Importance of Freight

[arkjarhead]

Is it just me or is it funny that in the article about driver emergencies that the first word out of those penny loafer, paper pushing, desk driving executives mouths is about freight. It seems to me that it doesn't matter what company it is the freight is more important than the driver hauling it. Sorry if I seem upset but to me I think we should be treated better than that. No freight should be put in front of humans. I've had it happen to me the past where I told the company I needed to take a nap and to call me in a couple of hours to wake me up. They told me in a round about way to risk my life to deliver the freight. I'm sure someone will say you shouldn't have taken the load, but when you wait for 6 hours at the shiper and can't be in the sleeper b/c it's at the dock you don't have much choice. Sorry to sound like a lil baby about this I just needed to vent. I really enjoy expediting but I wish more people behind the desks knew what it is like behind the steering wheel.

 

[Moot]

If you were delayed 6 hours at the shipper, then the delivery time should have been set back 6 hours.

 

[jaminjim]

You might be surprised how many times they have driver emergencies. I had one guy that had his Grandmother pass away four times in the ten years he worked for me. Another got "kidnapped" by out of state drug dealers and missed a week of work. But one thing about the guys that worked for me, they were some animal loving people. I can't even count the times they came in late or left early to take care of Fido.

I would think that the freight must come first (they are a freight company), but they can work on a solution at the same time they work to get you where you need to be.

 

[RichM]

I know of 2 sisters from TN that drive.Anytime a trip becomes uncomfortable for them or takes them into area that they do not wish to go in, their Father has a heart attack. Poor guy has had about 10 of them that I know about.

 

[jaminjim]

Well okay Rich, the guy who got "kidnapped" and missed a weeks work had missed a days work right after starting for me, the reason.... drum roll..... wait for it.... here it comes..... his only COW got loose. And he had to chase it down all day.

 

[RichM]

Those cows can really move.

 

[jaminjim]

They are utterly fast

 

[x06col]

Well the way I see it, that is why we get paid the big bucks Jarhead, to place some kind of importance on the freight that allows us to eat and live indoors. I don't own any penny loafers but, I do shuffle plenty of paper, drive both the desk and trucks. Been where the rubber meets the road, frequently. And, your kind of attitude is plenty common these days. I'm sure that no one is placing your life ahead of freight, i'm sure they are thinking - just another slider that can't reach down for that extra ounce or two. I won't say you shouldn't have taken the load, i'll suffice to say, maybe you shouldn't be in the truck.

 

[rode2rouen]

> They are utterly fast



Jim,

Don't you mean "udderly"??


Rex

 

[younglobo]

Ouch Xo6
My 2 cents I am a owner of a CO. and have seen it both ways ; have had good drivers and some real winners also , have had drivers take off so their house could get worked on and a driver that wouldn't move if there was a skiff of snow in the area. but in jarheads situation if you have to rest or the weather is to bad to drive stop by all means you are endangering yourself and other drivers and i can replace metal and customers that dont understand but not bodies. As far as the shipper taking 6 hours to load you then they should adjust the delivery time 6 hours also. If we all ran by the HOS maybe freight cost would Change HMMMM.

 

[x06col]

Yes, I agree young, however, whats the difference if he was at the dock, or, setting at the truckstop watching TV for 6 hours before loading? Wake time is wake time. Does it make us more tired standing on a dock awake, or, watching TV awake. For me it's watching TV. You know.

 

[raceman]

I assume I will come across as harsh but I think the freight is the companies first love. It is nice to have them worry about us or understand when weather is bad but outside of that I see no problem with them putting freight in front of me. As X said, thats what we ar paid for. Part of the deal is time and rest management. If you accept then you can expect them to expect you to deliver.

I too wish it were different but that is reality. When I had drivers I too expected them to roll my trucks with that freight.


Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[arkjarhead]

X,
You sound like a company puppet to me. You might want to clean that brown stuff of your nose it looks a little gross.

