Well, considering they pay you guys $0.00 for your time, I'd say they're getting a pretty good deal.

 

I like this thread and I don't want it to go stray. But I'm jumping on.
Its one thing not to pay (value) your time, but systematically wasting your time is a whole different deal. Arrogance and/or complete stupidity on their part. But who cares about morale anyway, its only miles that matter. :shock:


If it was me I would have been debating just leaving the truck there, I wouldn't have done it though. It really is pathetic on Heartlands part. Is that the best system they can come up with. Maybe next time atleast they'll have somebody in a "heartland cares" t-shirt handing out bottled water. fbs

:roll:

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

It's good to see the sense of humor is still intact! Thanks for the good laugh!

As far as the plug in adapters go, they are very easy to hide, how would they ever know. Some rules are so ridiculous they need to be broken on principal.

 

No…but I used to shoot tree rats! Well they look like rats after you skinned them, but I didn’t BBQ them. Instead, I smothered them up in a black iron pot with lots of onions and bell peppers. Uhm….good!

I believe their too stringent antiquated rules are going to be a deal breaker for me. It’s bad enough that their trucks are Internationals and then on top of it stripped down to the bone, but if you can’t even use your computer without breaking their rules, well then that is taking it to the extreme. Not to mention that now I’m spoiled using my laptop for navigation and I’m not about to go back to using a MCRA ever again! Someone needs to tell them this is the 21st century and that navigation programs saves them tons of out of route miles while at the same time they get more productivity from their drivers.

 

well, in a way-- I'm "old school" and "antiquated" myself-- I prefer a good ol fashion Atlas over a $300 laptop stand anyway....and besides I know my limitations-- having a open laptop within hands reach while driving would be an accident waiting to happen for me. Arizona, I believe-- has already started ticketing for having one open( using the No TV while driving rule)-- but I'm sure the "no texting" while driving will eventually be used too. Besides, after 14years of running these same ol highways-- I only need to glance at the atlas once in a while-- usually to find some small town in the back woods-- or just to reassure myself the route I selected is the most Practical one.--- Believe it or not-- that PcMiler or Delorme, and other softwares-- sometimes gets it wrong.. It can't THINK for you--- it doesn't take into account variables like-- when does that Scale master usually hang out the Big Word-- and stuff like that--- which roads have the big hills and curves either..


Getting a non-inverter DC car adapter for a laptop-- isn't that big a deal-- $150.00. But I do understand....

Hey, the lighting in these trucks is great. So is the speaker system.

 

I built my laptop stand out of ½ inch steel pipe, elbows, and a couple of flanges that I purchased at Home Depot for under $20 and have been using it now for a couple of years without any problems. Indeed, it is as solid and stable as a rock!

With different sized ½ inch nipples connected to elbows, you can build one to any dimensions and to fit any truck or car. You just anchor a flange to the passenger seat front inside bolt that bolts down the passenger seat to the floor, and if you use a quick disconnect screwed into your nipples near the floor like I did, then you can take it down and put it back up in about a second as well. It doesn’t get any better or easier than that!

As for as a laptop being a distraction, I hardly ever look at it unless I’m getting very close to my destination and have slowed down, as I mostly listen to it, and I can promise you that I make far less wrong turns after I started using it than I did before. Indeed, my out of route miles driven are exponentially far less than drivers that don’t use it.

Not to mention also, that unlike a MCRA, my software has street level mapping for every town and city in the USA and Canada. Hence, why wait until you are traveling to your shippers or consignees to find out that your directions that were provided are wrong, when you can find out long before you ever drive because you have street level mapping and have plenty of time to correct your directions beforehand? It not only makes your job much easier and less stressful, it makes it much safer as well!

Further, if you ever drive early in the morning before the sun rises and when it is so dark and foggy that you can’t see the road signs much less see the roads you must turn on to drive, you will appreciate using navigation software, as it will guide you to your shipper or consignee with precise voice guided turn by turn directions, fog or no fog. Also, how many times have you reached a road and there wasn’t any sign, or it was obscured by foliage? Not a problem with GPS guided navigation.

Not to mention also that I can route and plan a trip in a small fraction of the time that it takes you using an MCRA, pen, and paper, making me more productive and at the same time capable of earning more money, and to me…that’s what it is all about.

They used to say the same thing about Florida. Hence, for the longest time I used to flip the screen down when I drove through Florida weigh and inspection stations until I finally had the opportunity to personally ask a Florida trooper who laughed at the question. Likewise, with Arizona, if you are using your laptop for navigation, it is legal. However, if you are cruising the Internet or texting your friends while driving, well then that’s a different story entirely.

I can’t argue with any of that, as I too often make changes and adjustments depending on different situations to suggested routes simply because over time I have also become very familiar with the roads or prefer to take different routes, but you can do that just as easily using navigation software as you can using a MCRA. Not to mention also that the vast majority of truck drivers haven’t been driving for nearly as long as you and are thus not yet as productive and experienced as you are as well.

Plus I can’t count how many times I was stuck in a traffic backup, and used my navigation software to quickly route around it, because unlike a MCRA, my navigation software has street level mapping where the MCRA doesn’t. Indeed, I always open up several instances of my navigation software when I start my day for those inevitable circumstances that always unexpectedly arise from time to time. You never know, it’s better to be prepared.

Not to mention also that I already have all of my terminals and most of my shippers and consignees marked on my GPS navigation software and also have indicated whether or not they are drop and hooks, live loads, live unloads, or a combination of the above.

Yeah, I agree…I checked them out, but the rest of it leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Do you know if they are force dispatch? (Shaffer)

 

they are Non-forced dispatch-- crete/shaffer

they sometimes(less often now with fuel prices so high) used to offer you Load selections-- 2-3-4 different skeleton load offers- and you can chose which one you'd like to run) But now with Shaffer Dispatchers getting in trouble if they deadhead a truck more than 50 miles--- those multi- selections are very scarce . But it has been 6 weeks--- maybe they've changed that.

 

Week in progress;

1633 as of tonight Saturday-Tuesday

short hauls don't add up

lost 4 hours at O'Fallon drop yard-- picking up one of these 'short hauls'-- they come in at 7am and place glade hand locks on all the trailers-- I had to deadhead in from Columbia, Mo- couldn't start my 14 until 5:15 am-- and just made it through the fuel island and was trying to hook and run--- mechanic placed lock on the load and forced me thru the inspection line-- despite my telling him -- the load was suppose to deliver at noon in Davenport-- couldn't leave the yard until 11am.

 

How are they on late loads? And who's at fault you or the mechanic?
Unless something major i cant belive they would do that. gotta keep the customers happy you know