Need Help Planning a Trip

Sportster, I'm betting from your posts that you are driving either a show truck, test truck, or race truck. In any case, I'm also betting that you are probably somewhere lower than the dirt in the parking lot, as far as "pecking order" is concerned. And NO, that was not meant as an insult.

But if you are working with engineers, or salespeople, etc, then your concerns are likely nothing to them. Your job is to drive the truck, and get it there on time, without bending or breaking anything.

They are probably clueless as to DOT HOS rules, and would not be interested in learning about them. After all, those rules are meant for YOU, not for THEM.

If I have pretty much described what you are going through here, then I really don't see much hope of you changing it. Unfortunately, most of our lives are controlled by folks who don't know, and really don't care. . .

I'm sorry, I don't have a "magic bullet" for you on this.

 

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A simple fix...use that 4 hours on line 4.

Then watch the screaming begin, when you shut down for your 10.

 

In this case I would opt for the shortest miles not knowing the rest of the story.

Next fuel prices: What you dont know is what the company is paying for the fuel, seldom are they paying pump price. It very well may cost them 20 or 30 cnets depending on how many truck there running. Also they maybe will to pay for showers, the company I work pays for showers.

Most truckstops are just a good place to get your truck damaged, So I do my business and leave anyway. I dont spend the night in them very often.

Most Ambest are armpits at best, you may get dirty by using there showers.

 

You've hit the nail on the head!. Once Sportster starts running out of hours in the middle of the trip I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut the others will fall in line. And legally that 4-hours should be logged as line 4 pursuant to 395.2

TITLE 49
TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER III
FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
PART 395
HOURS OF SERVICE OF DRIVERS
Table of Contents
Sec. 395.2 Definitions.

On duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On duty time shall include: (1) All time at a plant, terminal, facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper, or on any public property, waiting to be dispatched, unless the driver has been relieved from duty by the motor carrier; (2) All time inspecting, servicing, or conditioning any commercial motor vehicle at any time; (3) All driving time as defined in the term driving time; (4) All time, other than driving time, in or upon any commercial motor vehicle except time spent resting in a sleeper berth; (5) All time loading or unloading a commercial motor vehicle, supervising, or assisting in the loading or unloading, attending a commercial motor vehicle being loaded or unloaded, remaining in readiness to operate the commercial motor vehicle, or in giving or receiving receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded; (6) All time repairing, obtaining assistance, or remaining in attendance upon a disabled commercial motor vehicle; (7) All time spent providing a breath sample or urine specimen, including travel time to and from the collection site, in order to comply with the random, reasonable suspicion, post- accident, or follow-up testing required by part 382 of this subchapter when directed by a motor carrier; Performing any other work in the capacity, employ, or service of a motor carrier; and (9) Performing any compensated work for a person who is not a motor carrier.

From the retired federal DOT official

 

Thats an easy question to answer!

Leave and run your day. Then, sleep 4 hours and cook the books and bingo bammo, you are now ahead of schedule and appearing to be a robot in the eyes of your dispatcher! A sniff of blow, a few viagras and red bulls, and you are GOOD TO GO non-stop to the destination. They can almost hear the "ka-chiiiing" now. Can you? Of course not, because you'd be bubba's cell mate but the company would have a fresh driver in your place lickety split!

HONEST ANSWER:
Be as efficient as you can. Put the internet aside, put a little more spring in your step when at those fuel stops. Pack food with you so you avoid waiting times at the diner. Over a long enough trip you can get caught back upto schedule without a huge effort.

 

Thats what needs to be said to the other person who can not get their "stuff" together. his/her lack of priorities is causing all of the problems, not the driver...

 

Yep. Communication. Get the phone #'s of every one involved. Call them the day prior, with a time YOU have to leave, & let them know the truck WILL LEAVE at that time. Then call them all the morning you are leaving (if set to leave at 4:30am, better give them lead time with your call..as most have a hard time getting up early like that, & functioning).

Make there be consiquenses if they are late. Like start to pull out the gates while they are stil munching their muffin in their car, or poor water all over te pass seat, so they have a wet butt all day, or just be the man in charge, & be stern when talking with folks...not an ### so they want to mess up your day, but so they are nice to you, so you don't mess up theirs...see what I mean.

 

Trip Planning Principles: When you get your load assignment do the following:

-Check # of miles on trip + deadhead miles (from QC) or Dispatcher. Divide the total miles by 50 (conservative miles per hour average you can drive in a day). Example: 1200 miles divided by 50mph = 24 hrs of driving required to complete this trip.

-Divide 24 hrs of driving by 10 (conservative hours of driving in a 14 hr day), now you have 2 days of driving 10 hours plus another 4 hours on the third day. Add 1 hour of on-duty time every day for pre/post trips/fueling and now you need 27 hours to complete this trip. So you need 27 hours total working hours. Don't forget to to add or subtract the time zone changes.

-Now you have to compare this to your available hours based on your 70 hour recap. Take the hours available from your log re-cap and adding it to the hours from the days that will roll off (remember you pick up the hours from 8 days ago every day at midnite), as you make the trip gives you the total on-duty hours avail for this trip. If you have multiple stops make sure you have the right number of hours avail on any given day to meet the delivery time for that day. Now ask yourself, do I have enough time to complete this trip, legally, safely and on time? Do I have the on-duty and driving hours avail to complete this trip legally? If the answer is no contact your dispatcher or send a msg via QC and tell him how far you can and when you could get the it to the drop point. Don't turn it down, try to run with it as far as you can go legally and safely. If you turn it down you might just "sit" there for a day or two.

So remember, total number of miles divided by 50 mph will give you the total number of driving hours required to deliver the load. Divide the total number of driving hours by 10 and the result will be the number of days required to deliver the load. Add 1 hour for meals, fueling, and pre/post trip inspections per day and then add or subtract time zone changes. After you do this, check your recap hours avail and see if you will be picking up sufficient hours every day to complete this trip legally and safely by the scheduled appointment time. Now go to your road atlas, you know that in 10 hours you will be driving approx 500 miles. Now figure out from point A to point B (500) miles, look for a truck stop where you will spending the night. Easy way of doing this: Go to page 3 of the Road Atlas, with a ruler, start at point A, wiggle around turns on the interstate, every inch equals approx 150 miles, this will give you an approx rest stop at point B. I have a GPS on my truck but I never rely on it. This is old school trip planning and I have never been in trouble doing it this way. Good luck to you!