Rookie loads and dealing with dispatch

x1Heavy · Jul 6, 2019

Lepton1 said: ↑

Another category of freight that must move is military. I sold my truck and trailer a few months ago and now I'm a company driver with a company that mostly pulls for the military. In a given week I can pull flatbed, conestoga, dry vans, cowboys, or step decks. My cab and truck are regularly subject to inspection.

I'm having a blast and making decent money.

Meanwhile there have been three drivers hired since I was, so I'm no longer the FNG. Two out of the three are making noise about "putting their foot down" 'cause they aren't making the big bucks.

Go figure. No matter how green the grass, some folks want alfalfa.
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I have followed two tanks and two bradleys shipped rail Ft Stewart GA to SW Wash with one engineering support vehicle. Crane took it off onto low boy removal necks trucked to Lincoln Memorial and established with trailers left under treads so that ground does not sink (That particular land is specifically over water believe it or not)

I have hauled containers out of Summit Depot on the 83 York Interstate south of there mainly to Port or Richmond Depot. Half the boxes I knew nothing. But Anyone who hauls what you haul should not have complaining. If it's beans bullets or armor they are doing good.

Good luck to you and yours. Safe travel. God only knows we have need of it before too long.

Fabulous Maximus · Jul 7, 2019

Lepton1 said: ↑

Here is some more thoughts about maximizing revenue as a rookie with a mega, based on my two years with Swift.

Many terminals had boards displaying fleet averages. This is based on the 60 trucks or so each Driver Manager had. I never saw a fleet average above 2000 miles per week. That was a bit shocking to me, as I averaged 2500 miles per week right out of the gate. The question then becomes how do you rise to the top 10% of a given fleet and start making money?

First, communication. Call the shippers or receivers in advance and see if you can get in there early. No phone numbers on your dispatch? Use Google Maps and get it. Let your DM know your changes in schedule. That helps the Planners know they need to start looking for a load earlier.

Bubble Maps...at Swift many terminals had a "Bubble Map", showing the lower 48 with either green bubbles or red bubbles. Red bubbles meant that local terminal had more trucks than available loads. Green bubbles meant there were more loads than available trucks. The larger the bubble, the greater the disparity. I often "gamed" the home time request by picking a zip code for home time on the other coast, where there were large green bubbles, then once I got that long haul I cancelled my home time request.

Everything about how you roll is tracked. I often did meet and greets with DM's and Load Planners at terminals around the country. I remember watching a LP matching a hot load to a driver. He pulled up the load and a Google Satellite screen came up, centered on the load pick up location. There were a number of icons around it showing available drivers to take that 600 mile JIT load. He clicked on the closest driver, but declined to give him the load because that driver averaged only 1500 miles a week, had several service failures, and in the notes it said she refused to drive at night. He went through a few more options until he found a driver with 100% on time deliveries that averaged over 2500 miles per week. He was 60 miles from pick up.

Several times I arrived at terminals like Columbus, Lancaster, or Lawrenceville and had no outbound dispatch. Many OTR drivers #####ing about no loads. That's the time to walk in, introduce yourself to the Load Planners, and ask if they have any local loads they need to cover. Many a LP near fell over from shock. I would get a few loads on the day, delivering to locations better served with a day cab. Then I would get back to the terminal and the same drivers were there #####ing about no work...then surprise surprise I get a nice load offer to the West Coast. That was a LP's way of saying, "Thank You"!

Yes, freight is slow now. It's slower because of tariffs on imports and exports. It's also getting overdue for an economic correction. You need to be able to sustain the slow times and be able to run hard during the good times.
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I feel like this post should be archived/stickies somewhere for new/intermediate drivers. This is the kind of information that is utterly invaluable and not something most of us would think to ask about.

bryan21384 · Jul 7, 2019

Two words: be patient. Other drivers will quit. Then the doors open up wider.

x1Heavy · Jul 7, 2019

Fabulous Maximus said: ↑

I feel like this post should be archived/stickies somewhere for new/intermediate drivers. This is the kind of information that is utterly invaluable and not something most of us would think to ask about.
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There is another thought. A mountain dispatcher told this plain to me one day.

