suggested it could just be that internationals arent all that great, especially if your buying the truck

 

Hi all...checking in after finishing up my 2nd full week the other day. In 2 weeks my loads have totaled 1637, 1161, 2897, 1381, and my current preplan picking up later today of 1844 miles. That's a total of 8920 miles carrying me until Tue (near end of 3rd week), with an average run of 1784 miles. So not a bad start IMO. Got to my current delivery late last night, and had my appt rescheduled until 1430 today...which gives me a much needed few hour break. As Sharpp would say, my logbook is a flaming wreck...lol. So anyway...truck is running good, weather hasn't been too harsh to me (knock on wood), now if I can just get to a Wallymart for some foodstuffs, I'll have no complaints!

While I don't know each and every person who posts here, I have spoken to quite a few drivers for JCT in person, both before and after I started here. The message is still the same. Run hard, fuel smart, treat your equipment well, and be a team-player. Not rocket science. But if you can do that, you'll do well at JCT. I can assure you, if I would have found, or do find, any shenanigans (my sister's favorite word lol) going on here, I will have no hesitations in speaking up. In my 1st full two weeks here...love it.

 

Was able to hook up with Trafficcontrolxl for a coffee (and an OJ) this am.
Always good to visit and hear about current events. As I shared with him, you
all be safe out there and take care.

 

There sure is. If a L/P program is structured so a driver has a fair chance at succeeding there are still several factors that cause them to fail. Most of which have been pointed out in this thread. Let's assume that a JCT's program is such and a decent profit can be made running with them. Here are some of the reason's a driver would still fail.

1. Poor fuel purchasing. It they still buy fuel like they are a company driver at where ever it's most convenient and top off the tanks when they do instead of buying just enough in high priced areas to get them to low priced areas to fill up they are leaving anywhere from 5 to 20 cpm on the table.

2. Taking to much home time. Even with the new variable payment JCT has a driver isn't going to make a living if they are home one week out of every 3.

3. They get on the wrong side of dispatch/load planner. If you are the type that turns down as many loads as you accept you will start being a low priority because you are a PITA.

4. They get sick. Lets face it, trucking isn't exactly the healthiest profession. We endure extreme climate differences during a regular work week and often eat not very good for us food. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart desease, etc has probably ended as many l/p's as negative settlements.

5. Problems at home. Wife pissed because your gone to much. Child get sick. Close relative dies. Lot's of things can happen that cause a driver to change his priorities and put more emphasis on being home. Which leads to them leaving for something local/regional.

6. Bad Luck. When you do an L/P, you are jumping into the business arena and with any business venture there is the risk that you do everything right and you still fail. It happens.

Also please note that drivers at JCT get the option to trade to a new truck after 90 days. For some of the high letter trucks it may simply be a case of drivers jumping to a new truck after their 90 days. I suspect that as the letter gets higher on the truck the likelyhood that the next driver swaps at 90 days becomes higher because they wonder whats wrong with the truck to go through so many drivers.

 

2010 Cascadia DD-15

Oh and while running CA we get about 6.5mpg rolling in the ditch. Crossing the TX panhandle at 65 we get 7.5mpg, so that blows the "Every 1 mph over 55" idea out of the water. Both of these are running about 75k.

 

Cali has a lot more hills than Texas. Different altitudes, different road materials, lot more stop and go in Cali too. Was it the same trailer setup? That's good fuel mileage at those speeds.

 

If jct had tankers I'd totally consider leasing with them.