You still in the same Volvo you started with? Family Plan works for those who want to be in it. Yes, there were more than a few vounteers. Noobs are placed in it initially to see how they'll work. If a noob shows he or she wants to turn miles, a fleet move is made to a permanent DM. Then, there are people who, for whatever reason, simply can not or will not turn miles. Family Plan is a kind of last resort to help that person along. Like a remedial program. People who voluntarily go into this are usually pretty happy and will run their butts off for 2 or 3 weeks then take a week off. Noobs get a chance to be "broken in easy" and can settle into this job quicker. It's very tough for someone who has never been OTR to just jump in with both feet. The mileage pressure is lifted, so the driver can concentrate on safety. There are goals, but not as high as in a general fleet. The slackers are usually the ones who will cry about being placed on this fleet. Mileage is not the only factor when someone is involuntarily moved into the Family Plan. Also looked at are how the driver manages time, on-time ratio, how often home time is requested, how they set their PTA, what loads they refuse, safety....lots of stuff is factored in. They can pick up the pace and be moved back into a general fleet, remain on this one or find other employment. General fleet (OTR) DMs are partly rated on how much mileage is being made on average, per driver. Many excellent DMs have had their job ratings affected by slackers and sight-seers. That rating system is relaxed for the DM in charge of the FP fleet. It gives him or her time to apply more personal attention to drivers who need it. This DM can also make a more thorough assessment of each driver. The rest of the DMs can concentrate on getting their trucks loaded rather than trying to motivate people. Their ratings improve as a result. In order to be profitable, a truck needs to move. No company can afford for 1/3 of its trucks to be sitting idle each week. This program keeps trucks moving. Bottom line. While a driver may "live" in that truck, it is important to remember that truck does not belong to the driver. It belongs to Swift. Swift is not a charity providing shelter for homeless people. Neither is it a travel agent for people who think this is a permanent paid vacation. It is a business, in it to make money, same as we are. Sorry if some people are offended by that. But those are the facts.
They require the "family plan" for 90 days. He wants to get a dedicated run but that might take 6 months to a year. They told him today that they require 2200 - 2500 miles/week.
UGA. You can get on a dedicated route sooner. I expressed interest in the glr dedicated run from the beginning. Home every weekend for at least a 34 reset. 3 little boys and a wife at home. Funny thing though I have done 1 glr load in the last 3 weeks. Last weekend I took a load home on sat morning that delivered on sun morning. This weekend because freight in the upper midwest is real slow and heading to vtx to deliver on thursday. I am assuming I won't make it home this weekend.
Yet there are DM's out there that suck at their job. I wish I had the name of the one in Lancaster. When you wait 24hrs for an empty and still don't get one? I had that happen before. I still delivered on time. By 20 minutes! Then had no empty on the other end and got a 34hr reset when I didn't need one.
Good luck on that but I have seen plenty of students who just got of a mentor's truck and walked right into a dedicated run. I would still be bugging then every chance you get. The chances of you running 2000 to 2500 a week is not good. You may get the miles for a few weeks then it drops back down again. The only time I seen a steady supply of miles is when I first started. Now I may get 2000 one week then 1500 the next. I rarely go home and always ready to run. Hopefully you can get the miles on this plan. With him being already experienced he has a higher chance of getting something good.
My friend out of Lancaster took 3 34hr resets in less than 3 weeks out. His DM sucks. He was forced into this family plan. You aren't to take a 34 on this plan. He was over the minimum on the miles and got forced into the program. Always crying for miles and turning down nothing. That just sucks.
Hopefully my husbands DM will be one that can keep the miles coming. I'm going to tell him to start asking about a dedicated route as soon as he gets his own DM. I'll also let him know that he might need to ask about miles if they start getting low. I know he'll do that on his own, lol. We figured if he gets paid .40/mile like they said then we could get by with 1600 miles/week. That still has him grossing more than a local minimum wage - $10/hr job.
Oh. Forgot to answer a question previously alluded to. Yes, there are slip-seat trucks on dedicated fleets.
