Trip Planning 101

          A few posts back, someone asked me how I teach trip planning.  I gave a quick answer in the comments so as not to write a whole new post there, but I felt the topic deserved its own post.  Now as I sit here thinking about everything I try to instill in a new driver about trip planning, I realize that it probably won’t all fit in one post either.  This is going to end up a series of posts.

          The four main things I teach about trip planning are:

     1.   The physical routing

     2.   Time management

     3.   Weather

     4.   Fuel stops

I don’t think anyone has climbed into my truck with a solid understanding of what all goes into trip planning.  Most people’s experience with driving halfway across the country has been for vacation, if they have ever done it at all.  They go with the idea of “I will get there Tuesday,” not “I have to be there at 6:00 Tuesday morning.”  They go when they go, as far as they want, and they stop when they feel like it. 

There seems to be this incorrect notion that this job is easy.  Just get in and drive, right?  An experienced driver I know once joked, “This is the coolest job ever; I drive their truck around and they put money in my checking account!”  Trip planning is - in my opinion - baptism by fire.  It’s the first piece of evidence that this job takes more than repetitive motion.

Over the next few weeks we will dig deeper into what all goes into trip planning.

Clean That Truck!

          “A clean truck is a sign of bad miles.”

          Laugh, it’s a joke  😃

          Right before New Year’s, I walked into the shop to find Heather Dayton, our Manager of Corporate Communications, being horrified by a couple of mechanics sharing tales of disgusting trucks. I couldn’t help but laugh; she looked like she was going to forfeit her lunch at any moment.  She looked at me and said “I’ve got an idea for a blog post for you!”  I said “Oh yeah?”  She said, “How To Clean A Truck.”  Being the undiscovered comedian I am, I looked at another driver and said “how do you clean a truck?”

          I’m not going to tell you how to clean a truck.  Honestly, if you don’t know how to pick up after yourself by now… I’m not sure you can be taught.  We’re grown adults here, at least in theory.  If David Freymiller can trust you with a truck, trailer, and thousands upon thousands of dollars in freight, I’m going to assume you know how to pick up after yourself.  Instead, I want to talk about the importance of keeping a truck clean.  I don’t think it’s a lack of skill, but a lack of interest.

          Some drivers take the same level of responsibility for company trucks as renters do for rental houses.  We see the same problem in the company cars at the yard.  According to a search on truckpaper.com a new Kenworth T660 retails for about $159,500 and new Peterbilt 579’s run on average $152,000.  That would be the price if you or I went to go buy a new truck.  Freymiller, on the other hand is what could be called a “bulk shopper.”  I’m sure there are some pretty sweet deals when you’re buying 20 or more trucks at a time.  Even at a 30% discount, that’s a lot of money.  I haven’t asked, nor will I ask, how much Freymiller pays per truck because it’s not my money so it’s none of my business.  It doesn’t matter.  I’m going to treat David’s truck like I would want him to treat mine.

People just don’t care.  I can’t make you care.  I wish I could.  It’s disappointing to come to the yard and find out a driver has been terminated because of the condition of their truck.  As of this writing, we are not subjected to truck inspections.  There are companies where the drivers are subjected to truck inspections.  I hope we don’t get to the point where truck inspections become policy, but I wouldn’t blame David if it did.

Knowing My Limits

                Last week, I got stuck on I-70 in Western Colorado by winter storm whatever-its-name-was.  This doesn’t make me unique; there were a lot of us stuck there.  My personal policy is to avoid Vail like the plague during winter months, but computer routing and a discussion with my Driver Manager (dispatcher) helped convince me to violate that policy.  That’ll teach me, huh?

                I was running with another driver and on the second day of our weather induced hiatus, we started looking at alternative routes.  He suggested a route that caused my stomach to do a dog trick… roll over and play dead.  I told him to give me ten minutes.  I spent that time thinking about it and praying about it.  I told God, “if you want me to take this route, I need You to give me peace about it.”  I couldn’t get peace and just had this overwhelming feeling that this route was a bad idea.  I shared my feelings with the other driver and we stayed put another day to try to wait out the problems over Vail Pass or figure out another route.

                We got out the next day, got delivered and are both on our way somewhere else.  A few days later we were talking about how good drivers know their limits.  I don’t drive when I believe I can’t do so safely.  It doesn’t matter if it’s caused by weather or my physical condition.  When I don’t believe I’m safe, I’m not safe. I know my limits. 

                I have had several trainees who got into my truck without ever having seen snow.  One asked me “how fast should I go when there is snow?”  There is no textbook answer to that question and I told her that.  I also told her, “if you feel like you’re driving too fast… you are.”  My first winter in the truck I drove a lot slower than I do now, but I have also learned how to drive in snow.  I don’t have to drop 20 or 30 mph every time I see a snowflake now because I have learned to read the road conditions.

                A good driver knows their limits.  My limits aren’t going to be the same as your limits.  It doesn’t matter if I’m driving the big truck, my pickup or my car.  I still have limits.  I know when road conditions are outside my abilities (it doesn’t matter how good of a driver I am, I’m still going to slide on icy roads), I know when I’m getting lethargic and need to get out of the truck for a few minutes and walk around.  I know when it’s time to go to bed.  That’s what good drivers do.  They pay attention to what’s going on around them and inside of them and they do what’s necessary to stay safe.

What Makes A Good Driver?

