More hours doesn't always mean more money

Most truckers think that in order to get the most miles, you have to drive as many hours as possible (10+, 10+, 10+, etc), but that's not true. There are exceptions, but if you are on a thousand mile trip and only drive 8 hours a day, you'll get the same miles as if you drove for 10 hours.

DRIVER A
Drive 5 hours from 8am to 1pm
Take 30 minute break (130pm)
Drive 5 hours from 130pm to 630pm
Take 10 hour break
Start your day at 430am
Driver A drives two hours longer than Driver B (about a hundred miles extra)

DRIVER B
Drive 4 hours from 8am to noon
Take 30 minute break (1230pm)
Drive 4 hours from 1230pm to 430pm
Take 10 hour break
Start your day at 230am (two hours earlier than Driver A)
This driver gets the same 100 extra miles done before Driver A starts work

So working the full 10 hours has nothing to do with driving the most miles.
There is no difference working either way.

Like I said before, there are exceptions.
Like making the delivery today instead of tomorrow (if its just an hour away for example)

"Work smarter, not harder"

 

Those were just examples to prove my point

 

Its simple math. Its been giving me less time on the road for years (money is the same as before)

 

If you work later, you don't get up earlier and vice-versa. My day usually starts at 3am (not exactly solar time). I'm usually off at 4-430. This isn't all driving. We do a lot of live load/off-loads. Driving time is usually 7-8.5 hours daily. It works as everything is paid for (house/car) and added over $12,000 to savings account in last six months (company driver). Reset every weekend (off Friday evening or Saturday morning). We automatically get routed to home service center at this time.

 

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If you were a team on the other hand, such as a married, then you disposed of the hour problem and generate much more income. You also ran harder. I remember Dispatch was ordered to provide us a half day every 6th or 7th to help us maintain laundry and other necessary items to keep a overall reliability long term. That improved the situation for us. We handled some loads that a solo would not be able to do. One of the loads involved 30 stops in Iowa with nursery plants in 5 days across Iowa. 30 seperate stores by appt time each day where possible. The run in from Delaware took very little time versus monday through friday going to store and store sleeping at the next morning store prior to the next day's first delivery. All told we disposed of the trailer at Souix City IA and had a net check of about 1100 dollars for the two of us for that run. We worked store hours for 5 days for all of them (Same chain...) plus the run in from Delaware and then across Iowa running through the woods on less than ideal roads.
.[/QUOTE]

That's one hell of a fine career. This report is based on my last four years of paid by the mile trucking, but my first 38 years was hauling over-sized permit loads. Got paid salary the entire time. Told my existing boss, that he may be paying me commission, but I drive like I'm getting paid a salary. Take my time and still get there on appointment