Abbreviation aggravation

[cheri1122]

I just read a post that used the abbreviation "rt 70", referring to I 70. (Note to Silverdollar: please don't take it personally, it was just the example that's handy to illustrate my point)
We could sure use some agreement on standard abbreviations - to me, "rt" could be US, state, or county. Or, it could mean "right"... In this case, it meant Interstate, which is obvious, but sometimes, it isn't so clear. There are places where "rt whatever" could be state, or county, because they happen to have the same numbers. We often leave out the I for interstate, but as drivers, we should try to be clearer in using abbreviations. Some directions from drivers are incomprehensible, giving too much info, like "make the RH turn", when R/W for right/west would be simpler, and clearer. Also not enough info: "turn at the third stoplight". Um, do I count the light at the exit ramp as the first light? Or do I count three lights once I am on the road? And what if they've added, or removed a light since the directions were written?! (A new traffic light has just been installed near my home, to accommodate the entry/exit of a new megastore - it happens pretty often) If you're giving directions, please include a street name, or US, SR, or CR number, or at least a landmark, if you can use one that's likely to be there next year.
The art of giving good directions consists of providing clear information, as concisely as possible. Please don't make me guess whether "rt" means route or right- I don't have time to guess, I'm supposed to be Expediting, not exploring!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

When my nephew was driving with me, we were always waking each other up and asking "what does this mean?" Usually no biggie since we were near the consignee anyways, but I see your point. By the time he left, I had started writing essays for directions. LOL

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

 

[TeamCaffee]

Cheri you have really hit on a pet peeve of ours. I really hate it when the directions say go 3 lights and then turn right without using a street name. To begin with you are not always coming into the town the same way. This another reason I cannot imagine driving anymore without our GPS.

 

[ihamner]

This is a problem for all of us. I agree with you! Also, as Linda mentioned, we are not always coming in to the area from the same direction as the instructions. It would be wonderful to know the name of the street and the direction to turn (South or North). I can't imagine doing this without a GPS.

India Hamner
FedEx CC
Staying alive is nice, but you can't do that forever. It's HOW you live the life you have while you have it.

 

[fastman_1]

When I give out Directions I Give it all,Number of Lights,Street Names,Landmarks and of course R,L,I-,SR-CR- And anything thing else I can think of.







































Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones
Home is Wherever you Park.
The Price of Freedom is Written on the Wall.

 

[cheri1122]

I've been forced to learn how to use the GPS feature with Streets & Trips, on my laptop, but I really don't like doing it. I'm worried that I'll be enjoying watching the little Monopoly vehicle follow the highlighted road onscreen, while the one I'm driving is heading for a tree, or suddenly stopped traffic. Once, in Laredo, I stared in fascination as the onscreen vehicle just went nuts, zigzagging off-road all over the place. I was watching as it headed straight for the Rio Grande, wondering if it would become amphibious? Nope, apparently it crashed into the seawall, cause everything stopped then. Meanwhile, the traffic light at which I'd been sitting still turned green, lol. I blame it on sunspots, but it won't help if I rearend someone, will it?

 

[Coco]

FDCC are you reading this one?

 

[greg334]

>FDCC are you reading this one?

Yea are you READING THIS!

I have been getting directions like;

go to the end of the street before the stop sign and turn.

*** the problem is that the stop sign is at the end of the street and there is no where to turn. ****

and

follow the road until you see the water tower than keep on going.

*** the water tower is in middle of town and you can see it for three miles on all points. I am glad for S&Ts to find this place ****

and

turn right at the ford dealer, follow road two miles and turn right at the sign.

*** the ford dealer was shut down after they stopped making the Edsel because it was the only Edsel dealer in the county. The signs were taking off the building 15 years ago. I figured it out but then turning right was a big problem, which sign? I ran across 10 different signs on different corners two miles out. ****

I wish the people who do the intake ask simple questions like what are the nearest cross streets and put in North, South, East and West in the directions.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Glad to be able to call the customer if I'm in a pinch. However, I keep getting an answering machine. I'm working... why aren't they?

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

 

[terryandrene]

My favorite was "turn right where the old schoolhouse used to be"

 

[highway star]

Too much info can make directions confusing. I was going to Ford Parts(Visteon, or whatever now) in Indy. On the Qualcomm was one long run-on sentence with no punctuation. After the first read I couldn't figure out why I would be on and off Shadeland Ave. 3 times. He had given 3 sets of directions to get in there. I say simple is best. North, south, whatever, off the x-way, then rights and lefts. If it's a long drive off the x-way, a large landmark near the next turn.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Don't you just love in the middle of the night to look for a light gray building with no signs? Another one we know is usually wrong is how to get onto a base. We also wish if the directions are off of internet so we know the directions really don't know much more then we know from our GPS. I am pretty good about taking notes and if the directions are awful I call in and get them updated.

