[echoy97]

what do you hate about your job? The job I have now has nothing to do with driving. I have been doing it for 14 years. Planning to try OTR. If I do OTR, that means I will have to quit my current job. Once I try OTR and dont like it,it would be hard for me to get some other non driving job. Other than not going home everyday, what are some of the stuff you dont like ?

[Malaki86]

One of my biggest complaints about the job (besides hometime) would be poor load planning/driver management on the carrier's side.

We'll use yesterday as a perfect example.

I had a load going to Minnetonka, MN that delivered at 7am. I shut down the night before in Hudson, WI and got my full 10hrs (actually, it was about 20hrs that I sat there, but I needed the rest). I make my delivery in Minnetonka (which took 4.5hrs to unload). No problem so far.

After I make my delivery, I pull around the building and find a place to park so I can do all my qualcomm's. That's when they send my next load info. I pick up a load in Coon Rapids, MN (roughly 30 miles away) that's going to Dallas & San Antonio. Great, I want those miles.

The problem? The load doesn't pick up until 11pm.

So, now, after being awake only a few hours, and with more rest the previous day than I can handle, I have to go to a truck stop and *TRY* to sleep during the day.

I don't know about you, but my brain doesn't have an on/off switch that says "Sleep/Awake".

We've all been through this, and we know how much of a pain it is. Ya, that's my biggest "What I don't like about this job."

There's plenty more, DOT, shippers, receivers, traffic, weather, construction, etc etc etc.

[JBenson2]

Malaki86 said:

1.) I make my delivery in Minnetonka (which took 4.5hrs to unload)

2.) I shut down the night before in Hudson, WI and got my full 10hrs (actually, it was about 20hrs that I sat there, but I needed the rest)

Some newbie questions:
Question 1.) Why would it take 4.5 hours to unload? Did the 7am stop in Minnetonka take a full 4.5 hours to unload or did you have to wait for the receiver for part of the 4.5 hours?

Question 2.) Did you shut down in a truck-stop in Hudson, WI for 20 hours? I was wondering if Truck Stops have a maximum limit to the amount of time you can park?

Thanks

[echoy97]

is the poor load planning/driver management common for most carrier ? Or are there some carriers' dispatcher can always schedule it so that you are always driving during the day, or driving around the same time every day?

[Malaki86]

Question 1.) Why would it take 4.5 hours to unload? Did the 7am stop in Minnetonka take a full 4.5 hours to unload or did you have to wait for the receiver for part of the 4.5 hours?

The load was for wall coverings for a new store in a mall. The store has no direct loading dock, so all of it had to be unloaded in the parking lot onto a small handcart and pushed through the store, and then stacked in the store.

Question 2.) Did you shut down in a truck-stop in Hudson, WI for 20 hours? I was wondering if Truck Stops have a maximum limit to the amount of time you can park?

Some truck stops will limit your parking time, but most do not. Also, some truck stops have paid parking.

is the poor load planning/driver management common for most carrier ? Or are there some carriers' dispatcher can always schedule it so that you are always driving during the day, or driving around the same time every day?

Hard to answer that one, honestly. I've driven for 1 small carrier and 2 major carriers (USXpress and now with Celadon). The small company had a dedicated account so that one was a non-stop (no sitting arounnd waiting for a load) job.

Both of the major carriers has been similar. Sometimes you get a preplan in advance of unloading, sometimes not. Sometimes the next load picks up right after the 1st load is unloaded, sometimes not.

In this profession, you have to learn to have ultra-flexible hours, for the most part.

[areyouvi3t]

i just hate waiting at the receivers/shippers :evil: :evil: especially when i'm only delivering 1-2 pallets.

[Jackrabbit379]

Putting up with the baloney from the customers. Yappin about something that has nothing with me,the driver. "That salesman,what a moron,he sent me the wrong this,or that"...."Its ok,you can send it back,its cool"..."No,thats ok,I'll keep it this time".. Then why didnt you just keep all that to yourself :roll: I aint got time to listen to that.

The hours stink. Well,when Im shuttling at night,its cool. I like sleeping in. Working days is what stinks,nothing like getting up at 3:30 in the morning. :|

Getting up the same time every day.
Going home the same time every day.
Same 1 hour drive on the same road every day.
Same office
Same people
Same greetings in the morning
Listening to the same stories over and over from the older crowd
Going to bed the same time every night

As you can tell I'm not OTR yet but looking forward to it

[rubberducky]

I am a local night time driver. I hate the bad weather we always seem to get at night. Seems like it's always worse than the weather during the day.

[rebajosh]

Originally Posted by Jackrabbit379

Putting up with the baloney from the customers. :|

Same here. I get sick of the way some customers treat drivers.