Profile For David G.

What does it mean to be any of the following in relation to driving opportunities?

Cardinal Qualified Ryder Qualified Penseke Qualified Bancroft Qualified Ferguson Qualified Veritiv Qualified Fresenius Qualified

I was just talking with someone who mentioned they use the 16 hour (HOS) exception once per week. Supposedly you can use it once every 4 days but for their purposes it equates to once per week.

Can anyone using this 16 Hour (HOS) exception share their experience and practical use of the of the rule?

What do you think of the transportation bill that has in it a guaranteed pay for drivers of all on-duty hours?

The name of the bill is: "Grow America Act"

Contact your congressman to tell them to support the bill. Use this link to write:

http://fightingfortruckers.com/app/write-a-letter?2&engagementId=47875

I'm talking about the "On-Duty" sitting around time maybe hybrid model. I don't want to just sit somewhere and get paid, I want to drive but here is a perfect example of not getting paid. I drove a little over 200 miles into a rural area from Chicago. It took me about 4-1/2 hours based on where is was located. I got to location for delivery and it took me three hours to get live unloaded. Then I spent another 1-1/2 hours getting to next location where I'm suppose to pick up my next load. I get there only to find out the next load will not be ready for another 7 hours. I had been calling my dispatch since my first stop trying to find out what I'm picking up and where and of course the dispatcher I'm suppose to speak with is always too busy to talk to me so the other dispatchers just keep telling me to go to next location and call us from there. They knew the load wasn't going to be ready and I'm a Home daily driver. I'm suppose to drive 200 to 300 miles and back every day. Obviously, dispatch says they don't have anything else and in 7 hours I can go ahead and get going. Never mind how you are suppose to manage your time. I think this is where the abuse of driver comes into play. I'm a former white collar guy who just started trucking to make some money and get insurance while I'm pursuing my other late in life options. As a white collar guy I never realized how badly or poorly truck drivers (maybe it doesn't only apply to truck drivers) were treated until I became one. I've heard terminal managers talking about recently hired drivers who have already quit saying, "think about how much free money we made of that guy". Its a little insulting and very demeaning. Anyway I think getting paid a minimum for any down time is a great way to make companies or maybe the dispatchers be more accountable. Hey my time is valuable, I became a driver to drive not sit around and make an hourly wage to do nothing. Now that I've been driving for 7 months I can really see some of the abuses. Anyway I'm hanging in there to get my one year experience then look for a better place. I'm sure every company doesn't have the mind set of how do we screw everyone but there are some that do. I think the hourly thing would especially help the drivers who perform shorter run work. Happy Easter.

What do you think of the transportation bill that has in it a guaranteed pay for drivers of all on-duty hours?

You work way more hours than a normal worker and all those off duty hours you are working to save clock because you only get paid for miles. Experienced truckers need to chime in on what move to make so im always getting paid. I like otr and the job but all this unpaid work is ridiculous.

I'm on the 6 month marker with same company. Many a day I say to myself WTF! How did I get myself into this, what a waste, blah, blah, blah. I've had that talk with myself many a time. Instead of quitting I'm using this as an incubation and learning time. Drive safe, practice every back in, test myself on blind backing when in an unpopulated dock area, do good pre-trips and safety checks writing up issues on trailers, etc. I also do little time studies on myself. How long it takes to go to destinations, how long to refuel, how long it takes to do a double and triple drop and hook, etc. I just try to learn everything I can so I can communicate and ask better questions of the next company I might go to. Now that I have 6 months there are more companies interested in me as a driver. I'm calling companies to find out what they paid and how things work now that I know what sitting around with unpaid hours is. I'm using anytime I'm idle to spark up conversation with other drivers about how they like there companies. If I see a truck company that I think might appeal to me I try to find an idle driver form that company at one of my stops to get the inside scoop.

There are so many different type of gigs for drivers. I'm trying to figure out what is the next best move instead of being another new guy just jumping ship because I'm ****ed or now I recognize I'm still too ignorant to make the next right or best choice for myself. I'm asking everyone, define local, define regional, define 80% no touch freight (what do I have to be doing with the other 20%), define what a run is, define, define, define. I don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire.

I look at it this way, the pay might be low now, but I'm a Professional Driver. Notice I say Professional Driver, not trainee, driver, truck driver or any other title. So when I look at it that way, I figure if or when I go tot he next company I am, should be treated and should be paid as a Professional Driver.

Anyway, that was a little long winded but my 2 cents.

Try to find out what radio stations in your area carry the "weather band" station. There are also "weather apps" for some "smart phone."

Dave

Yes, I'm trying to triangulate between apps and website to get best information.

I found a neat map online with driving directions through Indiana: Link - Road Report with Route http://indot.carsprogram.org/#roadReports/pickARoute Purple on the route is difficult, Blue is fair and gray is good. Check it out.

I'm doing a round trip from Chicago to Indianapolis and back requiring a return to Chicago time of 8:00am Monday morning. Can anyone recommend where and/or what is the best resource to determine road conditions and when it is safe to resume travel. Looks like we are going to get hammered Saturday through Monday morning in Chicago. I was thinking maybe Indiana State Police Non-Emergency .......

Go Seahawks

Thanks for all the great advice! I'm still here at the same company. February will bring in my 6 month mile marker at the same company.

Things are in fact settling down. I'm starting to get some decent loads and runs. I'm also now in a Day Cab so I'm actually get home daily. Not much time home daily but enough to see the wife, have small bite to eat, tuck my daughter into bed (even though see is already asleep) and get some sleep myself. My wife and daughter like it better that I'm home daily too. Its a little more predictable. When driving the sleeper I never knew, where I was going, for how long or how late I'd be home on Friday (I was getting home mainly on weekends\).

I think one of the most important things mentioned was this:

Also, early in your career you don't know what you really want out of trucking.

I have to admit this statement is very true. Since being transferred to a Day Cab from a Sleeper Cab about a month ago I can now see more clearly some of the "what do you really want out of trucking" means. Maybe like you have all said I've been road tested (still being road tested) but getting more established with the company.

Anyway, I wanted to give my update and thank you all the the great comments, advice or Internet coaching.

I'm certainly more enthusiastic now and looking forward to seeing what the next 6 months will bring.

Drive Safe.

From time to time I see advertisements about driving for a company at an hourly wage. You would think that is not a bad gig, but what's the catch, drawbacks, landmines when it comes to these hourly type positions?