Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

hey, thanks for the info.

 

Hey guys. I was wondering about some info on the HOS.. When it's time for you to take your 10 hours & you can't get to a truck/rest stop before your 14 are up, do you basically have to just pull over to the side (if you can) and take your 10 there, or are you able to stop well before your 14 hours are up at a rest area for your 10?

If you stop before your 14 are up, say a couple of hours before, do you have to leave when your 10 is up, or do you have to wait a certain amount of time until you can move again?

And lastly, when your 10 are up, and you still have a good amount of time to get your load delivered, can you sit for, say, another couple of hours, or is it required that you start driving right when your 10 hours are up? I'd just like to know a little about how some of you guys handle your hours out there on the road. Thanks guys!

 

Perhaps this link may help: http://www.centraltruckdrivingjobs.com/contact.php?type=1 Stuart Tua was my recruiter, big Samoan guy and a nice fella. Most won't answer their phones, but seem to be good at returning calls. Best of luck to you.

 

The Key is plan plan plan.
When you are sent a load. before you accept that load you need to check the route, miles, time available etc.
Always allow for at least 2 hours for load/ unload, unless you have reason to believe that that location will take longer.
Check your hours and plan on where you can stop for breaks before you even move.
If while checking all these things you see that you may not be able to pick up or deliver on time you need to talk with your dispatcher before you accept the load. Make sure they have all the information.
If you don't think you can make it or are going to be pushing it so close you have no buffer you really must let them know. On the qualcom, not on the phone.
You want a record of these conversations. Because if you accept that load then you are late it is your fault. Even if there was no legal way to possibly get it there it is a service failure. What will save you from having that failure on your company record is having all the documentation on the qualcom showing that in your planning you saw that it was not possable, but you were told to do it anyway.

This happened to me on quite a few occasions. I always had good records on qualcom to show, and it never effected my bonuses or my getting on/ staying on dedicated.
Good solid communication between Dispatch and Driver is one of the most important things you can do in this job. It can make or break you as a driver.
You will be tested by planners. Espically the first month or so. If you cannot do it tell them you cannot do it, also tell them EXACTLY why it cannot be done, and give them the times you can get it done by. I would do all this before I would accept any load that eather was not possable or would be very close. Very close to me is within 1.5 hours on a one day run (unless there are no citys involved), or within 4 hours on any multi day run. And this was calculated with an average speed of 50 mph.

Planning takes time to learn. Espically if you get a good dispatcher that will pre-plan you for 5-7 days in advance. It is very very important that you get good at this and are good about adding buffers to time for citys etc. Espically if you are passing a major city between 0530-1800.

 

Well... been a little slow here today! That must mean that everybody is busy truckin' it up?

 

Dang ChromeDome, but you really have it going on. You not only give good info but say it clearly enough to be understood by all. Wish I had had a trainer like you when I was breaking into the biz. I am proof tho, that you can still make it by learning it on your own AND with being willing to talk to other drivers with more experience!!! I may not have understood all they said but learned alot.

Between you and JJ and a few others, I'm still learning and hope to continue till the day I die. You ain't learning, you ain't living.

Seems like I remember Brink saying something about Garden City one time. Yep, thats where my next pickup is. On the 15th. Oh well.

 

Good luck driver.

 

I take it that I'm not going to like this place? Its Americold/BPI. Is it easy to find?