NEWBIE questions

[MARYKAy48]

How many hours will my husband that wants to be a trucker work in a days driving? What company is the best for him to go with.

[Malaki86]

How many hours will my husband that wants to be a trucker work in a days driving? What company is the best for him to go with.

He "CAN" work up to 14hrs per day, with a max of 11hrs of that behind the wheel.

As far as what company is the best, it depends on what he wants to pull. There's dry van, reefer, flatbed, tanker, etc etc etc.

[Uturn2001]

His choices of companies may also be limited by where he lives.

[Roadhog]

Pretty much any Truck he drives, or any route he works, whether it's Intrastate or Interstate...he will be working a Big Day. (12-14 hours everyday)
Home time will vary, depending on type of Trucking he does. I'm what is called an Over The Road (OTR) trucker. I'm home about 2-3 days after two weeks out.

My schedule works like this.
My run begins early Monday morning. :arrow:
End of the second week...I get home late Friday night. I have Saturday and Sunday off. Then head out again....early Monday morning.

There are times I might get home a day early...as well as there are times I will be out into the third week.
For the time I am out there I am cramming every allowable minute into my daily routine. Even on my time off, I am thinking about my job...my next day, etc. or busy taking care of myself. I really don't get as much sleep as I should. I average 6 hours a day. But that is how much I'd sleep regardless of what I do.
I worked Construction 20-some years before this and worked 14-16 hour days. Grew up Farming...same deal. Only difference really now...is I make less money. ...and I am almost never home.


...... I need a hug.

[dle]

After 10 hours of 'rest" (including sleeping, bathing, eating, dealing with family or personal issues, etc.) you can be 'on-duty" (driving, dealing with shippers/receivers, other things related to the truck) for 14 hours. Within that 14 hours you can drive a maximum of 11 hours. Keep in mind that the 'on-duty" time can start at anytime during the day or night, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

A somewhat simplified view of things.

[eastern ontario]

Pretty much any Truck he drives, or any route he works, whether it's Intrastate or Interstate...he will be working a Big Day. (12-14 hours everyday)
Home time will vary, depending on type of Trucking he does. I'm what is called an Over The Road (OTR) trucker. I'm home about 2-3 days after two weeks out.

My schedule works like this.
My run begins early Monday morning. :arrow:
End of the second week...I get home late Friday night. I have Saturday and Sunday off. Then head out again....early Monday morning.

There are times I might get home a day early...as well as there are times I will be out into the third week.
For the time I am out there I am cramming every allowable minute into my daily routine. Even on my time off, I am thinking about my job...my next day, etc. or busy taking care of myself. I really don't get as much sleep as I should. I average 6 hours a day. But that is how much I'd sleep regardless of what I do.
I worked Construction 20-some years before this and worked 14-16 hour days. Grew up Farming...same deal. Only difference really now...is I make less money. ...and I am almost never home.


...... I need a hug.

awwwwwwwwwwwww roadhog!

dont make me cry with you!

[Roadhog]

I'll be okay....I'm juz a widdow wern owt. heheheh

[golfhobo]

Any way you look at it, it's a long day. But, just to be accurate....

You can only drive 11 out of 14 hours before taking 10 off. But, you CAN work LONGER than 14 hours (loading, etc.) at one time BEFORE taking that 10 hour break.

Also.... by maximizing your hours, and if you don't have to spend hours on line 4, you can actually DRIVE more than 11 hours in a 24 hour day.

[example: start at 7 a.m. Drive 11 hours. Unload for 30 mins. Take 10 hour break. It's now 4:30 a.m. and you can start driving again. That's 2.5 MORE hours driving (for a total of 13.5 in a 24 hour period) before 7 a.m. the next morning.]

In a situation like RoadHog's, when you're out for weeks at a time, moving load after load, it is quite possible and probable that your husband could be working anywhere from 10-18 hours at a time. After that, he gets maybe 10 hours off, and COULD have to start it all over again.

Not EVERY driver has to do this. There are MANY different situations depending on the company, its profile, and his OWN willingness to push on.

I, too, am an OTR driver, but I drive team. I go East coast to West coast and back every week. But, each run starts and ends at my home terminal, and I am home for about 2 days EVERY week.

Nowhere MORE than in trucking does the old addage bear out. Ask 10 people (truckers) the same question... and get 10 different answers. Fact is... there are over 375,000 companies out there, and almost as many options as to how they run.

You just have to look for one that does what YOU want to do!

[golfhobo]

I'll be okay....I'm juz a widdow wern owt. heheheh

Roadhog... You're a Widow?? When did your HUSBAND die?? :shock:

Did you REALLY make more money as a farmer?? I thought that 'field' was dried up! :shock:

Two weeks out, and you're whining?? :shock: (Not that "I" would know!) Good thing we don't work for a REAL OTR company!

[Roadhog]

OoOOoOoOoOOOo...if I only had a middle finger!





Yep...back in the "day" ....we use to make good on Cherries.
Life was a bowl of Cherries.

[MARYKAy48]

Why do you truck then. My husband is in a factory as a machnest works about 8 hrs sometime 9. He might be losing his job plus he tired of it but not sure where to go for work now. but you guys work so long hours and not home why is it the money?

[Roadhog]

I worked long hours as a Construction worker and a Farmer as well.
This is no different...only, I'm not home much.

In my case it doesn't matter. I'm divorced, with no children. So what do I care. :P

Plainly...I don't know any better. :?

...and yes I make good money doing it.

[dle]

Money? When you first start out --- hmmm, be prepared for a pay cut.

People choose trucking because of the lifestyle (after they have been in it and enjoy it). They also choose it because of the allure of the money, the romance , the fun , reasons that they think are facts.

Some people will choose trucking because they systematically and logically study the industry and determine that for the amount of training time and money it has the best chance of producing an income that could be close to what they used to make.

If you haven't found it yet you might want to check out this web site also http://www.newbiedriver.com/. They have an unscientific little quiz to help you and your husband figure out if this is for you.