My 3 weeks in the expediting business

[wesaypop]

Hello all.

Well, I am on my 3rd week as an expedited straight truck driver. I must say, this is the most stressful, exciting, dull, fast-paced career I've ever had lol.

My first week I was all over the place. My second week I sat in Oklahoma for 3 days, then in Missouri for 1. After that I was told to just take the truck home and enjoy my weekend, he would pay for fuel, and was sorry he couldn't find anything.

Now this week has been hump hump hump since Monday. Started Chicago to new York, New York to north Carolina, tomorrow pickup in Virginia and deliver to Missouri by Monday. Wow!

My first check was nice, but this second check will be beautiful.

I did get in trouble during a dot inspection in Maryland. I was cited for not having a current logbook. After fueling I totally forgot to update my log. I got fined $90.

Besides that I'm loving my career choice so far. We'll see how I feel 6 months from now.

Only thing I do hate is the restrictions we have on driving. I do understand it's for our safety, I respect that. But the true earning potential can not be reached as a solo driver with the HOS rules.

Some people have told me the only way a solo driver can really make a killing in this career is by fudging the logbook-- Something I know nothing about.

But is fudging the logbook a practice solo drivers use to make good money in this business?

Thanks for reading.

 

[Turtle]

$90 is nothing compared to getting caught fudging your logbook.

 

[wesaypop]

I can imagine. I hear of some people getting fined $1000's.

 

[Turtle]

Your carrier's BASIC scores are negatively affected, insurance rates go up, they get a DOT audit, you get dismissed.

Your next potential carrier asks, "Why did you leave your previous carrier?"

You reply, "Because I refused to abide by the DOT's draconian FMCSA Rules and Regulations. Ha!"

Them, "Yeah, no."

 

[wesaypop]

Sounds like every one is effected. Will my lack of current logbook negatively effect the carrier as well?

 

[Turtle]

Yes it will, but not nearly on the scale of getting caught intentionally tying to evade the regulations. Minor logbook violations, while they shouldn't happen, are gonna happen occasionally and aren't that big a deal unless they happen frequently. But the DOT takes a really dim view when someone intentionally and blatantly skirts the rules.

 

[wesaypop]

Well messing with the logbook isn't on my list of things to do. Anything illegal has undesired consequences when caught.

But if fudging the logbook is the only way for solo drivers to really earn, I can see why so many people prefer teams.

 

[skyraider]

Well messing with the logbook isn't on my list of things to do. Anything illegal has undesired consequences when caught.

But if fudging the logbook is the only way for solo drivers to really earn, I can see why so many people prefer teams.

I think you just learned something. Quote," I can see why so many people prefer teams."

 

[Daffyduck528]

Well messing with the logbook isn't on my list of things to do. Anything illegal has undesired consequences when caught.

But if fudging the logbook is the only way for solo drivers to really earn, I can see why so many people prefer teams.

Ever considered finding a team mate to drive with?

 

[wesaypop]

Ever considered finding a team mate to drive with?

No. I personally like working alone. I made 1200 my first check, and my next one will be over 2000. So I'm ok with that. Naturally I would prefer to make more, but I can't see myself jammed into a straight truck with another person. But I can imagine how much money they make weekly. My gosh, must be insane settlements.

But the thought of smelling someone else's feet, or stopping to pee, or not being able to blast my audio books drives me nuts.

 

[ttruck]

Hello all.

Well, I am on my 3rd week as an expedited straight truck driver. I must say, this is the most stressful, exciting, dull, fast-paced career I've ever had lol.

My first week I was all over the place. My second week I sat in Oklahoma for 3 days, then in Missouri for 1. After that I was told to just take the truck home and enjoy my weekend, he would pay for fuel, and was sorry he couldn't find anything.

Now this week has been hump hump hump since Monday. Started Chicago to new York, New York to north Carolina, tomorrow pickup in Virginia and deliver to Missouri by Monday. Wow!

