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Level 3: Top of the field · Lesson 17 of 17

A day on the desk

This last lesson is a whole shift. You're running a board of 45 trucks for a dry van and reefer carrier, mostly OTR with a few regional drivers. It's a Wednesday in late October, and retail peak is building.

Each question is a moment in the day. Use what you've learned: safety first, the clock, the paperwork, the driver, the numbers and the network. There can be more than one reasonable choice in real life; pick the best one here.

When you're done with this one, you know what an entry-level driver manager needs to know and a good part of what the best ones do. The rest comes from running a real board, learning your drivers and keeping your word.

On the desk

6:00 a.m. You start the shift. What's the first thing you do?

More info

Terms in this lesson

Reefer temperatureThe setpoint a refrigerated load must stay at, recorded by the unit.
Personal conveyanceOff-duty use of the truck for personal reasons, never to move a load forward.
HandoffNotes on every open issue for the next shift.

The scenario answers

  1. 6:00 a.m. You start the shift. What's the first thing you do? Sweep the board: every truck's location, hours, next load and anything at risk. A sweep first tells you where today's problems are before they call you.
  2. 6:20 a.m. A reefer driver says the unit is showing 45°F on a load that should be at 34°F. What's the right order? Have him pull over safely, check the unit and record the temperature; call maintenance and tell customer service. A temperature problem can ruin the whole load. Get it checked and documented now, get maintenance on it, and give customer service a heads-up so they can talk to the customer.
  3. 9:00 a.m. A driver who came on duty at 8 p.m. last night has 1 hour left on his 14-hour window and is 70 miles from the truck stop he planned for his break. What do you tell him? Find the nearest safe, legal place to park and start the break there. 70 miles is more than an hour of driving. He has to stop before the 14 runs out. Misusing personal conveyance to move a load is a violation.
  4. 10:30 a.m. A new driver, three weeks in, says her first settlement is short. What do you do? Go through it line by line with her today, fix anything wrong and follow up when it's paid. She's in her first 90 days, the riskiest time. A settlement problem handled well builds trust; one brushed off is often the reason a new driver leaves.
  5. 1:00 p.m. You have two loads for a truck emptying in Columbus, Ohio. Load A: $1,600, 520 miles to Atlanta, deadhead 15. Load B: $1,500, 480 miles to Chicago, deadhead 12. The driver lives near Atlanta and is due home Friday. Which is better? Load A: it pays more and it gets him home on time. Load A pays well and lands him at home for his Friday home time. Getting him home matters more than a slightly stronger market.
  6. 3:00 p.m. A broker calls about a spot load and wants your driver to arrive 2 hours earlier than his hours allow, saying 'he can make it if he pushes.' What do you say? No: you'll offer the time he can legally and safely make, or pass on the load. Pressuring a driver to break HOS is coercion, banned for carriers and brokers alike. Offer what's legal, or let the load go.
  7. 5:45 p.m. Your shift ends soon. Three issues are still open. What do you leave the night shift? Clear notes on each: what happened, what was promised, what's next and by when. A clean handoff means nothing gets dropped overnight and no driver has to explain their problem twice.

General training, not legal or compliance advice. Rules are the US federal ones (FMCSA) as of 2026; check the current text and your company’s policies.