Trip Plan My Load For Me!

Ugh. I got an F. I hate failing. I can't wait to see the actual answer

This is an awesome idea Daniel!

Come on newbies - step up and give it a shot! If for no other reason do it out of respect for the veteran drivers out there. Watching newbies fumble, bumble, and stumble makes us feel better about our rookie year when we fumbled, bumbled, and stumbled! You're going to be a veteran driver someday and you'll get to laugh at rookies too!

Seriously though....this is an extremely valuable exercise in real life trucking and an awesome way to learn the in's and out's from the veterans that are out there doing it for real every day. Soon enough you're going to face these situations yourself and there won't be anyone around to help.

I've tried to reply twice last night, but I've gotten signed out both times. Basically, you've got 27 hours to work with, since both towns are in the same time zone. It'll take a little over 11 hours, conservatively, over the mountains along I80. 661 miles. The next best route, some state route to I25, was 692 miles I think -- it was about 30 miles longer.

Looking at our hos , we can drive maybe thirty minutes out the first night, after the required half hour break and scaling out at the shipper. We'll only have 10.75 hours to play with tomorrow, so we need to plan on leaving the morning of 10.23 at about 11:30 to get there on time.

The biggest challenge here is you're butting up against the limits of the logs -- one big traffic jam, and you're late, because you couldn't leave earlier on the 22nd and you can only work the 10.75 hours you'll recapture on the 23rd.

Also, why can't we take that 30 min. break during the 2 hours on standby? That would free up some of the most precious commodity we've got on the 22nd.

I know this area pretty good, I grew up in Cody, WY went to BYU in Provo, UT and dated a guy from Rexburg, ID. I would take I15 South to US 26E just north of Idaho Falls, grab I80 at Rock Springs going East then at Cheyenne take I 25 to Henderson. Total miles 686. This is pretty mountainous so it maybe tight getting it on time especially this time of year. Not unusual to have snow in the passes. I wouldn't want to go over the Hoback when it was dark so I may wait. I've been this route before but I was in a pickup not a semi and I wasn't getting paid per mile nor did I have to worry about 11 or 14 hour clocks. You can also take I15 to US30 and pick up I80 just west of Rock Springs you avoid Hoback but it'll add about 25 miles to your trip. I still working through Logbooks.

I would scale the truck there. If scales not certified check it down the road.

There is plenty of time to make delivery however in my experience it is best to leave ASAP because things happen and the closer to you destination you get the less opportunity they have to occur. If you have 2 hours to get 1 hour away drive 45 min and wait the 1 hour 15 min out rather then wait an hour to leave and get a flat or get jammed up another way and be late.

Don't know log books yet but looks like you got around a 12 hour drive and 8 hours you can drive. That would put you 4 hours out. Take your 10 and 8+4+10=22 hours. If I remember you had 29 hours to deliver. Going west perhaps +1 hour if you cross a time line. You should be early if all goes well. See if they will take it earlier.

I love what I'm reading! The answer will be posted tomorrow! Great job everyone!

I am new to this and my answer is against the current, but here it goes: I don't think you can deliver on time. 1) Spencer is in PST and Henderson is MST. Delivery time is actually one hour earlier. 2) You have a total of 12.05 of drive time. Based on shortest mileage, you would have to average 55 mph through the mountains with a heavy truck. 3) I think you should scale the load. 80000-47500=32500. I believe that most average tractor and trailer weighs 36000 empty. Based on averages, you are over 3500 #'s. If your weight is legal, then back to reason two. Have dispatch change delivery to 10/24 @ 0:00. Great question. I have been in school one week and I am looking forward to the answer. I will also be discussing with instructor. Thanks.

I've looked at the distance and the time involved. The shortest route is through the mountains via I15, US26, US191, I80, and US87. This is 671 miles. The route via interstate (I15, I84, I80, US87) is around 770 miles. Some have quoted what google maps gives for the first route, but part of that route is over a road that may not allow trucks through. At the very least a large truck on it might give a cop a reason to stop you. The time left to drive is also problematic, on 10/22 Daniel can drive 1:21 before he's out of time for the week. On 10/23 Daniel gets back 10:44 all told that's 12 hours, more hours than can be driven in one day, but not all the hours of duty that could be used in a day. Roughly Daniel has eleven hours he can drive if he waits, and probably still has very close to eleven if drives for one hour on 10/22. There is post trip to be done on 10/22, plus pre and post trip on 10/23. Let's see 671miles/11hours is 61miles/hr. I don't think Daniels truck goes that fast, nor would it be possible given the mountain driving. I suspect that averaging 55 miles/hr would be lucky. The load can't be delivered before 10/23 @ 2200 with the hours Daniel has available, even without the problems he could encounter along the way. Those US routes are two lane, hilly, and twisty. Driving over 60 miles/hr is not on, even if slower traffic weren't going to be in front.

Sure Daniel could pull some tricks, like drive on 10/22, but that's only going to get him ~ 50 miles. The is a truck stop - Teton Truck Stop - about 50 miles south of Spencer via I-15. This could be reached with the 1:21 left to drive. Say the scaling was okay, Daniel does have a light weight truck, and the shipper knows their potatoes. He'll get to TTS in an hour, do his post trip and have 6 minutes left on his 70, maybe six minutes. On 10/23 he can start driving @ 0415 and has 10:50 of on duty time, take out 30 minutes for good pre and post trip, and he has 10:10 to drive 650 miles, still over 60 miles/hr, but his truck doesn't 63 miles/hr. Even if his truck could, the route over the mountains will prevent that speed.

What can Daniel do? Arrange with shipper to stay 8 more hours so that he has his reset. He could scale on his SB time (we won't tell). Also, he'll need to arrange with his dispatch and receiver to take delivery on 10/24, but when? Let's not send Daniel over the mountains let's have him go by the interstate route - it's 795 miles. He extends his sleeper time by 8 hours and completes 10 hours off @ 0300. If he starts driving then he'll have 12 hours of duty time. Fifteen for pre trip, drive five and half hours, take a thirty minute break, drive another five and half hours, stop and post trip. That's twelve hours later, and he's gone roughly 550 miles. He's reached Rawlins WY and can stay at the TA. There are 236 miles left to go to get to Henderson and it's 1500 on 10/23. Daniel has 4.5 more hours of travel. If he takes his 10 now, he'll get more recap hours on 10/24. The earliest that Daniel could leave is 10/24 @ 0100, arriving @ 0500. We could add a few more hours, so Daniel can sleep until 0300. Let's try to reschedule for 0800 on 10/24.

The biggest problem I see is getting dispatch and the receiver to accept the delivery on the morning of 10/24.

Michael, you are so close! Check your math.

Hint: this delivery can be made easily. In fact, I arrived hours before my delivery appointment. Enough time to eat, shower and do laundry.

But good job everyone!! Very impressive!