Which route would you prefer?

[Fnix]

Business route. I have a business heavy route. I never use my handcart. Truck clears out fast (No digging in heat) I just back up to docks (No waiting) and the guys help me unload. I have the customers trained. Some business routes suck though and it all depends on the businesses themselves and how receiving is set up. Resi routes make me bored to death and the truck never seems to empty out until 4pm.

 

[Two Tokes]

Residential all the way. I run 150-160 stops in subdivisions all day without any pickup accounts. I might pickup two Amazon Call Tags on a heavy day.

Yes indeed
I have about 15-20 business stops,done with those around 1130 then nothing but neighborhoods
10 pickups with an average total of 50 pieces that take about 25 to 30 minutes
Average about the same amount of stops as yours
Drive between 90-100 miles depending on dispatch
Love it

 

[Two Tokes]

Would you rather have:

1) A business (ie pickup & 1030 commit) heavy route, farther away from your center, but an area you know like the back of your hand

2) A mostly resi area, closer, but in a new, very confusing area

Assume your trying to qualify and it's peak. I know it's not something you get to choose, but I like hypotheticals.

My training route was an effing nightmare
Heavy business route with an average of 70 business stops
Few dock stops
Hand cart every other stop
Lucky to make commits on savers and then started pick ups
My resi stops were crappy apartments that you could not dr(no such thing as access point) and the offices would not take packages
So glad when I made my 30 and I have not run that route since, going on ten years now

 

[Grey]

My training route was an effing nightmare
Heavy business route with an average of 70 business stops
Few dock stops
Hand cart every other stop
Lucky to make commits on savers and then started pick ups
My resi stops were crappy apartments that you could not dr(no such thing as access point) and the offices would not take packages
So glad when I made my 30 and I have not run that route since, going on ten years now

I’ve had this exact sounding route for 2 years. It’s better than being a swing driver but showing up to a bricked out truck every morning and barely making commits/pick ups daily. I have to unload the front of my truck just to verify my air and get to my handcarts.

 

[Two Tokes]

I’ve had this exact sounding route for 2 years. It’s better than being a swing driver but showing up to a bricked out truck every morning and barely making commits/pick ups daily. I have to unload the front of my truck just to verify my air and get to my handcarts.

Man its depressing when you can't even take a step inside the bulk head door and have to lay your hand truck on top off boxes
It's like being in peak mode everyday except these are business stops
I am glad to be done with that

 

[HFolb23]

I have a business heavy route, brickloaded almost every day. Average around 130 stops with probably 80 of those being businesses. Usually do around 45 miles.

I loved it at first, but the stop count has slowly risen over time, and after losing a couple of heavy pickup accounts the time study is all messed up on it. I’m bidding off of it, but to a similar route within my loop, both have almost 40 pickups. I like the business heavy routes because with the businesses and pickups it really prevents dispatch from trying to get too creative and messing with the route. I know that I’m done every day around 6:30 for the most part. Even during peak I only broke 200 once or twice.

The new route is way easier, no thinking or scrolling through the board. It still goes out with around 120 stops a day, roughly 70 businesses. Geographically, it does 5 down and back loops and that’s it, versus my route has city side streets that I have to try and make a trace out of. New route is a 10min drive to my area, typically less then 5 10:30 commits that I can almost do in trace, versus 8-12 10:30 commits that I have to do an air-only trace to get off. Previous driver did this new route for almost 15 years.

A business heavy route isn’t bad, it really depends what type of businesses you’re servicing. My current route is very industrial, with lots of medical, paper, and mining/construction businesses. It means for lots of large, heavy boxes. The new route is heavy with things like opticians, dentists, banks, and doctors offices. Lots of small boxes, however the dozen car dealerships can quickly fill the truck with tires...

I had a Resi-heavy route when I was a cover, it wasn’t bad but I hated how it would go out with 145 on a Monday but by Wednesday it would be over 225, I like consistency.

I had a rural route for awhile right before I made full-time. I hated it, small truck went out stuffed full every day, took forever to get the truck empty enough to sort it. I hated that I wouldn’t start my businesses until I made it into town around 12 (when everyone is at lunch). It’ll be awhile before I bid on another rural route.

 

[scooby0048]

I had the perfect route. Forty-five minute drive to my delivery area --deliver a small town and the surrounding area-- start pickups about 3:30--finish residential and rural stuff and a half hour drive back to the center. My usual week was about 45 to 50 hours. A hundred to 125 stops- 110 to 125 miles- 17+ pickups. It was brutal.

My last route was nicer even than that. 5-8 industrial stops first thing, a few small businesses across the river then out into farm country the rest of the day. 110-125 stops and one pickup.

Gosh, you guys really did have it rough back then. I have been breaking my back lately with the 40-60 stops they have been bricking my truck out with. The crease in my pants (sorry, "slacks") has flattened from all the sitting I have been doing because I only have to drive 300-400 miles a day. I'm trying to hold it all together though!

 

[rod]

Gosh, you guys really did have it rough back then. I have been breaking my back lately with the 40-60 stops they have been bricking my truck out with. The crease in my pants (sorry, "slacks") has flattened from all the sitting I have been doing because I only have to drive 300-400 miles a day. I'm trying to hold it all together though!

