Truck Driving Jobs

golfhobo · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:46 pm Post subject: Local Drivers are Wusses!!

Okay, now that I have your attention!! :lol: :lol:

Let's just SAY, for the sake of argument, that..... although I LOVE being a "lifestyle" trucker..... I was to ENTERTAIN the thought of switching to local for a short period of time..... NOW that I have paid my dues to the OTR "OTR" carriers.

In MY area, MOST local trucking jobs pay no more than 12 - 15 dollars an hour! :shock:

I don't REALLY want to work too hard, like unloading 40k lbs of frozen meat or something..... but I'm not lazy OR overweight.

What are the BEST paying types of local jobs??

I don't mind giving up my sleeper (if I HAVE to,) for a daycab. But, I'm not real crazy about driving a dump or a straight truck. But... money talks! :wink:

I don't even HAVE to be home every night! (I carry my palm WITH me!) But, I'd like to be home every OTHER night.... and 2 days off for every 5 or 6 worked. (Does that allow linehaul in?)

Would I go for tankers? P&D? Linehaul? Logging? Dumps?

Are there OTHER options I'm not aware of?

Specifics about payscales and bennies would be very informative.

Don't bother with UNION jobs..... unless it is possible to get on as a DRIVER and not a dockworker! I ain't DOING that! :shock: :lol:

C'mon guys! Help me out! We're all friends here ain't we? Y'all KNOW I was just kidding about that "WUSSES" remark, right?? :lol: :lol:

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2379 Location: Concordville PA

golfhobo wrote: Specifics about payscales and bennies would be very informative.

Its all in where you live as far as pay goes. Dumptruck drivers around me get 16-19/hr non-union and union drivers can make up to 24/hr. I like dump truck work it is real easy turn on the PTO and it does the un -loading for you. :D I am happy to see you are starting to see the light. I almost went over into the darkside of trucking but my good friends on here strighted me out.

matcat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 555 Location: Sumter, SC

I think I have to agree with the topic of the post ;) I dunno, everytime I see a daycab it just looks like it's half the truck it should be ;)

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2379 Location: Concordville PA

matcat wrote: I think I have to agree with the topic of the post ;) I dunno, everytime I see a daycab it just looks like it's half the truck it should be ;)

Everytime i see a sleeper it looks like 1/2 the pay check it should be. :wink:

golfhobo · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:19 pm Post subject: Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!

Mackman wrote: golfhobo wrote: Specifics about payscales and bennies would be very informative.

Its all in where you live as far as pay goes. Dumptruck drivers around me get 16-19/hr non-union and union drivers can make up to 24/hr. I like dump truck work it is real easy turn on the PTO and it does the un -loading for you. :D I am happy to see you are starting to see the light. I almost went over into the darkside of trucking but my good friends on here strighted me out.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not so fast there, youngin!! This is not necessarily a CAREER change.... just maybe a JOB change. If the fuel thing ever gets better, my ultimate goal is STILL to own my own truck and do longhaul like I do now! Of course, I'd be able to pick and choose my loads and hometime, etc.

I almost posted this question ON that thread of yours.... but, didn't want to distract from it! One little distraction.... and YOU are liable to end up as a Commercial Airline Pilot! :lol: :lol:

I have never really disparaged "local" driving.... and you KNOW that. But, NEITHER do I accept all the whining about all the unpaid hours of OTR! Of course, I didn't consider my company as a "OTR!" I had a NICHE and it suited me fine.

I'm just at a point where I might need a change. IMHO... there are like 5 major "divisions" to the trucking business. I have about 15 to 20 more years of it ahead of me. I'd like to try them ALL at some point, for a FEW years each! Let's just say.... maybe, I'm getting a little ticked off at Cali!!

How can I find what is RIGHT for me if I don't "experiment" a bit? I really don't know if I can STAND local work. But, I'm interested in finding out! As long as I don't exceed the limit of time off the OTR "road" I can always go back!

Besides, all that talk about YOUR girlfriend got me hot and bothered!! :lol: :lol:

Snowman7 · Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 1003 Location: the Buckeye

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Ha ha ha ha you expect my help after insulting me!

OK listen up young Hobo!

