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 "coolie" 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:

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

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.

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:

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

: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 "coolie!" 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:

: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.

Doooooooohhhhhh!!!!

Ouch! :lol:

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

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.

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.

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:

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

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:

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?

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.....

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:

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

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 coolie truck stack up in comparison?

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!

dont' know where you are in N.C. but here you go..........BOL 2 ya :wink:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/trp/741322551.html

.
well that leaves HOBO out.

well we all know that the HOBO is well over 21 years of age. I know that part aint a problem.

If i am not mistakin i think hobo smokes alot.

I dont know about this part.

Shouldnt be a problem cuz he will take all his naps in his day cab.

sorry.i thought you wanted to know what the going rates where in your area..................... :?

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

JeffTheTerrible said:

Yeah, I'm not worried about the "surge!" It might take me an hour or two to get used to it but, I can handle my rig! I guess what I want to know is..... what kind of LOCAL jobs would use tankers? Gasoline deliveries is a given..... but, what ELSE? Do food grade do more LOCAL or OTR runs?

Hmm... I've seen G&D, any idea what that stands for? What do they do?

Thanks. It was just a thought because I see quite a few of them around home.

Are you saying that $18 an hour to sit on my azz isn't very good pay for local? And that dumps, in general, pay lower scale?

URRR, URRR! :lol: [Tim Allen style! ]

Um.... what's a "stinger?" This response reminded me, tho, of an offer I had awhile back to haul SILOs cross country. But, then..... I am asking about LOCAL work. (Have to keep beating that into my head!) :lol:

BTW, Jeff. Just out of curiosity, you seem to have done alot of trucking here in the states before going away to Dubya's WAR!! (just had to throw that in for BigDiesel! :lol: )

Care to give me a few more details? How many years? What kind? You seem to have had alot of the experiences that I would like to try someday. What were your favorite jobs? ..... and why?

No need to apologize, Silver! I think you may have gotten confused! I.. HOBO.... am the one asking the questions.... and your input is appreciated! I never thought of Craigslist! Thanks for the link!

Mackman is just my "straightman!" And, if he doesn't quit trying to write my jokes for me, I'm gonna FIRE his AZZ!! :lol: :lol:

Really, guys..... ALL of you..... thanks for the replies! 1) because I am seriously in need of this information....2) because OTHER "newbies" are reading and may benefit.... and 3) because I've been a bit of an AZZ lately, and I was dreading the whole "ZERO REPLIES" thingie!! :wink:

Aw hell GH! Don't ever worry about anything like that! You always have a place amongst us cold and wet nose types! :lol:

Thanks, Bel.... I THINK! Does that mean that if I go local, I gotta become a WUSS?? :shock:

BTW.... couldn't HELP but notice your glaring new sigline! :lol:

I gotta admit..... greatest response I've seen on here in.... hmm..... well, at least a few HOURS! :lol:

No, seriously..... Mackman hit THAT one OUT OF THE PARK!! :lol: :lol:

Now.... quit fooling around or counting your money.... and answer one or two of my questions! YOU should know something about local tanker gigs! :roll:

Mackman quoted the job as:

You, TOO.... wouldn't it? But, don't be so quick to question my experience at "end dumping!" My mom said I learned quicker than either of my siblings! :wink:

Are you calling me "Older than dirt?" One of these days, youngin!! I'm gonna have to teach you to RESPECT your elders! :lol:

Cough, cough, hack, hack.... KaWHOIE!! "You talkin' to ME??" Hack! :shock: Gimmie a light, will ya? :roll:

Now, HOW many "neat looking" truckers do you see who are "inclined" to work on the mechanics of their truck? Ain't that a job for MECHANICS??? :shock: :lol: If I wanted grease under my nails, I wouldn't have spent all that government money to get me that CDL!! :lol: If I wanted to get DIRTY... I'd have been a DUMP driver! :shock: :lol: :wink:

No problemo!! As long as I get started in the evening, I'm always well rested and sober by 7 a.m. the next day! 8)

Sounds like the PERFECT job for me! Well..... except for that little part about no experience! Details!! Just give me the truck.... I can DRIVE it!! :lol: :lol:

LOL G-Hobo. I'll get on it later tonight or early tomorrow. Gonna head out and do some of the things that local tanker hobos do while getting rid of all of that nasty time-off stuff that we endure.:twisted: I won't forget about ya.

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

I get the impression you're a well experienced driver. The surge shouldn't be a problem for you.

Water (though this may be seasonal), liquid asphalt (another one which may suffer from a slow season in the Winter), dry bulk (cement, concrete, etc), gasoline deliveries (as you've already stated), and there may be others, depending on what industries are present in the area in which you live.


Depends on the company, and where you live. Are in an area with lots of farms and food processing plants?

