If the company tells you take a certain route that results in 400 extra miles, and your in a company truck why argue? Your being paid by the mile, and I assume you planned for enough time to get it there or you wouldn't have been able to accept the load. Am I thinking wrong here?
Where in the heck you think you are going to get 400 or even 100 extra miles from a company route? You usually get shorted 7-10% Most do Rand McNally miles. Post office to Post office.
I was using Redd's last post, he gave an example of a driver going 400 miles extra by staying on the interstate.
I personally know a driver who does that. I cut ties with him a few months ago after I argued with him on the phone about his route. He loaded in St. Louis heading Waterloo, IA. I told him to take 61 north, 27 north, 218 north, then 380 north. He insisted on running 55 to Bloomington, IL then 74 back into Iowa where he'd pick up 80 & 380. This guy is suppose to be a O/O & I was ashamed of his ignorance on routing. 2other route we argued about prior to that was a load he was running to Laredo. I told him to run 59 out of Houston. Got a call from him the next morning with him complaining about being late for his delivery.... I asked "Where are you?" He responded "San Antonio." Then one time he loaded in Albuqurque go to KC. That SOB went up 25 to Denver & across 70. I suggested 54 out of Tucumcari to 61, 50, & 35. He then told me he doesn't run back roads.... Hmmmm.... They may be back roads, but at 65 mph & less miles, how can they be beat?
No need for you to be ashamed unless you were paying for his fuel! lol Yeah my example was in a company truck and the company forced you to stay on their route. This guy being an O/O he needs to go to work for the govt., the way he 'budgets" his own business.
I actually came back on Tuesday, not Monday. Truck had a B-service and was ready to go. I picked up a load in Fremont, OH going to Elkridge, MD (pd miles 465). They refused to give me an empty trailer at the New Boston terminal. They had me go to Maumee, OH to pick up an empty from UPS. By the time I had hooked up and got to Fremont, I was 20 minutes late, but they didn't care. Trailer was preloaded, I swapped and hit the road. Got to Elkridge early (beat the Baltimore traffic) and had a live unload there. Then it was a quickie load from Havre de Grace, MD to Jamesburg, NJ (pd miles- 159) That load delivered today, which is where I am now. They won't give me an empty (lot of that going around lately) and so I'm waiting for the planners to tell me where to go get one. I'm preplanned on another quickie, Cranbury to North Bergen. We'll see what happens.
Hi 1nonly! I have been noticing that empty trailers are getting harder and harder to get when I drop as well,but must be freight is picking up which is good for you and me! nice running thread you have going.
Like your thread. I've been with Swift for bout a year now. Everything you are saying seems to be on point. And yea freight must be picking up too... good mty's are hard to find......
I waited 5 hours for them to get me directions to an empty. The customer in Cranbury where I was supposed to pick up was calling Swift trying to figure out where I was at. Finally someone at customer service (CSR) called me to ask why I hadn't picked up. When I told them I had no empty, they finally got on the ball and found me one. So then my evening was rushed. The Cranbury load was a live load. Then at the final, they had no empties available (big surprise!!!) so I had to wait for one. I ended up sleeping on the street outside their gate. Next morning, I had a load from North Brunswick to Front Royal, VA (pd miles 307). I got out of the truck to do my walk around and when I got back to the door, it had locked. No idea what happened. I know I didn't lock it. I just had that handle replaced at New Boston. It must be loose enough to have locked when I slammed the door shut. So I'm now locked out, no key, no phone, nothing. It's all in the truck. And to top it off, the truck is running. Parked right behind me is another Swifty with an International. I know sometimes they key the locks the same, so I figured I'd give it a try, even though I sure hate to wake up another driver. He was cool about it, and showed me how to break in with a coat hanger (you gotta go in from the front under the hood). Problem solved. I dropped in Front Royal, and I actually got an empty. Amazing, huh? From there, I picked up in Winchester, VA and I'm T-calling in Memphis (pd miles 839). And now every time I do a walk around, I roll my window down first
