Is it common or rare that you are late for a load?

Communication is the key to a good driver/dispatcher relationship.You always wanna keep dispatch posted as to what's going on and if you're going to be late for your appt or not going to make it.you need to tell your dispatcher ASAP. So dispatch can either reschedule or send a driver to where you're at to get the load.

 

Would the driver still "generally" get a service violation if the load is rescheduled or t-called? Hope not. Otherwise, more risk would be taken to get it there on time.

 

Communication with dispatch is key. If you are late due to circumstances beyond your control, dispatch can usually step in and rearrange appointment times

If you're continually late because you were dinking around, or if your excuse is always "traffic" because you failed to plan ahead, then you are going to have a problem. And rather than fire you so you can possibly collect unemployment, they'll either give you no loads, or crappy loads, until you quit.

And while it's true that they can't put "truck stop diva"(thanks boston tanker) on your DAC, it's surprising how many dispatchers from different companies know each other, and they talk. A lot.

 

Rarely will stuff like that really cause a load to be late. Those are more just annoyances you will face getting from point A to point B. It's usually because the load wasn't ready and the shipper ended up making you sit in the parking lot for 6 hours waiting for a live load when it should have been a 45 minute drop and hook. In those cases you contact the company and say the magic words that soothe a worried/angry dispatcher: "I'll do the best I can...the new ETA is blah blah blah"

 

Not necessarily, if its weather related no but if you're going to be late because you overslept then yes you will get a service failure.Far as traffic you need to account for that during your trip and why trip planning is important.I doubt your dispatcher will accept heavy traffic as a good excuse why you're late.

 

You're the guy that the others would call "Supertrucker" or "BillyBigRig." 'Oh look at him. He probably brown noses every day. Ol Supertrucker thinks he is hot stuff. What an idiot. No load is worth my life. Bet he runs illegal. He has to be doing something illegal.'

You just figure that if you're going to be away from the house, you should run as many miles as you can. Right? Separated yourself from the pack, and they have to talk bad about you to make themselves feel better.

 

If he slides off an icy road he'll be looking for a new job the same as if the slackers slid off the road.

 

That's what everyone waiting in the truckstop hopes happens to him.

 

I'm not late, I just got here. Lol