Idling Times (Part of Driver's Performance)

I am not a big fan of apu's there is some trucks that come in to unload where i do each and they have these on there trucks when it gets real hot and humid though they run there big motor to stay cool. i ask why and they say that whenn it gets that bad out the apu's will not keep the truck cool

 

WHy not refine that a bit and simply not be a big fan of SOME APUs? Quite a few of them work quite well at keeping that little box cool. It's when the company puts an APU designed for (say) a Pete 379 on a 387 that things might get interesting.... that is, it's not the fault of the APU, but the cheap company trying to make do with insufficient equipment.

All - don't your companies have exceptions? That is, you are bunking down and the temp outside is fractionally hotter than the surface of the sun. Can you not call, or use the Q, to request an exception for that date? A note in your file that says "don't charge this idle time to the driver" sort of thing?

If they don't - mayhap you are working for the wrong company

 

Actually, no. Not only do you (the company) pay the fuel taxes at the pump, they also pay like 3 or 4 MORE taxes for each mile in each state driven.

 

Actually, fuel is an expense to a trucking company or owner/operator and therefore as such is considered a tax deductible item for the business.

The only taxes they pay for the miles that are driven are for the IFTA and the old IRP or the new UCC. These are based on miles driven in each state.

 

I love it when the experts weigh in! Yay, RoadMedic!

 

30% is about 3 hrs aday idling and remember all time is included sitting in traffic waiting to leave or enter a pickup or delv if we go over 30 we get a talking to.they dont expect you to be miserable but if its hot you have to idle or start stop the truck and interruppt your sleep.im on a 34 hr reset am i in ahotel no at a truckstop so not gonna be 30% even at start stop shut off for an hour start sweatin in between

 

Here's the thing that I can't swallow about idle percentage. I understand fuel's expensive, and some drivers will idle the truck 24/7 and not give it a second thought. But when I do sacrifice and keep my idle time down, why don't I get "credit" for all the time I set and don't idle the truck? Your idle % is the percentage of time that the motor's running but the wheels ain't turning, basically. So the only way to "turn down" your high idle % is to drive, correct? So the time that you set and suffer only goes to not raise your % even higher, and you really get no credit for it. What a crock of crap.
Okay, rant over....

 

I'm in my 5th year with Shaffer. I've made good money just under $60K a year the last few years when Mr. Acklie significantly raised our pay. I've saved, and saved, and saved, while minimizing my expenses. For 2008, I'll be saving less then in previous years. Progress report 2008: This year after 6 months of work January thru the end of June, I'm about $2,500 short what of what I've grossed in previous years. My miles are no longer consistently 2,500 to 3,000 miles per week as it was in previous years. My miles per week vary so much that my paychecks are as low as $500 to $600 gross to as much as $1,400+ gross per week. That's OK; I like any weekly paycheck I get. My philosophy to deal with life driving/living in a truck: "Adapt and overcome." Afterall, I did tours of duty and lived aboard nuclear submarines and I adapted well to that extreme dangerous environment. So living and working in a hot truck.... no problem! Yes, I received a letter regarding my idle time. The letter stated I must keep my idle time 30% or less. Otherwise, disciplinary action, then termination would be the response. I don't like the idea of seeking new employment. Summer is short. For most of the year the challenge will be how to stay warm in a freezing truck. The truck is the property of Crete/Shaffer and it's their fuel so they dictate how the truck is run.

 

you really have no other choice but to run the air while twiddling your thumbs waiting for load planners, dispatchers, and fleet managers to provide proficient miles for every driver.

Most truck stops have a drivers lounge but the bottom line is they are not in the truck, you are. And if they really cared about your comfort they would provide you with a means other then fuel to keep cool or warm.

I am local but I have asked a few recruiters and they agree that the issue of idling will be a recruiting issue if it is not already. Drivers are just not going to work for companies that don't care about their comfort in between loads or while trying to sleep.

The reason I am posting this is to see if anyone reading this can make any sense out of what is going on and if so, please explain to me a few things here. First of all, if there is not enough miles for many drivers in a company to go around so each and if not most drivers can make a comfortable living, than why would a company continue to recruit new drivers which take miles away from the already starving drivers?

Most companies are geared to keep you around for about 2 years. Most drivers do not hang around for more then that for whatever reason. The pay structure is usually quite attractive the first 2 years and then the raises don't even cover inflation so staying longer would require more miles or a pay cut. Some companies will limit miles and therefore income as you rise higher in the pay ladder and give loads to cheaper driver to maintain their profit margin.

Most companies have certain areas where they must have trucks available for loads that may be booked. Because of the cost of fuel they can no longer afford to dh drivers to a high freight area and must keep drivers in a area longer to cover future freight.

Difference in pay per mile and whether you are on per diem or not can also affect your miles. The cheaper driver to use can get used more. It happened at every OTR company I worked at.

Second - How is it that excessive idling time is part of a driver’s performance but is not considered part of a dispatcher’s, load planner’s or fleet manager’s performance to ensure that these big trucks keep rolling?

Dispatchers at your average company have no more control over your miles then you do. They can only request a load for you and are at the mercy of the load planner like you.

The planners are often demoted for not keeping up the performance of the trucks in their area but with the rising cost of operating it is cheaper to sit you and use a driver making less per mile or not use the truck if the load makes them lose money because of DH.