Can i always have hours to run?

U2Exit you forgot or didn't see the word average. I know what Monkeypuncher was saying. Basically keep under 10 hours a day. Averaging 8.75 hours isn't that hard and it does keep a driver moving. It isn't always practical to run 11 hours a day. I only run 11 hours if I was delayed for some reason. Otherwise I run 10 hours or less and still make money. Also with the way you suggested chances are you have to do a 34 in the middle of BFE that's has very few,if any outbound loads. Running 10 hours or less you can manulipate your log to take a restart where you want,not where the logbook dicates

 

Running nights will get you 11-hour days. Drive-sleep-drive-midnight; repeat.

 

Ugh. Everyday? Of course, in this Fantasy world.

Think about the on duty time used picking up and delivering each day. on duty time used is less drive time available which is Less miles you can run.

Most pickups might require a scale out... not all of them are nearby nor always in the direction of your route to delivery... drive time used, Miles not paid

Prime requires a washout after most deliveries... not all of them are on route to your next load.... drive time used, miles not paid

Drop and hook? might have to find a Fuel stop to get that reefer filled. Drive time used, miles not paid.

Now think about the off duty time waiting to pick up and delivering each day... wait long enough and you might get some detention pay.

That stuff adds up for every pickup/delivery in a given week, and thus eats into your paycheck.

miles, miles, miles... now If we could just eliminate all the picking up and delivering. We could just drive around empty, safely and get paid to do it... that would be something

 

Hmm... so just how DO you post those 3200 mile solo weeks again?

 

The question was posted in the Prime section, so I gave a Prime company driver perspective.

IP gave a Prime contractor perspective.

Running against your 70 isnt always the best deal for a company driver at Prime... I'll take a 34 where I can fit it in... and its never in BFE.

I think EasySteamer backed me up on this before... for a Prime company driver, running against your 70 doesnt always get you the best possible milage load. Ive noticed that the sales department seems to have a narrow 48 hour (72 at best) field of vision when looking at your 70 clock for available hours to run...

The fresher my 70 the more consistantly I get the longer running loads... if Ive got a string of 3 or four 11 plus hour days coming back to my 70, then the planners seem to look past 2 days even out to 3 or 4 days and get me some better miles.

If Im looking at getting back a string of 8 and 9 hour days... I can resign my self to a bunch of overnighter sub 500 mile loads for the coming week from sales.

As I said in my previous post, more pickups and deliveries is less time driving, more time waiting for appointments and less miles run.

 

run about 8-8.25 hours a day so you have hours to run a 11 if needed that week.

 

Give me six or seven of those, and I'll have a pretty good week. They pay well.

 

I like to think I do pretty good... not that good every week.

Take the first 8 weeks of 2012 and I ran 20084 miles solo.. there were two 3k+ weeks. you might say not bad for 8 weeks. However, I think its outstanding considering I took a week off in mid Jan...so 7 weeks. Also, its Prime's typical slow season in Jan and Feb.

Week 9 was hometime in Florida and after that I started training trainees again. So Ive got no recent solo data.

Go to the northwest? Every load out there has some legs...maximize your hours.

I run my loads hard at 55mph, keep the door shut, 11 hour drive shifts, 10 off, back on the road... repeat.

try to deliver early...

Im willing to park and break at a shipper or reciever when parking is available. Ive waited 27 hours on the word of a reciever that said they would try and work me in before my appointment

never count on sales to get an appointment moved up... dont be afraid to call and reschedule it yourself (just dont screw it up and be late)

Believe it or not, showing up for your appointment 24 hours early and pretending you are supposed to be there does work on occasion. Put on your best confused a bewildered face when they tell you that you are a day early... occasionally they fit you in, occasionally they dont even notice, most of the time you are turned away to either park onsite and wait, or go to the nearest truckstop.

My FM gets a kick out me showing up a day early and pretending im on time and he appreciates the effort. 2 years back I took XMAS break a week early, got and extra day out of it when the reciever didnt even realize it until after I was unloaded. BTW, dont even bother trying it with Walmart.

 

Thanks for the valuable information. If and when Prime gives me the nod, I'm sure I'll be picking your brain so I can learn the ropes. Seems like you have given me much of the info I'll need to be productive already

 

If you manage your clock right you can survive off the hours your getting back... Ive been doin it for awhile. Course everytime I get it all lined up, have to do a 34 for another reason.