OK, I have been employed for about 6 months and I am seeing a few issue's that when I was hired had no idea that I would come across. Is it normal to only average 1800 miles a week, this is the time when freight is moving..isn't it? Why is it I spend more time in the shop due to trailers not being properly maintained and issue's not being taken care of, such as bad tires, lights not working, ratchets not sliding to secure straps?
Well there is a ton of variables for as to why your only averaging 1800 miles per week. I'm sure that you know what many of them are. As far as trailers go...it is a problem that most of us on here have discussed. For some reason drivers are not getting the trailers in for PM or to get things fixed. I had one last month that was 14 MONTHS over due for a PM. I heard it mentioned by someone (Sewerman or Jim) on here that there should be a reward for taking a trailer in for maintenance. I really wish that were the case.
The only way a trailer doesnt get serviced is if it sits at a customer. As long as its attached to your truck it will be serviced when your truck is,so its not a driver issue per se. Like evile syated your mileage has many variables. Are you utilizing all available hours? How long are your breaks? Those two are the ones you can control.
Can you explain what you mean when you say you are starting the week with "x" amount of miles? How do you do that and does that shorten next weeks miles?
The load that you pick up the previous week and deliver on Monday or sometimes Tuesday, that is the first load of the.pay period. However many miles.it.is, that is.what you start with. The best way to start the.week in my opinion, is to spend the night.at the.receiver on Sunday. That way you do not.start your clock until.you have your next load assignment. You then have all your hours to get your next load and.get.down the road. If.you do not deliver until.10 every Monday, you are putting.yourself.in a hole.
Well, as far as breaks..I take my 10 hr, like I am supposed too. I do my 15 min, pti daily and I do my 150 mile load checks. That's it... I get often dispatched on a load mid day, get there, load, tarp( if needed) and then run as many miles as I can...right down to the last 15 min..usually. Then I run the rest of the miles next day..averaging 500 miles per trip, but over 3 trips tha'ts only 1500 miles for the week. based on using 2 days to make the trip. This happens all the time.
As far as monday's I have been getting loads on thursday..and having to wait on delivery till monday morning. An the sad thing is the load is usually 600 miles or less..
