UPS Freight Diary:

First let's distinguish between assigned routes and extra-board. With an assigned route, you have a set start time and you'll basically finish at roughly the same time every day. Examples = niteliner bullplop or other assigned routes/meet and turns.

With extra-board all bets are off----it's totally random where you go, when you go, if you go and come back. And some nights you may not even come back and will stay in a hotel. We have about 20 terminals in my region and i have rarely run the same pattern twice.

i am on extra board now (got bumped off my primo non-niteliner route by someone with more seniority but that's another story......) When things are busy/normal, i have gone up against my 14 hours on a daily basis; It's REALLY tight. i have had to use my 16 big day exemption every week. And, i often have to use P.C. (personal conveyance) to make it home. AND, some days i do not make it home and have to get a hotel. This happens, on average, once every two weeks.

However, lately, i have "only" been getting 8-10-12 hours per night. Not complaining either.

 

P.S.

edited---too much info for privacy.

 

This is so dependent on what terminal you're out of. When i did/do city, i usually average 9.5 hours per day.

There is a new rule at the company that if you've worked 11 or 12 hours (not sure of the exact number, will have to look it up) and come back to the terminal, you can't be required to go back out. This is direct result of the recent labor "negotiations." This applies to city, not linehaul.

You might be surprised how seniority goes: The top guys may not want what is perceived to be the "best" runs. When i first started, i worked the "crappy" inner-city runs (which was not actually THAT bad) for about 4 months, then got a more suburban route. i have seen this many times with new guys.

Some drivers get put on a "crap" route, but get use to it and want to stay on it, thus leaving other runs up for bid.

i think it's really dependent on terminal to terminal.

 

Good question; i have no idea. i should ask.

i suspect, in the first check, i had to do niteliner bullplop the entire week. We call it niteliner, your company may call it something different. Either way, it's horseflop. This is when you drive to a hub, work on the dock re-consolidating the freight, then drive back to your home terminal. So, i suspect that when i got back to the yard (home) to drop my trailers, it was over 8 hours from when i first clocked in that night. (we get OT after 8 AND 40).
i really don't know for sure.

The second check i did niteliner for one night.

 

EDITED:
Comments rescinded/redacted.