There is a compromise between true OTR and LTL in linehaul. Two companies that come to mind are Estes and Old Dominion. Check into what they may call "running wild" or "bag runs" or extra board. Basically you go hub to hub without a schedule and without coming home everyday. You sleep in motels, "pack a bag", and are home on weekends. Unfortunately you still drive a wimpy daycab but you cant share it with a city driver if you never come home right? They also have teams that do the same thing with a sleeper, Estes is good for that. If you like the road, you still get your fix, get paid better, sleep better, eat better, and run 100% legal. All hub to hub without touching freight. When you get to a hub, you check in and see what they have thats fits your hours left, if nothing, you take your ten hours in a motel. These are usually jobs for the new guy because senior guys like a schedule, but if you like it you could stay on it for ever. Some guys like running wild. You will need doubles and hazmat.

Snowman7 · Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 1003 Location: the Buckeye

Mackman wrote: matcat wrote: I think I have to agree with the topic of the post ;) I dunno, everytime I see a daycab it just looks like it's half the truck it should be ;)

Everytime i see a sleeper it looks like 1/2 the pay check it should be. :wink:

Doooooooohhhhhh!!!!

Ouch! :lol:

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2379 Location: Concordville PA

golfhobo wrote: YOU are liable to end up as a Commercial Airline Pilot! :lol: :lol:

Thats funny you sound like my dad. I was just telling him i think it would be a cool job to be a cop. He laughs at me and says i will have done everything by the time im 50. There is so many jobs out there i would like to try and so little time.

golfhobo wrote:
Besides, all that talk about YOUR girlfriend got me hot and bothered!! :lol: :lol:

You wouldnt be saying that if i posted a pic. :lol: :lol:

But back on topic. Well hobo you have to give something a try. You said you dont want to drive a stright truck so i guess dumps trucks are out.

golfhobo · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject:

Snowman7 wrote: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ha ha ha ha you expect my help after insulting me!

OK listen up young Hobo!

There is a compromise between true OTR and LTL in linehaul. Two companies that come to mind are Estes and Old Dominion. Check into what they may call "running wild" or "bag runs" or extra board. Basically you go hub to hub without a schedule and without coming home everyday. You sleep in motels, "pack a bag", and are home on weekends. Unfortunately you still drive a wimpy daycab but you cant share it with a city driver if you never come home right? They also have teams that do the same thing with a sleeper, Estes is good for that. If you like the road, you still get your fix, get paid better, sleep better, eat better, and run 100% legal. All hub to hub without touching freight. When you get to a hub, you check in and see what they have thats fits your hours left, if nothing, you take your ten hours in a motel. These are usually jobs for the new guy because senior guys like a schedule, but if you like it you could stay on it for ever. Some guys like running wild. You will need doubles and hazmat.

When did I EVER insult you, Snowman?? :lol: :lol: You're not talking about my THREAD TITLE, are you? :wink:

Thanks for the info! Now... a hub is a terminal, right? And they are so plentiful, that I can get to one, drop my pups, and still have hours to get to ANOTHER one? How can they guarantee I'll be home for the weekend? And why do I have to SHARE my truck with a city driver? He ONLY delivers on the weekend when I'm home? :? :?

D'OH!!! nevermind.... I getcher point! :shock:

What if I want to be home more often??

Daycabs??? Where do I take my daily NAPS?? :shock: :lol:

golfhobo · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!

golfhobo wrote: YOU are liable to end up as a Commercial Airline Pilot! :lol: :lol:

Thats funny you sound like my dad. I was just telling him i think it would be a cool job to be a cop. He laughs at me and says i will have done everything by the time im 50. There is so many jobs out there i would like to try and so little time.

Yeah... we've had this conversation before! :lol: I felt the same way when I was much younger! :wink:

golfhobo wrote:
Besides, all that talk about YOUR girlfriend got me hot and bothered!! :lol: :lol:

You wouldnt be saying that if i posted a pic. :lol: :lol:

WTF?? :shock: :lol: No WONDER you were so eager to "put out to sea!" :lol:

But back on topic. Well hobo you have to give something a try. You said you dont want to drive a straight truck so i guess dumps trucks are out.

Well..... I'm still openminded! Everyone HERE knows that is my best quality! :wink:

What can you tell me about "belly dumps" and such? Aren't THEY articulated? What are they used for?

BigDiesel · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject:

How about FedEx Ground ???

Scratch that idea... it won't work due to your fluency with the english language. I do not believe that you are eastern european.....

