Freight Lanes

[fortwayne]

All right, now, I understand that we generally do not tell everyone that we know out here where those so-called dependable freight lanes are, and of course they differ a tad from company to company.
But, being a solo driver in a 24-foot straight truck, out of Fort Wayne, Indiana any help people can provide would be helpful. For instance I have been told it is pretty pointless to just sit here in Fort Wayne, I should move to Warren, Indiana where I am still on the board here but could be on the Indianapolis board as well. I have been told the key is to position yourself where you are on 2 or 3 boards at a time if possible. Dont sit in Detroit but position yourself outside Detroit and on another board or two in the area, et etc.
I know I will learn some of this in time, a bit of advice will come in class, etc. But, any veterans that can help would be grateful. Like to hear from Express-1, FedEx, Panther, Tri-State and LandStar.
Aren't those the big guns!



Fort Wayne
'Stand Up For Yourself - Don't Wait For Someone Else'

 

[Turtle]

>All right, now, I understand that we generally do not tell
>everyone that we know out here where those so-called
>dependable freight lanes are,

We're not supposed to do that? I missed the memo.

>and of course they differ a tad from company to company.

That much is certain.

Sort of. The dependable freight lanes are I-75, I-71, I-80, etc., or Michigan to Ohio to Indiana to Illinois to the Carolinas, well, you get the picture.

Dependable layover spots is something else. Places to sit in order to be on more than one board is going to be way company specific, so unless we know your company, any advice is going to be worthless.

Warren is a good spot. So is Detroit, actually. In Detroit, at least with Panther, you're on 4 or 5 different boards at the same time. New Baltimore, Detroit, Pontiac, Romulus, Windsor, there are others. You can sit at the Detroiter in Romulus and be on, I think, 5 boards. But the key to Detroit is, go sit on top of the freight itself. Instead of sitting the boards in Romulus, actually go to New Baltimore and sit there. You could be in Romulus and be #5 on the New Baltimore board, for example, and you'd be #5 if you were sitting in New Baltimore, too, but if you're in New Baltimore, the closest truck gets the load, 9 times out of 10, when board positions are spread out like that, so you're very likely to get loaded within mere seconds (maybe a slight exaggeration).

Any place where multiple loads per day come out is a good spot. Sometimes being on multiple boards is a good thing, sometimes not. If you sit half way between Columbus and Dayton you'll be on 2 or 3 boards, depending on where you are sitting. You may be #1 on the Dayton board, but if #3 on the Dayton board is sitting 2 miles from the shipper, they'll jump you in a heartbeat.

There are all kinds of mind games you can play with yourself and with other drivers, this board, that board, multiple boards, but the bottom line is you need to sit on the freight to get it. Dispatch will look out 50 miles for the board positions, but if you're 45 miles out and someone else is 3 miles out, your board position doesn't carry enough weight to trump 42 miles when it's hot freight and ready and waiting to be picked up and delivered ASAP.

Being in a straight truck, being on multiple boards isn't all that important, at least not nearly as important as some try to make it out to be. If you're in a straight truck, and they need you, they'll call you, regardless of what board you are on.

There are also some spots where sitting on the freight doesn't really matter much. Like in Laredo, you could be in the parking lot of the shipper and anyone on the board ahead of you that's sitting out at the Flying J or the Pilot (or the soon-to-be TA) will get loaded based on board position.

Mainly, it's blind luck. Hope that helps.

 

[nightcreacher]

This is expedite,the hot spots of today wont be hot spots of tomorrow.
oh in mi are usually good for a solo driver,

 

[iheartfaye]

Warren is a good choice. Unfortunately, the Crazy D truckstop is a cesspool.

With Panther, Warren puts you on Fort Wayne, Muncie, and Marion and I have always done very well out of Warren.

I have to disagree with a previous post about multiple boards not being important. I live by the "board splitting philosophy" and have always done well when others were complaining about sitting too long.

Also, I do not stage where they are holding a "convention" for units of my size with the same carrier. I can't do anything but laugh when I pull in to a Flying J for fuel and see 5 Panther vans or 4 Tri-States or whatever all staged at the same location.