THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE - DFO gets a truck and hops on Schneider's IC Choice Program

Gonna have a closer look at how it all works today, theres got to be an easier way to release it.

Well, woke up this morning and checked the load board again, still nothing leaving anywhere around here today going somewhere that pays decent, I'm sure its all been sucked dry by the massive group of other IC's that bobtailed down here LOL.

So, I went ahead and picked out some loads starting on Monday. They recommended we always have 3 loads planned, which seems like a good number. It doesn't mean the world is ruined if a load is pulled and you have to change things up, but I can also stay ahead enough that I'm not running around at the last minute trying to find loads.

As its planned so far I will pick up a load out of Randleman, NC on Monday and run down to the delivery in Savannah, GA and deliver by Monday evening. Tuesday morning I pick up a load out of Savannah, GA and go back up to Greensboro, NC delivering Tuesday afternoon/evening. Wednesday morning I will pick up a load out of Reidsville, NC headed to Albany, GA.

Each time I complete one load I will try to have another one ready so I'm always staying ahead of myself. I know some drivers plan out a whole weeks worth of loads but I'm just not ready for that yet.

Gonna head for home today, between whats left of today and tomorrow get my tools loaded up and my truck all ready to roll for next week and hit the ground running.

 

I don't have to spend money from this account for repairs but it IS a mandatory payment I have to make each week for me. I know some had the option to decline it, I was told it is mandatory because of my "level" of experience.

If I get work done or purchase parts from "in-network" vendors, I can easily draw from this account - there is a whole list, pretty much any Freightliner dealership, etc. etc. If I use a out of network vendor to draw from my account there is a $25 service charge. However, if I pay for the work/parts myself (i.e. charge it to my debit card) I can then submit the receipt and have that charge reimbursed from my maintenance account without the $25 service fee.

I understand WHY they have the maintenance account, as I'm sure some drivers would choose to otherwise completely ignore it and then be screwed when it comes time for repairs. However, in my opinion its no substitution for having a fair bit of savings put away elsewhere should anything come up. Personally I would not feel comfortable relying 100% on a $220/mo payment into an account managed by Schneider.

I think you are on to something, lol. I noticed a similar movement when I was dropping my empty trailer in the Greensboro yard, I will try to do it all in one movement with one hand next time, lol.

So, it kinda sucks that I couldn't stay moving all weekend, but that's how it goes, hell even as a company driver chances are I would be sitting.

The good news is that I got paid good to bobtail to Detroit, and the load from Detroit to VA paid good as well, and was a light load so I didn't burn a ton of fuel. Taking the hit deadhead to NC from VA sucks, but I would have just been sitting up there anyway so it is what it is. I have to look at it in a way that I'm putting myself in a much better position for freight as I've got 3 loads lined up already starting here in NC. They're all light loads too, so hopefully nothing gets pulled between today and tomorrow, those loads should keep me busy through Thursday morning.

One thing I really do need to figure out, especially if I am going to be running closer to home with the opportunity to swing through much more often is a place to keep an empty trailer. I know that I'm not supposed to take an empty home because another driver may need the trailer, but if its just for the day I don't see it being a problem. Whenever I would go home as a company driver, SNI would always try to send me home with an empty because not many seem to run out of this area that I live in. I will probably start my day much earlier than planned on Monday in order to find a trailer as I know with 99% certainty I will be sent searching. There is a towing company that has a little yard at the end of my street, maybe I'll get in touch with them and see if they will let me rent a spot. Otherwise I'll be stuck dropping at drop yards or spending 15 minutes jacknifing around in a circle in my neighbors back 40 like I had to do once. Not gonna attempt that again.

In terms of trailer searching, the first 50 miles are on us. Between 50-100 miles we get paid $50. 100-150 miles we get paid $100. So on and so fourth. I may be off by 50 miles in the pay per "steps" there, I don't have the paperwork to confirm that 100%.

Oh, something I forgot to add in my earlier posts but I figure some might be interested in - SNI is pretty funny about their rules in terms of logging line 5. Line 5 is called "Off-Duty/Driving" on the Hours of Service screen. I'm not 100% up on DOT regulations but it can basically be used for driving the truck for personal use when you are not under a load or active dispatch.

This is where SNI gets funny - they consider preassignments to be active dispatch - so, after I dropped my empty in Greensboro today, I still had to log drive time on the way back to the house. Of course this applies the whole time I am home this weekend, too, because my load picks up on Monday and I have it preassigned to my workflow. So, no joyriding around Chapel Hill in my tractor, LOL. I COULD if I logged On-Duty Driving, but I want to go ahead and reset my hours for a full 70 starting on Monday. This is just something to keep in mind - especially if you want to take your 34 hour restarts away from home - no bobtailing during your 34 to go grocery shopping or go to the movies, etc, UNLESS you have no active or preassigned loads.

So, when taking a restart its either finish all of your loads so nothing is active or preassigned (then you can log line 5 and do as you please) or, park the tractor for the full duration of the restart.

Does anyone know if there is a way I can set my TriPac to start up and keep my batteries charged without needing to have the heat or AC come on in the tractor?

Otherwise I have to flip the night switch under the seat, and that means no power to my fridge and all my clocks and radio reset themselves. Apparently on these older model tractors they are bad about quickly draining the batteries when sitting so thats why they put the disconnect switch under the seat.

I'm in the process of testing that now as I type, lol. Clicked the mode button on the control panel until none of the heat/cool/defrost/etc lights all off. Then I pressed the button to allow the APU engine to run. I've got my inverter for my laptop sitting here running so we'll see if it starts up after a while to top off the batteries as the inverter drains them.