Can i always have hours to run?

average 8.75 hours per day will give you hours back.

 

Pretty much but it will eventually dwindle down and you will need to sit for a 34. You need that break every few weeks whether you realize it or not. I went 3.5 weeks on recoup once and I got burned out without realizing it.

 

I dont understand why anyone would want to run 8.75 hours a day over 8 days.

First off its a fantasy land... load appointments and other requirements will prevent you from ever strictly running 8.75 hours a day for 8 days. Pay period is 7 days too... so you gonna push a days worth of pay off to another week? Id rather take the day off if I cant squeeze in a 34.

Take it to the other extreme, and its still a fantasy world... but do the math and tell me who makes more money over 8 days

1. Get yourself a logbook

2. Plot out using 8.75 hours each day... include 15 min for a post trip inspection and another 15 min every other day for fuel in that 8.75 hours. (so you really are only driving a little over 8 every day)

3. Calculate drive hours... pick a speed for milage, and pick a rate per mile to get gross pay

4. now plot out someone who runs 11 hours to drive... use 15 min for post trip, use 15 min EVERY day for fuel... Thats 11.5 hours per shift...go ahead and toss in two 15 min off duty breaks for bathroom... and plot the guy starting a new drive shift the minute his mandatory 10 hour break is up

5. plug in a 34 hour restart when you run out of hours. (yeah, yeah its not next year so shut up about the new rule)

6. Calculate drive hours... pick the same speed for milage, and pick the same rate per mile to get gross pay

Tell me which guy makes more money over 8 days...

7. Think about the consequences of running 8.75 hours over 8 days in a world where most pay periods are 7 days.


Now realize that the average Prime Company Driver falls somewhere in between these two extremes given load requirements, and delivery appointments.

 

Here is how I look at it... First be efficient but legal with all your logged hours...on and off... wasted time is wasted time... and most of us get paid by the mile.


Take full advantage of all hours available to run daily on your shift... Hours used today are hours you get back in 8 days if you run against your 70.

Conversely, hours available today, but not used today are hours you get back MORE than 8 days from now. So dont leave any efficently useable hours to run on the table today.


In a strictly drive hours sense, If I can run 8 today and 8 tommorow to deliver a load... 8 days from now Im gonna get back 8 hours, and 8 hours on day 9


However, if I run 11 today and 5 tommorow, 8 days from now im still in the position of only getting 16 hours back over 2 days... however I am in a better position to run a load on day 8 based on distance and appointment times having 11 hours on day 8 and 5 hours on day 9... if I am running against my 70.


What if day 8 falls on the last day of the pay period... your boss has two loads that deliver that day and can make it on the paycheck... you want the 8 hour run or the 11 hour run? You do the math.


Behind goals of safety and on time pickup and delivery, you should have the goal to always put yourself in the best possible position with your Duty Clock to help your Fleet Manager get the best possible load with the best possible miles.

Best possible miles = best possible check (As a Company Driver)

 

He asked a question.

 

U2 is a company team/trainer guy - his view is right on for that environment. You have to pack on the miles each day to maximize your pay.

I'm a solo lease operator. Different operation. My pay is maximized through minimizing miles run for each dollar of gross income. For me its more efficient to have some hours banked, and to run off my recap. Weekends and shippers being what they are, generally I end up with most of a day off at least every other week.

For example, ran through the night to deliver this morning - 2 hours left on my 70. Sitting until very early tomorrow (no need to start my 14 until I need it) to head to the next shipper, no hours until midnight - so today is "off." Then, I pick up enough hours over the next four days to make a long run down to Texas. I'll try to even things out to around 8.75-ish per day, but the bottom line is you do what is necessary to move the freight and meet the appointments.

 

very good info from the vets u2 and ironpony

 

You had the correct answer...

I wasnt trying to be critical of the question or answer... just a closer examination of the idea of running 8.75 hours a day as a daily operation.

 

I would think that it would depend on your typical length of haul. Someone that consistently gets 400-450 mile loads every day would probably find 8.5 hours per day to be optimal. Fantasy, but just an example.