Need Help. Averaging 1700-2000 miles

When I was otr at swift I averaged 2000 miles a week. 0 declined loads 0 ra score 0 service failures. You can be doing everything right and still get low miles...

 

Sounds like those parameters are basically good then, although I was told to "never decline a load" unless your trip planning shows you can't make it. After I finished my first three months solo with my temporary "hand holding" DM she showed me a number of different things they tracked to rate me as a driver. One of those was how many loads I "declined". Up until that time I hadn't really declined any loads, but whenever I got a load offer I thought I couldn't make according to the times given on the load offer that was counted as declining a load. She recommended that I call to ask for pick up and delivery windows instead, because many times the planners are up to their eyeballs in the load board and don't have time to deal with resetting the times and the Plus One system will spit out times that are tight and the planners and DM's also hate it.

After that discussion I never declined a load unless (as in your case) I needed to run west to get home time when they were heading me east. Many times, even if the times on the load offer weren't "doable" I would simply accept the load and run with it. Sometimes I would send in a Mac-22 after sending my loaded call, and sometimes I wouldn't. I would just run it and deliver as fast as possible.

They track average miles per week, on time percentage, percentage of load declines, over idle percentage, etc. You might want to have a sit down (or phone conversation) with your DM and ask to see the particular way they have rated you and ask him what HE thinks you can do to improve. If that doesn't improve things the next step is talking to the terminal manager to ask for a new DM. If that doesn't work then change terminals. You might keep trying other terminals until one will take you on (I know you already tried a few, but keep trying).

Review the points I made in my previous post. If you are doing everything right and are simply stuck in East Coast hell, then ask for home time at a zip code out west. Once you get there, then go in to talk directly with dispatch and ask for loads headed to another particular west coast location. Maybe go in and talk with the dispatchers there, face to face is often helpful.

I'm out of Jurupa Valley, and from my experience the DM's and planners have been very good. They all seem to have been behind the wheel with years of experience, and that counts for a lot in my book.

If worse comes to worse and you want to stay with Swift, then change your address to a terminal of your choice. A PO box will do, something like a UPS Store mailbox. Take home time there and go in to the terminal and let them know you moved and want to change home terminals.

Other than that I always recommend listening to what Chinatown has to say. He seems to be the fount of information regarding good companies in your location. It might be that a change of scenery could kick start greater revenue for your bank account.

 

Sorry to say, but the below is very bad advise for a newbie,

After that discussion I never declined a load unless (as in your case) I needed to run west to get home time when they were heading me east. Many times, even if the times on the load offer weren't "doable" I would simply accept the load and run with it. Sometimes I would send in a Mac-22 after sending my loaded call, and sometimes I wouldn't. I would just run it and deliver as fast as possible.

They are starting to get real nasty about accepting loads that you think are not doable and then just sending in a Mac 22. I have even been told now that if you change the times on a MAC 9 and it is accepted, you better not dare send in a MAC 22 later unless it is real serious/

 

Sounds like you need to put in for "Home Time" in California..
When you get there put in for "Home time" in Maine..

Its an old truckers trick but it works.

 

You are correct, bisqueak. I should have modified that to say that when I get a load offer with times for pickup or delivery that seem "off" I'll call a DM to find out whether the load has a window. If the DM says the times aren't hard and fast I've just been running the load, sometimes asking for a Qualcomm confirmation from the DM that the times are open. So far I have 100% on time, even though I'll sometimes be "late" according to the dispatch.

The key is communication.

Regarding any crackdown regarding sending a Mac-22, that seems to be a result of some terminals having a policy of not sharing actual windows. Then drivers started using Mac-22 to "test the window" so to speak. Perhaps that resulted in a load failure or two so they are cracking down on it.

Out of Jurupa Valley I've NEVER had any issues discussing windows, DM's often offer that information when I call them whether to accept a load. It seems really odd that any terminal would withhold the information, unless drivers are starting to lollygag.

 

Yep, since it seems the OP is basically doing everything right, but might happen to have some less than champion DM's and planners in his home terminal, then THIS is likely the best answer.

Once you get to your home time location you set your PTA, and that can be as little as a 10 hour break. This way you are forcing planners in whatever location you happen to be in to get you loads headed to your home time.

You can't do this continuously, as I think you can't take home time more than once every 3 weeks. However, it would be a great way to get into a planning area that can run you some miles. Go to that terminal and go in and talk to some driver managers and dispatchers. Maybe you might be able to talk your way into having that terminal as your home terminal (especially if you are willing to "move" there with a mailing address).

 

You can put in for home time every 12-14 days if you want. When I am coming out of the house in Ohio I hurry and put in one for 14 days later for PHX. Then if after then head me back east hurry and put in another one for PHX for 14 days from my last one. Some times I will use El Piso and back in the days, Fontana.

Today when I refused one my DM told me that there was a window so I sent in MAC 9 again with the times that I could be there, which was in the window, and right away, it was removed, saying that not in the customer request. CSR was changing times all around on this load. Really did not want it anyway. It was a CH Robinson broker load.

 

The mailing address may not matter that much.

My home terminal is Otay Mesa, I live in MN near Inver Grove Heights, and every other home time is in Denver.

When I got here in PA to work the Target account it was mentioned that my home terminal was listed as Denver.
WTF???
Maybe it was because that was where I last took home time.?

But it seems that Swift can't even keep straight where my home terminal is, in the system. My only 2 home terminals have been Fontana, and then Otay Mesa when they moved me to balance the load on the DM's.
I was living in San Diego at the time.

Changing a terminal location might be as easy as saying 'I am planning to move here, can I get assigned to this terminal?'
But I have no experience doing it, so I don't really know.

 

You have mentioned that yet again.
What is with CH Robinson?