Ive got 50 children in them trucks around the midwest, you are 51 on this list.

What are you to me? A child needing spoon feeding, handholding or special attention? I don't have time.

Maybe you are a driver I can call when Hell is in the way of my trucks.

Who are you?" You tell me so I don't waste time and find out later.

The bulk of 50 drivers do their work with very little notice. Everytime the sun comes up there is on time, delivered or loaded or whatever it may be

It's the bottom that needs scraping and replacing.

MACK E-6 · Jul 7, 2019

x1Heavy said: ↑

I agree with those of you saying the so called putting in your time etc. Allow Me says it best. If you are going to bark, you better put up when it's coming at you. No whining and hiding tail.
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Yes, or you WILL be considered unreliable.

I raised all kinds of Hell for weeks about extra linehaul runs going to people at the bottom of the list, complete with calls to corporate and HR. By now, I’ve had maybe 3 saturdays off in the last 6 months. This would and has broken a lot of guys, as evident by the seemingly inevitable whining.

Moral of the story is if you ask for it, or in my case demand it, you better step up or you’ll likely never be offered another.

spindrift · Jul 7, 2019

Lepton1 said: ↑

Here is some more thoughts about maximizing revenue as a rookie with a mega, based on my two years with Swift.

Many terminals had boards displaying fleet averages. This is based on the 60 trucks or so each Driver Manager had. I never saw a fleet average above 2000 miles per week. That was a bit shocking to me, as I averaged 2500 miles per week right out of the gate. The question then becomes how do you rise to the top 10% of a given fleet and start making money?

First, communication. Call the shippers or receivers in advance and see if you can get in there early. No phone numbers on your dispatch? Use Google Maps and get it. Let your DM know your changes in schedule. That helps the Planners know they need to start looking for a load earlier.

Bubble Maps...at Swift many terminals had a "Bubble Map", showing the lower 48 with either green bubbles or red bubbles. Red bubbles meant that local terminal had more trucks than available loads. Green bubbles meant there were more loads than available trucks. The larger the bubble, the greater the disparity. I often "gamed" the home time request by picking a zip code for home time on the other coast, where there were large green bubbles, then once I got that long haul I cancelled my home time request.

Everything about how you roll is tracked. I often did meet and greets with DM's and Load Planners at terminals around the country. I remember watching a LP matching a hot load to a driver. He pulled up the load and a Google Satellite screen came up, centered on the load pick up location. There were a number of icons around it showing available drivers to take that 600 mile JIT load. He clicked on the closest driver, but declined to give him the load because that driver averaged only 1500 miles a week, had several service failures, and in the notes it said she refused to drive at night. He went through a few more options until he found a driver with 100% on time deliveries that averaged over 2500 miles per week. He was 60 miles from pick up.

Several times I arrived at terminals like Columbus, Lancaster, or Lawrenceville and had no outbound dispatch. Many OTR drivers #####ing about no loads. That's the time to walk in, introduce yourself to the Load Planners, and ask if they have any local loads they need to cover. Many a LP near fell over from shock. I would get a few loads on the day, delivering to locations better served with a day cab. Then I would get back to the terminal and the same drivers were there #####ing about no work...then surprise surprise I get a nice load offer to the West Coast. That was a LP's way of saying, "Thank You"!

Yes, freight is slow now. It's slower because of tariffs on imports and exports. It's also getting overdue for an economic correction. You need to be able to sustain the slow times and be able to run hard during the good times.
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Where's that post awhile back that defines what it takes to be a professional?

Add this.

