5 Simple Trip Planning Tips For Some Low Stress Trucking

My question is what about when you’re a company driver in a slower truck and they schedule you very tight? It’s be late or drive hard, or at least that’s what I keep getting.
What would you suggest for that? The two options above seem to be the only options apart from leaving or quitting which isn’t always doable especially for someone newer. Should I just take it easy and tell them too bad, don’t schedule so tight(then run the risk of planners being upset and giving crap miles in return) or should I just drive hard and stress myself to death?

Is trip planning something you can learn in a few hours in regards to weight and height (Bridges) restrictions on the route. I am in a AZ course and the instructor has blazed through the how to of trip planning then asked us to plan a trip from Montreal to Miami with little to no guidance.

I'm gathering as much knowledge as I can before I start with Roehl company sponsored driving program in January. This is one of the most informative channels I've come across.

Duuuuude...you better think about including Jesus in that daily plan of yours. 😊

The Gospel of John, when you're ready.🔥

I know this video is two years old, but sir thank you for this good information. I was a chemical operator, a Driver(hauling chemicals in a tanker), and ended my time in the oil field as the safety supervisor of a crew in the oil field. I was in the U.S. Army just before all that. I said all of that to say having a plan and writing that plan down is very important. The stress level will definitely decreased because you will have contingencies that will be needed. A plan A,B,C and sometimes D will be needed in the commercial logistics field. Again thank you sir for this video.

Hey there, i was wondering if you drive a truck that does local beverage delivery do you still need to run logs, go into scales, and what is the weight limit?. Thanks

I usually just drive my clock out until I have an hour left and then find a place to park. 9 times out of 10 there is a truckstop nearby but if there’s not I’ll take a rest area or even an on ramp.

Very sensitive advice for long haul truck drivers today.
Thx,
Great video x👍💖

That's all very fine. But you lose miles, aka income when any of these things happen. You're on the ELD clock. Shipper or receiver takes twice as long. An accident causing a long slowdown. Weather, snow, ice, freezing rain, chaining, road closure, avalanches. An overzealous chicken coop master, any inspection of a the truck, long line up at the fuel stop. long line up inside to pay for a coffee. 4 wheelers that don;t know which pedal makes it go. Traffic jams, aka parking lots. Two governed trucks maxed in weight drag racing up a long grade. My favorite, load is done, but waiting for a half hour to give or get your paper work. lumpers that are turtle slow or aren't there on time. Sure some of these don't happen very often, but unless you have horseshoes up your butt, some will happen every day. Any time you're not going highway speed you're not making money. Every little snag or slowdown adds up. And if you're governed you'll never make up for lost time. So plan carefully and prepare for your plans and your day to go all to shit. They want me to be governed and be a slave to ELD, they gotta pay me by the hour, and high enough so that it compares to what I can make the old fashioned way.

Dave do you like Trucking movies? My favorite is "over the top" with Sylvester Stallone:)

Well said Dave. 👍.

The Pilot app, the Loves's app and the Ta/Petro app are fantastic if you're looking for a truck stop for the night. If you're late and looking for some random weird place to park, I highly recommend Trucker Path. Been driving about a year now and I've been planning my days every day since I began.

That's about how I do it I pick 3 places to end my day at have the 1st choice then 2nd incase there is no parking at the 1st and then the last resort, a lot of times I'm lucky enough to be able to park at the delivery in the morning the night before if the customer let's me I find that out when I call ahead for directions and give them an eta, my truck is governed at 68 I set my cruise at 65 gives my a little left over when I need it or want to get around someone I crept up on .
I do like the ELD gives me extra time at the end of the day don't have to try and figure out what I was supposed to be doing I still manage to average better than 3000 miles a week

Good advice Dave. Great video again. Keep up the great work. Be safe.

Lmao! Yah right! Companies dont want you contacting the receiver and they think we are robots with an off and on switch and will expect you to drive on hrs your not use to. Dispatchers dont give a fk and promise loads at certain times and the ONLY one left to hear the shit and get 8balled is the Driver REGARDLESS!

There's no such thing

Good advice Dave. Blimpie Subs no Subway for you. I remember that video. Thanks and take care.

I have talked to some of the new guys in the trucking industry. They told me they would never call a customer, shipper or receiver. They explained that's why they have modern technology like GPS and phone so they can look at where they're going that way. What they fail to understand though is sometimes maybe where you're going you're not going to that actual address or they have special instructions where to go at the building . Or instructions like maybe the street near the business you're not allowed on with the truck. I also don't like using the phone but it I don't want to get in a bad situation so if I'm unfamiliar with the place I'm going I will give them a call just to verify everything. Also sometimes they will put the wrong shipping receiving hours on your paperwork so you show up and there closed already.

Good mentoring and logical points that could be overlooked if new in the industry.

Great advice.

I learned early on in my trucking career to look for parking with about an hour and a half left on the clock, two hours if its after 7pm. Almost got a year in of driving, so glad I did it.

My tips.
1. refuel and rest before entering metro areas.
2. Wake up real early, so you can plan, take care of personal things. And most importantly make it to your deliveries before they close or before your scheduled time slot.
3. Take care of things like paperwork. File them away asap. Have a "do it now" mentality.

In the long run I've found staying organized and minimizing my possessions, daily cleaning, and doing a decent pre trip have definitely reduced my stress.

I’m thinking of a 15 percent roi on there investment.

Thumbs up. I tend to rely too heavily on my GPS. It has all the truck stops, rest areas, and Walmarts in it, but every now and then I get caught out in the middle of nowhere with less than an hour on the clock.

I always try my best to sleep at the customer when possible I hate parking at truck stops.

It's interesting to see how trucking has changed. If you run your truck like the business it is, you'll be successful. Planning is the big part that most business owners miss.

You said 580 miles is light . Maybe for owner operator not a company driver. I get paid 250 a day just to drive 100 miles doing local stops.

Try the TRUCKERS PATH app its pretty cool

Hey brother, what happened to the old school story?

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝

When I started driving for a living the only maps I knew of were the ones given out free at gas stations. I had an old leather briefcase with a map for every place I went and the longer I drove for a living the fuller it got. As for hours of service, it's my nature when I have a destination, to get there asap and that I did unless I broke down and I'm happy to say I rarely did that.

These tips are amazing! Thank you so much. I'm currently preparing to take the class, and I know it's a stressful job at times. But I look at the positives, making more money than what I have been, which as been an embarrassingly low amount, getting to see new sights on the road, and knowing this job isn't going away any time soon

Great video and your last video I watched when you took your truck for a drive did you ever figure out how come your Jake was not turning on

🚚 👍