Be "On Time"

TripleSix · May 21, 2017

Oxbow said: ↑

I should explain myself a bit:

I am an excavation contractor that hauls equipment in order to support our operation. I rarely haul something that someone else owns. We rarely need a pilot car, and when we do we use our own people and vehicles, so I am not familiar with the topic from the perspective of you fellows that do this for a living.

You folks have stipulated numerous times on this forum that your work has much less to do with the miles that you run, than the cost of the entire project. You bid this work based upon the time and cost of many things other than the cost per mile to run your truck, and because of this I would expect pilot cars to bid their work in a similar fashion.

If you need a pilot car for four hours, that is most likely going to consume their entire day as the likelihood of realizing income from another job that day is probably very small. Therefore, I would expect that they would bid their work using a formula that would include a minimum charge plus a mileage charge, and then a per diem and lodging charge for overnight visits, and a return mileage charge to get back to their home base. I think it was Carl that stated in one of the threads "I don't pay deadhead". But in reality you do pay deadhead, as a responsible businessman would have to calculate the deadhead miles into their cost structure, just as someone bidding on a heavy haul load must do. I assume that Carl means that the price that a pilot car quotes to him for a particular load will be based upon the mileage for that load, and the pilot car company must include the cost of any deadhead into their "loaded" mileage price.

We all complain about competition that works too cheap, drags the market prices down, and then ultimately fails. It should be not different in the pilot car business, and I suspect that you all prefer to pay a bit more than the standard to get a really good pilot. Quality has a cost and price associated with it!

Ok, now that I have explained myself you can all legitimately call me an idiot, because I know not what I speak of!
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Most pilot cars run just like drivers do. Same deal, smaller vehicle. They do their very best to keep deadhead to a minimum. On certain jobs with short miles, they bid by the day. And where we may get a TONU, they get a No Go. Same setup, different terms.

passingthru69 · May 21, 2017

Oxbow, right on the money. Yes some jobs are a short day, so I pay or will pay a day rate for that deal. There are times I have to pay no go as well. But when figuringthe bid, I or we will pad extra in for the just in case sernerio. Super loads are a whole other headache.
Heck Big Rontonio had a late pilot car this week and he was trying to to a certain point by 5:30 as he had a sick puppy he was needing to get to the Vet..
So lateness is a big thing with us in our work

spyder7723 · May 21, 2017

Oxbow said: ↑

Evidently not if you are unable to find good pilot cars for that price. I would have guessed that an hourly or daily rate would be more equitable.
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I find good ones. They are in my little black book. The problem is, just like with truck drivers, you have to go through so many bad ones to find a good one. Also just like with trucks, good ones ain't cheap.

noluck · May 21, 2017

Like was stated we bid by the job according to how long it will take as well as other factors. Wasted time really throws your numbers out of wack. it can take you from a money making deal to a money losing deal real fast!

Landincoldfire · May 21, 2017

noluck said: ↑

I think we may use the same pilot's as well!
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Dito

pattyj · May 21, 2017

TripleSix said: ↑

"I will be at the state line at 0745-0750 local time. Catch me on the roll. Need to keep going...gotta cover some miles. Don't be late."

New pilot car. He was where I told him to be, flagged and bannered and fueled. Radio on. Impressive! The biggest complaint drivers will have about pilot cars is that they are late. Had one last week that was supposed to meet me on the roll, supposedly sat there for an hour, but when I go flying by, he says something about needing to fuel up. If you're not ready to go, you are late.

You did your homework last night, right? Even got out google maps to look turn by turn. Cliff notes on the back of your permits even. You know the curfew zones down to the milemarker. You know exactly where you need to be in order to be on time and make your goal. Can you stick with the plan? If you can't, there's really not much point in trip planning an OSOW.

"Oh, I was a little late...no big deal."

It is a big deal. It is the very first step in the A Game. Yes, I know that your police escort and your pilot cars are going to be late. You still have to be on time. Do what you say you're going to do. Rolling out at 700 means I am releasing the brakes and putting the truck in gear at 0659. Not getting coffee. Not starting the engine. Not at the fuel island.

Was doing the afternoon ritual. Standing in the parkinglot, taking off the beacon light and the quick disconnect flags, watching the heavyhaulers come in. They park next to me and we all stand around sharing notes. Pilot cars are standing around too. One driver tells me that he has a good pilot car that was only 15 minutes late. The other tells me that his pilot car was 2.5 hours late. The pilot cars think it's funny. I tell my rookie pilot car that if he can be on time every time, he will make lots more money than these clowns. They don't think that's funny. But then, there's nothing funny about clowns anyway.

They each ask their drivers, "What time tomorrow?" So you're gonna get your SH T together and be on time in the morning? Impossible. You were late today, you will be late tomorrow. In fact you are a pilot car for the simple reason of you can't hold on to a job that requires you to be punctual.
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Hiring a pilot car is expensive isn't it?They should be on time every time.When you're at a truck stop waiting for a permit to be faxed which I know could take a day or longer,is the pilot car also there waiting?

passingthru69 · May 21, 2017

Depends on when you ordered your pilot car for. I know sometimes the permit will take time, so I wait before I have my car or cars there.
The ld I am doing tomorrow I ordered the permit Fri. Standard ld. Sometimes you have to wait to get lded before you order the permit.
Oh Patti, I have email and a printer in the trk. Fax machines are so 90's now. Lol
Kinda like flip phones....

pattyj · May 21, 2017

passingthru69 said: ↑

Depends on when you ordered your pilot car for. I know sometimes the permit will take time, so I wait before I have my car or cars there.
The ld I am doing tomorrow I ordered the permit Fri. Standard ld. Sometimes you have to wait to get lded before you order the permit.
Oh Patti, I have email and a printer in the trk. Fax machines are so 90's now. Lol
Kinda like flip phones....
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That has to make a huge difference having a printer and fax machine with you.

spyder7723 · May 21, 2017

pattyj said: ↑

That has to make a huge difference having a printer and fax machine with you.
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Dont need a fax. Just a printer. Get your permits emailed to you, connect phone to printer and voila.

Rontonio · May 21, 2017

Not if you need an Oregon os/ow permit - they will only fax ....

Retarded

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