Running with JCT

Thank you... Yeah, we are leasing with a 'starter' company now, but our lease is up in May... Planning on buying it out and looking at options. It's a 2012 Cascadia, and we live in CA

 

I go through Palm Springs more often than Las Vegas. Southern California works out well because we get in there all of the time. We have a drop yard in Colton (near Riverside) so dropping a trailer there and bobtailing home is easy.

 

Palm Springs wouldn't be bad. I'm out of Anaheim now, but was in Victorville when I started. I have plenty of opportunities to get by the house. When heading into So Cal or the Northwest fro anywhere in the South (I-10) you could always stop in at your Dad's.

 

Sharpp, would you, or any of the other JCT drivers on the thread mind providing a list of maybe 10-12 "best practices" a company driver can be doing as he prepares for the transition to L/P in 3-4 months...please? Doesn't have to be extravagant.... just, some of the changes in "mind set" perhaps, and, how one can prepare for driving for the "truck" vs for the "company".... I have 15+ years of business ownership experience in industry other than trucking....am cognizant of making the "numbers" a priority, and very appreciative of any "practices" you can suggest that would be pertinent. Many thanks. KH

 

Not with JCT, but do lease... Remember you are now a business... You will need to 'invest' in your business. All that big $$ needs to be split towards taxes, maintenance, etc... Then have the business pay you just what you need to maintain your home finances. The rest (if there is $$ left over) put in the company's savings for a rainy day... Because you WILL have them!! That is one of the HARDEST things to do! I look at our 'company account' see 10K in there and think 'Sweet!! Now I can get <_________>'... But then remember, that's not 'my' money, that is the 'company's' money and shouldn't be touched...

 

Lady K so very true they see the first big $ PAYDAY and its toy buying time for many, biggest thing when going ftom a driver to L/P is watch the $ and also realize what it costs to sit at home showing off the BIG SHINY TRUCK to people or to doll it up to impress the truckstop gawkers .

Learn how to take care of the small things that can save a roadside repair call and a substantial $ bill. Lots of good info on this thread about fuel savings

 

Thanks very much LadyK, yes, I am familiar with "cash flow" "revenue", "receipts vs expenses", and "fixed and flexible costs" etc.....well aware that multiple "categories" and formulas using % of cpm need to be set aside. Applying proper business practices won't be an issue. I was hoping to get an idea on more of the "trucking" side...ie, how to "run" the truck.... fuel saving/optimization practices, preventative maintenance practices, best routing practices, those kind of things....or any others that the folks on this thread find relatively important on a daily basis towards their L/P business.

 

LOL... Ok, the different mentality between company and O/O then would be saving $$... Company = peddle to the metal, get there as fast as you can so you can run more miles!! O/O = run at a pace to conserve fuel (since it's coming out of YOUR pocket and not the company's), look at PREVENTIVE maintenance instead of repair... Routing, sometimes the shortest isn't always the best because of load weight vs. grade vs. big cities and the time of day going though them... That routing knowledge will come with trial and error ... At least it has (sort of) for us...

As as to those 'practices' ... I'm still learning them myself

 

Well knocked out 740 miles today pulled into Deming with 2 min left on 11. Got 632 left tomorrow to deliver in San Diego area Monday morning then riverside then the bay area

 

Besides driving for fuel economy I think that planning your trip is the biggest key. For sure work on your MPG's on the company's dime. They'll appreciate it too! Lol. But thinking down the road whether it's looking at weather along your route, fuel prices and strategies to fuel cheaply, or looking forward to your next trip.

For instance, on the trip that I'm on I have a few ways that I can run it. The routing is pretty much set, but the timing is up to me. Tonight I'm sitting one full day's drive away from my destination, but the load delivers late night on Monday. I could break this down into two half-days of driving or run it on down there tomorrow. Looking at my hours available I see that I'm picking up some strong hours for the next few days. My plan therefore is to run it on down there tomorrow. That's my default method anyway, but this way will get me down there to either have a long, restful Monday, or be prepared to take a swap and keep rolling.

"Running with JCT" FAQs: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...e/219180-running-with-jct-99.html#post3596893