Packing List for Students

After getting an assignment, I would always input the shipper's/consignee's address into the GPS available through the company's Qualcomm, then I would consult the Atlas. For the most part, you will see that a GPS basically routes you according to the least amount of miles possible and I never liked it myself, because you will lose time and get stuck driving through RED LIGHT city(s) just to shave off a maximum of 20-50 miles here and there. So, after having had consulted my atlas, and if I found any alternative routes that steered me clear of small towns and cities, I would make my own directions by writing them down on post-it notes and sticking them to the dash to go by. By leaving your GPS on if the company provides you with such, it will "re-calculate" often and eventually sometimes line up with the directions you write down yourself. This may sound difficult, but it's really not. If you have a load assignment and are sitting around at a truck stop, plan it out and get use to routing yourself without having a GPS involved. Hope this helps. CHEERS!

 

This sounds like a really good idea to use both. I have heard of people getting lost with GPS and that worries me.
I am terrible with directions so bad you can't even believe. I can never tell east from west or north from south unless I am in my own home town area where I know it. All that stuff with looking at the sun might help but the other ways people say to look don't work for me. Like looking at the moss on a tree well suppose you are in an area with no trees and its a cloudy day then what. People say to base it off of Canada but if I am in the middle of a state somewhere I will have no idea where Canada is. I have heard of people getting onto one lane roads and having to back up because there is no where to turn around and some people have had their tires caught in the ditch.

 

How much time do they really give you to get your loads there? Lets say the drive time is 10 hours do they give you just enough time so that you are rushing or do they give you time enough so you can make stops as needed and have time to find the place.
I like the idea of writing the directions on a post it and I have heard several people say it works. I am not sure I could read it while driving and keep up with it.

 

It sounds like you are watching the clock a lot and when planning the trip from the beginning and allowing a certain amount of time for each stop and carefully planning out how long it will take to do it.
I think I can do this part of it but the directions will be hard for me. I have heard that you can't be too early to drop off a load or that is bad too. Any idea about this? I tend to plan things well and show up early so this could be a problem for me too. Would I be able to just pull over and wait until its almost time then pull into the place and drop the load. I imagine it will be hard for me to find the right place to drop the load once there.

 

hobotrucker

I have trouble with all directions no matter how simple. It could be easy directions that only involve 3 streets and I would mess it up. I have a terrible short term memory and would have to write the directions down first of all.
Then while driving I always have to be checking the directions that is why the post it note thing is good for me.
I also have a knack for missing signs and passing stuff up. I need a warning like a sign that says Wheel Road
exit 1A 1/2 Mile. Then I can prepare before the turn off. It also helps if there are signs saying Exit Only the 3 Right Lanes to let you know where you need to be. I also have trouble reading those small exit signs
and wish they were bigger and lit better. If not for the GPS I would not be trying to do this job. Even if I am in a familiar area and I know North, South, East and West it still does not help me find my way. I know this sounds awful but I still want to try this job.

 

Putting the gps away seems to scare everyone..

how did people do it before their exsistance

I guess we'd all be lost with out them....

 

I use atlas for major highways. When getting to customer I always request customer directions from my company, I then call the customer for directions, compare them. If different I always go the way company tells me. Then let the GPS catch up and tell me where streets I need are. Works for me. Takes a bit of time but I don't play video games either.

 

Sounds good its better to plan ahead than be lost
I know people that were fired for being lost too many times

 

After reading some of your past comments and this one... I was going to tell you, try something else, not trucking....
But at the very end you wrote, "I know this sounds awful but I still want to try this job." Yes... it does sound "weird"... but if you want to try this job... then do it. Have you got your CDL yet?
The only way to know for sure if this is for you or not is trying it. It's difficult to know how it's going to be if you have never done it. Each one has a different way to deal with things and situations...
And what you ask about the appointments, schedules, etc, will depend on your load planner(s), dispatcher(s), customers, etc and how you manage your HOS...

I keep my dsp well informed about my hrs. I tell them how many hrs I have available on my 11 hr rule, my 14 hr and my 70 hr. Specially when I have less than 25 hr from my 70.
I also tell them when I will start gaining hrs again and how many I will gain each day.
You will have to learn about HOS and managing your hrs. To avoid problems such as being late, or accepting loads that you will not be able to deliver unless you drive illegal.
Some dispatchers do check driver's HOS before dispatching them and don't force drivers to run illegal... Others don't care much...

When you calculate how long it's going to take to be at a customer, you take the miles, divide by let's say 55 mph (average miles your truck will run), and you will have an idea how many hrs the trip will take.
Then, you add 30 min mandatory break + few mins for fuel (if you know you will need to fuel) + 10 hr break (if you will need to take one before the end of the trip) and add the mins you will need to do a pre trip or post trip (that will be according to your company rules... in general).
You may also want to add some extra time for possible road/ traffic/ weather delay... And then you have the ETA -> Estimated Time of Arrival to give to the dispatcher. Or, if they give you the appt. time, you immediately do the calculations and confirm if you can or can't be on time and let them know right away of possible delays.
Generally, there's a window of time for appointments... I said, generally... But some other customers are very picky about appointment times.
I like to call customers whenever possible to double check appt. time, location, parking condition on their premisses, double check load numbers and such.

 

And... as a general rule, I add 2 hrs for loading or unloading... but sometimes it may take longer... if so happens, I communicate with my dsp or broker... COMMUNICATION is VERY IMPORTANT. My co. pays us detention for each extra hr at a dock after the second hr...
And when there's delay at a loading dock or anywhere (in traffic, breakdown, etc), you must recalculate to know when you will be at the consignee for delivery. If adjustments need to be done, dsp and customer will need to know ASAP.