I couldn't tell you either one. All I know is that they seem to run dry van freight exclusively. The shamrock on the logo is a nice added touch, but I'm Finnish, not Irish, so I really don't give a damn about Saint Patrick :P

I've considered it. I decided against it.

I thought it was pretty decent - much better than what they paid for dump truck drivers. The only thing about it for me was the monotony.

:lol:

Systems which attach to trailers (usually equipment trailers) to provide additional axles.

http://www.mooresfarmtoys.com/images/lowboy%2064th.jpg

This was actually my second war. The first was Afghanistan, when I was in the Regular Army.
I wouldn't really say that I've done a lot.. I've done a lot of bouncing around, rather, and have managed to cram a lot of different things into a rather short period of time, and, overall, this whole thing has gone a course of twists and turns which I absolutely would not wish on anyone else.

I started in August of 02, so I haven't been at it as long as it may seem.

From August to November of 02, I worked for a construction outfit. I was hired to drive a flatbed, but spent some 90% of my time in a water truck, instead. I got bored with the monotony of that job, and decided to seek out greener pastures.

In November of 02, I was seeking a dump truck or end dump job, to no avail. The only person who would hire me only needed a weekend driver, because one of his more senior drivers was pushing 65, and wasn't down with putting in seven days a week. So I worked that job on weekends, and worked for a food tanker company during the weekdays. I spent my first six months driving a straight dairy truck, with the occasional run in a daycab, which was done for evaluation purposes. The next 18 months, I ran regionally. That came to an end when the company owner lost his ass in divorce court, and that spelled the end of the company.
As for the weekend job driving end dumps, that only lasted for four months. While hauling contaminated soil, I ended up laying over a 40 ft frameless dump. I dumped on ground which wasn't perfectly level, and that, combined with the clay which was sticking in the trailer, sent it keeling right over, and I was fired, but retained my food tanker job.

In November of 04 to February of 05, I went to work for Swift's flatbed division, out of the Eden terminal. I only lasted there for three months, thanks to one prick of a dispatcher, who caused me to miss my Army Reserve drills during that time. After having served in combat, I wasn't going to allow myself to get canned from the f---ing Army Reserve because of him.

From February of 05 to September of 05, I hauled equipment for a fleet owner who was leased to Landstar. He owned eight trucks. That came to an end when one of his trucks caught fire and was destroyed. As he didn't intend to buy another one, he found himself with six trucks and seven drivers (he drove one truck himself). Being the most junior of his drivers, I was bumped so he could keep on a more senior driver. But his letters of recommendation made me look like a rock star, and I can understand why he made the decision he did - I worked for him for less than a year, while the next most junior driver had spent five years with the guy.

I drove dump trucks from September of 05 to March of 06, and from December of 05 to February of 06, also managed to find a weekend job hauling livestock (which really sucks ass, big time). The guy hiring me knew it was only a temporary means until I found something better, but he really had no problem with it. When I came back from Iraq with an amputated leg, he asked me if I wanted to go back to work for him. He told me I could even drive the automatic truck. I held my tongue, but that really pissed me off, although I did eventually come to realize that he meant well, and wasn't trying to be an ass. But it was a very touchy subject at the time, and I'm glad I refrained from saying the things I felt inclined to say when he told me that.

And I began hauling equipment for a road construction outfit in April of 06. I started off pulling a Landoll slider, and, after four months of that, was moved up to the heavy hauler (largely because nobody else wanted it). On days when no equipment was being moved, I would either have to drive a dump truck, or take on an end dump trailer (even though this one had a frame, I was still terrified of end dumps after my previous incident) and haul stock material. It was during this time that I made the biggest mistake of my career. In June of 06, I met a rather shady dump truck fleet owner, who liked to run his trucks around the clock. Since not all of his drivers were with the program, he hired me on to do some night work with him, which often left me fatigued, but I was such a cocky young prick, I didn't think it would phase me. One night, as I'm waiting to back into the paver while the road crew cleaned it out, I fell asleep at the wheel, and let my foot off the clutch, sending the truck back towards the paver. I didn't wake up until it had hit the paver, but the account that I got was that I came within a hair of crushing one of the road workers, who was pulled away at the last second. After coming so close to killing someone because of my own negligence, I first told the dump truck owner that I couldn't work for him anymore, and I would've quit my lowboy job as well, if my manager hadn't made a quite an effort to talk me into staying with the company. So, yes, I have made equally idiotic choices as anyone else out there, because I let my head get too big for my own good.

In November of 2007, I was activated from the Army Reserve and deployed to Iraq, as a replacement for a line medic who had been killed previously.

Now I run a yard spotter.

