My Life As A Rookie Driver
Topic 547 | Page 8
They've gone to electronic logs to not only help stay out of trouble with the DOT but because they're going to be legally mandated by the Government before long anyhow.
True, but how do we stay legal when a shipper or receiver waits until the VERY LAST MINUTE to get you out of the dock? I am NOT looking for a fine, but where does one go when you show up at a receiver with 5 1/2 left on your 14, and they tell you to come back in an hour. Now you have 4 1/2 hours left, and they finally START unloading 4 hours later. This is why I HATE UNIONS.
Electronic Logs:
Electronic Onboard Recorder
Electronic Logbook
A device which records the amount of time a vehicle has been driven. If the vehicle is not being driven, the operator will manually input whether or not he/she is on duty or not.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Well it's not just the union companies that will cause problems for ya. But I don't know how you stay legal under those circumstances. That's just one of the many things in trucking - there isn't a lot of good options.
It would be nice if they'd get rid of that stupid 14 hour rule. That's what causes so many problems and does nothing in the way of being helpful. Drivers lost a ton of flexibility in their work day because of that. You can't take naps like you used to and you can't split the sleeper berth anywhere close to as nicely as you could back in the day.
Personally I still think the old rules we had in the 90's were perfect.
What does your company recommend for that type of scenario? Ask them about using the two hour extension to get to a safe haven. That to me seems quite plausible.
Sleeper Berth:
The portion of the tractor behind the seats which acts as the "living space" for the driver. It generally contains a bed (or bunk beds), cabinets, lights, temperature control knobs, and 12 volt plugs for power.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Well it's not just the union companies that will cause problems for ya. But I don't know how you stay legal under those circumstances. That's just one of the many things in trucking - there isn't a lot of good options.
It would be nice if they'd get rid of that stupid 14 hour rule. That's what causes so many problems and does nothing in the way of being helpful. Drivers lost a ton of flexibility in their work day because of that. You can't take naps like you used to and you can't split the sleeper berth anywhere close to as nicely as you could back in the day.
Personally I still think the old rules we had in the 90's were perfect.
What does your company recommend for that type of scenario? Ask them about using the two hour extension to get to a safe haven. That to me seems quite plausible.
I'll have to talk to my DM. Find out what the limits to "safe haven" are. What are the hours authorized in a six month period. Technically, shipping and receiving play NO role in "safe haven," but they are the ones causing all of the problems. I know you can't use safe haven to further your load.
Dave
Sleeper Berth:
The portion of the tractor behind the seats which acts as the "living space" for the driver. It generally contains a bed (or bunk beds), cabinets, lights, temperature control knobs, and 12 volt plugs for power.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Here's one that "never" happens. You agree to switch (relay) loads in order to get some home time, and you realize this load would never get to the destination on time. So I put in a delay, and I have yet to hear back yet, but if they do what they have done in the past, they'll give me a new time. I think my usual DM is off today.
Dave
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
I pick up tomorrow afternoon, but I can only be ONE HOUR early. That is one thing I am starting to learn, with regards to time management. If you show up too early, you are wasting your 14 hour clock.
Dave
Yeah, unless they can get you unloaded early. I always used to call ahead to verify my appointments and try to get them pushed forward if I could get there early. Your company might tell you to let customer service handle anything like that, but I always said the heck with that. If I can get something moved forward so I can get rolling sooner, I'm doing it.
Actually, sometimes I used to pretend I was working in the offices instead of being the driver. Whatever it takes to keep those wheels turnin. 
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Actually, sometimes I used to pretend I was working in the offices instead of being the driver.
You silver tongued devil, you...bet they fell for it every time...
I had to use this very trick this weekend. The weekend dispatch people didn't set an appointment for me like they promised, so after sitting for four hours I resorted to calling the consignees switchboard and getting through to the receiving department. I simply told them I was with so and so company and I've got a driver right down the street needing a delivery appointment and almost like magic I was in the gate in fifteen minutes! Sometimes you gotta wear a couple of different hats so you can make things happen.
Consignee:
The customer the freight is being delivered to. Also referred to as "the receiver". The shipper is the customer that is shipping the goods, the consignee is the customer receiving the goods.
APPOINTMENT SET -- yeah for a time that the consignee doesn't receive loads. They only unload during bus hrs between 7am - 3PM, I showed up at 830 on a sat morn, last weekend (holiday weekend) - anyways they did have someone there trained to run the fork and got me unloaded. If that person wasn't there I was going to have to sit until Tues morning. ended up doing a lot of sitting anyways b/c of the weekend but hey "why did an appointment get set" - message given to me and they don't take appointments on weekends - again, the day and the life of a truck driver....right?
Consignee:
The customer the freight is being delivered to. Also referred to as "the receiver". The shipper is the customer that is shipping the goods, the consignee is the customer receiving the goods.
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They've gone to electronic logs to not only help stay out of trouble with the DOT but because they're going to be legally mandated by the Government before long anyhow.
Electronic Logs:
Electronic Onboard Recorder
Electronic Logbook
A device which records the amount of time a vehicle has been driven. If the vehicle is not being driven, the operator will manually input whether or not he/she is on duty or not.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.