Trip Planning Regards To Routes

Feel what u saying Mr.T ! Samething I thought but I'm definitely gonna pull the atlas out cause I dnt want to get caught on a low clearance road or restricted routes. People and computers can make mistakes. Definitely check ur atlas to be safe while u pre plan ur trip

Ok so in this situation would it cause for not trip planning at all?? I'm saying if I have to follow the Qualcomm directions exactly would I even need to pull out a map book?

Hey old school Thanks for chiming in. Not allowing anyone or anything to fill my mind with trash. I just over analyze things at sometimes. Figured that when I start to get my routes and begin to pre plan and use my atlas I might come across another route I can take which might allow me to get to destination better say avoiding construction or bad weather for example. Definitely want to comply with company policy always. Wanted to get an understanding of how a driver comes off to there DM if they were to suggest another route if there is one possible. Will my company look at me as someone defying company policy or someone who is putting in more work looking for the best route possible.

Yosemite, you've got to get yourself off of this idea that your company wants to limit your earnings potential. You're starting to sound like the crybabies who are all over the Internet blaming their employers as the reason they failed at trucking.

They make more money any time you are making more money. Remember this whole career is performance based. If you are able to move more freight for them, you both are the beneficiaries. I don't know where you're getting all these false notions, but you need to quit exposing your mind and emotions to that garbage. That kind of thinking is going to paralyze your career.

Also remember that you are going to be working for a company that has been very successful at this stuff. They've got a lot of this figured out from experience. You, on the other hand... well, you've got a lot to learn.

You haven't even been assigned a truck yet. It's no time for you to be trying to figure out how you can bypass what they are trying to teach you at orientation. Slow down, listen to what they are saying, and realize that they want you to make all kinds of money while you are working for them because that means you are worth keeping around.

Trust me, you are going to have troubles enough, of your own making, just trying to get the hang of how this all works so that you can survive your first year. Don't start imagining they are putting barriers up to bar your success. That mind set will crush you, just as it has thousands of other rookie drivers.

Thanks Rick. Appreciate ur advice

If they say you MUST follow their route - then you pretty much have to take that at FACE VALUE.

You'll have time to ask YOUR TRAINER how strictly they abide by that. But MUST doesn't sound like "hey, we'd like you to take our route unless you think you can do better".

Obviously - when you check the route - if there's an issue with a low bridge, construction detour or something else that would make their route unsafe or impossible - by all means bring it to your DM's attention.

But as OS elaborated - being in orientation, is not the time to start second guessing whether YOU can pick a better route than the company assigns you. Since you are getting paid the miles that the load assignment specifies - "better routes" do not make you (or the company) more or less $$.

Rick

Whoa there, G-Town. I'm only remarking on looking at google maps for trucks. The assumption being that if a trucker is on the route than another trucker can make is just another piece of information on a route. Sure that is a good thing to, so is using the street view option so as to check out signage - signs and low bridges are easy to spot. What I'm noting here is that google has removed trucks and cars from the overhead images of L.A. Check it out. It's very apocalyptic to see the streets and freeways without any traffic.

Whoa there, G-Town. I'm only remarking on looking at google maps for trucks. The assumption being that if a trucker is on the route than another trucker can make is just another piece of information on a route. Sure that is a good thing to, so is using the street view option so as to check out signage - signs and low bridges are easy to spot. What I'm noting here is that google has removed trucks and cars from the overhead images of L.A. Check it out. It's very apocalyptic to see the streets and freeways without any traffic.

"Whoa there Michael"...I understand. Point taken.

Her plan for trip planning all told is solid. She is covering all her bases and not relying on just Google Maps.

Hey thanks. Ok cool so always double check using the Atlas

Mr. T wrote:

Hey thanks. Ok cool so always double check using the Atlas

Yes sir. Hope all is going well for you Theron.

When i first started i used the QC gps. I really liked it because it took you through small towns and small scenic routes.

Now that i run dedicated and everything is rush rush and everything is appointment times and you have to split breaks just to get to your stops on time. I kind of miss those those times i could look out the window and appreciate the drive. So enjoy it while you can. :)

Mr. T wrote:

Hey thanks. Ok cool so always double check using the Atlas

Yes sir. Hope all is going well for you Theron.

Everything is going great! Thanks!

FYI, garmin has the same feature as the rand mcnally. It's called "garmin base camp".

I asked my dm about the route solutions that are sent to us, and he said they are all good truck routes. Now, I'm thinking that if you open one of these trip planning programs on your computer, you should be able to do all of the research there and customize your route so that you don't get in a hard spot.on the road. Yes, check your atlas, but, overall, since you can tell the program what roads YOU want to take, it "should" be a safe way to go, wouldn't it?

Something I didn't know. Thanks for that info Calkansan. ✌🏼️✌🏼

Shippers also can request and pay for a specific route. If they are paying for that route, you drive that route.