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ODFL | Do you always follow the route guide?

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Redeemed

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The longer I driver for OD, and the more I talk to other drivers, the more I hear of drivers who don't go by the company route guide.

Sometimes it is just small changes for convenience. Other times it is finding a completely different route. Do you follow the route guide 100% of the time?

If not, which routes did you change? What inconvenience made you look for a different route?
 
well to go to indianapolis from des they recommend you taking 90/94 which is thru downtown chicago which is going thru so much construction its dreadful. so screw that i just take 294 south until it turns in 94 saves me time and don't have to deal with construction somewhat
 
Fromwhat others tell me if something happens to you (ie accident) and you are not on the route they will not back you because you should not have been on that road. I know drivers who go thru knoxville from COH to MRT to avoid 25E. Im really not sure , but our safety guy will be at our terminal on Thursday and I will ask him.
 
Our supervisor told us about the same thing. That if we were out of route and involved in an accident it was automatic termination.

But it does not appear to stop those going out of route.
 
What is out of route. I have discussed this with Central and was told I could take alternative routes out of a city from a terminal. Also we have routes between cities that are different than routes to meet points between the same cities. With teams if the northern route to RTO has bad road conditions its safer to divert south and that can work both ways. Sometimes roads are closed and if you know the best way around you go. Also I have seen routes on trip sheets that only tell you how to get to and from the nearest main road near the terminal. Call central and explain it they tell you if you know how to get around go in all these circustances, it may take awhile to get through to Central some times.
I would like to know what the exact policy is but getting the exact policy out of OD would probably be hard to get. I do not think the safety guy would know I think you would get it from Central and that it is a flexible policy that would say just do not get caught on routes that are many miles longer or that make no sense whatsoever.
 
sparky said:
What is out of route. I have discussed this with Central and was told I could take alternative routes out of a city from a terminal. Also we have routes between cities that are different than routes to meet points between the same cities. With teams if the northern route to RTO has bad road conditions its safer to divert south and that can work both ways. Sometimes roads are closed and if you know the best way around you go. Also I have seen routes on trip sheets that only tell you how to get to and from the nearest main road near the terminal. Call central and explain it they tell you if you know how to get around go in all these circustances, it may take awhile to get through to Central some times.
I would like to know what the exact policy is but getting the exact policy out of OD would probably be hard to get. I do not think the safety guy would know I think you would get it from Central and that it is a flexible policy that would say just do not get caught on routes that are many miles longer or that make no sense whatsoever.
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When someone at Central tells you to do something or approves something get his name."Somebody at Central " don't work.
 
I guess my definition of out of route is any change from the directions they give you on the trip sheet.

I do not know about any policy on this either except that no changes are supposed to be made.
 
Redeemed said:
I guess my definition of out of route is any change from the directions they give you on the trip sheet.

I do not know about any policy on this either except that no changes are supposed to be made.
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Skywalker knows all the rules and regs.The ones carved in stone and the ones written in invisible ink.Both.He should be back in a few days.
 
One thing is sure. If there is a written policy on this they will never let you see it. That way if they want to they can rewrite it if they please to.
 
JIM BOB said:
When someone at Central tells you to do something or approves something get his name."Somebody at Central " don't work.
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And how long is somebody's word good for and even if you do remember his name how long will that work. I just go along with the flow try to keep my nose clean in the hopes that is good enough
 
it should be in the driver handbook look it up i will when i get to the term mine is in the truck i have heard that if u have an accident out of route it is grounds for termanation if you have not gotten it approved by central
 
our saftey guy said it was alright to go out of route as long as you make the trip safe and on time this ? came up a few years ago at our term
 
easttnhillbilly said:
our saftey guy said it was alright to go out of route as long as you make the trip safe and on time this ? came up a few years ago at our term
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That is my understanding. Other LTL drivers at other companies also follow this rule. For instance there are 4 different ways at least to run KCY to CHI. You can take the north route through DSM (this route is a present meet and turn) The south route through STL (this is or was the designated direct route and a meet and turn). Or the two shortest routes through the middle (one of which use to be a meet and turn route) Now other carriers also allow there drivers to take any of these routes. OD has never told me that I can not take a route if I ask. The fact is Central has called me and asked me to divert my route for different reasons and did not tell me how to just asked if I could It was up to me to figure out how. They just told me to let them know how many additional miles I would need to get paid for doing it. My present route is really not divertable to much unless the road is closed for some reason and I do not think Central wants me to call them every time it is to ask them if it is OK to go around. They are not real patient with drivers that call all the time and I would often call them everytime I 70 is closed. Also I do not think they pay to wait if a road is closed like I beleive some union carriers do.
 
There have been people written up by safety guys for something as small as taking an alternate street to get to a terminal when traffic is backed up. Taking any road that's not on the route guide leaves you subject to whatever wrath they feel they need to implement at that time to you.
Funny thing is if you followed the route guide exactly to some terminals you would end up at the old terminal or be totally lost, but they aren't interested in updating or correcting them. Get caught out of route or heaven forbid have an accident and it's all on you.
Someone mentioned haz-mat, do you physically check every envelope for haz-mat bills? It's your responsibility and I can't imagine getting caught on a non haz-mat route and they check and you have haz-mat in the trailer.
 
That is just plain silly. City drivers would not get wrote up for taking a alternative street to get around backed up traffic. If the major interstate out of the terminal is closed or backed up for any reason there is often a alternate route. what they want me to add to the chaos and drive up in the major traffic jam and wait. Delaying the freight and adding to my log book hours. They sure would not want there city drivers to do that. Often law enforcement officers direct me off the route most times without giving me any directions on how to get back on. What do you do if you want to stop at Mc Donalds park at the curb or on the shoulder because you would have to pull through on a side road. H*** I have seen Greyhound busses go that far off there routes.

certainly I understand why they do not want you to make large deviations between cities on linehaul runs and I do stick by the route guide unless I make it known to operations that I am taking a alternative route and why.
 
You should follow the route guide,but however you are the driver and you are in control so do what you must.Some route guides are old and have not been updated for centuries.The company is growing leaps and bounds and keeping up directions seems to be not a concern to some folks.I keep notes of every new trip I run and use the same directions and never look back.Most of the new terminals will have no directions on file but it will have the mileage.Was told from central about this issue and they said "you are the driver,get that freight there".Common sense and a good map is what you may need on occasions.
 
Skywalker said:
You should follow the route guide,but however you are the driver and you are in control so do what you must.Some route guides are old and have not been updated for centuries.The company is growing leaps and bounds and keeping up directions seems to be not a concern to some folks.I keep notes of every new trip I run and use the same directions and never look back.Most of the new terminals will have no directions on file but it will have the mileage.Was told from central about this issue and they said "you are the driver,get that freight there".Common sense and a good map is what you may need on occasions.
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Always makes you wonder how they know just how many miles they are going to pay you yet there is no route guide.
 
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