Running Hard

Hi, maybe it has been mentioned before in the forum but I have not come across the meaning or description of 'running hard'. Considering what I have read so far about delayed pickups/drop offs, logging rules, how does one manage to 'run hard' and earn over 3,000 miles a week?

Running OVER 3000 miles a week is tough..not only to make those kind of miles, but physically as well...most drivers average about 2200-2500 miles a week...you start getting up to and over 3000 miles, you're either a genius with time management or you're on a dedicated..either way, that's tough driving and whilst it may sound great on paper, most people can only hold up that kind of pace for a few weeks at most before it catches up to them..

Hi, maybe it has been mentioned before in the forum but I have not come across the meaning or description of 'running hard'. Considering what I have read so far about delayed pickups/drop offs, logging rules, how does one manage to 'run hard' and earn over 3,000 miles a week?

bdrove by driving every available opportunity You can. Sometimes you have short days and can only drive 5 to 6 hours due to a number of factors but putting those aside when you can you drive. You stay out of truck stops except to feel or rest. You don't stop at every tourist attraction you come across. Basically you do your job. You are a driver therefore you drive Maximizing Every Available hour you can to put miles under your belt.

Running hard is just an expression used by truckers. It means that we are staying busy.

3,000 miles is difficult when you're new and don't know anything about managing your clocks. But as you get more experienced you learn tricks to maximize your miles. It's not hard for me right now to get 3,000. My maximum miles in a 7 day period is 3800 miles. Now that was a tough week. I was so busy, every appointment was extremely tight and the days consisted of driving almost 11 hours a day.

Just don't run too hard when you're beginning. Take time to enjoy the scenery and be careful to not burn yourself out.

The biggest thing you have to do in order to start getting consistently good miles is to prove yourself to your company and especially your dispatcher. Trucking companies have plenty of freight for their top drivers and they rely on those drivers to take great care of their most important customers. Rarely will they let someone who's totally unproven take a load that's on a really tight schedule or belongs to a high value customer. In the beginning your miles may be a bit lower, but over a period of weeks and months you will see that improve as long as you're getting the job done safely and on time.

There is one huge element to all of this though - the human element. Even though companies use software to help them distribute the loads more efficiently amongst their drivers, people can override those suggestions. "Load planners" as they're referred to at most companies are responsible most of the time for distributing loads to drivers. Dispatchers act as a liaison between the drivers and the company. So the dispatcher can speak to the load planners about re-assigning loads when they feel it's warranted.

With all that being said, you ultimately have to earn the trust and respect of your dispatcher in order to maintain really good miles, be treated fairly, get home when it's time to get home, and get special favors once in a while when you need em. The best way to earn that respect is:

1) Have an awesome attitude and treat dispatch with respect

2) Make your deliveries on time, every time

3) Work hard, be safe, and be reliable

4) Trade favors with dispatch

5) Lobby for more miles on a regular basis

Now the 4th one is critical and not many new drivers understand this. Almost everyone gets paid by the mile. So everyone wants longer runs with a lot of miles and a quick turnaround. They don't want to sit around waiting on freight, they don't want to sit on a load for three days that only goes 500 miles, and they don't want a lot of short runs. But as you might imagine, not all loads are dream loads. Some are just junk from a driver's perspective. They don't have the miles you want, they go to a region of the country you don't want to be in, or you'll be sitting around a lot. That just stinks. But hey, someone has to deliver those runs too, right?

You need to be one of those drivers that will deliver those loads. When dispatch gives you something lousy, no problem. Just tell em, "Hey, I'll get the job done. But that load stinks. You think you can put a word in to see if they can dig me up a good one after this so my paycheck isn't like thirty bucks this week?"

That kind of attitude will take you a long, long way in trucking. Because dispatch knows what's up. They know good loads from bad loads. So when a driver is willing to take the bad with the good, dispatch will usually distribute a mix of runs that will give you the miles you're looking for. Not all of the runs will be great, but in the end you'll make good money and they'll keep you busy.

So trading favors with dispatch is huge.

The last one - lobbying for miles - is something you have to do sometimes. Your dispatcher will have anywhere from 50-100 drivers on their board to take care of. Sometimes you get lost in the shuffle and the load planners accidentally stick you with several short runs in a row or your weekly mileage begins to dip. That's when you have to speak up a bit and let dispatch know:

"Hey! Yo! Remember me? Great person, runs hard, great attitude, safe, reliable, and all that? Well I'm getting killed out here on my paychecks. What happened to all the miles? I'm overdue for a couple of good runs. You guys are letting me slip through the cracks here. Can you put in a good word for me and see what they can do to put some decent miles on me?"

It happens. The offices of trucking companies are very hectic places. Very dynamic. Sometimes they'll forget things. Sometimes they won't notice things. They're human like all of us. So you have to speak up sometimes and let them know you need a little extra attention or a special favor.

As far as the miles you can run, Guy is right, at least in the very beginning. Straight out of training you won't likely be running more than about 2400-2700 miles per week. Something like that. But as you get better at managing your time, adjusting to the erratic sleep schedules, and learning how to make things happen out there on the road you'll be able to turn more miles safely and efficiently. Once you've been out there running solo about six months or so you should expect your miles to be around 2500-3000 pretty consistently. If not, then something is wrong. Either you're not getting the job done, your dispatcher isn't watching out for you properly, or there's just a temporary slowdown in freight due to the economy, the cyclical nature of freight volumes throughout the year, or the loss of one or more big customers.

Finally, one last thing. Logbook rules. If you're on electronic logs it will be a huge advantage to know the logbook rules inside and out. You wouldn't believe how few drivers know the most important rules that govern their daily lives out there. Knowing when you can legally take advantage of different provisions to keep rolling can mean the difference between 3000 miles a week or 2300 miles a week.

Learn the logbook rules.

Thank you all for your answers. Very eye opening and informative. Will keep all in mind.

Seriously do not be afraid of the small short runs. A few years back while running teams like I am now we got stuck running 400 to 600 mile trips. I was like WTF! I am a team truck. That was until the end of the week and we ended up with just over 6900 miles. After that I begged and pleaded to keep me on the east coast doing short runs. But yea of course they did not cause they found local drivers to cover them. Was a sweet route. Fast true around and all drop and hook.