I Need Help - Not Getting Enough Miles

I've heard conflicting information. Is a 15 minutes pre/post trip REQUIRED by DOT? I know that by moving the vehicle you're saying the vehicle is free of defects and take responsibility if it isn't. My company only requires us to log 8 minutes.

Might be a Schneider thing then, as I was told we must log at least 15 minutes for our pre-trip and at least 5 minutes for our post trip.

Have you talked with other drivers at your company about their miles, waiting on loads, money, and downtime?

No not yet

That is something I would seek out.

We do a 3 to 5 min walk around in the pre trip, and a 10 to 20 post. The DOT is looking for a believable amount of time, for the specific routine. If you can do a THOROUGH pre/post in 5 minutes or less for each one, they want to see it. I did a walk around, and a thorough one with a DOT officer, and her trainee. she was satisfied with both. I did it in 4, and 9 minutes respectively. If you look at my logs, you will usually see 6 pre and 20 post.

Here is my tip. I will be staying over T the receiver location. I will not log on duty until they start unloading me. Sometimes I will have My load unstrapped/unchained and all cleaned up, sometimes I will log on in the middle of it. But I don't do it until they lift the first piece off the trailer. This can give you more clock time. In your most recent example though, it is what it is. You are already maximizing that particular situation.

Jamie, all I can say is that I'm going to keep doing it until I'm told not to do it.

Consider this: we see a lot of posts about drivers who get into a safe haven with only minutes remaining on their clock. And as Packrat observed, that can cause intestinal problems. I would add ulcers to that. But if you can milk even ten minutes out of your clock, think how much that will lower your anxiety level at the end of the day.

Here is my tip. I will be staying over T the receiver location. I will not log on duty until they start unloading me. Sometimes I will have My load unstrapped/unchained and all cleaned up, sometimes I will log on in the middle of it. But I don't do it until they lift the first piece off the trailer. This can give you more clock time. In your most recent example though, it is what it is. You are already maximizing that particular situation.

Yeah appreciate the tip. I try to take as much securement off as soon as possible depending on location.

Brian using the term safe haven...

Consider this: we see a lot of posts about drivers who get into a safe haven with only minutes remaining on their clock. And as Packrat observed, that can cause intestinal problems. I would add ulcers to that. But if you can milk even ten minutes out of your clock, think how much that will lower your anxiety level at the end of the day.

Safe Haven Defined

Here is the FMCSA guidance. It’s not what you think it is. No worries...this comes up from time to time. About 2/3rds of the way down the page...it will become apparent.

Oops! I stand corrected on the use of "safe haven". Thanks, G-Town.

Jamie, all I can say is that I'm going to keep doing it until I'm told not to do it.

Consider this: we see a lot of posts about drivers who get into a safe haven with only minutes remaining on their clock. And as Packrat observed, that can cause intestinal problems. I would add ulcers to that. But if you can milk even ten minutes out of your clock, think how much that will lower your anxiety level at the end of the day.

I think this may be aimed at me, for one. I’m not offended, but thought I would clarify.

I have a few spots that I KNOW I can always find a spot to park. Along that route, there are every few miles spots that I can probably find a spot. So I pick the farthest spot that I know I can park, comparing Clock to GPS. I have my GPS set to show remaining time, just like my DOT clock. If at any point it looks like I won’t make my preferred spot, then I start looking at alternates ahead of time.

If I were to ever not make it, I can use the personal Conveyance rule, but the company won’t be happy. They only allow it for being stuck in traffic or at a shipper , and limit it even then.

I have yet to stress over it, I always know I will be able to park. I don’t use truck stops much. The spots I use almost always have open spots, and there are again the ones I know will have a spot. Those are my main target, with the others as fallback. Last night I didn’t have a known spot within a few minutes of my clock ending, so I stopped at a truck stop that almost always has spots, with two more in a couple miles, with an hour left on my clock.

After reading this, I am really starting to appreciate my load planner and dispatcher.

My week is planned out ahead of time. It took about 2 weeks to see what I could do, but since then I am preplanned all the way to my load home.

I just assumed every company did it that way.

I am really happy with my choice of going to Wolding. They have done everything they said they would.

Neek, here’s my day, 511 miles, four stops. This is how it’s done. Sorry your outfit won’t work with you, going to bed.

Delivery 0700, flat steel, I’m 50 miles away (I don’t do a 34 without running water.) It’s raining so won’t be able to untarp outside, but I know this place, if you show up a half hour before they open, they’ll back you into a bay so you can untarp before 0700. Get there 0635, two trucks in line all dark, I head into shipping, sure enough, get told to back on in. 0700 on the dot , they are unloading me, 0715, back on the road to next load that I was given on Friday. Arrive a bit after 0900. First time here, stone place, one truck ahead of me. (Good time to get loaded, all the guys who started the week with this load are gone, and I’m still ahead of most of the reload guys like me.) Talk to shipping, get all my straps, chains, and tarps ready to go while waiting. 0930 getting loaded. Talk to the loader (I always ask), and it’s ok to secure while being loaded. So by the time the last pallet goes on, I’m just about all secured. Pull up, tarp, 1015, I’m ready to roll. (30 minute break has been snuck in here.) Receiver is a job site, unload before 1500 today, or after 0800 tomorrow. I hit my eta before leaving the yard that I’m going to shoot for the before 1500. This means my load planner will probably either get me a short mile and reload tonight, or longer deadhead and reload first thing tomorrow. Couple hours later get a preplan for a reload tonight. Pull in 1445, two trucks ahead of me pulling tarps. Head over to the forklift guy to see if they can get me in. Am told they go home 1500, no ifs, ands, or buts. Ask him if I get everything off the load in five minutes, if he’ll get me. He says sure, he’s just sitting around waiting for whoever gets ready first. (Here’s a trick I see too few flatbedders do-if there’s room, you don’t have to fold and put everything away while pulling it off the load.) Less than five minutes later, my tarps are just dumped in front of the truck and all my straps are on the ground. I get unloaded, one of the other guys didn’t. Rolled up tarps and straps after the job site left to go home. Helped the other flatbedder put a tarp back on his load (he’s not happy, didn’t realize there was a cutoff.) My reload is a 1630 appointment just a couple miles away, once again I know this place, they will not pull you in even a minute before your appointment. So I run down the road to fuel, shower, and have a quick bite. Now I can park anywhere tonight. Show up at the shipper at 1620, they are happy I’m not clogging up their lot like the seven other guys there, they even look up what I’m getting so I can set up my cradles before pulling in (usually they don’t let you know what to set up for before you’re inside the loading bay.) Couple coils, get set up, get all the tarps and chains I’ll need ready to go. This place has no problem with you securing while they are getting the next piece, so my first coil is all secured by the time they place the second one. Pull up, three more chains, tarp, paperwork, I’m back on the road by around 1730. Drive till my clock runs out.