GhentSaintPeters · Jul 21, 2019

Old-school trucker said: ↑

I'm not giving you advice but you shouldn't put up with a job that doesn't treat you right. That's what's wrong with trucking everyone has the mentality to just put up with what the company gives you. You shouldn't expect for a job to cater to you but you should expect to be working and making money for the time you are gone from home. I call BS on putting your time in until the company thinks you are worthy of good runs. This is not a right of passage you are out here to make money and be comfortable. You can be miserable at home around your loved ones. At least sleep in your own bed and relax at the end of the day
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Post of the day. People in this thread are acting like this is a respected profession with educational, retirement, healthcare and social benefits like the military.

Not to #### on what we do, but it's not. Old School Trucker is absolutely right, you could be home with your family and friends and actually have what is considered to be a normal life. Don't put up with ######## just because your new. Don't be rude or unprofessional to your company, but don't put up with their crap either. I've learned in my first 6 months you better put your foot down when you need to, as kindness is looked upon as weakness in this profession.

If I'm not making more than what I could make back home than it's time to go home. Simple as that. I've started to have the same problem as OP with miles being cut down pretty hard. It hasn't been a consistent pattern so I won't do anything rash, but I can tell you right now I won't "suck it up" if I'm consistently getting paid the same as the local yard jockies back home who don't live out of a truck that's smaller than an American prison cell.

TruckerTW · Jul 23, 2019

I definitely agree with old-school trucker and GhentSaintPeters to hell with that shut up and take it.

A closed mouth doesn’t get fed you have to speak up for what you want and don’t be afraid to ask for what you think you deserve. If you’ve got a family at home and bills to pay tell them some will understand some won’t give two $****. But do your part in taking the initiative.

There’s a difference between whining and communicating, be professional, be respectful, but be stern, be on time, be reliable. Ask for a chance to prove yourself and then do it. I got friends that started the same day as me and we have a $500 difference in our paychecks. Same company and everything. They’re OTR and I’m dedicated, home every weekend. Sometimes loads are light and I don’t have anything I make a call and get something local or OTR in Texas so I’m ready for the next day

Lonestar87 · Jul 23, 2019

Well I asked for it, and so far they’re giving it to me now. Pulled 3400 miles the first full week after speaking up, 2800 the next. This past week was a little slower due to a 34(took in the middle of a 3 day/1000 mile load) and a receiver delay that caused me to lose a load/wait til next day for a new one. Even so it should be nearly 2300 which is acceptable.

Loving the beef loads from KS to Cali, except for running out of hours in Compton at 9pm. Would have been a day early/had plenty of time, but got a 4am call from dispatch while in Holbrook, AZ saying they needed me to repower with a driver who couldn’t get his load there on time(3pm same day). Told them I didn’t think I could get it there by 3, but it would be there that day at least. Left Holbrook when my 10 was up around 630am, repowered , stopped once for fuel/30, then made it to Compton by 430pm. Receiver ran out my 14, but I remembered seeing some trucks parked outside the shipper of my next load before, so used pc to get over there. City of Vernon put up some new no parking signs on that street, so I drove around until I found found a cubby hole on a street a few blocks away huddled in with a couple other trucks.

@x1Heavy I’m not sure about the pharma or plasma, but I’ve hauled a few loads for Johnson n Johnson(Tylenol, Zyrtec, etc). I love those loads! They’ve all been drop n hook at receivers so I can fly through, and light enough I don’t lose much if any speed going up hills. I admit the Zyrtec facility made me a bit nervous though being my 2nd week solo. Had to go through 2 security gates after checking in with shipping, back the truck into a building for them to load completely indoors, then a ton of paperwork plus tracking devices in front/back of trailer. Idk that I’m comfortable asking for the pharma loads as a newbie. That might look a bit suspicious. As long as they keep giving me the miles, idc what I haul. I think I stirred the pot enough for now. Time to bunker down and continue showing them what I can do.

starmac · Jul 23, 2019

I called a reciever at compton once, and ask if I could park there on then street. The guy told me I could, but shouldn't.
I ask why and he told me, this is how we work it here, when you get here honk,someone will come open the gate and let you in, then lock it behind you. lol

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