Both our 300 mile routes went out with anywhere from 20 to 30 stops. I've seen them go with 16 stops way back when. I think those routes have been split up now

 

[cosmo1]

Gosh, you guys really did have it rough back then. I have been breaking my back lately with the 40-60 stops they have been bricking my truck out with. The crease in my pants (sorry, "slacks") has flattened from all the sitting I have been doing because I only have to drive 300-400 miles a day. I'm trying to hold it all together though!

Shoot, the route before my last ran a little over 220 miles and 35 stops. A lot of pickups, but they were 90% NDA envelopes.

Almost guaranteed 8 hours a day.

 

[OrioN]

It's kinda scary when u logged 300 miles and the fuel light comes on...

thank goodness I have area knowledge to break trace & fuel up before this happens again

 

[iruhnman630]

It really comes down to personal preference.

Give me anything in civilization anyday. I'll gladly do more stops in exchange for the simplicity of pulling up to the stop, delivering, and moving on, without the added headaches of negotiating long driveways and dirty back roads.

My route averages ~150 stops, 70/30 mix commercial-resi, with my commercial being retail and medical offices.

I've done my time in the sticks.

I dont care if I ever see a dirt road again

 

[scooby0048]

It really comes down to personal preference.

Give me anything in civilization anyday.

I've done my time in the sticks.

I dont care if I ever see a dirt road again

Now that I have a rural route, I would never want to go back into the city. The way this place is going, I can see stops getting over 250 being a norm and IDC how much they paid me, I don't want to do that.

There are plenty of younger, more in shape, people that love that kind of stuff, love the long hours, love the OT, and love doing routes that only put on 30 miles. Just like you said, personal preference.

 

[cosmo1]

Now that I have a rural route, I would never want to go back into the city. The way this place is going, I can see stops getting over 250 being a norm and IDC how much they paid me, I don't want to do that.

There are plenty of younger, more in shape, people that love that kind of stuff, love the long hours, love the OT, and love doing routes that only put on 30 miles. Just like you said, personal preference.

They tried to train a guy on my first rural route.

As soon as he got out into the woods, he would get physically sick.

 

[scooby0048]

They tried to train a guy on my first rural route.

As soon as he got out into the woods, he would get physically sick.

That's how I felt when I used to come in and not know where I was going to be in the swing pool.

 

[Wilson1397]

Now that I have a rural route, I would never want to go back into the city. The way this place is going, I can see stops getting over 250 being a norm and IDC how much they paid me, I don't want to do that.

There are plenty of younger, more in shape, people that love that kind of stuff, love the long hours, love the OT, and love doing routes that only put on 30 miles. Just like you said, personal preference.

Same here. Switched to a rural route 2 years ago and I’m glad I did. 90-95 stops and 150-160 miles a day. Usually somewhere around 150-170 pieces.

 

[Rack em]

Same here. Switched to a rural route 2 years ago and I’m glad I did. 90-95 stops and 150-160 miles a day. Usually somewhere around 150-170 pieces.

It's hit and miss here. In the summer time the rural routes are are a cakewalk, but you have to deal with all the dust and people's stupid dogs. Although in the winter they are very difficult due to weather. We get a lot of snow and there are days where I've had to chain up 4 times due to getting stuck in drifts. Overall staying in town is my preference anymore.

 

[Wilson1397]

It's hit and miss here. In the summer time the rural routes are are a cakewalk, but you have to deal with all the dust and people's stupid dogs. Although in the winter they are very difficult due to weather. We get a lot of snow and there are days where I've had to chain up 4 times due to getting stuck in drifts. Overall staying in town is my preference anymore.

I agree the dust gets bad at times but I don’t have any bad dogs. We usually get a lot of snow too but nowadays EC is your friend.

 

[scooby0048]

Same here. Switched to a rural route 2 years ago and I’m glad I did. 90-95 stops and 150-160 miles a day. Usually somewhere around 150-170 pieces.

Life is good now. I'm a 100 miles just to get on route.

It's hit and miss here. In the summer time the rural routes are are a cakewalk, but you have to deal with all the dust and people's stupid dogs. Although in the winter they are very difficult due to weather. We get a lot of snow and there are days where I've had to chain up 4 times due to getting stuck in drifts. Overall staying in town is my preference anymore.

I agreed to the country stuff but not being in town. EC is your friend in the winter and I use it in a systematical fashion.

 

[Rack em]

I agree the dust gets bad at times but I don’t have any bad dogs. We usually get a lot of snow too but nowadays EC is your friend.

I've had to EC 35-40 stops one day because the roads were drifted so bad, it was insane. But that just means that work stays on the truck until you eventually get it delivered. So yeah you can EC them one day, but when the roads improve you're gonna have some longer days cleaning it up the stops you couldn't deliver.

 

[FromOffTheStreets]

To me the best routes are a good mix of stops.

20 stop business run in the morning. 30 rural stops on the way to a town with 60-80 stops.

The long 250 mile rural routes with 80 stops get boring plus you eat dust & have to deal with weather & bad roads.

The town routes with 180-200 can wear your body down after a while.