Typical day of a linedriver

I took a job hauling fuel... 200-400 miles a day, 4-5 loads, 12 hour shifts, and sleep in my own bed.

 

My barn's too small for daytime runs. I'm last man out everynight, don't normally dispatch til 2200. Being last man out, means last one to leave the FAC at the end of the night too, don't normally get hooked, and out til 5-6am. Unless I luck out, and have to take a long run, then it's only about an hr or hr and a half on yota time, and then I'm gone. If I am the only man that goes, then it's a night of double turning.. I'm fixing to start class again, I have a couple of semesters left for my real estate license, and then, HOPEFULLY I can get out of this biz all together.

We too have guys who have been here 20-25 years, and they aren't going anywhere..they #### near drop and hook...they have 10 hours round trip of driving, and with hooking, and dropping on both ends factored in, they are on the dock 30 min to an hour. I have 10 ahead of me, 5 below me, and at this rate, I will have to put in 15-20 more years to hit the top run, and have that elusive $100k a year income at Con-Way.

But, to keep up with the topic of this thread, here goes MY typical day.

21:30-Arrive at my barn, grab my hooks, fill out all necessary paperwork, grab my truck, give it a once over, hook my set, dispatched and rolling by 22:00

0:00 Arrive at FAC, break down trailers, spot my lead, fuel, and am sitting in the break room doing a dock walk, and cussing to myself by 0:30.

1:00-1:30 try to find a #### forklift that starts AND has propane

1:30-1:32- mad dash to far end of FAC to the exit ramp to get a new propane tank before I run out.

1:32-3:00 break freight that nobody seemed to load/strap/stack properly.

3:00-4:30-5:00 chase MY freight

5:00-5:15 hook set (I'm getting way too fast at this)

5:15-5:30- Last minute potty break, cup of coffee, and dispatch

7:15-Arrive at my barn (quicker going home for some reason)

7:15-7:30- break trailers down, put both on the dock, put dolly up, turn in paperwork

7:30- walking out of the door, and back into the land of freedom.


In all honesty, I can't complain, that's a 10 hour day, 50 hours a week, and make more money than most other people in the trucking industry who work more hours, drive their butts off, or sit in an office all day. Hell, I BARELY drive 1k miles a week.

 

Me too ACH.

 

Well since Im on a bid I figured I will update this for myself.

We have 5 Bids, The Longturn, Subsequent turn(my bid), Layover, Canada, and the Auxillary(the extra board)

I will describe two different days I worked this week

5am Get the call, going to the rail yard bob-tail with dolley, be in at 7am. During this time I usually make breakfast, get dressed, pack lunch, watch tv check email, facebook, all that fun stuff

6:40 Im out the door

6:45 Im at the terminal, Grab my things, and take the LONGGGG walk to the building, I park in the back as I dont want people parking next to me.

6:50 Im starting my log, getting my truck write up ready, normally I get my bills right away(depends on whos dispatching, some make you wait) During this time I check my truck/trailer numbers, whether its in the yard or shop. BS with my co-workers about stupid things thats going on in the company. Sign myself and the unit and trailers, load destinations blah blah blah. The union for whatever reason wants us to do that so they can see where the loads go, who takes etc.

7:00 im going outside to my truck, this time Im happy as Im using the brand new white volvo we have. Start my pre-trip of the truck and dolley

7:15 Im out the gate. Less to PTI as its only the tractor and dolley. Rail yrd is 72 miles away. during this time I pretty much just hold the wheel. Speed limit is 65 till you hit Jersey which goes to 55, then to 50, then 45...

8:45 Im at the rail yard, punching in the computer on what trailers Im taking, then its time to search for them, as 90% of the time they are never where they are. but hey im Paid by the hour at this point. Luckily this time They were right next to each other in the place they said they were

9:30 after hooking the set, doing PTI, and punching in the computer to get my receipt, I then call dispatch to tell them how much time, and that im done. (some may say can you lie, yes im sure, but they can check the receipts as they say what time you arrive and what time you leave. I dont lie, not like that). Now I head back to the main terminal. I also update my log

11:00 Im in the gate, grabbing my things out of the truck, finishing the write up

11:15 I punch my card, saying I how many hours I have left duty and driving. During this time you either get your bills right away or have to wait, once again whoever is up there. This time I had to wait, so I was able to catch up on my log, do all my paper work

11:30 Im told im going to a terminal 111 miles away, the bob-tail from there to the rail yard again. Do all my paperwork again, then head out to my truck(now different) thats already hooked. Do MY PTI, then bring it to the shop for a light out

12:00 Im heading out. Normally during this time I am holding the wheel, watching all the super truckers fly past me on the hills as Im doing 35mph up them(some trucks pull GREAT but hard to come by) Also get stuck in traffic, especially once im toward NYC

14:30 i arrive, the security guard comes out, I sign in, break my set and park them into empty doors. The hook my dolley and sign out

