Trip Planning: Old School Meets New School

been there/done that is all i will declare! when ,and it happens,i do get turned around,it is all on me.

 

First thing I look at is the miles...if it doesnt have four digits ..I cant do it...lmao j/k

 

Glad it's worked for you. I'm anal about planning and especially now on E-Logs, planning is more important than ever. I take it down to the last 5 minutes most times. But that's me.

 

Ours is a bit different. The states route us. The bigger the load, the more two lane you'll see. Factor in metro curfews, sunrise/sunset curfews, local and state laws(all are different).

Two other things that factor in is fueling and parking. Really big and heavy loads may require a driver to fuel twice in a day. Certain states will not allow you to cross any structures with a permitted load, ESPECIALLY if you are heavy. (example) You're going west on I20, and you need to stop for the evening curfew. You flip through the truckstop directory, and find a truckstop with a big parking lot. I call them and ask if they are to the north of south of 20. (Some people won't know...amazing). If they're south of 20, you have to cross a bridge or go under a bridge to get there. In some states with some loads, that puts you off route. Next morning, you pull out of a truckstop with your flags and beacons, and there's HP. That's the beginning of a really bad day.

Where are you going to park? Doesn't mean much to most drivers, but if you are pulling high value loads, hazmat, or superloads, it is extremely important. Two safe areas for loads. 1. SHIPPER 2. RECEIVER. That means that you may want to delay your depart until you can get in maximum driving time.

Haven't seen a problem at the higher end places. They usually won't have a high volume of trucks on the property...so they will have a spot that you can park at.

 

all i am stating in my post is pretty much what you guys are confirming.You are under intense pressure using elogs and must plan excessively,as i declared in my last post.the reason that most of you sleep at the shipper/consignee is because you have to,per that elog,not simply because you have chosen to.i understand the difference between choosing and being forced due to time constraints,which then severely cripples your ability to freshen up,shower,use the bathroom in a hygienic manner,eat (unless so equipped out of the truck),etc.

Granted,there are times that none of us have the chance to do as we choose to do and during those runs,I sleep where i have to and am prepared to do so.The more flexibility a driver has(think loose leaf versus elogs),the more options there are to choose from while elogs and the like seem to remove that flexibility,hence the anal planning many drivers have to endure whether they are anal innately or by situation. Elogs,from what i gather,force one to plan thus anal individuals may find elogs euphoric.i don't know.I just get in and ride after i perform the basics of getting me to where i am going. I may one day have to learn to be more rigid in my planning but i do not plan to as i type.was that a pun?

specialty hauls and the like are always an incongruent part of the variable as you are under a different set of restrictions from the onset and planning is,for the most part, a necessity,not an option.

my planning,or lack there of, will remain a constant for now.

 

I don't think it's intense pressure. At first, yes. Now? Not at all. I plan my day because it makes my life easier. There's no wondering or sweating it anymore. Planning takes the pressure off.

 

cool.That is why i said I don't know.I don't. I can imagine at first that there is plenty of pressure to get it right and acclimate to a system that you must adhere to.It is probably coming to us all but hopefully i'll be out of it or in something else by then.talk about total situational disarray if elogs were to be forced on me.

perhaps not.i have managed to make it this long.there has been a few big changes during my trucking career,the least of which was the computer controlled truck,the actual cdl(grandfathered in),and a couple or so HOS regs.yeah the gray is working its way in but at least my hair is all there.

thanks for the reply-

 

In almost five years of driving, I was never officially late for pu's or del's. Unofficially, maybe 3-4 times and only once over 30 min. That 30 min is where I learned a lesson. First, I use Microsoft Street and Trips with GPS running on a laptop on the passenger seat. 17" screen zoomed in a bit so street names are easy to read. I find this safer than squinting at a 5" Screen. A quick glance will show you where you are and because of the size, relation of what is around you, so you can anticipate exits a mile or so ahead. This is made easier using an overhead view. I use S&T to route myself, DOUBLE CHECKING with Rand McNalley trucker map for truck routes and low bridges. I also learned to ZOOM in and follow the route to see where it takes me. Sometimes you can just look at a route and see how curvy it is and know it might not be the best route. I can grab the route plotted and move it where I need to be for truck routes or just through experience I know is better. I also set S&T to use major highways over side roads, and average speed of 60 MPH so when I give an ETA based upon S&T tells me, I was almost always dead accurate if not sooner. You can also use S&T to set pincushions for places, like shippers, receivers, hidden parking spaces, and good restaurants and color code them so you know which is which. Lastly, I would use Google satellite and street view to get yourself familiar to what you are getting into. Sometimes you can read from Google street view which entrance you need to take as well as check for one way streets. No GPS mapping program is 100% accurate so do your research before hand and use your brain. Lastly, directions from other drivers and customers are usually accurate so I would map S&T using their information.

Now, that time I was late, S&T routed me to a place that was 100% accurate, only that city had two streets with the exact same (not even E,W,N,S ) name. It looked like an industrial area and I was in a hurry so I did not check with customer. sat view, or Q-Comm directions. Ended up having to back up a mile or so on narrow country roads before I could turn.

 

Hi.I'm technophobe.You must be technogeek. great to meet you sir.

all joking aside,THAT is some planning and it has apparently paid off over the 5 years.KUDOS.I just glanced over at my 2012 motor carrier's road atlas,paper version,and told her she's still my partner and my belief in her has not wavered-