Question:
My dispatcher and I really out-did ourselves the last three weeks.
8082 paid miles in 17.5 days
12 trips (individual loads)
No log violations, tickets, or accidents.
One late load, not charged -- beyond my control.
Slept and ate pretty good, a fairly smooth work flow - about 500 miles per day at least half the time.
2/10
drink coffee, eventually get in the truck
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live load no-touch
Tacoma Wa – Albuquerque NM
1425 loaded
2/13
live unld no touch
Albuquerque NM
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preloaded
Los Lunas NM to Stockton CA
22 deadhead
1036 loaded
2/15
drop trailer
Stockton CA
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live load no touch
Modesto CA to Las Vegas NV
30 deadhead
489 loaded
2/16
drop trailer
Las Vegas NV
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preloaded
Fullerton CA to Tucson AZ
263 deadhead
464 loaded
2/18
live unload no touch (stop)
Tucson AZ
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live unload, no touch (final)
Tucson AZ
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live load no touch
Nogales AZ to North Las Vegas NV
64 deadhead
491 loaded
2/19
live unload no touch
North Las Vegas NV
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preloaded
North Las Vegas NV to Denver CO (via Lakewood CO)
743 loaded
2/21
live unload no touch (stop)
Lakewood CO
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live unload no touch (stop)
Denver CO
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live unload no touch (final)
Denver CO
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preloaded
Denver CO to AlbuquerqueNM
414 loaded
2/22
live unload no touch
Albuquerque NM
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preloaded
Albuquerque NM to Bakersfield CA
807 loaded
2/24
live unload no touch
Bakersfield CA
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live load no touch
Carson CA to Desert Center CA
129 deadhead
393 loaded
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trailer swap
Desert Center CA (there’s a funky little café out there)
Desert Center CA to Compton CA
173 loaded
2/25
live unload no touch
Compton CA (got stuck in huge back-up on CA91 in that big rain storm, delivered late, not charged)
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live load no touch
Rancho Domingue CA to Pollard Flat USA
7 deadhead
590 loaded
2/26
trailer swap
Pollard Flat USA (california, but don’t tell them that!)
Pollard Flat USA to Kent WA
542 loaded
2/27
drop trailer
Kent WA
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bobtail home on 'personal drive time' for 3.5 days off
I’ll have 30-something in my seventy when I come back out on Monday.
I’ll run on that till I start picking up hours next Thursday.
Then (if things go well like they did this time) I'll float around 10-15 available hours every day -- no more, I hope. If I get realy lucky, I arrive home with nothing left in my seventy, like I did this time.
I like western with Werner ....well, right NOW I do...
(the paid miles numbers are the best I can do trying to decipher the scrawls in my notebook, but I think I got them all right)
.
[This message was edited by Shuffler on February 28, 2003 at 13:00.]

Answer:
Can you do this more often? I think it's very helpful for us wannabee potential Werner drivers. Werner is high on my list of carriers to train and drive for. Also noticed you had a lot of "no touch" load. Is this common for Werner's regional/otr divisions? Another thing is how did you get 3.5 days off with 17.5 days driving? I thought Werner's policy was 1 day off for every 7 days driving.

Answer:
opinion - how do you like the paperless log?
is there any way for you to get a hard copy for tax purposes or do you make your own?

Answer:
johnnyp,
Don't expct this kind of mileage right out of the gate when you're new. You've got to build a relationship with dispatch, and they have to believe you won't poop-out or change your mind about running hard while you're out. I NEVER make myself unavailable, or complain about running too hard. And I'm always trying to pickup early, run the load ahead of schedule, and get it off early if they're willing and able. A good "attitude" helps speed things up on the customer end...well, sometimes.
Mostly no-touch is common for western regional. So are some pre-loaded trailer loads (waiting for you to just hook and run) or trailer drop deliveries. They speed things up and give you more time to rest, etc, between loads.
I push the time-off rules a little bit. Can't say everyone has a dispatcher who'll let them take an extra day off -- I'm lucky. But when you run high-mileage, enforcing the days-off rule to the letter won't improve it. The bottom line to the company is getting good production from your truck. As long as my dispatcher keeps feeding me high production while I'm out, it makes-up for my extra day off. He know this is how I like it -- run extra hard, take extra day off -- and he accomodates me best he can. (another reason to build a cooperative relationship with dispatch, he doesn't have to do this and probably wouldn't if I was a pain in the a** to work with)
Jeepers,
I like paperless logs a lot. You do have to plan your time very carefully, since duty status is confirmed by the movement of the truck. But my dispatcher can monitor my available hours in real time as I approach a delivery, and match me to my next load knowing exactly which loads I can get there on-time, an which I can't -- and THAT'S what's nice about paperless logs (if you want miles).
They mail you a hard-copy printout of each month's logs.
[This message was edited by Shuffler on February 28, 2003 at 12:00.]

Answer:
TTT

Answer:
Hey Shuffler, I was in 1/2 those places that you were this week out in the LA area. Ya oughta email me your truck number so you can buy me dinner when I pass you.

Answer:
--> I said I got good miles....I DIDN'T say they pay me enough to be buying anyone dinner!! ....well, maybe a taco wagon in Compton. Sure, I can afford THAT.
It's in the mail, give me hollar anytime. I'll keep any eye out for that white KW with purple fenders (is that right?)....

Answer:
Did I mention I haen't seen a single snowflake in six weeks? ttt

Answer:
I enjoyed your post and found it most informative. I have one question: How did you manage to legally get over 800 miles on 2/22?...Was that one of those days when you were able to run 8, take 8 off and run 8 more?...I am interested in working in the Western division myself (tired of the cold and snow back here).
Also, how much experience did you have to have before going to Werner?

Answer:
sheesh.. 800 miles is for chumps. You're not burning yourself out!

Answer:
Once I did 636 miles in one day and NEVER left St.Croix County WI............sisies.....If I could drive 16 hours a day on the road and pull it off like I do locally, I'd be rich HUH?