Swift (disagreement with company)

Well it is simple on the trailers that I have pulled I have always supplied air to the trailer before starting my pretrip and when I got to the brakes I was able to see a gap between the brakes and the drum.

The gap may not be a whole lot but if there is a gap you should be able to see it.

 

Good point. Also, just to be sure, I mark the tires or look for an easy-to-spot mark and then pull forward slightly. If the mark is moved the tires are rolling. A little extra time during pretrip saves alot of time alongside the road.

 

Do you have a family? Many are out here to earn a living for their family. Yes they choose this career but that does not mean they have miss everything with their families. We only go through life once. Children only do certain things once and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a driver wanting to be there for special occasions and holidays. If you don't, that is your choice. But if you have a family and when you get old enough to hang up the keys, you will most likely look back in regret at the things you missed out on as a husband and a father because you chose to stay out rather then go home for family gatherings and special events. And if you don't have a family then you shouldn't put down those who are trying to balance making a living for their family and being there with and for their family at those special times. Companies are realizing that one of the things on the top of the list that drivers look for is hometime. Why can everyone else in the country work five days and have two days oof and truckers only get one for six or seven days out? With the advent of computers, if companies worked hard enough at it they could change the way freight is handled and getting a driver home more often would not be such a difficult thing. It is just that old habits are hard to break and companies often aren't willing to do what it takes to make it work.

 

Nicely Put!!!

 

I know this is off topic, but Paw Paw, you must be popular in the state of Illinois, because they named a road after you. =)

 

It does suck that you couldn't get ahold of anyone. I have given up on calling during the ECT times because no one ever answers the phone. Not to second guess your style but maybe next time get someone to take you to your truck and send in a mac 22 or open message. This way it can be tracked back and someone else will have to explain why they dropped the ball after you sent in the message.

 

Paw Paw, i gotta disagree with you on this one. Granted some drivers have families. Some started driving, and then had a family later. Whatever the situation might be, you as the driver knows whats in the job description. Being OTR, you KNOW you will be out a week at a time, maybe two. you KNOW your home time will be limited. you KNOW you will miss out on alot of 'family' things. If you want a 9 to 5 job where you're home every night, and get weekends off......then i suggest that driver get a white collar job or something.

I am one of the lucky ones who didnt have an 'ooops' moment and end up having a kid 9 mo. later. i dont have a wife or an ex-wife or child support to pay. so i am perfectly content with working 4 weeks straight, and geting 5 days off for christmas. =) i am perfectly happy taking 5-100 mile loads (loads drivers didnt want to haul cause they wanted to go home and i was there to repower the load)...cause it pays the same as taking 1-500 mile load. drivers want home time? i say give it to them. but dont go crying when you only get 1000 miles a week.

 

I take it that you're starting to get miles now.

 

You actually prove what I am saying is true that one who has no family doesn't understand the importance of family. Yes family people go into his business, often because it is the only choice they have. Does that mean they shouldn't want to be home at certain times? The good thing is that trucking companies are recognizing the importance of home time. I have seen vastly fewer trucks at truckstops coming into Christmas than in the past. I know some of this has to do with the economy but alot has to do with trucking companies working hard to get drivers home for the holidays who have requested it. At our local Petro we pass out Christmas Care Packages to drivers on Christmas. Two years ago we gave out nearly 300. Last year over the same period of time we gave out less than 250 and last night at 7:30 the lot only had about fifty trucks as opposed to well over 100 on a regular night.

If a driver can average 500 miles a day on a five day week that would be 2,500 miles. With computer planning, if trucking companies worked at it, they could easily route drivers on five days out and two days home per week and still get that driver 2000+ miles. It is just that old habits are hard to break but some companies are beginning to do that. And even if a driver is out two weeks at a time then given three of four days off freight would move and the driver could have over 2000 miles per week. It can be done.

 

That would be too much like right.