Houston....We Have A Problem!!!

You need to have a sit down with your DM and their boss!

 

Freight ebbs and flows. Summer is generally the busiest season. That said, we're only 10 days into September. It's too early to call this month a disaster.

 

Call 911 and report a theft. (They'll like that one).

 

I just finished a 900 mile run that I picked up yesterday morning, then got a pre-plan to pick up a load that delivered Thursday (but could probably deliver it Wednesday) for 1800 miles.

I thought I was going to have a very nice week, until the QC message came through a half hour after I accepted the plan.

I am losing that load because my truck is being traded, so I have to instead go to Memphis to turn it in.

I wonder if I'll get another 07 Volvo with 530,000 on it, again, and have to waste more time next month to turn it in.

I miss my low miles Cascadia.

No real lack of miles, though. I had 8,800 last month.
When my DM said he would like to see that up around 10k I said, "So would I. But I am getting a lot of shorter runs with a lot of time, like my next load that is 600 miles and delivers day after tomorrow"

Next thing I know, that load 'canceled'. A few hours later I get the 900 mile load, and then today the pp for the 1800 miler.
Just dumb luck that my truck is up for trade and it has to be done by mid-week in Memphis.

 

Here's my advice:

Note: I run 10,000-13,000 miles a month consitantly somewhere inbetween those to numbers 12 months a year and this is how i do it...


#1 Use your hours effectivly, ex. fuel where you park to save hrs, do your 10 at shippers and receivers to save your 14. The way i think of it Hours come before all else! I will push a litter harder to make it to a receiver or to a fuel stop if it will save me hours. If you can squeez in a 34 on a load DO IT, get loaded and run like hello and get as close to the receiver as possible then do a 34!

#2 SCREW APPOINTMENTS! ALWAYS try to pickup and Deliver EARLY!

#3 Keep in constant contact with dispatch, in addition to my Daily Check Call I send my dispactcher messages every day letting him/her know exactly when i'll be MT and how many hours I'll have left on my 11/14/70.

#4 Keep the left door shut and foot to the floor, the sooner you finish your work day the sooner you can start and finish your 10 and get running again.

#5 Get the build a recap mentaility OUT OF your head, Run like hello and do a 34 and run hard again, you can run a good deal more miles this way

#6 When things seem to slow down, talk to dispatch and ask whats up? seaonsal slow down? loseing customers? are you doing something wrong? etc....dont yell and beach about it, talk to them like a regular person (most drivers just beach at them be the nice driver it will pay off)


thats my .02 its worked for me....

and like the other guys have said, frieght slows a little bit this time of year as well.




American Trucker

 

I dont think his problem is that he is running out of hours. I think the problem is that his company is running out of freight.

 

Or they have too many drivers for the freight they do have.