My first couple months with Shaffer / Crete

A lot of what you say has some truth to it, but I will point out that Crete has a policy allowing a driver who runs out of hours at a receiver while being unloaded to off-duty drive to the closest safe and legal place to park.

This isn't a 'shadow policy.' They flat-out allow it, which means it is legal, because no company of Crete's size is going to bait the government like that.

 

I typically get 2 to 4 loads of 1500+ miles each when I stay out 42 days.

Currently I am on a 2500 mile load from Georgia to Washington state. My understanding is that loads like that are more than a little rare on the dry van side.

 

Okay, I'll bite. What company has average length of load over 1200 miles, and gives an average of 2900 to 3000 miles per week? I average about 800-900 miles per load and 2900-3000 miles per week with Shaffer.

If there is something significantly better that doesn't run piece-of-#### equipment, I would like to know about it.

 

It's not just the length of load and pay, it's also load availability. As you are certainly aware, I don't make money when the wheels aren't turning. That said, if I find a company that pays a bit less per mile, but has average longer runs, and trucks with APUs, I might be tempted to move. If they run T680s with the sturdy swing desk, that would be a bonus. But if I sit a half day after every load, moving won't be worth it. If their tractors are million mile+ units that spend a week every two months in the shop, it wont be worth it.

Thing is, most people say they like dry van for the available miles. But I almost never sit with Shaffer. I normally have a preplan on me when I am within a day of final. When I do not have a preplan, and finish a load, I normally have a new load before I can get my reefer washed out.

Right now I am finishing a 2500 mile load, and will immediately pick up a 2000 mile load. The timing allowed me to take a 34 after arriving in town for the delivery of this load. Odometer wise, I will run 3500+ miles this week if I don't have to shut down for weather coming out of Washington state on 90 East.

I do appreciate that list of carriers. One always needs to keep an eye on the possibility of a better place to work.

 

I have been told that the company wide miles per week average is 2700. I am a bit above that. If I had not experimented with chasing my 70 in November, I would be closer to 3000.

Back to back 2000 mile runs is NOT by any means common for me though. I will probably pay for my good luck with a string of short loads soon.

That's not to say that there isn't recognition between me and my asset manager and the planners. I don't think I have ever turned down a special request unless I could not complete it on time, or the request would cause issues with a load I was assigned already.

For instance, today I was asked to shag a trailer that would not start. The shipper I was going to pick up from had the trailer on site, and I had plenty of time in my pickup window, so I agreed.

When I hooked up to the trailer, I tried to start it. Oddly, the on/off switch was rotated 90 degrees clockwise. The label was not rotated. When I toggled the switch right instead of up, the reefer started fine. Checked inside and fuel. Clean and over 3/4 tank. Got a sharpie and wrote a note on side of the cowling by the switch indicating the switch wad right/left, not up/down. Waved down a yard dog and showed him the issue. Advised the shipping office that the trailer switch was just turned 90 degrees.

Then I called my asset manager and explained that there was no need to shag the trailer to get it fixed because I figured out why they could not start it, and explained via Qualcomm what I wrote above.

Doing things like this almost certainly helps me get good loads.