City vs.Town Routes - A General Disparity in Time Allowance?

[JL 0513]

I'm wondering if others that have done many of both city and town/country routes have noticed this. As a cover driver, bouncing around among 17 routes, the amount of speed and effort needed to accomplish the route in the allotted time varies quite a bit. Now I'm not wondering why some routes are easier than others. Of course they are. Seniority gets you easier routes and this is determined by a number of factors.

What I'm getting at is that time studies and computer generated time allotments determining your paid day don't seem to accurately provide all the extra time stuck in traffic in the city. While out on country routes there is likely not one traffic light. In the country, while I'm doing a lot more miles, I'm always able to move quickly.

Just parking properly and safely in the city can be a time consuming task and many times you can't park at the stop so you have to walk forward or back a ways. In the towns, you just pull over in front of the house and there's always wide open space. Then there's delivering to large buildings, apts., etc. I just notice you have to haul a** a lot more than DR'ing a house in the suburbs where you can walk at a normal pace.

On a town route I can leisurely take my lunch and come in paid under. On a city route, I have to kill it all day to squeeze lunch in and still be paid an hour over. Knowing both types of routes equally well.

Now I'm not suggesting routes can all be totally fair. But while routes all differ greatly, I think when it comes to accurate time allowances, its seems like adjustments could be made. Just because you're lower seniority shouldn't mean you run like a slave all day while the nice route gives you more time to accomplish tasks when the reality is it takes less time.

Just want to hear what you guys think and what your experiences are. Are there tricks on getting city routes done according to their made up numbers?

 

[By The Book]

I'm wondering if others that have done many of both city and town/country routes have noticed this. As a cover driver, bouncing around among 17 routes, the amount of speed and effort needed to accomplish the route in the allotted time varies quite a bit. Now I'm not wondering why some routes are easier than others. Of course they are. Seniority gets you easier routes and this is determined by a number of factors.

What I'm getting at is that time studies and computer generated time allotments determining your paid day don't seem to accurately provide all the extra time stuck in traffic in the city. While out on country routes there is likely not one traffic light. In the country, while I'm doing a lot more miles, I'm always able to move quickly.

Just parking properly and safely in the city can be a time consuming task and many times you can't park at the stop so you have to walk forward or back a ways. In the towns, you just pull over in front of the house and there's always wide open space. Then there's delivering to large buildings, apts., etc. I just notice you have to haul a** a lot more than DR'ing a house in the suburbs where you can walk at a normal pace.

On a town route I can leisurely take my lunch and come in paid under. On a city route, I have to kill it all day to squeeze lunch in and still be paid an hour over. Knowing both types of routes equally well.

Now I'm not suggesting routes can all be totally fair. But while routes all differ greatly, I think when it comes to accurate time allowances, its seems like adjustments could be made. Just because you're lower seniority shouldn't mean you run like a slave all day while the nice route gives you more time to accomplish tasks when the reality is it takes less time.

Just want to hear what you guys think and what your experiences are. Are there tricks on getting city routes done according to their made up numbers?

What I do know is that time allowances vary route to route. No rhyme or reason really, they are their numbers and I would suggest to use the same pace on both.

 

[JL 0513]

What I do know is that time allowances vary route to route. No rhyme or reason really, they are their numbers and I would suggest to use the same pace on both.

I'd love to say I could run each route the same pace but if I ran a city route a "normal" work pace I use on a town route, I'd be 3+ hours paid over. The same pace that scratches a town route. It's not even close the effort difference needed.

 

[tourists24]

I've run both. My advice is always run both to your best abilities and let the numbers fall where they will

 

[BrownArmy]

The 'Eye in the Sky' knows everything you're doing all day on either kind of route.

Just do the job by the book. If you're three hours paid over, guess what, the route driver probably is too. The time allowances are so screwed up - the metrics are arbitrary, the time studies are old, etc.

I'm cover also - I come to work every day and do the exact same thing on whatever route I'm on. I keep up a fairly stiff pace without blowing my brains out, I work safe, and I take my breaks and lunch.

Everything else is out of my hands.

Believe me, your management team knows which routes are screwed up allowance-wise.

There are routes in my center that not even Superman could scratch with Batman clearing his way, but the good news is you get paid by the hour.

 

[By The Book]

I'd love to say I could run each route the same pace but if I ran a city route a "normal" work pace I use on a town route, I'd be 3+ hours paid over. The same pace that scratches a town route. It's not even close the effort difference needed.

Not every town route has the same allowance, not every city route has the same allowance. If your following the methods, driving the speed limit, and taking your personal time I'm good with that. Let the chips fall where they may. If your slowing down because the town routes you do are fat then you will show real late on a tighter route. I tell drivers to drive like it's your annual ride every day that way when they follow you or jump on car they can't find anything wrong performance wise. Let go of the numbers, they change them and it seems like it's to get more out of you.

 

[JL 0513]

I get the inconsistencies but in my experience it's just glaringly off between city and town. It's as if the time study was done when all the lights were stuck on green.

