Question about winter driving

[gatorfan068]

Last winter when Indiana got that bad ice storm,I had 2000 pounds in my van,I slid into the median,driving at 35 miles per hour.At that point I was close to a Pilot on I 65 North. I called my dispatch and told them due to saftey reason I was done driving for the night.They repected that.I spent the night at the Pilot.The parking lot was barely plowed out.Shortly after I parked,a T/T jackknifed after the exit I was at.I continued the next morning.Yes that freight was late by 12 hours...But no freight is worth my life.If they need it that bad send someone to come get it.

 

[Moot]

Not that it has happened (yet) but is there anything a company can do to you if you are late because of bad weather?

Most if not all motor carriers have a force majeure clause in their published tariffs that excuses them from not meeting certain contractual obligations due to "acts of God" such as weather or other unforeseen events like a terrorist attack or bridge collapse.

If your carrier enacts their force majeure clause on a late delivery because of weather, you should be covered. How does your lease with your carrier read?

Hey...I told you I was new. I mean can they fire you or make your life miserable if you can't meet the schedule?

The first 6 or so years I was leased to Con-Way Now I was paid 59% of the linehaul. Con-Way's tariffs provided the customer with a 50% discount if the load was 2 or more hours late and a 100% discount if more than 4 hours late. 59% of nothin' is nothin'. They also had a force majeure clause in their tariffs.

In 14 years I have had one service failure and that was do to a breakdown. I've reduced my freeway cruising speed from 67 mph to 63 mph and still make my scheduled delivery times with time to spare. Relax Jumbuck and take it easy. Try to incorporate fuel, food and restroom breaks into one stop. At what speed is your carrier booking loads?

 

[scottm4211]

"Force majeure" Moot? On a Monday morning?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I wonder if this 50 mph thing is an Alliance requirement? Panther, Fedex, LS are not members...but Bolt, E-1 and Load 1 are........Maybe John E can ring in....

 

[Turtle]

I wonder if this 50 mph thing is an Alliance requirement? Panther, Fedex, LS are not members...but Bolt, E-1 and Load 1 are........Maybe John E can ring in....

50 MPH routing with no accounted time for loading can't help but to encourage speeding, simply in order to make up the non-driving time necessary for loading, fueling, cargo inspections and other non-driving essentials like going to the restroom. I'm not speeding, but I now find myself having to drive a little faster in order to make up the extra time needed for those lost 15 minutes necessary every 4-6 hours.

The one I'd like to ring in is the tall blond in Safety who constantly has one eye on the number of speeding violations and the other eye on the CSA scores.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

50 MPH routing with no accounted time for loading can't help but to encourage speeding, simply in order to make up the non-driving time necessary for loading, fueling, cargo inspections and other non-driving essentials like going to the restroom. I'm not speeding, but I now find myself having to drive a little faster in order to make up the extra time needed for those lost 15 minutes necessary every 4-6 hours.

The one I'd like to ring in is the tall blond in Safety who constantly has one eye on the number of speeding violations and the other eye on the CSA scores.

She's in Florida....

 

[Turtle]

I'm in Wisconsin....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I'm in Wisconsin....

smartbutt....

 

[Turtle]

Sorry, couldn't help it.

 

[cheri1122]

50 MPH routing with no accounted time for loading can't help but to encourage speeding, simply in order to make up the non-driving time necessary for loading, fueling, cargo inspections and other non-driving essentials like going to the restroom. I'm not speeding, but I now find myself having to drive a little faster in order to make up the extra time needed for those lost 15 minutes necessary every 4-6 hours.

The one I'd like to ring in is the tall blond in Safety who constantly has one eye on the number of speeding violations and the other eye on the CSA scores.

Calculating time @ 50mph and starting at arrival at shipper is just asking for trouble - it isn't reasonable [esp considering the many times the freight isn't ready yet, or no dock is available, or it's 15 minutes before one even backs into the assigned dock]. A cargo van may need 15 minutes for loading and fuel, but trucks don't get in & out that fast.
Also, road construction HAS increased significantly in the last 2 years, because the political solution to unemployment was giving money to states for roadwork, and they certainly are using it.
Like detention, the issue of transit time needs to reflect reality, not just the customers' desires - if we could get loaded in 15 minutes and get to the consignee faster, we would.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I wonder if this 50 mph thing is an Alliance requirement? Panther, Fedex, LS are not members...but Bolt, E-1 and Load 1 are........Maybe John E can ring in....

Still waiting for "someone" in the know to answer this....any Alliance member feel free to chime in....

 

[Rocketman]

I wonder if this 50 mph thing is an Alliance requirement? Panther, Fedex, LS are not members...but Bolt, E-1 and Load 1 are........Maybe John E can ring in....

I doubt it. I'm pretty sure that most of our freight probably comes from the Alliance and we use 45mph.... in the ST's. I understand that the vans here may be routed at 50 mph. I'm not sure why, just what I've been told.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I doubt it. I'm pretty sure that most of our freight probably comes from the Alliance and we use 45mph.... in the ST's. I understand that the vans here may be routed at 50 mph. I'm not sure why, just what I've been told.

cuzz you straights are slow on the uptake?.....

