Going Blind As A New Driver

[barnyard]

Pretty sure you can ask your on car to print you up maps of your coverage area. I see the noobs in my building getting them. Others use their phones.

 

[burrheadd]

Roll the maps. Don’t fold the maps.

i’am talking about gas station maps

 

[Poop Head]

Youre going blind!? Maybe driving a truck isnt the right job for you then.

 

[Brownslave688]

i’am talking about gas station maps

first thing i always did was get them laminated and kept them rolled up. Dry erase marker and I could mark where each stop for the day was and then just windex and paper towel the marks off at the end of the day.

 

[Two Tokes]

I just made my 30 as a TCD from inside the building. Supposedly I am going to be a 22.4 when the free period ends, but that is a thread for the union issues board I think.

My question is, how would veterans recommend a new guy attack a completely unknown area? I have been trained on gps and Orion, but also encouraged by supervisors to outsmart the computer whenever necessary. There is one split that I actually know where I made my 30, and I can do that with no gps no problem. But they obviously aren’t going to leave me there forever and have already started sending me to cover different routes.

I had an old time driver help me the other day and was surprised at how little I had gotten done with 30 Saturday airs in 3 towns, a broken cradle, and a 10:30 time leaving the building in a part of the county I had barely ever been to before in my life. He said just ignore Orion and deliver what’s close together. He was nice enough but didn’t really understand why I needed the gps. But not knowing the area, having no gps makes a hell of a lot of difference. Is there a secret “old way” that I don’t know about or is every route just going to completely friend me at first?

Run nothing but 1030 commits first
Deliver any bulk stops labeled RDR LDR FDR MFL or over 70 irregs next
Then bookmark your stops in the order of how the car is loaded 1000 section 2000 section and so on
If pick ups are on your route go to the area on the board that shows you the pick ups and do them in the 15 window they are given
Deliver all of your Business savers on time
Congrats on making your 30
Now slow down and follow the methods so you can save your body

 

[Red Devil]

Follow Orion and GPS exactly. That’s what they want.

They have actually specifically directed me not to follow it exactly. The gps I like to follow if needed (although it’s hilarious how it thinks you can do a u turn in the middle of every street) but neither my on road, the center manager, or the dispatch sup have told me I need to follow Orion. Sup basically told me use your judgement and only follow it when it makes sense.

 

[Whither]

Plenty of good advice on here. I'll add: whenever possible, chat with the bid driver.

 

[specter208]

I like to print maps from the computer. I zoom in and print a one section/cluster of stops at a time. I then use a highlighter to mark all the dots. I’ll pick my first stop and use gps, and after that I’ll look at the DIAD and try to find that section in my maps. With the maps you are using the dots to help you and they help you learn the layout of the streets.

 

[quad decade guy]

Every route will be tough, at first.
This isn't any different than anything else in your life from learning to walk to riding a bicycle.
Area knowledge comes with exposure to that area.
You'll learn this without trying.
The things you should focus on is:
• delivering NDA on time
• delivering businesses before 5pm
• getting any bulk out of your way
• not missing any pickups
• take a lunch
When that time of the day comes when they send that message asking about return to building time, put 22:00.
If they want you in before then, you'll receive help, if not, you'll have a lot of time in the field to learn the area you'll be delivering in for the next day.

I agree with all that except: lying about your eta. Could bring trouble. In my experience, lunch was a distant goal that could never really be achieved(even after 14 years on the same area). Now, I spent customer time sure with folks I liked. A mechanical breakdown or hour long anything pretty much destroyed your day. My career as a pkg driver was pretty much 10 hours of on the go working. I had a nut and bolt industrial area with 50+ pickups, NDA to 10:30 and 100+ stops. It was something you got used to. It kept me fit and I could work/walk circles around anyone in blazing heat. All this got me to thinking about modern on board communications and how it used to be on paper. Paper maps, no phones....having to find a phone and customers relaying messages to call the center. I can't recall any mgt. questioning how I ran my area-ever. My annual rides never lasted more than an hour and never into the afternoon heat. On roads didn't want any part of hard work. That's the way it was.