I can't pick one favourite job, because they've all had their ups and downs. Working for small companies, it tends to be more fun, at the expense of pay and benefits. But it's nice to be more than just a number. The bigger companies which can offer insurance and benefits are nice in that they can do that. OTR had its perks, local work has its perks.
My absolute favourite job... I suppose it would be working for the fleet owner leased with Landstar. The pay was decent, the guy was good to work for, and it made feel rather distinctive to haul heavy equipment for a fleet which was leased on with what's commonly considered one of the more elite companies out there.
The thing I like about local work is that you know the people you work with, as opposed to being OTR, where you really don't develop such familiarity unless you're on some sort of dedicated account.

I'll post more later. I seem to have developed a craving which only a burger from the Cookout can cure.

Do Linehaul.
Boring? Most Definatley.
Easiest, Best Money? Most Definatley.

Okay.... boring is a BAD thing! :lol: I assume you mean some kind of regular schedule and runs? But, that's not much different than "regional" dedicated is it?

I know I have tried to stay away from this. I don't REALLY want to run the same routes every day or night. And, I wish I didn't have to run them in the SouthEast in order to LIVE in the SouthEast. But, I'm not ready to move out West yet, where I could be happy running short hauls and being home in Colorado (or somewhere) every night or two!

Now.... what about this "running WILD" thing? THAT sounds like me! i.e: can I run linehaul WITHIN the territory I desire to run and live in, but have some VARIETY as to where I go? Can I go to Salt Lake from Denver on a two day run, and then come home, followed by a Denver to Montana run for two days? Followed by a Denver to Las Cruces run?

Do you see what I am after? Some VARIETY within a REGION that I want to stay in. Or would I HAVE to do the SAME run every night to the SAME place?

Re: Local Drivers are Wusses!!
 

Fash! Yi have tae get intae hauling fash laddie. I do two nights out a week and rest local, but well on course for $68,000 this year. Must be fash hauling over there?

Fash?? Ya meen wit flappers and big laeps?? 'ep, we gawt 'em! :lol: (I KNOW that was lame... but what do you expect from a southern American accent?) :shock:

I guess, like produce, they gotta get to market quickly! I ain't skeert of a reefer! I've thought of moving to New England JUST for the possibility of hauling fash from the ports to the markets! I'd LOVE to live up there for awhile!

I've also considered moving to the Carolina coast, and hauling out of the ports THERE! As long as I could be back home within 5 or 6 days..... when I GOT there.... I'd be living on the BEACH! How cool is THAT? 8)

Fash in a fridge trailer?
Oh no no no no..
We put them in to plastic bins full of water to get them to processing as fresh as fresh can be. Their little hearts are still faintly beating as they slice em up in the factory. Eat Scottish fash! Its Fresh!

Sod that for a game of soldiers!! :lol: :wink:

Awww don`t let weight transfer put you off! It`s all part of fun!
Flat chap all the way to factory...None shall pass :wink: :lol: :lol:

(Oh frigging hell, that truck is leaking....What is it? Acid? Alcohol?...Oh no! Its the fash truck....Git out the way!!!!)

My dear friend/supervisor from the UK used the 'soldiers' comment on me all of the time.

I just couldn't resist the urge to use it myself for once. The other 'bright sparks' reading this have no idea what we are talking about. ROFL

Now, for a couple of Black 'n Tans..................

I instantly knew you had British connections with that "Sod that" phrase :lol: :lol: :lol: Thats why I said it was "flat chap" all way to factory. Scottish term for booting fuck out of truck and engaging "Aberdeen overdrive".
You can guess what "Aberdeen overdrive" is?
Heavy load...
Downhill..
Neutral.. :wink: :lol: :lol:

Oh, really?

Now now Jeff. Steady on bonny lad.

Hee hee hee just kidding mate :lol:

(And I`m deffo off to bed now. Loading fash at 11 am)

Have a good day lads :wink:

Definitely not meant to include you Jeff. I knew that I was being far too general in my statement. All BBRs? Maybe? :P

BTW, what happened to the bull moose (Bullwinkle) avatar? Made me laugh every time that I came across it? By far my favorite on the board.

I think the admin deleted it. It was within the specified size limits in the user control panel, so if they're going to change the avatar size limitations, they should program those limits into the uploader, or set it to where it'll resize them automatically.

You do know why I chose Bullwinkle, right? :D

And every time I get into my truck with a sleeper I make twice as much as some of our daycab route :wink:

I do better than twice what a local driver makes. I think a lot of people get disgruntled when they run for a company in those little books at the fuel island recruiting. It warms my heart when people ask about companies that don't have 1000's of trucks and high turnover.

I know for a fact, 95TealKW is doing freakin' awsome on the paychecks and he runs for a guy with a handful of trucks. I won't post his numbers, because most of you would call B.S. on it. There is still money on the road, but if you're calling numbers off the backs of trailers or going with a "coolie", you'll never see the brigh green grass on the other side.

Of course, if local is your thing, then you can't beat it. Some people have lives, wives, and single drives! :wink: OTR is a bit more of a comitment, and fits some more than others.