On Duty Time- Real World Estimates

Thanks everyone!

Rainy, Bravo Zulu is an old Navy expression that just means "Good Job". I loved my time in the Navy! By the way, I'm re-reading the Brian Lumley Necroscope series, but once I'm done, your books are next on my list! I'm an avid reader.

G-Town, my school instructor has drilled into me, because I asked, that at a minimum you always check your fluids, lights, trailer brakes and tires.

Sue, thank you very much. The more I have researched, the more I realize that it's the last trip each week that determines whether you are a success or a failure. In other words, do I have the hours for 1 more run this pay period, lol.

Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate the drivers that are out there "doing the dang thing" for taking the time to pay it forward.

Jason

Dude you already have one of the most important parts of this job figured out and understood:

a t t i t u d e !!!

With a positive one you'll go far and make really good money, the sky's the limit. With a negative attitude, the floor is your limit. I can guarantee driver management will favor a driver with a good attitude over a bad one...no mistake.

Thanks everyone!

Rainy, Bravo Zulu is an old Navy expression that just means "Good Job". I loved my time in the Navy! By the way, I'm re-reading the Brian Lumley Necroscope series, but once I'm done, your books are next on my list! I'm an avid reader.

G-Town, my school instructor has drilled into me, because I asked, that at a minimum you always check your fluids, lights, trailer brakes and tires.

Sue, thank you very much. The more I have researched, the more I realize that it's the last trip each week that determines whether you are a success or a failure. In other words, do I have the hours for 1 more run this pay period, lol.

Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate the drivers that are out there "doing the dang thing" for taking the time to pay it forward.

Jason

Haha. Well now I Lima Oscar Victor Echo you even more hahahha.

G town made some great points especially about trip planing. For example yesterday. I drove a little over 7 hours yesterday about 440 miles. Although I had more time on my clock...I knew I could find parking I. North platte NE at 1400. Denver was another 250 miles away. Couldn't make that on under 4 hours. Instead of running out my clock and scrambling to find parking.... I parked then headed out earlier. Still got to denver 4 hours early.

Just as I just told Kat on another thread.... when you are solo you will fall into your own routine. And while in training do what is safe for YOU.

Now I'm going to hijack your thread for a laugh....

Since you are military you can appreciate FUBAR and SNAFU..... there's another one BOHICA which stands for "bend over here it comes again"... not as popular.

Most of the people at the post office were Vietnam vets when I started, and used these expressions often. About 20% of the employees were Filipino.

After a complete overhaul of schedules, making long time employees change their hours drastically or days off..... the USPS decided to do it to us again six months later. It wreaked havoc on lives because people with kids were sent to night shift and couldn't find child care... spouses who worked there never saw each other.

Someone wrote BOHICA on the back of a forklift and a supervisor asked what it meant. One of the army vets said with a straight face "it's Filipino for caution". The supervisor thought it was a great idea and ordered all forklifts to have BOHICA on the back hahhaha

Now that, my friend, is funny. You know what's also funny? I could have said, " I read a lot". But I said to myself, "Self, this Chica writes books, you need to sound smart." So I pulled the word avid out and dusted it off, lol.

Now that, my friend, is funny. You know what's also funny? I could have said, " I read a lot". But I said to myself, "Self, this Chica writes books, you need to sound smart." So I pulled the word avid out and dusted it off, lol.

Hahhahhaha... my Goin Postal has alot of anecdotes like that.. and a lot of vet stories so it's funny. I put my sarcasm even into the spy novels.. lol... but thw best is Zodiac Lives.... so proud of that one. It's the best edited and professional written... but remember...I'm a "how ya doin?" Jersey girl hahha

When I have a load under me, I generally run every minute I can.

Night driving preferred. Ideally, ten hours and thirty minutes off duty. Forty-five minutes to one hour on duty for fuel and both PTIs, and that leaves me twelve and a half + hours to drive in a day. That's how I can sometimes hit 750 miles driving in a single 24 hour period in a 62 mile per hour truck (Yes, I roll low grade hills up to 70 miles per hour (or up to the speed limit), in gear.

Clearly, on the day I start or end a trip, I'm not hitting 750 miles. If the trip is less than 1200 miles or so, and the shipper isn't slack, I'll probably finish it in two days, and will not hit a 750 mile day. Shipper/receiver time. Trailer washouts. Scaling. Inspecting new trailers after a drop. City driving. Etc. All those bits and pieces of non-driving time can add up to quite a bit of no-money time.

From what I've seen, most people don't roll as hard as I do, but it is a real world estimate.

At swift they require.....30min pre trip and 15min Post trip......fueling is on duty, I was told by my DL that if I wanted detonation pay I had to stay on duty the entire time..........But if I did that I would not have any drive time left. So I check in bump dock send goal message and either put myself off duty or in the SB then when given the green light I put myself back on duty and get paper work........go to a TS or rest area back in the sleeper or off duty and wait for the next load

Quinton has a blast:

I was told by my DL that if I wanted detonation pay I had to stay on duty the entire time.

"Detonation" sure beats waiting for two or more hours at a warehouse dock, I'll tell you!

I just had to repeat this!

Quinton has a blast:

I was told by my DL that if I wanted detonation pay I had to stay on duty the entire time.

"Detonation" sure beats waiting for two or more hours at a warehouse dock, I'll tell you!

I just had to repeat this!

I didn't even realize that auto correct did that bahaha bahaha