 

[Brown Biscuit]

When they send me out blind I basically take it as a ticket to around all day, and don’t take it seriously. I’ll be getting help later. Thanks.

 

[Brownslave688]

I agree with all that except: lying about your eta. Could bring trouble. In my experience, lunch was a distant goal that could never really be achieved(even after 14 years on the same area). Now, I spent customer time sure with folks I liked. A mechanical breakdown or hour long anything pretty much destroyed your day. My career as a pkg driver was pretty much 10 hours of on the go working. I had a nut and bolt industrial area with 50+ pickups, NDA to 10:30 and 100+ stops. It was something you got used to. It kept me fit and I could work/walk circles around anyone in blazing heat. All this got me to thinking about modern on board communications and how it used to be on paper. Paper maps, no phones....having to find a phone and customers relaying messages to call the center. I can't recall any mgt. questioning how I ran my area-ever. My annual rides never lasted more than an hour and never into the afternoon heat. On roads didn't want any part of hard work. That's the way it was.

Sounds like you didn’t have the balls to take lunch and make management fix the route.

 

[Jones]

Sounds like you didn’t have the balls to take lunch and make management fix the route.

I stopped reading when he said that he couldn't take a lunch even after 14 years on the same area. smh.

 

[MisplacedRailWorker]

For those of you who don't know what a P-400 is, see avatar to the left.

Was that the "high-stepper"?

 

[Netsua 3:16]

Don’t stress. If you’re freaking out you need to slow your whole process down. Make sure you know where you are going to attempt delivery before you park the truck. Don’t just drive around aimlessly with no destination. First few times on a commercial route you’re going to get delivery points incorrect, you just anticipate it and keep your legs moving. If you know the bid driver call him!!!!!! Most guys are more than willing to literally walk you through the whole route, and give you tips that will help you get through your first couple days

 

[burrheadd]

In my experience, lunch was a distant goal that could never really be achieved(even after 14 years on the same area).

SMH

you really are a piece of work

 

[MECH-lift]

 

[Est.1998]

Roll the maps. Don’t fold the maps.

Like a scroll?

 

[Est.1998]

I agree with all that except: lying about your eta. Could bring trouble. In my experience, lunch was a distant goal that could never really be achieved(even after 14 years on the same area). Now, I spent customer time sure with folks I liked. A mechanical breakdown or hour long anything pretty much destroyed your day. My career as a pkg driver was pretty much 10 hours of on the go working. I had a nut and bolt industrial area with 50+ pickups, NDA to 10:30 and 100+ stops. It was something you got used to. It kept me fit and I could work/walk circles around anyone in blazing heat. All this got me to thinking about modern on board communications and how it used to be on paper. Paper maps, no phones....having to find a phone and customers relaying messages to call the center. I can't recall any mgt. questioning how I ran my area-ever. My annual rides never lasted more than an hour and never into the afternoon heat. On roads didn't want any part of hard work. That's the way it was.

I've ran routes that seem next to impossible to take a lunch but the time is there.
You can break up the hour if need be.
Say you have 10-20 NDA, I'd run straight air and then take 15 mins lunch.
Run my business, take another 15 mins,
run pickups 15-30 min lunch, now you're at the resis with at least 45 mins of lunch done.
I think not wanting to go to places twice is what's keeping you from taking a lunch.

 

[Brownslave688]

I've ran routes that seem next to impossible to take a lunch but the time is there.
You can break up the hour if need be.
Say you have 10-20 NDA, I'd run straight air and then take 15 mins lunch.
Run my business, take another 15 mins,
run pickups 15-30 min lunch, now you're at the resis with at least 45 mins of lunch done.
I think not wanting to go to places twice is what's keeping you from taking a lunch.

Or just take your hour when you want and make them fix the route.

 

[Est.1998]

Or just take your hour when you want and make them fix the route.

Or, you could brown paper bag 2 pb&j sandwiches, cut diagonally, and snack on them at stop lights while hoping the customers provide you with bottle water throughout the day. Skipping lunch entirely for 14 years.