15:00 Call disptach say Im ready and how much time I'm owed. Im doing 53 miles back to the rail yard, bob-tail dolley. During this time Im sitting in 2 hours of traffic on i95, the cross bronx, top ten worst highways in the country. Id rather drive on crummy i84 than deal with that

17:30 finally to the rail yard, but this time my trailers arent where they are, and my friend is there getting a van as hes harrassing me on the vox box(2 way for smart phones, an app we both have) telling me im getting warmer, hot, cold freezing as Im looking for my trailers. Of course they arent where they are supposed to be this time

18:15 I call dispatch to let them know im done, how much time is owed and Im ready to return

19:45 Im back in the yard, cleaning my junk out, throwing away my trash, doing my write up

20:00 Im clocked out, and heading home

Total Mileage 380, and 2 hours paid clock time



Now heres another day, a little easier

20:30 get the call for 22:30, going to Trenton, NJ. Do what I do everyday during this time

22:10 Im out the door

22:15 Im in the yard, getting my stuff walking inside, starting my paper work and log

22:30 I got my bills, finish my paper work and head out for my PTI. Everything was ok this this trip

23:00 Im out the gate, Trenton is 135 miles each way. Going there is a HUGE pain, especially all the road work on i95, but my ETA was 2am, and 3 hours drive time. During this time I hold the wheel, watch for careless road workers, and cars with people not paying attention and texting/driving

2:00 I pull into the yard. The supervisor tells me where to back the trailers, and what trailers to hook. It was an easy one as they were right next to each other so I was able to hook the set in a decent time.

2:30 back inside to be dispatched, supervisor dispatches me then I update log, and double check my truck

2:45 Im out the gate, and for some reason they have us take a completely different route home. Wish it was like that the way there too, same mileage just easier but whatever.

5:45 Im in the yard, cleaning out my junk, trash doing my write up

6:00 Im in the dispatch office, tell them How many hours left duty and driving. Sit to wait for new hook

6:30 I got a Scranton, PA 117 miles each way. go out do my PTI, everything was ok

7am Im out the gate and onto the lovely i84. Of course with ALL the road work and one lane open

9:45 after sitting for 45 min in traffic I arrive, now I only have 2.75 to get home. They have me park the set in the staging area and take a VERY light van home(5000 pounds, but a truck that couldnt even pull) Of course during this time I couldnt find the van, neither could they, turned out the guy who loaded it messed up the numbers)

10:15 Im out the gate. Luckily i81 was ok, but once I got to i84, its 54 miles through PA to NY, first 10 miles ok, the lasr 44 was 55mph , one lane open. And the roadworkers dont look they will jump into the middle of your lane, with you 50 feet away, so you really have to take it easy on that.

12:25 JUST pulling into the yard on my 14th hour... Do my paperwork, grab my junk, and head home

Total 504 miles, 1 hour clock time... not too bad

Sometimes they make you do numerous terminals in one shot, like yesterday I went to 5 stops in one trip, lots of clock time but mileage was just under 400. On a sub-turn bid you can make big or little. AT times you make more than a long-turn, at times you dont. Once I had a double carlstadt, nj, only 63 miles each way, was done in less than 8 hours, only 240 something miles, but the benefit if your under 325 miles your paid a 8 hour day which is more than what I wouldve gotten. Or if your done on your first half and theres no 2nd half you go home 8 hours pay.

i took it because im the bottom man and its a bid. All these old timers who are old dont like building and breaking sets so they wont take it. Days are sun-thurs 7am start time sunday. A lot of guys like working nights though. Driving on i84 at night blows as its pitch black, every idiot leaves their high beams on and its just a boring awful, uneven highway. Going North or south 87 isnt too bad as theres more reflectors to light up, where as 84 doesnt.

Well thats my new bid. If anyone wants me to explain the long-turn, layover, auxillary, or Canada runs just ask and I will post.

 

Whew! I reckon it would be axillary for me.

 

hows that paying? I caught an ad on CL that a petroleum company was running in Seattle area...offering $21/hr, mandatory 12 hr shifts and a rotating 5 day schedule, meaning sometimes weekends would be involved. That's a pretty good paying job even if none of that is overtime.

 

Just remember those 20 year drivers were once in your spot. Things happen and you never know what you might have in a few years. 5 years ago the bottom day line-haul bid was 25 years but I have one as of Monday.
Not trying to be critical so this is just advice. I'm at a terminal that sends a big number of drivers to the reship I was running and we knew who was only chasing thier freight. We made it a point to let those hang because I'm not about to help someone be a door tender. A couple of them would dig thier stuff out and leave so we really made it a point not to touch thier freight. If you just go and work freight the better workers from the bigger barns will make sure you're taken care of.

 

100% right jakebrake! I've been at my current terminal less than 3 months. I lost my seniority transferring so I got less than 3 months, but even if I was able to keep my seniority I'd still be bottom man so it didn't matter. And I got bid sun-thurs, 7am start time on Sundays

 

@road_runner dog will always be in a good mood. good write up.