What does running hard mean to you?

Me and my dad are fixin' to go teaming. He has no experience whatsoever except for road time in school, which he paid for up front on his own. So we can do this without him having to go through all the bs I had to go through when I started out. Just like, I'm sure, a LOT of others in here had to do and you know what I mean.

However, when I got started, I was working for an OUTLAW, and I do mean OUTLAW outfit. For example, finish up a 19 hour run, walk in the dispatch door, and without batting an eye they hand me another 8 hour dispatch. That didn't last long. That'll put you in an early grave. I no longer do that and never will again unless somebody in my family is gonna die if I don't. Then you just do what you gotta do. Even so, most every company out there today will still slap you on the wrist like you're a 5 year old if you stand up for yourself, your CDL, and your families livlihood, and say no. Oh well. Won't be the first time or the last, that I got slapped. Hometime doesn't matter to dead men, and when your CSA goes through the roof and you are "unhireable", said company or DOT won't pay your bills or care.

It's a different world out there today ladies and gents. Be careful and God bless.

 

I've ran pretty hard sometimes. Even up around the 30hr mark. But I've never had a problem telling my dispatcher, broker, receiver or who ever to go pound sand if I was too tired/sleepy to drive. When I get sleepy, I go to sleep. Period. End of story.

 

Oh believe me, we went around about it more than once. These days especially with e-logs and CSA and everything else that's going on, you have to mind your P's and Q's. Can't run 3 logbooks and change seats riding down the turnpike anymore. Don't want to. Those days are long gone with me and I certainly don't want to endanger my dads life or job. Like I said, I've been slapped on the back of the hand with sitting for days and crap loads after saying no to a dispatcher more than once. May sound corny, but, it's like a one foot fence.... they'll get over it.

 

I wouldn't expect it, but hell, if they can do it legally why bring em' down? I've seen a lot of noobs go balls to the wall their first couple of months, if only and mostly for the fact that they came in to the game broke. This isn't your typical industry. Many of the new recruits are coming in to the trucking biz long term unemployed with nothing to their name and everything to gain. I think its great when a noobie goes all in and pushes themselves to the limit, just as long as they're doing it responsibly. But hey, thats just me...

 

I run hard all of the time and during this time I imagine how large my next check will be. To me running hard is 10.5 hours (always leave myself extra time in case I cannot shut down where I want). So running hard nonstop without food except for my quick snacks that keep my alive while driving, and only stopping once for fuel about five days straight is what I consider running hard.

 

Theres a werner trainer out there who lives off of snack foods too. He also ##### in his sleeper birth and shows up to consignees smelling like a dumpster. Money isn't everything. Take some time to shower and get yourself a hot plate. Theres more to life than running loads...

 

Three to four days without a shower, or 6700 miles in an eight day period.

 

Sounds like a good place for a stick-up

 

My truck and I are nice and clean. I am still able to shutdown at truck stops and take a shower...

 

And for some reason, they seem to forget the "favors" you did for them. To me, that's THE biggest reason I stopped running as hard as I used to. When I did, I was working for people that never forgot the favors you did for them. They always respected someone who'd go the extra mile. Or in many cases, the extra 1,500 miles that week. My longest solo week as close to 6,500. For the folks I did that for, they were very appreciative about it for a very long time. But the next two companies I worked for, broke me of doing any favors for them at all. Including fixing minor things on their trailors. I actually got griped out for wanting to be paid a little something (about half of what a shop would charge) for fixing a string of lights on a POS trailer one night, in freezing temperatures.