Fuel Stops - Trip Planning

          When I send in my Depart Shipper macro (aka Loaded Call) it triggers the fuel solutions program which calculates the fuel stops for the load.  The program is an algorithm that takes into consideration how much fuel is in the truck, MPG’s, fuel prices and IFTA taxes; it then creates a fuel solution based on those factors.

I teach my trainees that it’s their responsibility to know where their fuel stops are.  They’ve all accused me of being a walking truck stop guide and maybe I am.  I tell them in time they will be, too.  I can predict my fuel stops on regular routes with respectable accuracy.  Until they get to that point, I teach them to use a dry erase marker and write their fuel stops up in the corner of the windshield.

         

Contrary to popular belief, our fuel solutions are not merely suggestive, nor are they in place to make our lives difficult.  They are in place to help keep Freymiller running “in the black.”  A company that runs “in the red” cannot stay in business.  Fuel is a major expense for any trucking company.  At a national average price of $2.55 a gallon and a fleet average MPG of 6.89, it costs $0.37 a mile in fuel to run a truck.  That adds up quickly.  That cost can be reduced by fueling where we get the best prices.  A $0.30 discount on the price of fuel brings the cost down to $0.32 a mile.  It makes sense to go where the discounts are.

          I teach my trainees that since Freymiller is paying for the truck, the fuel and us, it’s important to fuel the way we are told to fuel.  Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.  If I am loaded so heavy that filling my tanks all the way will put me over gross, then adjustments must be made.  But, overall…

Trip Planning - Weather

          I find it ironic that this week’s post is about weather.  I have spent all day dealing with the effects of winter storm Stella.  This morning, I started out with about 460 miles to drive today and by the time I got here, I had less than an hour left on my 14 hour clock.  It’s been a long day.  I’ve known since I left Florida, two days ago, that weather would be a factor today.

          During the summer months, I typically only check the weather enough to know how to dress, but the rest of the year is a different story.  When I lived in Wyoming, I watched snow fly from September all the way through May.  The higher the elevation, the better chances of seeing snow when you normally wouldn’t expect it.

          On the first day in my truck, if a trainee doesn’t have a weather app on their phone, I have them download one.  Starting with the first trip, I have them note the major cities on our route and look them up on the app so we know what we’re getting into.  This is especially helpful with the geographically challenged, it gives them another way to learn the country.

          Knowing the weather where you’re going helps you plan so you can still make a delivery on time (if possible), but it also keeps you from having to unexpectedly throw chains.  With all the technology available to us, there is no excuse for “having” to throw chains.  Chain if you want, but don’t chain because you got caught unaware.

Time Management in Reverse

                One important habit I try to instill into my trainees is to get close to where they are delivering early enough to get in a full 10 hour break before delivering.  I want them to still have enough time available after delivery to get the next load picked up and knock at least a couple of hours out before they are out of hours for the day.  The only time I am more than 2 hours from delivery the night before is when my logs won’t allow it.

          I teach them to figure out how close we can get the night before and work our way back from there so we can figure out how much we have to accomplish each day to make that happen.

          Using OKC to City of Industry again, leaving OKC with a full clock Tuesday morning with a 7:00 am delivery on Thursday. 

I won’t drive down into the LA Basin the night before a delivery, parking is too much of a challenge down there.  I usually stop the night before in Barstow.  I give myself two hours to drive the final 90 miles from Barstow down to the delivery and I route myself in to all appointments an hour early to give time for any problems like traffic, construction, inaccurate directions or even problems getting checked in.

If I want to be in Barstow Wednesday night, I know I must make it to at least Grants, NM by Tuesday night.  With a 7:00 am (PST) delivery in CofI, I want to be parked in Barstow and my break started no later than 8:00 pm (CST) to be able to get there an hour early and with as many hours available as possible.  I need to be leaving Grants by 8:00 (CST) Wednesday, because remember, it takes 12 hours to run an 11 hour shift.

I usually have at least 6 extra hours on a load, sometimes as much as 24.  I teach them to take most of those extra hours with the last break before delivery.  By saving their extra time to the end, if they blow a tire (say in Kingman, using our example load) they have time to get it fixed without risking being late for their delivery.  I also tell them it’s totally okay to take one of those extra hours at one of the casinos in New Mexico if they want, just don’t take them all there!

Time Management (trip planning 101)

          Time management can be tricky.   Most of the trainees I get don’t understand that even on days that we don’t pick up or deliver, we still need to cover X amount of ground.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, the average person’s experience with cross country driving is to plan on getting there on a certain day.  The idea of having to plan and arrive by X time on that day is foreign.  When you couple that with a very loose understanding of hours of service laws, it’s a recipe for disaster.

          One of the questions in the Depart Shipper message that we send in once we’re loaded is “I can make the next stop on time?” The only options the QC will accept is “Y” for yes, or “N” for no.  Sometimes I wish it would accept “M” for maybe or “?” for no idea!  Seriously, we have some loads that are scheduled so tight that I’m not sure I can make it until I get under one drive shift out from delivery.  Usually my DM knows if I can’t make it before I do.  He’s good like that.  So how do we figure out if we can make the next stop on time?

          If the Load Info and GPS mileage match, we know that the GPS is routing us about the same way as the company routing.  If they don’t match, we use the mileage from the Load Info.

    1.   Using 60 mph as the average, we know that for every 600 miles we will drive 10 hours.  A 1,300-mile trip will take about 22 hours of drive time.  We plan 10-hour drive shifts as opposed to 11 because I’m rarely lucky enough to have a place to stop exactly where my 11-hour clock is going to run out.

    2.   For every 10 hours of driving, we add in an hour to the day for fuel stop, 30-minute break, another potty break and a post-trip inspection.  Even if I can combine the fuel stop with the 30-minute break, we figure in 3 stops during a shift.  For every drive shift, we also need a 10-hour rest break.

          If we leave OKC at noon on Tuesday (CST), can we make it to City of Industry, CA, 1,300 miles away by Thursday morning at 7:00 am (PST)? 

22 hours of straight driving takes us to 10:00am Wednesday.  2 hours of fuel/potty/etc takes us to noon Wednesday.  Add in two 10 hour breaks and that takes us to 10:00am Thursday, which is 8:00 am Pacific time.  That is logging as a solo driver.  A solo driver could not make on time delivery.  Since I’m teaching this to a trainee, we have two drivers in the truck, which means we have two log books so yes, we can make it.  FYI: we factor everything on Central time because that’s what we log, we then adjust for crossing time zones.

I’m going to stop here and share the really confusing part next week!