Dang! You must have definitely gotten into the wrong line at orientation. They issue a bucket of luck with every truck! Also, no alcohol while you're out with a trainer, unless they've changed that one while I've been out makin' $$$. Pop it on a random, and you're done.
Thanks guys for the information about Orientation. I knew the thing about no alchohol. I am not going to touch the stuff for awhile. You are all correct, no sense in getting canned for a cold one. I'll wait till I get home and pound a few. LOL!!!!! My next door neighbor is a truck driver and he waits till he's home to drink a fewbiggrin_25525: beers... Anyways, just want to have a great experience while I am there, hopefully get a great CDL instructor, learn the ropes such as shifting, backing, etc..... I know I'll get "real world" experience that other schools(companies) can't offer and then eventually will get my CDL then OTR with a trainer(sazook) lol.... just kidding....maybe U2, who knows.....then on my own as a company driver and hopefully avg 3k a week. I would be ok to avg 2800 a week or more....LOL! All good. Some weeks will be better than others....Needless to say, thanks again. Keep the info coming.
I sure am making good money driving a truck that Prime "isn't keeping busy"... I am getting "fed" pretty well out here.
Cograts on making the jump IP. I told you it was good. Now you can make some really good money... no disrespect to Company guys... there are pros and cons for both. I am just extremely happy that I went lease... and happy to see you do the same, IP.
The math isn't the problem. If you can't drive 3000 miles in 70 hours then something is wrong. The trick is not taking 8 days to use your 70 hours and getting in a reset every week. Its not the easy way thats for sure, and many company drivers I talk to out on the road are averaging 2200 - 2400 miles per week. But they are not willing to do what I do. I just completed my 34 hr reset sitting on the side of the road in an industrial area. No bathroom, no shower, no place to buy food, etc. (I was able to use the bathroom where I delivered though) To drive to a truck stop, (about 7 miles away) It would have cost me 11 hours. In other words I would have had to start my 34 hours 11 hours later. There is no lost time in my schedule. I drive as far as I can possibly drive every day. Many times I have driven exactly 11 hours for the day. You stop where that leaves you. A rest stop, a ramp, sometimes it is a truck stop. But the goal is to arrive at the destination and attempt to get unloaded as soon as possible. If you're there early then you have a chance at getting unloaded early. The other key thing is parking at or near your destination so your clock doesn't start until after you get unloaded. No parking 20 miles away at a truck stop then driving in the next morning. It costs too much time. Only 2 times in 4 months have I not been able to get close enough to my destination where I had to start the clock running before getting unloaded. I also have a couple of brooms, and sweep the trailer out myself when possible. Again, a time saver. Fuel stops are quick. Get the fuel and get out of there. Always pushing and always in a hurry. 3000 miles in a week plus a reset is easily accomplished. 3600 requires very good planning on my part and I have to get lucky and avoid unnecessary delays that are out of my control. Llike waiting 9 hours to get loaded for what was supposed to be a drop and hook. Nothing I can do about that. Obviously if you get too many of those in one week then the miles will suffer, and that has happened on the weeks where I have been under 3000 miles. But I have also always received layover pay for those weeks too which helps out the bottom line.
I think the dispatcher does make a difference. The one I worked with during training wasn't as easy to work with. We actually had a couple of weeks (3255 & 3501) in a team situation where we got less miles than I have gotten solo. Its certainly something I have taken into consideration in deciding to stay on the company side.
There is no flipping way that I am going to do a reset 7 miles from a truck stop. No facilities, shower etc.... heck with that. I liked to run 3000 plus a week and often did and I pull a board. 10 hours I will camp out anywhere, but a reset? Nope....
Not making any suggestions here but what are the chances of marking your at the reciever in your logs and then just drive that 7 miles to the truck stop and getting caught by DOT to or at the truck stop? I for one will admit to doing that when I drove. If its a 10 minute drive with no scale or anywhere I know I will get yanked over at I will do it. Screw sitting in the middle of nowhere for 34hrs with no shower and bathroom and somewhere to atleast go shopping to get food. As for the whole driving 3K miles a week, I drove a 71 mph truck. Now say your running in states that are 70 and 65 MPH states which is almost every state in this country, it will take you 45hrs to drive 3000 miles at 67.5 mph average which can be done in your logs easily IN YOUR LOGS. I use to log everything at the speed limit for the state and would keep track of construction zones and speed limits and also cities that I would drive through that the speed limit drops down. Now that is 4 11 hour driving periods and 1 hour on a new 11 hour period. Say you get to the reciever and its a drop and hook and you spent your 45 minutes there 15 to get there check in with your paperwork, 15 to drop your trailer and pre trip the one your picking up and another 15 for getting the new paperwork and updating your logs. Now say over that 3K miles you fuel your truck 4 maybe 5 times just because you found cheaper fuel so that is 15 minutes per in your log and figure your pre trips everyday. How much time does that leave you for the last 2.5 days for the week? I would have to say about 21hrs left out of your 70 and that is starting with a fresh 70. Now how much more can you drive in 21hrs? I would say about 1200 miles with fueling and pre trips in there. Now When I worked at Prime almost every load I had was pre planned so I would drop or unload at one place and get on over to the next and pick up if I had time to do it. I never sat waiting for a load. 3000 miles in a week is easily done with a good dispatcher and the 6 P's.
I have read many of posts on here that in fact your DM or FM or whatever they are called at any paticular company does indeed Make or Break you. I still think you should be very honest and upfront with your DM/FM and have good 2-way communication between each other, so both of you are on the same page. Run hard and I am sure he/she will reward you with good loads. Be on time, and utilize your hours effectively. My .02
