In the trucking industry, being on time is vital to your success. If you’re late it can cause a big problem because when you’re late, others will have to wait for you and they will then be late. Deadlines may be missed and shipments may not get picked up and the list goes on. It’s a bit like a domino effect.
So, knowing how important it is to be on time, what can you do to make sure you are? Well, I would suggest sitting down and getting out a good trip plan. Know exactly where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and how long it’s going to take. On top of that time add intervals for stops such as bathroom breaks, food breaks and traffic. A good trip plan can make or break you.
For me being on time is difficult, I find that for some reason I am exactly five minutes late. So, easy solution, just leave five minutes earlier, right? If only it were that easy. Through my conflicts with time, I’ve noticed that I have to tell myself, and more importantly make myself believe, that I need to be somewhere five minutes earlier than I actually do. If I plan on leaving with the perfect amount of time to get to there, I’ll be five minutes late.
So, now I have a schedule. I know that I have to be going out my door at 6. I have to be getting on the freeway at 6:20 and getting on the highway to my work at 6:35 in order to be to work at 7. Knowing ahead of time how long certain things will take will help you plan for them and it will help you be on time.
One thing that you should keep in mind is that it’s always better to be early than late. Think about it, how often do you hear employers complain about an employee always being a few minutes early? Never.
With this in mind, why not give yourself about ten extra minutes just in case something happens? You can never predict when an accident will occur and set you behind on your schedule. Plan ahead, stay safe and remember; if you are running late don’t drive dangerously to get there on time. A late load is better than no load.
