One of the largest trucking companies in the world has put together a research report in order for shippers to “attain the greatest value” from their drivers, while operating within the current hours of service (HOS) regulations.
The whitepaper created by J.B. Hunt is entitled 660 Minutes: How Improving Driver Efficiency Increase Capacity. In plain English, “everyone makes more money when a driver’s time isn’t wasted.”
The report highlights several major issues the create lost revenue for both shipper, company, and driver; such as the time wasted when a truck driver has to look for parking, and the time spent waiting for a shipper and/or receiver.
According to their white paper, a truck driver that spends 60 minutes looking for parking throughout the day, and is forced to wait 30 minutes more than necessary for delivery and pickup, forfeits approximately 100 miles for the day.
Although it may seem small, these delays lead to a large loss of income/revenue, for both the driver and company, throughout the year. Following the previous example, a driver who worked 250 days in the year would lose approximately 25,000 miles under current HOS regulations. A fleet with 100 trucks, would lose 3,600 loads (average 700 miles per load).
Not only does losing time on the road hurt drivers and their carriers, the increased demand and regulatory constraints can lead to higher shipper costs, especially if the drivers who are on the road are forced to endure preventable delays.
J.B. Hunt goes on to list several ways for shippers to maximize the 660 driving minutes in a day. Some of their recommendations include speeding up loading/unloading times, utilizing drop trailers, creating onsite parking and amenities for drivers, and making delivery and pickup times more flexible.
In summary, reducing a truck driver’s downtime would benefit everyone involved — shipper, carrier, and driver. J.B. Hunt is looking to create strategic partnerships with shippers that treat driver’s time as a “perishable commodity” in order to create a more efficient work environment for all.