 

[60MPH]

Most of the freight on the Alliance comes from freight forwarders, brokers and 3 PL's and they use 45-50mph for the most part. Most of my bids on this board are for alternate pick and drop times. I book everything at 43-45mph and ALWAYS have the drop time adjusted out for delays at the shipper,traffic and weather. It has never been a problem.

Some of these small carriers will bid the load with the time frame given and then push the driver into speeding to make the pick/drop on time because they either do no want to lose face or they do not know they can have the times adjusted for unseen circumstances, or better yet should not of bid on the load because the truck was to far out. I have heard stories from drivers that would be given only 1 hour to go 60 plus miles to a pick-up, that's frick'in crazy.

As many have said the freight is not worth your life and YOU are the captain of your ship. Drive safe!!

 

[blizzard2014]

I have heard stories from drivers that would be given only 1 hour to go 60 plus miles to a pick-up, that's frick'in crazy.

As many have said the freight is not worth your life and YOU are the captain of your ship. Drive safe!!

Remember when we used to work for "mission impossibolt?" Why can't you go from Erie PA to St Mary's PA in an hour and a half. it's only a hundred and something miles away. lol. It was nice talking to you the other day man, I hope you continue to have success out here. Also, thanks for the advice.

 

[blizzard2014]

Hi everyone! I made the plunge. Leased on with On-Dekk Transportation and LOVE the job. On-Dekk is a great company to work for. Everyone is helpful, honest, and you don't have to keep looking for a knife in the back. I guess I lucked out first time. My question is the times between pickups and deliveries is BRUTAL! How do you guys contimue to make the schedules when the snow and ice covers the roads? I mean its bad enough now but I shudder to think how I'm going to keep this pace when the snow gets chin deep to a tall Native American. Do most companies understand or do they just expect you keep up the same pace. I mean if they do, I don't think I'm going to make it. I drove a semi in all kinds of weather but a sprinter seems to be an ice skate waiting. We didn't have the same pace when driving a semi.
If anyone could give me some pointers I sure would appreciate it. We ALL know what's coming. Br-r-r-r-r! Thanks in advance.
Jumbuck

You gotta put your foot down man. I had to start doing it myself. Anytime you get a load offer, you need to take out a calculator and divide the miles by 47 miles an hour and do not commit to anything more than that. When the winter time comes you are going to have to pick and choose your loads wisely. If a nasty storm is coming and you are going to have to drive all night in it, i'd just turn that load down and wait til morning. If you are caught up in a nasty storm and you do not feel like it is safe to go any further you have the legal right to stop. Your company cannot hold this against you as there should be a section in your contract that states this (please refer to the part of your contract that says forces majores) which means an act of god. If you have to pull over because of an act of god, you cannot legally be held responsible for being late...as it is an event that is beyond your control.

You drive the truck and you call the shots. If you decide to press on in bad weather and get into a serious wreck and total out your equipment and damage the freight, it's all going to come back on you, not your company. You need to do a thorough risk assessment before you take a load in inclimate weather. Does the amount of money that you are going to profit from the load outweight the potential risks that you might incur from taking the load. Are you willing to risk your life and your equipment to make a couple of dollars? It's all up to you and how you want to run your business. I have been having some bad luck the past two winters and have seen the ditch 3 times in 5 years. But if you are confident to drive in the snow, just make sure your company understands that you are going to slow it down in order to get the load there safely! Simply play it by ear and you should do fine!

 

[Moot]

"Force majeure" Moot? On a Monday morning?

I was well into my second cup of coffee.

 

[cheri1122]

Blizzard gives good advice, him. I'd only add [not to anyone specific, but newbies in general] don't abuse the power to shut down for hazardous conditions. Including anything that seriously impairs visibility, like very thick fog or blizzardy snow, or extremely high winds, or torrential rain that obscures your vision and threatens to flood the road. Dispatch knows [or can find out] exactly what conditions are where you are and if you feel it's not safe to continue, say so - but don't think you can get away with exaggerating so you can have a lovely nap, or whatever.
If you use your best judgement, no worries.

PS 2 years ago, I spent 2 days parked in a winter storm in Va, with a load on board - I81 was shut down, and officials warned everyone to stay off the roads except in emergency. The cool part was seeing 81 on the VaDot website, live - before that, I didn't know you could watch the interstates on the web, and know the minute it reopened.

 

[Moot]

The cool part was seeing 81 on the VaDot website, live - before that, I didn't know you could watch the interstates on the web, and know the minute it reopened.

I remember you posting the link. Great fun watching that mess from a distance.

 

[BobWolf]

Let me get to the point. I havent yet in almost five years found a load worth getting into a wreck and orphan my family for.
Is thier profit worth your life?, no. Use common sense if it dosent feel right or its not safe park.