My first check was nice, but this second check will be beautiful.

I did get in trouble during a dot inspection in Maryland. I was cited for not having a current logbook. After fueling I totally forgot to update my log. I got fined $90.

Besides that I'm loving my career choice so far. We'll see how I feel 6 months from now.

Only thing I do hate is the restrictions we have on driving. I do understand it's for our safety, I respect that. But the true earning potential can not be reached as a solo driver with the HOS rules.

Some people have told me the only way a solo driver can really make a killing in this career is by fudging the logbook-- Something I know nothing about.

But is fudging the logbook a practice solo drivers use to make good money in this business?

Thanks for reading.[/QUOT Sounds like your doing fine, I remember starting out
some scary, some exciting
35 yrs of trucking . good luck.

 

[cheri1122]

No. I personally like working alone. I made 1200 my first check, and my next one will be over 2000. So I'm ok with that. Naturally I would prefer to make more, but I can't see myself jammed into a straight truck with another person. But I can imagine how much money they make weekly. My gosh, must be insane settlements.

But the thought of smelling someone else's feet, or stopping to pee, or not being able to blast my audio books drives me nuts.

Teams unquestionably earn more than solos, [for themselves and the carriers], but I doubt many are doubling the income.
It's clear that most carriers prefer teams, esp 'big trucking', which influences the HOS regs], but I believe there will always be a need for solos - at least, in expedited delivery. There are too many runs of less than 500 miles, the ones teams don't want to do, that are good for solo drivers.
The downside is doing all the work in the same amount of time, [don't have someone who can check the atlas while moving, or update logs while fueling, etc], and having no one to share the interesting things that happen every day.
The upside is having no one taking up half the space, watching tv when you want to sleep, slacking off on their part of the work, stinking up the sleeper with their feet/cigarettes/cigars/garlic/whatever smells, and on and on and on.
Having no 'significant other', I've driven team with quite a few people in the last 12 years, male and female, and I would rather hang up the keys than have to put up with some of them [or some like them] again.
It's like tractor/trailer or straight or van: they all have a place in expedite, and none are "better", except as it works for you.

 

[skyraider]

Teams unquestionably earn more than solos, [for themselves and the carriers], but I doubt many are doubling the income.
It's clear that most carriers prefer teams, esp 'big trucking', which influences the HOS regs], but I believe there will always be a need for solos - at least, in expedited delivery. There are too many runs of less than 500 miles, the ones teams don't want to do, that are good for solo drivers.
The downside is doing all the work in the same amount of time, [don't have someone who can check the atlas while moving, or update logs while fueling, etc], and having no one to share the interesting things that happen every day.
The upside is having no one taking up half the space, watching tv when you want to sleep, slacking off on their part of the work, stinking up the sleeper with their feet/cigarettes/cigars/garlic/whatever smells, and on and on and on.
Having no 'significant other', I've driven team with quite a few people in the last 12 years, male and female, and I would rather hang up the keys than have to put up with some of them [or some like them] again.
It's like tractor/trailer or straight or van: they all have a place in expedite, and none are "better", except as it works for you.

Teaming is like marriage, you cant get away from each other, but then again, the marriages books say you gotta work at it and you still get a 60+ pct failure rate, whata ya do?

 

[wesaypop]

In a perfect world I would team with my wife. But she already has a career she loves and worked hard to get--and we have the student loans to prove it lol.

I think some of the loads I have been getting are for teams. Twice I've been late to a pick up because they would want me to drive to say Michigan to pick up, and then drop off in New York by 8am the next day.

That wasn't possible for me. I drove my 11 hours and then went to sleep. 10 hours later I was back at it. I hated being late but hey, rules are rules.

All in all the fleet owners tell me they are happy with my performance and are impressed by my work ethic. They just hope I get a better cell phone provider than T-Mobile lol.

But yeah I can definitely see the benefits of teams. But I'll continue to drive solo for as long as I can. If teams ever become mandatory, I hope to have learned the business well enough to go buy my own straight or van.

