The power company is doing that here Mal. I was talking with a couple of concrete truck drivers who have had the joy of doing exactly what you had to do, a few thought it was neat, a few freaked out and said they'd go home before doing that again. Hanging off the side of a mountain with a couple of chains supporting 60K lbs isn't my idea of neat. Speaking of Mackman's point, one of the trucks ended up losing a front wheel when they had to pull him across the pond at the entrance. They drug him on in, unloaded the concrete mix then drug him back out and called for a wrecker. Never heard who footed that bill.

 

I was gonna post this before you took that job, but held off to let it play out. It's always a trade off between OTR and local work. I have found that being home every night does no good if all you want to do is pass out and sleep until it's time to get up in the morning again. I was hauling containers locally a while back and it sounded so good, just 2 trips a day 220 miles round trip each turn. What happens is by the time you mess with morning traffic afternoon traffic and delays at the rail yards and blown tires and such it was a 15hr day almost everyday. Get up at 4:30 get home around 7-8pm and pass out repeat.

I don't think you can look at OTR work like hourly, if you add the total time away from home and the money brought in it just gets depressing. But as far as "work" goes OTR is about as easy as it is, just look at the shape of some of the truck drivers and you get what I mean. The key is finding a niche job where not everybody and their grandma can do the job. Dry box freight is the last place a driver with any kind of experience should be, there are so many good driving jobs out there that not everyone wants or can do that provide decent wages and you get treated much better than the common van driver.

Local work seems like a young mans game to me, unless you get in with one of the LTL companies making union type wages where the company isn't allowed to run you into the ground everyday.

 

Mal.......If you are going back to OTR.....seriously.....I recommend that you talk with Ergon Trucking again...or Enterprise Products Company! Sure their terminals are a little far, but because of where you live, you could take a truck and clean trailer home with you I am sure. All you have to do is talk with them and ask the question. The money is very decent with either one!

 

I spoke with both of those companies - they asked me to send in my resume and that's as far as it went.

 

If you want to be home everynight. Check out some septic companys mal. If you can work around raw sewage. Its about 50% driving 50% labor. Digging up septic tank lids and draging sometimes up to 200ft of 3in hose. Its a good work out at times.

Any building supply places around. Drive a boom truck hauling drywall and what not.

How about a roll-off trash truck?

Just some ideas. I know you said most local work in your area pays very little. But you never know.