Do Things change

Not knowing what you haul or whom you work for, I would say its probably the industry, have heard a lot of drivers talking about slow freight...there are some posts on the forum about drivers making their appointment times only to sit for hours waiting.....one just the other day was about walmart...they call it wailmart on here..LOL.

People who work on the docks dont really care that you as a driver only have so many hours a day to work, and so they just plod along, getting to it as they find the energy/time...I know its not fair but thats how it is.

Honestly I think if you make your appointment time and your not otta there within 2 hours that company should have to pay you the driver for your time~like 25.00 an hour, bet they would pick up speed then.

 

It's trucking.

 

Unfortunately, i have to assume that you are pulling a van, or possibly a reefer. And yes, sitting and losing hours at docks is pretty much standard fare for people hauling those types of trailers. There is a slowdown right now, due to the season, as there is almost every year at this time.

Now, as to what you can do to improve your situation, here's a few tips and hints. First, you need to get in at least a year of driving experience. Trying to improve your situation without having a full year of good driving in your background is almost impossible. If you have less than a year, then you end up moving sideways to another company that has basically the same deal that you already have. Any time you make a move in this industry and change jobs, it needs to be an upwards move. making lateral changes that only change the color of the truck and the name on the door do nothing for you.

Once you have your year in and can start looking into other companies, think seriously about specializing in some area. Things like tankers, bulk hauling, dump trailers, or flatbeds run in a different way than vans and reefers do. For the entire past year, I have about 5 hours of what I considered to be uncalled for waiting time. In most cases I pull in, and within 5-10 minutes I have all the paperwork done and am on my way to unloading. I made a delivery this morning, pulled in at 0800, and by 0807 I had the blower running and was pumping product through the hose.

The bulk and tanker world tends to have little sitting and waiting. Flatbeds run on appointments, but the crew running the forklift or crans unloads it for you if the machine isn't just driven off. Dump trailers tend to back in and dump their loads off fairly quickly.

If everyone is pulling a van or reefer, then you are always going to find me doing something else. I have never believed that the best money is made following the herd and doing what they do.

keep your eyes open and starte looking for trucks doing something other than what you are doing. You might be surprised to find that there are better things to do with a truck than go from warehouse to warehouse. And even if they pay the same amount, if you make better use of your time and hours, you can make better income.

 

I hope its better by now.........

 

wow! old thread.

 

Yeah, but nothings changed, has it ??