How much time do you have to get your load to its destination?

Thank you for this picture... This one explains it all... I was suspecting that is what happened.... but couldn't see it in the first picture...

 

I didn't mean to say that you were accusing Dino of anything... Sorry if I gave that impression... However, by looking at the first picture he posted, it seemed to me that he committed a violation... I guess you had the same impression because of your comment about "screaming QC..." And I was wondering... if Dino had indeed committed a violation (no judgement or criticism here), how he dealt with that awful screaming QC.... Anyway, his second picture showed he was never in violation. Good for him.

 

Dragging a rock bucket is quite a bit different than the boxes, refers and flatbeds. Most of the time there is no set time limit. However we haul Fly-ash and Kiln Dust. That stuff is to be delivered to a construction site at a specific time, because they only have so many hours to get it mixed into the ground. My dispatcher has been known to setup loads that are far enough apart, so you have to keep the left door shut and haul butt to make it. He used to be a driver, has ran these routes, and knows how long it takes. I get paid %, based on weight, not mileage. So if you dilly-dally around you can miss a load, thus costing you.

Most of the time I'm eating while rolling. The exception to that is when I must take a 10.

 

How much time?????

Your not there yet? It's only ----- far on the map.....

 

Swift has implemented a program called Plus 1 which means the computer sets the earliest possible delivery time according to the parameters set in the software which is something like 30 minutes per 500 miles or something. Thousands of Swift drivers are sending in their qualcomm late macros every day and the driver managers spend an inordinate amount of time replying back to these messages that the true delivery time is well after the 'late' time the driver sent in on their late macro. Meanwhile drivers with true legitimate problems get lost in the mix of thousands of messages going across the network due to all the late macros and replies flying back and forth.

But it is all designed to get you and Swift that extra load a week if you were to make the computer's delivery times.

For the leased operators, (Swift's business partners) this can be a raw deal because they are tacitly encouraged to drive their trucks to the maximum speed which indeed helps Swift but is not necessarily a 2 way street as the leased operator is spending more on fuel and maintenance than they otherwise would be on some loads if they knew the true delivery time and could probably throttle their trucks back to a more reasonable speed for fuel economy.

 

Many times I have to be ontime or wait a day or 2 before getting unloaded.You deliver to a dc like walmart target hyvee ect,you better be ontime.Some places like walmart won't let you in the gate no earlier then an hr before.So that's another reason for carriers being strict.You think yu'll be late then you call your dispatcher ASAP then just maybe they can still get you in that day.

 

To the original poster of this thread, you always want to get your load to your destination as soon as possible. When you first get your load info and do your trip plan you want to immediately notify your dispatcher as to how soon you can be there. Even though you may have a few days extra you don't want to waste any time. The sooner you can get there the quicker you can get your load off and get the next one. Also the sooner you can get there the better opportunity you have for dropping it somewhere and not having to wait to get unloaded. This is how you make money in this game and how you acquire the max amount of miles for the week. Drivers that take their time or dilly-dally around are the ones who aren't making the miiles.

 

very well said.For me I mainly wanted to get the load their ASAP incase I have a brk down.There's time for brks once you get the load to where it's going or close.

 

Exactly pattyj! You never what can go wrong in between and by running this way you buy yourself valuable time just in case something were to happen.