And with Orion, you can see your day stop for stop and the planned ETA time stamp each morning. It's amusing to see that by lunch you're already an hour behind even when you've been running like a nut.

 

[JL 0513]

One thing about us young guys is we get harassed more when we are paid over. I finish routes at the same times as the bid drivers and then asked why I was over.

 

[tourists24]

One thing about us young guys is we get harassed more when we are paid over. I finish routes at the same times as the bid drivers and then asked why I was over.

I've no idae, ... always a good answer

 

[By The Book]

I get the inconsistencies but in my experience it's just glaringly off between city and town. It's as if the time study was done when all the lights were stuck on green.

And with Orion, you can see your day stop for stop and the planned ETA time stamp each morning. It's amusing to see that by lunch you're already an hour behind even when you've been running like a nut.

Hopefully you are not feeling guilty to the point of coming in early to sort your route for the day. I check the numbers for accuracy only (was I paid correctly). If your supervisor has a problem with something they will ask you. It's hard to watch guys come in an hour or more before start, just to get stressed out about the stop count.

 

[Billy Ray]

Stop worrying about time studies and numbers; just deliver the box.

 

[Catatonic]

I'm wondering if others that have done many of both city and town/country routes have noticed this. As a cover driver, bouncing around among 17 routes, the amount of speed and effort needed to accomplish the route in the allotted time varies quite a bit. Now I'm not wondering why some routes are easier than others. Of course they are. Seniority gets you easier routes and this is determined by a number of factors.

What I'm getting at is that time studies and computer generated time allotments determining your paid day don't seem to accurately provide all the extra time stuck in traffic in the city. While out on country routes there is likely not one traffic light. In the country, while I'm doing a lot more miles, I'm always able to move quickly.

Just parking properly and safely in the city can be a time consuming task and many times you can't park at the stop so you have to walk forward or back a ways. In the towns, you just pull over in front of the house and there's always wide open space. Then there's delivering to large buildings, apts., etc. I just notice you have to haul a** a lot more than DR'ing a house in the suburbs where you can walk at a normal pace.

On a town route I can leisurely take my lunch and come in paid under. On a city route, I have to kill it all day to squeeze lunch in and still be paid an hour over. Knowing both types of routes equally well.

Now I'm not suggesting routes can all be totally fair. But while routes all differ greatly, I think when it comes to accurate time allowances, its seems like adjustments could be made. Just because you're lower seniority shouldn't mean you run like a slave all day while the nice route gives you more time to accomplish tasks when the reality is it takes less time.

Just want to hear what you guys think and what your experiences are. Are there tricks on getting city routes done according to their made up numbers?

On-area MPH for rural is around 40 MPH.
On-area MPH for city is anywhere from 19 -25 MPH.
Each area has a stop allowance based on observed/measured "stuck in traffic" and other exceptions.
Seat time on a rural and residential route can easily be 5 hours per day.
Seat time on a city route is usually 2 hours or so.

 

[CHALLY9TX]

Miles are your friend

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

miles over stops any day. Especially if driven at maximum velocity. lol

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I believe part the answer might have to do with this;

The time studies on city routes were more likely done years ago with a massaged load, on a perfect weather day, in a holiday week, by a younger driver that just wanted to get home early that day.

The time studies of more desirable country routes bid by higher seniority drivers, are naturally going to be more realistic, since on average, there are a million less variables that can mess up your day- as well as a more likely chance that the said driver works an average pace and doesn't cut corners.

 

[Kinrossy]

I agree with ur theory of city vs country. You do have to hustle more
In the city but for me it all depends on the bid driver. We have a few that
I hate to cover for. Skips lunch every other day, redirects 12 stops and cuts corners all day long. Compare those time allowances with a bid driver who takes lunch at 12 everyday and refuses to redirect unless the customer asks and you'll find out where the real problem is.

 

[ManInBrown]

Why are you worried about time allowances? When you get done, you get done. Don't run around and take a full meal

 

[Indecisi0n]

What's time allowance? I can't seem to find this in my contract book.

 

[dumbmuthertrucker]

I'd love to say I could run each route the same pace but if I ran a city route a "normal" work pace I use on a town route, I'd be 3+ hours paid over.

Not your problem. Work the same exact pace on every route you run. Make it a pace you are comfortable doing for the rest of your career. The time studies were done many years ago and most of them aren't even close to being accurate.

 

[JL 0513]

Why are you worried about time allowances? When you get done, you get done. Don't run around and take a full meal

That's not the point of the thread. I'm not too concerned with over/under. My attitude is always "it takes as long as it takes".

This is simply an observation I've noticed working many different routes. It looks like miles are more generously time allotted than other route factors which makes town/country routes much easier to get done. I feel like I'm literally sitting at a stop in traffic 2 solid hours a day in the city. Totally out of your control. I truly think this aspect of your day is way underestimated.

Another point I haven't mentioned is that getting signitures in the city take way longer. Often there are lines of people waiting for the same person that needs to sign for a package and now you have to figure out how to bypass them or find someone else. In town businesses, workers are usually immediately accessible.