Working with a Dispatcher

Pony Express for paperwork

 

I've had more than a few driver managers over the years. I always make sure to tell them this, "When you give me a preplan, please make sure I have the hours to do it. I run legal or I don't run at all."

Of course, every time I get a preplan there are some that just don't work anyway and I tell them that as soon as I run the times and distances.

I'm at the point now, I will tell them to not ever question my judgment out here. They can take it or leave it. I've been doing this long enough to know.

 

This is how the typical carrier operations dept operates!

 

So your a new owner operator?

 

Your first problem. Can you be there against your HOS and speed average? How many miles you will have to drive against your total HOS remaining. Is your truck too slow? (Don't laugh, a 61 mph truck can burn up to 15 more driving hours getting to the west than say a 75 mph truck.

 

I would think the first thing you should be doing is getting some training for the job you are doing.

 

Steady wins the race!
I once tried this, 63 mph across 80, usually at the end of the day, I know I would make it further than the fast drivers, because about 3-4 hours down the road, they'd pass me again.
I shut down sometimes for the 10, be ready to go as soon as that second says I am safe to do a pretrip and drive, and will pass the other fast trucks in a pull off area or sometimes in the same fuel stop, and see them pass again in 3-4 hours.
Only reason I did try this, was I had 1 full week for unload appointment, so I took my time so I wouldn't be stuck in a truckstop for an extra couple days.
It didn't help much.

 

1000 divided by 60 = 16.66 , 1000 divided by 70 = 14.28

The difference between driving 70 and 60 over a thousand miles is about 2 and a half hours. 5 hours for 2000 miles, or about a half-day. A round trip from the east coast to the west coast will cost you an extra driving day. Because I don't want to start a flame war I will stop here. However, this is far from the only metric used when it comes to operating a CMV.