First Load Help

Company probably wasn't happy .. Now the load is likely late or they had to scramble to cover it .. Had you left early this would have unfolded earlier and would have been easier for them to cover it ..

Lesson learned ...

 

Yeah, that is why I recommend getting ahead of the game every chance you get. It gives the company some time to repower the load and takes some stress off your DM. When things like this happen brag on yourself to the DM without really bragging. You might say something like" I'm glad I left and got it down the road before taking a 10 hour break, so now you have an extra half day to repower". What I am saying is don't brag, but let them know that by staying on top of things you are making their lives easier.

 

Struggling to understand the point of saying this...

So, what you're saying is that it's the OP's fault?

Sure, the company isn't happy about it. But #### happens. Trying to plan around potential breakdowns that may or may not happen seems silly. It's like trying to plan a vacation on a weekend you know you won't be sick; it just doesn't work.

And what's to say that if he had left early, they wouldn't still be scrambling to get the load covered? If he had broken down halfway to Tx, then the company might have been in bigger trouble. Now they are paying for a wrecker, and finding a driver to cover the load.

Might just be me, but I'm not entirely sure how your logic pans out.

That being said... I do understand what you're trying to say. But if a breakdown is going to happen, then it's going to happen. Even if you're an o/o, if the truck breaks while you're under a load, what can you do?

 

You can't wrap your head around my logic? What's going to happen is going to happen. The more time you have available to solve the problem the easier it is for everyone involved. If one has the time available to do the work sooner rather than later, they are doing everything in their power to help the situation, rather than leave it until the last possible minute and hope no issues arise.

 

The successful drivers I have known are always stacking the odds in their favor. This applies to everything they do, from leaving a few more seconds of following distance or taking every opportunity to stay ahead of the schedule. Some of them seem to be lucky, but are not really lucky at all.

 

No, that part I get. That's the easy thing to see. It's why I build in at least 45 minutes to an hour extra on top of my trip plans. (I'm usually not more than half a day out from my destination.)

Maybe I misread your post, but it seems that you were putting the blame on the op for the entire issue arising.

I think there's two lessons to be learned here...

1) give yourself extra time.
2) don't call the company first, especially if you're mechanically inclined. (Tip: try to hammer in a screw. ...if you quickly realize that's the dumbest thing you've ever heard, then you're probably good for minor repairs.). Learn what the code means, I've fixed more stuff on my truck/trailer in half the time that emergency repairs take to even get there.

Side note: I learned very early on to give myself extra time to get where I need to go. The trick is learning to give yourself enough time to handle issues, but not so much time that you're running your clock out before you're where you need to be.

 

YOU need to know how to do a parked "REGEN".
It is something that will happen occasionally. I can't believe they didn't explain that in orientation. You need to get with someone in the shop for the correct procedure for your particular engine.
You do not need a computer to do it.