 

[RichM]

Back when Terry and I were expediting with mule drawn wagons, we didn't have Q Comm,had to write down everything,fun days for sure.It was so bad that I eventually started using a cassete recorder so I could verify what I was given over the phone.

 

[Turtle]

I just use the Garmin. I rarely look at the directions listed on the Qualcomm anymore. When I do look at them, it's usually just to confirm that the directions appear to be in the same ballpark as the Garmin directions, and to look for specific details, like to enter at a particular gate or something.

My pet peeve regarding abbreviations is how they are used here in this forum. On some posts, you need a code book to crack what people are talking about.

And while typos and spelling are extremely minor annoyances, and they happen to everybody, especially me, I wish people would at least insert breath commas (maybe a period at the end of a sentence every now and then) and other assorted methods to make their posts actually readable, even if they're not going to use semi-correct grammar and punctuation. And capital letters belong and the beginning of a sentence, for acronyms (abbreviations) and for proper names, but that's about it. I won't get into people using "there" instead of "their" five times in a post, and in the same post turn right around and use "their" instead of "there". These are not interchangeable terms. Neither is your and you're.

If you're going to go to the trouble of trying to communicate something to someone, why not go ahead and make it comprehensible and readable? Instead of typing away and pressing "Post Message", once in a while try pressing "Preview" and read what you just wrote. If you can't understand it, you might consider a rewrite.
:+

BTW (that stands for by the way, by the way), Daylight Savings Time is another pet peeve. It's not Daylight Savings (plural), it's Daylight Saving (singular). There isn't a "sale" on daylight. x(

 

[silverdollar]

I guess it`s just habit. that was the way drivers referred to highways when I started driving a truck, I hauled my first steel coil in 1958. retired last year.

 

[Prarysun]

I consider it fun to try and decifer what a person is trying to say. Not all of us got straight "A's" in grammar, or English. Have a little tolerance for your fellow humans. Someone truely versed in grammar is usually a wiz at figuring things out..... As for directions, yes, that IS frustrating when trying to get somewhere. I find that adding more clear directions to those confusing ones, is usually appreciated. So those of us who have the ability, can make a difference by simply correcting the problem for the next unsuspecting driver. Or those of you who can afford a 700 dollar GPS or a 150 dollar computer program, can go out and buy one and forget what the QC says altogether.... No offense meant to anyone here.....




















Dianne







:7 :7

 

[Dreamer]

I wanted to touch on something Linda said. She mentioned if the local directions were bad, calling in and correcting them.

I wonder how many people take the time to do that?

I used to make that a habit, and had many dispatchers thank me. When I called in to give my pickup info, just a quick "By the way, can I give you better locals?" Same with POD. A quick 20 second call, and it's better for the next guy.

If people did that, sooner or later all the locals would be right. Let's remember, usually those locals are given by some guy who's telling them how HE gets to work.

Dreamer
Forums Administrator


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[Turtle]

Calling in or via the Qualcomm (QC) with updated, understandable local directions is an absolute must for anyone who ever complains about bad locals.

I usually type them into the QC myself, and then read them back as if I were someone who were tying to use them. That way, when the dispatcher updates the directions, (1) they aren't as likely to add their own version of an abbreviation or the directions, and (2) it makes it easier for them to cut and paste them into the system instead of them having to type it all in again.

 

[Moot]

Silverdollar, if you have been trucking since 1958 then you are excused from using the "I" in denoting an interstate highway. Consider yourself grandfathered in. All others must conform to the suggestion listed above in this thread.

In 1958 the ink was barely dry on the bill Ike signed to finance the interstate highway system.

Congratulations on a long and hopefully happy career! And thank you for blazing the trail.

 

[ATeam]

Dreamer said, "I wanted to touch on something Linda said. She mentioned if the local directions were bad, calling in and correcting them.
I wonder how many people take the time to do that?"

We used to but stopped. Sometimes, we'd even re-run the local route after making a delivery to gather good mileage and landmark information for the next driver, and either call it in or send it via Qualcomm. Several weeks after we did that at one location, we got the same run. The local directions were not the new ones we sent in but the bad ones that led us to send better ones in the first time. Yes, they will thank you for the information, but what happens to it after that is anyone's guess.