What does running hard mean to you?

Yup, clean socks.
That's the most important thing.

Not kidding!!!

 

Running hard means working 80 hours for 60 hour pay and joining OOIDA and expecting them to do something about unpaid hours

 

That's why the left lane is called the "Monfort Lane" out west. Running a truck like that cabover sounds pretty hard. ugh

 

After a bunch of bean counters bought Monfort out they replaced the Kenworths with cabovers - and lost a lot of drivers . http://hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/bullnoze/misc/monfort_frtlnr_pepsi_ih_conco.jpg

 

It means different things to different people. We are all different. We all have different work habits. To some, a 500 mile day might be running hard. But to others, 1,000 miles a day might be hard.

I was taught to drive when I was awake, and sleep when I was sleepy. And make the log book fit where your at, when you are there.

A few years ago, a 30hr straight run, was hard. Today, I doubt I could make it past 20. And in 5 more years, I might be lucky to get in a full legal 11hrs. Who knows.

Somedays, even after 8 full hours of sleep, I can get up and drive 3 or 4 hours, and need to take a nap. Other days are different. And no days are exactly the same.

I hope this confuses the heck out of you. Because I'm still confused as to why we have "1 size fits all HOS regulations". Especially since everyone is different. Even the cops, sometimes can't make it through a full shift without getting sleepy. And they are still legal to carry a gun.

 

Very enlightening! (trying to get my seven posts so I can send messages.... Carry on...)

 

Running hard to me would be 1000 miles in a day or doing shunts locally for 18.. hours or so. ..

The name of the game is work smarter not harder and to make more $$$ doing less work.

If i could i would work 7 to 3 everyday, just be effecient with your routing and try to avoid the rush hours in and out of cities. Try to keep your drivers door shut but driving 11hrs straight isnt healthy...

 

Really? Working 18 hrs a day is "working smarter not harder"?

 

Sometimes that would be the "smart" thing. Setting yourself up for the next load, that takes a little more effort on the present load. Like picking up an "LTL on the tail" just to pay the fuel for the original load.

That's the thing about this trucking business. You have to stay on your toes. You have to be aware of a lot of things. And best of all, you have to be willing sometimes, to go the extra mile. There are so many out here that's doing everything they can to beat you out of something. Especially brokers, other trucking companies and the DOT. Being "smarter than the average bear" isn't something that I can brag about. Because I've been in this for about 10 years now. And made my best living as a company driver. But bought a truck because I was told that there was a lot more money in being an O/O. My first mistake was getting lazy. I thought just because I owned my own truck, that I was due more money. Sure, I could charge more. But I actually made less. Why? Because I got lazy.

When I was a company driver, I was with an outfit from the north east that allowed me to work as hard as I wanted to. And for about 4 years, I ran the tires off of every truck they put me in. Getting almost 190,000 miles solo every year I was with them. After taxes, that was about $66,000 a year. Not bad for .41cpm. But, when we were forced to run legal, and the wages stayed the same, I decided to buy a truck.
Buy a fairly new one, and spend $20,000 to $30,000 more. Higher payments, few breakdowns. Or an older truck. No payments but lots of breakdowns. After checking the "lease operator market, finding that most companies were under $1.00 per mile, I took the older truck route. And after 4 years of doing that, and not owning one pair of pants that doesn't have some sort of grease stain on it, makes one wonder if I was actually smarter for doing it the way I did it.

 

I have long days here and there but i meant that hes better off finding a higher paying job than working so hard. I would love to work bankers hours and still bring home good money.