 

[x06col]

Well actually, the freight is the CUSTOMERS first love. Seems most folks leave the customer out of the math, and spear chuck for the Company. Ya gotta understand, the customer is paying you, not the Company. Seems it's a game of gotta. Your sales people gotta make promises to get the freight for you. Your dispatcher gotta find someone to run the freight. You gotta be good enough to stay in the fleet so you may get a load offer, then when you accept that challenge, you gotta be able to deliver it. You are not being harsh race, and, you hit the nail square about rest management. Seems to me in the above complaint that 6 hours was spent on the dock, that would leave what, 9 hours of driving to make 15 or so. To my way of thinking, if someone needs a nap before they get their 9 in, it's probably not a good thing. Maybe, just maybe, they are not serious about this business. We run by the HOS. If you can't get it done single, put a team on it. But, you can't convince me that 15 hours is a stretch. Sorry.

 

[x06col]

No Joe, I'm THE fella that causes the puppets to dance.

 

[arkjarhead]

I'm not sure who joe is but anyway. I guess you feel good about makin the puppets dance. I dance for no one.

 

[RichM]

Guys , lets keep it civil.

 

[LDB]

All companies have the "official line" that safety is "job 1" and loads will only be run legally and safely. That line goes about as far as the cord on the phone they use to talk to shippers to commit to delivering a specific load at a specific time. I'm going for what I think/hope is a middle ground here.

If the delivery time is 0500 and the driver could have a 2 hour nap and still arrive at 0400 he should be given the time so he makes the run safely. If the delivery is 0500 and a 2 hour nap would cause an 0700 delivery that's a much tougher situation. Is on time worth the potential of an asleep at the wheel multi vehicle collision?

As to the 6 hour delay, it's easy to second guess and say don't take the job if you can't run it. On the one hand the driver could have been up since breakfast at 0730 and gotten the job offer at 1530 picking up 41 miles away at 1700 with a 300 mile run delivering at 2359 and been fine with it. With a 6 hour delay it now delivers at 0559 so he's up all night long rather than until midnite. That's a significant difference.

There was no need for "sleep management" with the job as offered. With the shipper's improper delay it becomes an issue. I'd say go get in the sleeper at the dock and rest as much as you can but that still doesn't excuse the shipper for the delay. They have made a perfectly fine run into an unsafe all night run. Had they called for the truck for 2300 with 0559 delivery there would have been plenty of time for a better nap prior to pickup.

As to "reaching down" for that little extra, that's a nice talking phrase but it isn't physiological reality. One can only go so far before fatigue becomes a factor and then a problem. That point is different for everyone. Each individual needs to know their specific limits and accept/reject accordingly. I personally only do jobs that span about half the darkness hours, either first half or last half. That's my safety zone and I know it.

I don't fault the companies for wanting as close to 100% on time and safety ratings as they can get. Without that they won't keep customers for long. They do need to look at driver conditions as well though. If a rest break won't cause a late delivery then by all means work with the driver to make it safer.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 4958, 5447
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[highway star]

The freight is what it's all about. Anyone that signs up to do this needs to have support that they can depend on to handle things. GM isn't going to shut down just because we have problems. If a transfer of the freight isn't possible, we just have to finish the job and go from there. I know that sounds cold but that's what you signed up for. I've been there, too. My ex had a miscarriage while I was on the road.

 

[x06col]

That is a nice middle of thr road Leo. And, i'm only trying to help also, only i'm just a little more sage than you. I see that our complainer is a driver for a contractor. I also read he has not been getting much freight. Now, suppose this is not the first requested nap, or whatever has arose in his career, or, it's a pattern of whatever. Do you suppose his income might rise a bit if dispatch didn't figgure he was too much bother to work with. I dunno. It works funny that way. You know. And Joe, are you saying you didn't dance for your Gunny, or, did I misinterpret the jarhead part.