It is true. How often it happens depends on the company you work for and the division you're in. It could be a once or twice a week thing, it could be once a year. On average at a dry van company (where you normally have this problem the most) you'll run into a shortage of trailers a couple of times a month at least.
I used to keep a list of all of the locations my company had with empty trailers. Anytime I found a customer or drop yard with empties I'd add it to the list. I can't even begin to count how many times I was able to go a few miles down the road and snag a trailer while other drivers were laying around watching TV and waiting for dispatch to find them one. It can take hours or even a few days.
If you do have an empty that you have to go retrieve before taking it to the shipper you'll get paid for any miles you have to run. So you're burning your clock, but you're getting paid. It's not the way you want to be making money but that's just how it goes sometimes.
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.
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Now I remember. I was telling my wife about how this guy would tell other drivers that he was going to grab something to eat and instead go to one of his hot spots and grab a trailer, while they would all be sitting and waiting for dispatch to find them one. It was here...Duh..
Lol, You da MAN!
I agree with Bretts school of thought on this. Was looking around Chicago the other day, this time of year DCs are hesitant to give up an empty if you don't bring them a full one. Well my dm was no help and company trailer solution had me going clear across Chicago land to pick one up. I had dropped a load at General mills the other day and it was right around the corner. I was bobtailing so I stopped by the yard looked through the fence and got a trailer number off one ours that was there. Wrote it in my trip book went to the security at the gate and told them I was here to get trailer # x for repairs st our terminal. She said its right over there have a nice day. Upshot was I got a trailer was on time to my live load and my dm was astonished. Maybe a little underhanded but I got my job done. Be creative in solving problems and you can save tons of time.
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Now I remember. I was telling my wife about how this guy would tell other drivers that he was going to grab something to eat and instead go to one of his hot spots and grab a trailer, while they would all be sitting and waiting for dispatch to find them one. It was here...Duh..
That's me!
Hey, trucking is really competitive and the #1 competition you face is the other drivers at your own company. There's only so much freight to go around. So you have to decide if you wanna keep putting nice paychecks in the bank or do you want to sit around at truck stops complaining about going broke? Now don't get me wrong...if someone breaks down or gets sick or something you're definitely going to help them out any way you can. But when it comes to getting the best loads and the most miles you do whatever you can to get the advantage. If dispatch tells me, "We have a load for ya but you need an empty first." Well by God I'm gonna do whatever I can to go scrape up an empty and get rollin!
Upshot was I got a trailer was on time to my live load and my dm was astonished. Maybe a little underhanded but I got my job done. Be creative in solving problems and you can save tons of time.
Absolutely! In fact, sometimes I would find an empty trailer somewhere but I wasn't empty yet so I would put a lock and seal on it hoping that nobody called the trailer # in and figured out it was empty. 9 out of 10 times it worked. 1 out of 10 times I had to buy a new lock because they figured it out.
That's the price you pay sometimes.
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I'm always reading about truckers having to go out and get or find an empty trailer at another terminal , then bring back and drop it, before they can pick their loaded one up.
Is this true? If so, How often is this the case? Seems like It would take a serious bite out of your 14 hr. clock!
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.