Grocery team driving HOS tips/tricks

That's the exact reason I dont do grocery anymore. You get threatened by safety if you run hard (illegal) but then are threatened by dispatch if you don't. When I ran for Albertsons, there was one dispatcher who was notorious for setting stops 2 hours apart regardless of transit times and would then scream at the drivers when the stores called looking for their freight. My last run there, I was sent on a 3 stopper all the way into northern Montana from North Salt Lake. Each store had a minimum of 120 miles between them, then 45 minutes to an hour unloading to pissed off store employees. Came back and he was screaming so hard that spit was flying out of his mouth. Having seen him do this before I knew he was just waiting for me to start screaming back so he could smirk and retaliate and then call the dock bosses and say " I just had driver wig out on me. I don't know why he did that".

Screw grocery.

 

I would quit, that aggravation will escalate until someone "goes postal"

 

Time to move on down the road, you’ll never win in this situation.

Better luck with a new employer!

 

If you are two drivers in a sleeper truck, you are a team. There should be like freaking 140 hours availible to both of you out of a total of 168 hours in a week to drive. That's enough to cross the USA twice. We have done it.

Trip planning is key here. If you are told to be somewhere say... from Little Rock to ... Harrisburg PA that's about between 1100 miles to 1250 or so on the ground roughly, divided by 35 mph average you already know you will consume 31 hours driving time to get there. Loading, stops and unloading plus stops etc add time.

Communication is key. If you know you are going to be late, call in and have a new appointment time made.

Logs HOS is a legal document. If you lie in it, then sign it, you will be caught and then properly prosecuted and fined if not also placed OOS for it. Then you stand for being fired etc for cause.

When your driving time is UP it's time to go off duty at home or into the sleeper berth. STAY there until your entire time is up and you have hours to drive again. DO NOT MOVE A INCH. Remember HOS is there to protect you.

There are laws against anti corection. If dispatch is telling you to bust the HOS and run er or prohibiting you from using sleeper on your truck threatening you with firing etc... open a ledger pad and start keeping a documented in writing with date, time, names.. name names who said what to you. Build on that. You will need that information later if you DO get fired at unemployment.

Stick to your log book, When it's time to stop and sleep or go off duty, DO IT. Let the truck burn down for all you care. Don't be weak against a predatory dispatcher and move on...

One small word you need to use "No." its a very powerful word. If they fired you for saying NO then that's that you don't want to work for that ####ty outfit. Ive been there.

Ive already got a big clue from your post saying sleeper is not allowed to be used. WTF?! Its there on that truck, it's assigned to you. USE The #### thing. Dispatch be ######.

 

Get up and help the other guy. Logs be ######. Peoplenet too.

But do not require it of your teammate. That way it's strictly a volunteer thing. I can get really bad and question getting up to go take care of nature or a midnight snack or whatever, that going to get regulated too? How bout a shot of profofol to ensure you out 10 hours in that sleeper?

I don't know how many times Ive slept a little bit, sometimes getting up to keep wife company or perhaps helping out off the books for something small or even unloading. As long you got 4 hours in, a full cycle to REM and back you have rested somewhat. Most people do a full day on 6 hours sleep with no problem. The other 4 hours becomes free to do whatever off the books.

4000 pounds is a bit much down a ramp. That's like two pallets. And probably was.... Most people in my area when they deliver to a store or something, they are not going nuts rushing about tossing stuff into the place. They get done when they get done and not a minute before.

Dispatch is silly for imposing a 40 minute limit on a stop. Freight does not get moved in 40 minutes sometimes. Other times Ive had 30 plus kids climb into a trailer and off load 8 pallets of freight in about 6 minutes flat. What would have been hours unloading and counting as we go.

There were many things that consumed small amounts of time here and there not logged. As far as the company and law is concerned my ### is in that sleeper. But in reality I might be doing small things and up to help spouse. And vice versa. Sleep will take care of itself.

The biggest remaining problem is the dictatorial dispatcher saying you have to be gone in 40 minutes out of a stop. Tell him #########. Forget it. You will be finished with the stop when the customer SIGNS the BOL DELIVERED IN FULL and not a minute before. It might be a while.

I tell you this, it's time you find another company. This will not end well with the constant conflicts over small things. They say a spark can burn a mighty forest, and you two are going to be the first thrown under the bus....

 

My perspective would be succinct with the others here...too stressful, too negative, too many other opportunities out there!
The truck doesn’t drive itself (yet), and until it does you are as much of a commodity as that freight.
If you don’t value yourself, your time, and the sacrifices it takes to perform in this industry...no one will.
Keep looking. The world is full of possibilities.