Most shifts begin between 5:00–7:00 AM at the Milwaukee terminal. Drivers review Samsara messages, perform tractor inspection, and confirm chassis allocation before the first bobtail or loaded move to the port. Dispatch provides the initial assignment, with later moves updated based on terminal releases and customer status.
The core workday mixes port pickups, customer deliveries or pickups, empty returns, and chassis exchanges. Import containers head to manufacturing plants and warehouses while export loads and empties move back toward the harbor. Multiple stops occur on shorter lanes; longer runs to Kenosha or Waukegan reduce total daily moves. Communication with dispatch remains continuous as priorities shift with vessel activity and customer unloading progress.
Drivers return to the Milwaukee terminal at the end of each shift. Equipment is parked in secured areas for maintenance access. Loaded containers rarely stay overnight at customers unless pre-approved. The week builds around early import volume, midweek balanced moves, and late-week export clearing before vessel departures.