Plus One

Not sure if this is a planner issue or plus one issue.

Got a preplan to pick up in 10 hours. Have 6 hours left on 14.
PU is 100 miles away, in California, LA Metro. 55mph + traffic time. Call it three hours to be safe. So would have to leave in 7 hours to make p/u.

Now delivery is 500 miles away, most of that in 55mph California, then Donner pass (haven't even checked the weather yet).

Delivery time is 7 hours from pu time. 500/7 = 71 mph plan.

 

Ive read a good part of this thread, but I am still unsure what exactally thge plus one is?..is it part of the new qualcom stuff that the computer takes what it "thinks" you can do and assigns it to you automatically?..or is it something the planners do, Im a noob and dont understand how the whole dispatch process works, I thought it was the DM that picked out your loads, is it someone else and the DM is just who you call when you have trouble?

 

You should refuse the load and put times you can do it legally. It will decide if it is within customer requirements.

 

Planners normally shoot the loads to you. Each area of the country uses different planners for different accounts and regions. If you work a dedicated account sometimes you will deal with a couple of different planners all the time doesn't matter where you are.

The dm is your lifeline to Swift and the link to the planners. Sometimes if you are on a specialized account your dm will plan you but only after checking with the planner first. You should always check with dm Friday morning at the latest to be sure you get loads for the weekends.

 

Um...since your route was going through CA and then over Donner, I am assuming (yes, I know) your load was going to Reno or somewhere in that area.

Why would you go over Donner to get there? Is 395 closed?

 

It seems to be getting more consistent.

The pplan sends you set times, usually the early pick up and delivery times.

Then it waits for your response.

If your times are within the customers window(s) it kicks it back to you with your times. If not, it takes the load off you.

The actual load assignment will usually give the correct time windows, which you can work with normally.


I am learning to work with it.
My last NLA had a pickup of 12/09 1700, and a delivery of (up to) 12/11 0615.
I knew I would never make 800 miles in that time, since I had to take a 10 right after pickup.
I gave a new delivery time of 12/11 at 1500. A comfortable time I was happy with, giving me enough time for breaks, meals, traffic, etc.

It came right back with my new times, requesting that I commit.
I'm good with that, and I'll probably deliver earlier.
I just don't like feeling stressed and hurried.

I have had other pplans that were taken off me because my times did not fall within the customers window. But I have not felt that I have been retaliated against when that happens.
I am just sent a different plan, seemingly with no hard feelings.


As long as I can work within the system, and within my own boundries and limitations, I am happy.

 

Got a preplan while under the load, just kinda let it sit because I knew this was a live unload. They removed it and sent it again with same times while I was being unloaded. The pickup time was very iffy is why I didn't commit to it. I was thinking about it though-- depending on when they unload me, I can do an 8 hour break and go get it. But that evaporated into 7 hours til pickup by the time I got unloaded. So I turned it down with an updated pick up time, but they removed itand the other 2 loads stacked behind it fell off as well.

Then they send me a 900 mile load with 5 days to t call it. I accept it and boom, it's like deliver in by 0300 Sunday morning. Whoa, when I sent my empty call I said I only had 4 (now 2) hours available on the 14, I'm on my 10 now. I can pickup about 0200 Saturday local, no way delivery for solo driver 0300 Sunday lol.

I think the computer sees us as machines as efficient as it is. On the first load, I could have just logged the 8 hours in the sleeper, even though I needed to close the doors, slide the tandems and check out -- could have maybe parked on site.
Second load, 2 hours still available, get my lazy butt up and use that time to get the load and make 35 miles towards the target lol.

 

So it's starting to sound to me like we are screwing up too. But it looks like it's starting to even out a bit.

 

From reading this...well most of it...it sounds like they have programmed into the system a definite 2 hour load/unload time frame for the computer. Even that, with some of the reports here is hard to accept. It doesn't sound like there is any lee way in load/unload, and drop and hook has no delay time involved either.

I didn't see anything about this...but...(and we all know this never happens)...drop and hook, but the receiver won't release any MT's...how do you handle this issue with this new system?