Whats Best?

I run hard until I'm within 8 to 11 hours of my destination... Then I figure out when I need to leave to arrive an hour or 2 early, then I wait until that time. But I only wait if I can't make the delivery early. If early delivery is allowed I run hard all the time... 10 to 11 hours of driving a day.

I do this because I like to run hard and get the job done, not because some dispatcher or DM told me I have to.

Being the guy that runs hard has also gotten me compliments from dispatchers, DM, and company owners. In fact one of my dispatchers says that the way I run means she has to adjust the way she normally schedules loads, because not very many of the guys at my company run that hard. And it has on occasion gotten me some longer hauls on tight schedules... Which means more $$$ for me.

 

In the open deck world, the vast majority of customers are open banker hours. If I am empty, I run at night. If I am loaded with an oversized, most States require me to run in the day time. If I hammer down and get parked early Saturday afternoon, I get a restart Monday morning. Every Monday morning.

I'm getting out of the truck.

That's a motel. That's a nice restaurant with a cute waitress. That's going to see a live band, a concert, an orchestra, a museum, a beach, there's always something going on at a Harley dealer.

So, I am sitting in a motel, $1000/day detention charge, $24mil load, the band last night could have been a Rolling Stones cover band. I'm using the motel's wifi, laying in a king sized bed. Monday, I will fire the truck up and see if I remember how to drive....I'm bobtail. Don't know why, but I have difficulty driving bobtail. Left the trailer at the customer, but the crane won't be there until Monday.

Had to run 1100 miles this week. Been a long week.

 

If rather run it out then take 34, but if needed I'll run shorter like if it sets me up to run through new York overnight rather than daytime.
Less time spent at truckstop the better.

 

I ran 8 hour days for a few weeks just to see how it compared money-wise to running out my 70. I ended up making less money over the course of a month then if I ran my time out. Fewer miles over the course of a week. I would say do it and give a shot and see how it works for you.

 

Every desk jockey wants the driver to run up to his available hours until deliver. This provides a little insurance to them that the load will not be late, and it makes it easier for them to meet customer demands for the next available load.

Basically, it makes life easier for them; they don't have to worry about a load running late if some instance should a non-preventable happenstance, (say like a road shutdown, truck breakdown, ect.....) hinder a driver. It provides them more of a margin to work with before they have to make the dreaded BS ridden phone call telling the customer the load is late.

The second advantage to them is the closer you are to the final delivery, the more confidence they have in planning out the next load to meet customer exceptions. The quicker you are at final, the more assured they can be you will make pick-up expectations of the next customer.

So, how does that help you: little to nothing. Their are some instances where you might get a better load, but those that say it will help your bottom line, have no clue about the industry. Freight is not just hanging around waiting for you to pick up; all loads are negotiated and dependent on customer expectations. Where, when, and how many loads you get are most dependent on the customer.

I say, arrive on time, but run you hours like you want, you will rarely see any difference in your paycheck, especially at a mega company.

 

Sure, why do a job in 6 days when you can stretch it out for 7 or 8? How are you not making money if the job is already finished? Get done early, do laundry, clean the truck so you can go some more. You are away from home for what? To lounge around or to work?

I need to go to the grocery store. It could take 45 min but I'll do it in three hours instead.

 

This is true.

 

Depends on how far and what the appointment time is. If you are on a flexible appointment, run your clock down evenly each day rather that max it out and avoid having to reset. But if you are pressed for time, now you have to max it out.

As a Canadian, I don't get that luxury and have to have 24 hours off every 14 days if I want to run legally in Canada, and honestly, 6 days out at one time is enough for me.

 

Only reason I like burning my clock up and drive as much as I can is because there are times that you will not get a good load or it's a weekend and there are no loads or other things that can mess up your week. If you run hard the 34 is more like a 24 if you start it when you shut down for the night right after a long drive.
Sometimes you just have rough weeks. Sometimes it's smooth as butter and in those cases no worry's.