And then you call dispatch and they say "I don't know". I guess that's what I'll tell the first responders when they show up...
Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ
- Thread starter 104Feeder
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Honestly when I was on the q list I never paid attention to pull times, I just showed up at my start time and started doing my thing. I would cover a run for a couple weeks and still not know the pull times.
barnyard
KTM rider
That is the way I did it when I 1st qualified. In our region, the big push has been 'on time network' which means meeting the pull times. 1 of our runs was changed pretty substantially. It gets the last leg to our building earlier and there is a meet with another driver that has to finish a 220 mile run. That meet is 30 minutes earlier now.
There is also pressure on the loaders to be all wrapped so we can meet the pull times. When the 'on time network' pressure started, the load was having a heck of a time meeting pull times. Last week, I only waited for 1 pull, the rest were ready when I hooked. All but 1 day, I beat the pull time by 5-10 minutes.
The driver that I met loved it and the preload at my building were very happy. I got all my break done at the meet point (deli sandwich, really good sandwich shop at the meet point) and really did not feel rushed or any of it. Stayed on task and got the job done. It was one of the easiest weeks that I have had covering feeders.
edited to add: the most pressure that I have seen is on the loaders. The routes that I covered always waited for the loaders to wrap.
The first few times you'll screw up and be frustrated, but after that the hardest part is backing your lead straight and close to the dolly.
Side note, today me and another driver broke down a set in one move. I forget what they call it, but you release everything, drop rear legs, disconnect dolly and open the "lock" over the dolly. Pull off the lead and the whole thing splits into its individual pieces....was pretty fun
retiredTxfeeder
cap'n crunch
Rowan, I don't know about where you work, but our dispatch's maps were usually crap. I went to a strange center one night. They gave me a map and said take so and so exit, you can't miss it. I missed it. They had done construction on the freeway and feeder several months before and did away with the entire exit. I went past it by about 10 miles before I turned around. If you can, ask any drivers you see, at dispatch, in the locker room, anywhere, if they have been there. They will give you better info than an old outdated map, and they usually don't mind helping newbies.
retiredTxfeeder
cap'n crunch
When I was driving, it was like David Letterman's show. Only They were least best lists. And ours were always stuff like 10 least best TA, or 10 highest idle time, etc. My on road would tell me, just improve enough where your name doesn't pop up. Stay off the radar. lol
MaceFremonti
Well-Known Member
The first few times you'll screw up and be frustrated, but after that the hardest part is backing your lead straight and close to the dolly.
Side note, today me and another driver broke down a set in one move. I forget what they call it, but you release everything, drop rear legs, disconnect dolly and open the "lock" over the dolly. Pull off the lead and the whole thing splits into its individual pieces....was pretty fun
I saw someone try to do that at RICVA....dolly flipped up and damaged the front trailer and then bounced back and damaged rear trailer.
Don't think I'll be trying that anytime soon....
On a side note one of our guys managed to get his dolly locked under his rear tailer only to discover he hadn't locked the pintle hook down so the eye of his dolly was on the ground UNDER his pintle hook....LOL
Oopsie lol. I don't know if I would want to try it solo, but with him driving and me guiding it seemed to be okay
Mugarolla
Light 'em up!
Seen that too. The dolly hit the front trailer door and damaged a panel. Driver was fired, got back a week later, but cost him a week's pay.
I did the dolly latched to rear box and not on the front pintle when I was new also. Must not have put the flapper down and it popped off when going under rear box.
I just released dolly handle, pulled it out with the chains and tried again.
retiredTxfeeder
cap'n crunch
We had a driver who was moving a dolly on the yard with his tractor. While heading to spot it, he made a left turn to go around the building, but had forgotten to put the latch down on his pintle hook. The dolly kept going straight. Went right through a chain link fence and the tongue of the dolly buried itself on the other side of the ditch bordering our yard. He was lucky in as it could have really done some damage or even took someone out.
Dracula
Package Car is cake compared to this...
I can't help but get on those top five lists. It's always something with these people. They always ask why I'm on it, and the stock answer is always, "Someone has to be at the top."
retiredTxfeeder
cap'n crunch
yeah, they change hot topics from week to week. about the time I figure out the answers, they change the doggone questions.
silenze
Lunch is the best part of the day
Here in Wisconsin we call that a Chicago drop. Just last week a cach driver told me he got charged with an accident pulling forward when the dolly lifted up and slammed back into the rear trailer spearing it
If you put the legs on the kite almost all the way down, (maybe a 1/2" off the ground). Then pull away very slowly when the dolly come out from the rear trailer it lifts the tongue to pull it out from the front trailer, and ends up maybe 1 foot from the rear trailer.
I think the biggest thing is don't let the rear trailer drop too far, and pull out slowly. It saves you the time from having to go back and unhook the dolly then spot your front trailer.
It's like doing the "hero" hookup, if you're careful you won't put the dolly through the rear trailer.
I think the biggest thing is don't let the rear trailer drop too far, and pull out slowly. It saves you the time from having to go back and unhook the dolly then spot your front trailer.
It's like doing the "hero" hookup, if you're careful you won't put the dolly through the rear trailer.
excessivehours
Now in the drug test pool
Any chance of getting this on video. I would love to see that done. Sounds hella cool and kinda dangerous.