          Several months ago, I made a remark in a post that trucking isn’t what it used to be.  While there have been some good changes, like improvements in technology, there have also been some bad changes.  If you talk to older drivers, they will tell you that it’s just not like it used to be. 

          I have seen an overwhelming trend that is not exclusive to trucking, but in society as a whole.  What I’m talking about is a general lack of integrity and the loss of taking pride in a job well done.

          I’m a good driver.  I know I’m a good driver.  I don’t say that with conceit but with confidence.  I can say that because I pay attention to detail and I always do my best to act with integrity.  I also live by the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Society seems to have twisted the Golden Rule into: do unto others before they do unto you.

          I was overpaid this week.  It wasn’t by a lot, but none the less I was paid for work I hadn’t done.  When I first noticed it, I thought “they’ll catch it.”  It bothered me to leave it up to them to catch it.  I’m one of about 500; they may or may not catch it.  That doesn’t matter.  What matters is I caught the mistake.  Had the mistake gone the other way, where I’d done work that I hadn’t been paid for I would have brought it to their attention immediately.  It was only right that I bring this mistake to their attention.  So, I did.

          I’m not sharing this so you can give me an “atta girl” or think highly of me.  I share this because this is part of what makes me, me.  If we want the world to be a better place, then each of us – individually - must be the change.  People are what makes Freymiller a great place to work.  I’m one of those people, we all are.  We have to be what we want Freymiller to be.

Here Comes 2017

          I hope everyone had a great Christmas.  Aside from a mild case of food poisoning, mine was uneventful.

          As the year winds down and we start looking towards a new year, a funny thing happens in a lot of people’s minds.  I’m talking about New Year’s Resolutions.  I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions.  In fact, the last one I made (and the only one I’ve ever successfully executed) was to never make another New Year’s Resolution.

          I used to be like most people.  I would wake up on New Year’s Day and tell myself “this year I’m going to quit smoking, lose weight and exercise more!”  Yeah, right.  I never did.  The fact of the matter is I’m not going to quit smoking until I’m ready.  I’m not going to lose weight until I change my attitude about food.  I do exercise more now than I used to, but not because of a New Years’ Resolution.  I exercise more now because I have other goals that require me to be in better shape.

          I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions mostly because I came to realize that any day I wake up alive, I have an opportunity for change.  I don’t have to wait until Monday, the 1^st of the month, the 1^st of the year or any other significant date to change.  I can change TODAY if I decide that’s what I want to do.

          Would I like to be able to look back and say “2017 was the year I …?”  Of course, but I also would like to have been able to say that about 2016, 2015, 2014…

          Are you making any New Year’s resolutions?  It’s okay if you are.  I won’t judge you.  In fact, I will do my best to encourage you to tackle them with gusto.

I Hate Cold Weather!

          I hate cold weather.  I really hate cold weather.  I really, really hate cold weather!  Okay, maybe it’s not cold weather that I hate because I do enjoy snow.  What I really hate is being cold.

          I have a chronic condition called Costochondritis. Costowho? You ask?  Costo (for short) is inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs.  It’s extremely painful when it flares up and there is nothing the doctors can do about it.  I have found a good liquid vitamin that helps keep it under control.  It flares up when I tense up.  I tense up when I’m stressed, cold or under exertion like heavy lifting.

          When it’s cold I look like the younger brother in The Christmas Story who can’t move because of all the layers.  My top half looks twice the size of my bottom half, all in an effort to keep from flaring up. 

          In all seriousness, though… are you ready for the cold weather?  Ready or not, it’s here.  Please take some time to make sure you have what you need in case you get stranded somewhere.  As long as my APU runs I could survive in this truck for almost a week if it was necessary.  I know our storage is limited, but this really is important.  I’m not going to bore you with a list, you know what you need.  I’m just asking you to take the time to make sure you have it.

The Purpose Driven Life

          Several days ago, Don Freymiller sent out a fleet message to announce that Freymiller had procured a copy of the book “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren for every driver.  I can’t tell you how excited I was to see that message.

          Rick Warren is the pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA.  Saddleback is also the birthplace of the Celebrate Recovery program, a Christian 12-step program that has completely changed my life.

          “The Purpose Driven Life” was another life-changer.  I was in the process of reading this book when I started working here in January 2012.  If you’ve ever felt like your presence on this planet is random or accidental, I would highly recommend this book.  Not only did this book help me to understand that yes, I am here for a reason; it helped me to figure out what that reason is.

          Even if you are not a Christian, I would still recommend reading this book.  I have studied philosophies that are contrary to my Christian beliefs and still walked away with a new perspective because I look at alternative beliefs and ask “can any of this apply to my life and how does it fit in with my beliefs?”  (The Secret was a great exercise in learning how to do this.)

          This book is comprised of 40 mini chapters that introduce you to new ideas and end with questions that challenge you to look closer at your own life.  Love it, love it, love it!  What makes it even better is if you buddy up with someone and work through this book together, discussing your answers at the end of each chapter.  I have asked another driver to do this with me and he said he would.  I look forward to peeling back another layer of myself and hearing the perspective of someone new.

          I’ve heard it said that small minded people talk about people, average minded people talk about things, but your big thinkers discuss IDEAS.

          I am a huge fan of personal development so I’m really looking forward to reading this book again.

          Again, I encourage you; if you’re a Freymiller driver, to get up to the company store ASAP and get your copy.  It doesn’t cost you a dime to pick it up.  It only costs you time to read it but you have so much to gain.