How do they schedule loads?

Depends on how often you are eating nasty food.

There is a good chance you will have more free time than you want so you quickly learn to maximize any running you do have.

 

I suppose it depends on your company. Quite a bit really. I've had some loads that pick up with a hard appointment at 4am and must deliver before noon. 400 miles. Pretty easy, but if you ate some bad truck stop food, you better hold it. Today I picked up a load that had an appointment time of 1400 for pickup and a drop window of all day tomorrow. 400 miles. So, I get to choose when I deliver.

I've had a few loads that are super tight. And a good amount that I could take a 34 twice and still get it there on time.

The worst, in my opinion, aren't the loads that make you sprint. It's the loads that have an extra day +. Say, a load that picks up tomorrow at noon and goes 1000 miles but doesn't deliver until Friday. At 6pm. Hard appointment. Can't show up early... Hope you've got a dispatch that cares enough to try to get a way for you to relay it or deliver early.

 

My dispatch scheduled a load that picks up at 3:00 pm one day and delivers 320 miles away at 7:00 am next day. Do I park at shippers and cheat the logs, or should I try split break and just barely make it. @scotty68 where are you when I need you.

 

Bottom line. Do what it takes to deliver your load. If you can't. Communicate for Gods sake! I'm not trying to be mean but getting loads to their destination on time is important and it's not your dm's or the planners job to hold your hand. Shippers and consignees and your company has expectations. If you prove to be undependable, your miles and your paycheck will suffer. Just make every effort to deliver on time and you'll be fine. Being tired is part of this job, planning your trip effectively is part of this job. Work hard and plan your trip, you'll be early 98% of the time. If you get a load that is a late pick because someone else screwed up and can't deliver on time, make sure it's documented. CYA and communicate. Do that and this job is a lot easier.

 

Are you serious?

 

he probably doesn't realize that a "day off" isn't going to be anywhere exciting in this scenario.

Yeah. I'll pass on a day off at a truck stop or in a rest area if I can help it. I've had bad truck stop food before. And it wasn't fun. But I still made it 500+ that day. Just needed a pit stop at every rest area along the way.

 

Now you have two loads to deliver. Stick your legs through the handles of a plastic bag and get going.

 

Amen, worst part of this job is all the sitting around. Sitting around waiting for your appt time, or to get loaded/unloaded or for your break to end.

Give me the tight, minutes to spare runs any day.

 

How is parking at the shipper cheating?.

 

It also depends on the type of freight you haul. A lot of flatbed loads are not hard appointments, just get it there ASAP. Reefer loads on the other hand are almost always hard appointments at ridiculously stupid times. You will figure it out as you gain experience.