DOCK/FACILITY ETIQUETTE 101 long format.

I worked for a company pulling OSOW.

This company had the big typical ATA meat in the seat/communism mentality. Drivers would be offered a good paying load, and then 2 crappy loads. They’re trying to insure that all of their drivers made the same amount of money. There’s 2 different ways that you as a percentage driver could work the system
A. Pull 2 crappies and 1 good.
B. Pull good paying loads only.
The annual pay would work out about the same and where the average driver is going to run 100k miles a year, you’ll do 33k. No brainer, right? Nope. They couldn’t see it. In fact, my travel agent once said to me, “I don’t see how you make money. You do so much sitting.”

 

there's one point not mentioned here.

I drove for a company that loved to run short hops with long load and unload times.

you basically ran 24 hrs a day with 4 hr naps to get your 8 hrs sleeper.

I was SO glad for the 14 hr rule, I had a full nights sleep!!

 

Lol I know that man....that particular line, I said in jest.

 

ever seen one of these. Major tool for trip planning back in the no tech pre nanny days.

 

I've only been driving since Jan 2010. There is a list of mileage between major cities in the truck atlas. That was, and still is one of my go-to methods. I actually don't rely solely on tech. I don't even own a GPS. Google maps is a handy tool at times, but i don't drive with the navigation giving turn by turn directions.. I tried that for one month of my first year and realized quickly that it was not the most reliable source for trip planning or for navigation. That's me though. Others may see it differently.

 

yup, at the end of the day try to figure out how you got where you are legally.

milage first, then fuel receipts and try to make it all come out right in the logbook.

fun times!! lol

 

Everything the ATA advocates for is at a detrimental cost to the non-megas/O-Os and drivers.

 

I found some of my uncles old logs from the 80’s between the pleated vinyl back wall and insulation behind the swamper seat in my ‘67. Guess they worked their way in there back before he took the Mercury sleeper off of it. I was checking them out and dang they ran hard. Pretty much non stop breeder cattle runs from south Tejas King Ranch territory up to Townshend Montana. And then non stop back a day later. Then a trip to Texarkana or our old feeder land in Sikeston Mo. and back. Once a week, and still be home most of the weekend. All the piss and leg stretch stops back then were logged as “tire checks”. Which was a big thing with the dot back then to help keep the gator population on the highways down. They encouraged you to stop once every hr or so and thump the tires. “Tire checks” was also a way to manage the slack you needed for the log if you got to destination early because of outlaw speed since back then 55 was the max speed. Just scratch in a 15 or 30 minute “tire check” stop.

 

The point is you're in the way and not the only driver ..have consideration for other drivers..

 

I don't *think* ELD leveled the playing field for megas. I know it did the comparison I posted between paper and ELD is spot on. Youre talking about efficiency gains in reducing compliance costs and headaches. I'm talking about losing or gaining customers due to superior service. Paper log carriers will always out service ELD ones... Did you see FLD's post? He remembers it the exact same way I do. I laid it out clear as day and you refuse to see it. And when I've got some more time to dig into it I'll dig up some news stories from 10-15 years ago that prove the megas wanted ELD implemented to level the playing field competitively.