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Originally Posted by Double R
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Some of the other skills OTR drivers should be trained on and master that local drivers may not have to deal with:
BULL!!!!!!!!!
Trip planning and map reading/usage.
[b]They use city maps. Still need to be able to read one. Local drivers don't know where every business is[b]
OTR hours of service and logging
Run over 12 hours and/or over 100 air miles you need to know how to do a log. And most do.
Weight and length laws
They apply to local trucks also. Can't take a day cab on a restricated route either
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The real reason that OTR companies don't count local experience, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CREDIT YOU FOR ALL THAT TIME. IF YOU HAVE 5 YEARS DRIVING LOCAL. THEY WOULD HAVE TO START YOU AS AN EXPERIENCE DRIVER!
I know of only one OTR company that would(and has) count all my local experience.
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Have to agree with ya there Double R. I not only have to budget and plan my time to make one delivery a day, I have to plan for 20 or more per day. And the pickups change on a minute to minute basis as customers call in to have their freight picked up.
I still have to run across the scales, which means I have to pay closer attention at each pickup, because we don't have sliding fifth wheels, nor do the axles on pups slide. So we have to know exactly where to load a companies freight to prevent an over-weight axle. once the freight is on and we are full there is little to nothing we can do to shift the weight from one axle to another.
I still have to run a logbook when I run linehaul, the only day we have to worry about is friday, because we get our 34 hour reset each weekend.
If anything P&D operations can be worst than OTR. I'm constantly exposed to morons in 4 wheelers on surface streets in the metro areas I run in. Harder to keep out of accidents in the city, especially when you consider we make residential deliveries, yes even with our 53' dry-vans.
Try turning one of those around in a cul-de-sac 2-3 times a week with out running over a car or someones grass.
Now that's a challenge.
BTW, what company did you find that gave you full credit for your LTL experience? I'd like to know, in case my move to our OTR division falls through.