4000+ Miles/Week is Possible w/ELDs

Hey fellow drivers!

Took me a few years on paper initially doing 3000 miles or less per week to up my tolerance for keeping the left door closed while OTR. Finally, I'm happy [and exhausted] to report that 4000+ miles per week is possible with ELDs for this relative greenhorn.

I would hear of people doing it but couldn't see how it was possible.

Seems that the trick to doing great miles is good dispatching and decent sleep with little to no sitting at docks or in truck stop parking lots. A solid 10.25 hours a day of at least 70 mph is also important. I would still load and unload at least 3-4 times per week.

I was getting home every 7 days for 2-3 days break, and it seemed like I was seeing a lot more of family than when I was 2 weeks out and home for 4-5 days.

Even got a raise during the pandemic from an eastern European white Volvo outfit! Still got fired recently though, so there's that.

Not rubbing it in on anyone, just happy to report the good news for yours truly. I lurk a lot and even though I haven't been active much, I benefit from all your posts and laugh quite a bit too. Thanks driving bruthas...

 

Full disclosure: There were multiple issues, however the proverbial straw seemed to be that I didn't want to do a load coming out of the copper mill in El Paso, TX.

Did the same load the previous week and it was a nightmare- turned away first day due to lack of copper to load. Showed up following morning early and had to wait standing outside in line for almost an hour [socially distanced of course] while a ball of about 7-8 drivers of the same language and culture consistently let other drivers get in line ahead of us. Then, I had to stand there in the trailer while a forklift driver loaded 8,000lb pallets of coiled copper wires within a foot of me. I had to nail the boards down to secure the load. After the drop, I had to pull those same nails out of the trailer floor and sweep for a food load. Didn't get paid a single red penny to do any of that and I didn't complain either.

However, when it came to doing the same nonsense again the next week- I said: "I don't want to do that again. You don't have worker's comp nor do you pay health benefits." That's all it took. Got an ear full and told to clean out my truck.

A little background behind the proverbial "straw"- recently I had gotten a restricted lane violation in Indiana by a state trooper and a "warning" ticket for the same thing. I thought I had hit the state line already in Illinois. And about a month before that I had a restricted truck route ticket, no DOT inspection in Carrizo Springs, TX. I'm sure those two things had something to do with it, but that was my only violation/ticket in over a year and half driving and no accidents or incidents.

For me, seemed like an overreaction but I'm enjoying a little time off until next month when I'll get back in a truck for somebody else, which I'm sure I'll have no trouble finding. I think the guy wanted me to beg for my job or something, but I didn't. Aside from that, he was actually a great boss, though the truck was a dog and always had something wrong with it.

Thanks to everyone for responding and I think it's great to read the weekly mile counts. So keep posting them if you like...