I absolutely will not do teams.

 

[Turtle]

That wasn't possible for me. I drove my 11 hours and then went to sleep. 10 hours later I was back at it. I hated being late but hey, rules are rules.

When you accept a load contract you are also affirming you have enough hours to fulfill the conditions of the terms of the contract, like, you know, getting it delivered when you agreed to deliver it.

 

[BobWolf]

RULE # 1
ALWAYS RUN LEGAL
Yes you will have dispatchers try to talk you into breaking regs. DONT DO IT !!!! Fudging a logbook?, the fines are nothing if you get into a serious wreck and someone gets hurt or killed.. You will be going to jail for a long time, you and your family will be sued and most likely loose everything you they own, your wife and kids will most likely divorce you, your driving carrier will be over, and that will be one more case for the anti-trucking groups to use to push more regs and restrictions on us.

Always keep your truck weight legal, be especially watchful with axle weights. You can be perfectly legal with your max weight bit be over on an axle. As far as DOT is concerned overweight is overweight. I once had some moron dispatcher offer me an extra 50 bucks to dodge scales when a shipment was 2500 lbs over after fixing the load.. Needless to say I was beyond insulted and left the freight on the dock.
This leads me into the next issue...

Cargo securement. Strap, block, load bars bolt, anything you have to do to make sure the freight wont move inside the box. Don't let some lazy azs shipper place skid with a 5000 lb injection mold at your back door without blocking and tell you all the other drivers do it. 1st your truck will be off center of gravity, you will be under on your steers making for a drivability, safety issue, as well as a problem at the scales.

Another thing with load securement invest in a couple sheets of 5/8 plywood to work with your load bars in case you have a heavy piece especially printed materials that you need to place somewhere other than the front wall to keep the weight reasonably balanced.
I also, recommend you build headache rack with your load bars and plywood sheets at the front wall, this is a safety point in case something does shift it is less likely to blast through the truck injuring or killing you. Also, its a good way to stow your bars and sheets.

 

[cheri1122]

I think some of the loads I have been getting are for teams. Twice I've been late to a pick up because they would want me to drive to say Michigan to pick up, and then drop off in New York by 8am the next day.

"They" aren't doing you any favors, you know. Pushing the driver to make unreasonable schedules may impress the customer, but it's not smart for the carrier, dispatcher, or [especially] the drivers, who take the risks. If it all goes south, and you end up in a ditch, who gets the blame? And: is your attorney as good as theirs, you think?
Don't get bulldozed [or dazzled or wheedled] into making promises you can't keep, about the miles to go before you sleep. The big money you envision will end up going in the lawyers' pockets, and your dreams may literally become nightmares, full of dead and injured people and twisted metal and broken glass. It's not worth it.

 

[wesaypop]

When you accept a load contract you are also affirming you have enough hours to fulfill the conditions of the terms of the contract, like, you know, getting it delivered when you agreed to deliver it.

That's understandable. But I'm guessing I'm being treated more as an employee because I'm never given a choice. I just get an email saying this is where I'm going and this is what time i need to be there.

I usually send a text saying there is no way I can make that time. No legal way anyway. And they always text me back with its ok just get there.

 

[Opel2010]

I can imagine. I hear of some people getting fined $1000's.

Just don't do it! Even if you don't get caught, the stress and fear of being discovered it's enormous...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note III

 

[cheri1122]

That's understandable. But I'm guessing I'm being treated more as an employee because I'm never given a choice. I just get an email saying this is where I'm going and this is what time i need to be there.

I usually send a text saying there is no way I can make that time. No legal way anyway. And they always text me back with its ok just get there.

If you have no choice or ability to refuse, then you are an employee, and I'd be asking about their benefits, myself.
It sounds like someone is taking advantage of what you don't know, coupled with your desire to earn a living. Protect yourself by educating yourself, while you still can - after a wreck, it's too late.