I have a question to ask you folks in regards to 34hr restarts. Here it is: How does your DM react when you want to take one? A quantifier to this is- when you want to take one NOT because you are feeling lazy. Rather you feel it would be a good move in order to increase your potential productivity. Mine seems to act like I have just asked to open Pandoras Box. As if it is some kind of great "Taboo" In my case I usually only get one if I wind up with a load that has the time for it. To be honest I have only asked to take one a couple of times. Situations where my "needing" it was a matter of opinion. You know, where you have the hours to run, but not very far. I try to stick to the "perfect world" formula for always having hours on my 70. That being said we all know the perfect world doesn't exist. Personally I do not like it when my 70 gets so sparse that I have to decline loads with good length of haul because my hours won't support it. Doesn't make me smiley when I have to watch dollar signs float away. I also get grumpy when I know that it is quite possible to run 10,000+ a month while taking a reset each week. So, thought I'd see if any of y'all experience the same reaction to "hrs getting thin, would like a restart" OR You get your PTA set on a Sunday by a weekend dispatcher so you can reset.. Then Monday morning rolls around and *beep* PTA set to "now" and a "WTF" message from your DM.
We get a reset only if we need one or if it benefits the fleet. We get one each week but that's considered our day off. If we still have hours but not many....we talk to our DM and trip planners to see what will be best for the fleet. When we were OTR it depended upon freight. If there was freight our hours would be run out.
When I was OTR, I would just let my Dm know I needed a reset, didnt matter if I was out of Hrs or just tired, no questions asked except when do you want your PTA set too. I just started on a Sears dedicated now, its only been a week and I will have to have one in a day or two, Ill let you know how my new Dm reacts lol.....BigT
Yeah I didn't worry about when I got a reset because I was kept pretty busy. I never really asked for 1, I was usually home every 3 weeks anyway. If I did get a reset, it came at the wrong time and I was sitting with a load waiting to drop somewhere...
I figure it has to do with ones DM. Mine likes me to roll till I can't roll anymore. Normally that is fine with me if the runs are good. What I don't care for is when I have hours to run- but only short stuff or stuff with too much time (but not enough to reset en route). Getting a totally un needed reset in right now. Have plenty of hours and am on my way home. Emptied out in Hermiston OR yesterday... Then they dead headed me to Lewiston. Made me scratch my head as the likelyhood that there would be a load home was small. I was right. Been here since yesterday afternoon and just got a dispatch a little bit ago. T-call going to Vancouver, WA. Has way too much time on it. Going to see about dropping it in Troutdale so I can head home. Then ill get another restart lol.
Never had an issue. I've even occassionally asked for a day off just because I want one. It's never been a problem.