WildK9 · Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 1755 Location: Lewisville, Texas

golfhobo wrote:

Daycabs??? Where do I take my daily NAPS?? :shock: :lol:

Most likely, I will be joining the ranks of local "wusses", as soon as I complete my move back to Texas. This is something that I was wondering myself. :? :lol:

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2379 Location: Concordville PA

We use dump trailers around by way. So i cant tell you jack about belly dumps.

JeffTheTerrible · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 702

golfhobo wrote: Would I go for tankers?

It's not a bad gig, at all. If you were just starting off, I wouldn't recommend it, but I think it would suit you fine.

Quote: P&D?

Quote: Linehaul?

Honestly, LTL would probably be preferable. I have heard that G&D is a fairly decent company to work for, but I can't tell you anything firsthand.

Quote: Logging?

Personally, I wouldn't. Another drop in the housing industry, and you could very well find yourself unemployed. Plus, logging companies really can't offer the incentives that a more established tanker or line haul company can.

Quote: Dumps?

If pay is an issue, I wouldn't recommend it. On top of it, you're going to be hounded by DMV Enforcement.. they just love to sit outside of rock quarries like a pack of vultures, and they've got a thing for dumps. I've been passed up by DMV several times doing heavy haulage so that they could inspect dumps, instead, and there was one trooper in particular who seemed to have a homing device somewhere on my truck when I did drive dumps... 9 times out of 10, if I was pulled over by the DMV, it was this particular trooper.
Not all dump driving is one in the same. If you work directly for a paving company, you can expect to do a lot of stock and asphalt work, which isn't so bad, unless you get a mix like UHMA Special Type B, which is a thing that could only have come straight out of the depths of Hell. You may work for a company which will haul damn near anything, and that can get interesting. Refer to my previous post about hauling pond silt, for example. With an end dump trailer (aside from a demolition dump), you'd do mostly stock material, which is what you'd want to do if you're looking for something requiring comparatively less work. However, some companies will even have their end dumps haul asphalt and dump into a paver (they only do these with the short framed dumps, and not with the 40 ft frameless dumps).

Look at your local road construction outfits. I was paid $18/hr for driving a water truck, and I was never expected to step out of the truck. However, it may not be that way with every company you work for.

matcat wrote: I think I have to agree with the topic of the post ;) I dunno, everytime I see a daycab it just looks like it's half the truck it should be ;)

The last "half of a truck" I drove was an International triaxle, towing a quad axle lowboy trailer (often with additional stingers attached), often pulling loads which were heavier than the entire GVWR of your rig, and the drivetrain consisted of a 550 Cat, coupled with an 18 speed. How does your OTR truck stack up in comparison?

Snowman7 · Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 1003 Location: the Buckeye

golfhobo wrote:

When did I EVER insult you, Snowman?? :lol: :lol: You're not talking about my THREAD TITLE, are you? :wink:

Thanks for the info! Now... a hub is a terminal, right? And they are so plentiful, that I can get to one, drop my pups, and still have hours to get to ANOTHER one? How can they guarantee I'll be home for the weekend? And why do I have to SHARE my truck with a city driver? He ONLY delivers on the weekend when I'm home? :? :?

D'OH!!! nevermind.... I getcher point! :shock:

What if I want to be home more often??

Daycabs??? Where do I take my daily NAPS?? :shock: :lol:

Yeah hubs are terminals. There's usually one in most major cities. Each company will be different but for illustration purposes use this scenario. You are dispatched from your home terminal by seniority. When its busy its easy to get out. When its slow you sit home and play on CAD! Once you do get out you are dispatched at foriegn terminals based on first in first out. So lets say you are out of Charlotte. You are sent to Raliegh. A guy who likes going home would ask for a set going back to Charlotte, where he can sit around and play on CAD waiting for another dispatch. A guy who wants to make money would ask for a set going anywhere BUT home. If you have 5 hours left maybe you can get to Richmond where you would then take hours. after your ten you call dispatch and see what they have lined up for you. You may get a series of short runs or a 500 mile run straight to Indianapolis, where you'll take hours again. They'll keep you moving within your 11/14 from hub to hub. I couldnt explain the whole system in a paragraph but its a good gig. Pay averages .45-.55 cpm. if you have questions I'll try to help. As for naps, that's done in a rest area with your head on the steering wheel, generally 15 minutes at a time!

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