Is My Math Correct or Am I Missing Something???

Well here is a small reality check on your math.
1 its 70 in 8 days not 7 so if you go like that you will spend day 8 tiddleing you thumbs.
2 that 70 is driving and all on duty activities so breaks and the inspections all come off the 70. Si ti keep it all running smoothly you need to work no more than 8.75 hrs every day.
3 things by far never work out that way some days I work the full amount others just a few of them.
4 most companies keep the drivers around 2500 some less and some more though sometimes you may hit the 3500 mark.
So you can do all the math you want and may get close to what you planned every now and again but most likely not.
No matter what I wish you the best.

 

We're attempting to impart the idea that you're being just a little unrealistic in your assumptions. Ideally you may be able to achieve that sort of utilization, but frequently there will be happenstances that get you only 80% of the way there. Then there is the assumption that you and trucking life will take like a duck to water... sometimes not so much.

 

. Referring to what?

As mention already, you clearly do not have a understanding of the Hours of Service. There is so many issues here I don't know where to start.

As mentioned already, it is 70 hours in 8 days. In your thinking you only get to drive 66.5 hours your first week since you must subtract from your 70 your (15 pre, 15 post): 70 hours x10 hours -7 days x(15min pre + 15min post) = 66.5 driving hours. Your second week and the following 7 weeks, since you have to sit out a day before hours roll off, you only get 6 days to work your '10x10.' Thus giving you and for the following weeks 57 driving hours: 60days x 10 hours - 6 days(15min pre + 15min post). Average your driving time for the 8 weeks you get 58.18 hours of driving time a week for your '10x10 maximizing: ' (66.5 + 7 x 57)/8= 58.18hours. If you only worked 8.75 hours each day you would get 57.75 hours driving average for the 8 week span: 7 days x (8.75 hours - 15 pre - 15 post) = 57.75 hours. With only a .25 hour bonus you have not really maximized anything. The point being you cannot figure on driving 70 hours a week 'mathematically.'

Since truck drivers do more than just driving, in your 'theoretical day' with just pre-trip and post trip the only way to 'maximize' it to run as many hours in a day as possible ([11.5 + .5] x10) and reset as soon as possible. However, the new reset rules put a kink in that. The alternative maximizing scheme is to run the spit daily factoring out the 30min brake and running up on the reset but the logistics of that are too difficult to explain.

In the split especially, but in all 'mathematical' planning schemes are almost always incongruent with the demands of the trucking company. You actual driving time will be driving based on demands and the trucking companies planning not some scheme.

In this paragraph alone, you demonstrated your lack of understanding of the HOS service rules, mathematical optimization, trucking, a truck drivers day, the industry, and the industry demands. I am saying that as kind as I can.

Most truck drivers can do simple math. It is your premise that is wrong.

Speed average of 62mph in a governed truck including loading, waiting, and (I assume) all the other crap truck drivers have to deal with. That is so ridiculous I am once again at a loss to help you understand this.

Have you driven a truck? How quickly does it accelerate at 80K? Does it cruise mountian passes at 62mph? Most people will not drive sports cars around corners a 62 - Trucks? All docks located on the edge of highways? No shippers on country roads across town? No traffic? The big shipping states (California, Oregon, Illinois, Ohio, New York) have truck speed limits at 55mph. Washington and Michigan are at 60 mph and you are going to average 62?

Average truck planning speeds are around 50mph. The countries biggest shipper, Walmart, plans their depot to store deliveries at 47-48mph. That is only truck traveling time, not entire job time. You are going to plan at 62mph with a truck governed at 62mph?

And the real kicker is you seem to think that unloading, waiting, and other truck drivers services are included in that speed average. Unloading, waiting, and the like will dominate your day as a truck driver. Thinking that the time spent doing so is insignificant is rediculous. By you prior paragraph you will spend only 58 hours of your 70 driving or 83% of your time. Taking that 83% to you 62mph truck brings your idea of 'conservative average' down to 51mph and you have not loaded, waited, or done any of the other multitude of other truck driver chores yet. And that assumes you your truck can travel at 62mph all the time! It cannot!

To be kind, the notion of a 62mph average speed for 70 working hours is just so clueless.

That is best case not worst. By your very unrealistic planning 58 driving hours x 62 mph = 3596 miles a week; or 513 miles a day. At that day you have not loaded, unloaded, fueled, scaled, trip planned, done your logs, backed to a dock, paid a lumper, run through security, dropped a trailer, hooked a trailer, reworked a load, fixed dispatches problems, had an inspection, fixed a trailer....... Magical this stuff takes less then the 13mins each day for you to get you "worst case minimum." Amazing.

There is traffic throughout the country! Almost every state has traffic. The few that don't will have you behind slow moving traffic on two lane roads to deliver.

That is the truth.

Read my post a few pages back. You and most drivers do not have a clue how bad it is. The astute OP was definitely observant.

. Really condescending and out to lunch. Your whole post demonstrates a decided misunderstanding of the effort and work a truck driver expends. Most people who say that have no clue of what it is like to drive 10-11hours a day in addition to other work that we do. Most cannot drive the 10-11hours straight let alone do the work. Over 100% turnover in this industry.

You need to think on this job some more.

Actually much less than you think.

No you confused the issue more.

 

Toomanybikes has hit the nail squarely on the head to get the kind of miles your talking about on any regular basis you work 90+ hours every week even though it only logged at 70. Take one load this week mind you I am flatbed and most times and places I am in and out in less than two hours but I had a load from hell.
Got delivered and next assignment went to address was given no one had a clue about a load after 1.5 hrs brooker got back to me with directions and a number to where I really needed to be 6 miles away. Talking to the guy that is to load me he's 2 hrs from being able to get there finally showed up asked how much I could haul. I tell him 48k ok I have about 46k for ya get loaded he says after you weight out call me with how much you have on.
Scales 26 miles weighed out and only had 38k of product dang it call him and have to go back get more added.
Mind you it only delevers 350 miles down the road but with all the playing and redoing load I am only able to make it 120 before out of hours.
Next morning take off brooker calls asks whwn I will make it in I tell her 1:30 I pulled in at 1:28 no one around call the numbers I was given and no answer finally the guy calls back he out of town on a job wont make it back till 7:30 8:00. So by the time I got unloaded my hours where shot. Here it is friday morning I should have been home hours ago but I am shut down 3 hrs from the house when I should have been able to get loaded made it to drop taken 10 dropped load made it to next pick up and half way home yesterday.
Trucking never works out the way its planned.

 

Very informative! Thank you for the elaborate detail with your reply. Re-reading my portions, I started my whole rant with 70 hours being driving and not total, so I failed myself from the start of that process with more things throughout. Somewhere you stated you were kindly posting, and I solely took it as that

Seems it's what you do with the cash once it is in your pocket. Accounting focus and investing helps your line 37 [end result]. Found: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Trucking-Tax-Center - to be a beneficial read if you are or want to become an O/O.

To me, I still think it is exciting to get into trucking besides money. I was just [and continuing] to get the best possible grasp I can on that subject.

Thanks again for your insight.

 

I hear that even with all the hoops and what not I love it and dont see giving it up anytime soon. I wont pretend I make big bucks by no means but I pull 1000 cash every week no matter what. Have I had bigger checks for a company yep but it was never steady some 600 some 1600-1700 I prefer to have steady income for living expenses. The rest goes to the truck and backup bank account. To cover things like the heavy usage tax Income taxes and the list can go on and on. But them repairs and maintaining your truck eat a huge amount. Will I say dont do it never but be prepared if you do dont plan on getting optimal return as an O/O or pay as a company you will be let down more times than you can imagine.

 

Then there's my last load. Drop two pallets at Michelin anytime from 0100 to 2000. Easy right? Heh!

In about 0100, after a little futzin' getting their loading ramp to work properly, we get 'em off. Go to leave, and the trailer really doesn't want to move. Well, trailer maintenance is the bosses problem... so I manage to move it out of the loading dock, and over to the side. Call road service... looks like a blown brake can. After a couple hours, road service is there, and he thinks it's the service valve... doesn't have one of course. Cage the brakes, and it's off to his shop. Oh, by the way... we can't get one until after 0800. So... by 1600, two brake cans, a slack adjuster and a service valve later... I'm ready to go.

Yeah. 600 miles every day. Sorry... that's in your dreams.

 

600 miles a day? yeah on a perfect day, I average about 450 miles a day myself

 

Yep everyday its a new ball game. First two days this week 1400+ but less than a 1000 in the last two days.

 

My cousin got a bachelors degree in economics. Stacked to his neck in student loans and 10 years out of college and could not find one single job. Throughout college and until today he has been working at ups as a sorter. He finally gave up on his degree and is becoming a route driver for UPS. New truckers make the first year what my cousin is projected to make on his 11th year in this company. Kinda the way I look at it.