Mr. Rev...what makes you say it is tough to average 59 mph? Except for CA, OR, & WA on the West Coast, where I-5 is the main corridor, and the CA speed limit is 55 mph for trucks, most other states let the trucks run 70 mph or more. When I was trying to do the family business thing in 03-05, it was not unusual for me to set the cruise on my fruitshaker at 63 mph after passing Cottonwood scales, and leave it there...except for the occasional disengagement for Sacramento

The company I currently drive for has 1100 trucks, each and every one of them governed to 60 mph. None of them will do 62...unless the Driver let's it roll going down hill. Running to Memphis TN from Orange TX, I can and do average 58 mph without a problem.

Now...those numbers I put down? Those were "An Example" and that is all. However...for your knowledge, My "wages" are .39 cents per mile and $13.25 at the gates. I do get paid for every hour I work, and the company does not allow us to work over 70, unless we are not driving any of the hours over 70. My problem...I do not like that "Our" terminal manager requires drivers to log 55 mph. The thing about a mph average...If you like to open that lefthand door a lot, it is tough to average anything at all.



Also..I will not name the company....but I am sure that more than a few of the driver's whom read this forum, have been stuck behind one of the trucks, at least once, on roads such as I-40 between Memphis and Nashville, I-85..any where along the entirety of the road, I-65...and so on.

 

Yes..Local 63 Bloomington, CA

 

Informative Thread on LTL vs OTR career.

Ultimately, as has been said, only YOU can decide if OTR or LTL is a good/better/best fit.

I work in an LTL non-union barn and I'm V-E-R-Y grateful for the union barns out there. They are the #1 reason I went from $16.00/hr (starting rate) to $18.50/hr in just over one year. The company I work for is finally starting to realize that if it doesn't come close to what the union barns offer (pay, benefits, etc.), they will lose the good drivers they have.

 

One thing i cannever figure out is this...Why dont some of you LTL guys realize that all of us just dont have the option to run LTL...alot of us live in areas where this just isnt an option.
Another thing is, yes, when running OTR sometimes we put in a lot of hours compared to the money and it scales down to a low hourly wage.....BUT for instance, I am taking home about a grand a week or better right now. Yeah, I can go get a crappy clock punching factory job but not one that is going to let me get enough hours on the clock to let me bring home $1000 a week if I could even stand punching out floor mats or dashboards for that many hours. Yes, OTR can be made to look bad on paper by people who want it to look bad, and yes it is an industry full of flaws...but there are many factors as to why people go OTR.
With that said, just stop badmouthing us OTR drivers and what we do...If we decide we dont like it we will quit and it doesnt have to bother you. Would i rather be doing something else...yes....is there anything in the short term future in my area that i am gonna make 50k+ no. Just go do your LTL wonder job Mr Frosty and let us do what we are doing....its really not affecting you...and if we werent hauling the truckload stuff you wouldnt have anything to put in your little day cab everyday anyways.

 

For the most part in my career (10 years) I have pondered this also. I have worked 6 years in LTL (Con-way, Averitt) and it was great pay, home every day, and great benefits. I must say that now I work for a big OTR company but, I work on a dedicated account where I can be home everyday or, I can run the wheels off the truck if I want to. Actually, the money is better now than it was in LTL plus, I get a nice truck to drive but, I like to run hard and I guarntee I am in the minority.

Quite honestly, IMO most OTR drivers are not cut out for LTL. I am not going to lie about it, LTL is harder work by far than a big OTR company and the vast majority of drivers I have had contact with do not want to work hard and heavens forbid they get any excercise on the job doing work. They want to make the big money but, they dont want to put forth the effort it takes to make that kind of cheese. Actually, most drivers that work the account that I do dont make the big money becasue they dont want to work for it. They are satisfied with their $500-$700 bring home a week where, I am doing between $1100-$1500 bring home every week. In alot of cases I would wager to say you can make good money with a OTR company but, you have to work for it and go into the job initially and establish a reputation of a driver that likes to run and can be trusted to get it done for them. IMO, most drivers dont fall into this catagory. IN OTR there is too much opportunity to slack off and waste time so, most take full advantage of it. In LTL this is not the case for the companies I have worked for. You will be required to work like a dog but, everyone makes good money.

 

Uh, "work like dog"....no, I don't think so.Linehaul for an LTL company is not all that bad. Pull a set to a terminal, unhook, go to the hotel...pretty simple. I think the point of the OP was that OTR will not ever pay for your time and if you object to FREE TIME, (as you should-NO-ONE should ever give away their labor) LTL could be a better way to go. Personally, I do not think that OTR driving has much of a future in the United States. If "W" get's his way, the OTR market will be replaced by cheap labor from south of the border (and no, it's temporarily postponed for now-but Dubya's plan is not going away-and oh BTW, thank you Teamsters for your help in getting this postponed for now-"TRUCK-DOWN" was a real success wasn't it ???)

 

OK, not all companys work that way now do they???? Like I said, I have worked for 2 LTL's and they didnt work that way. Averitt did depending on the length of trip but, with Con-way it was a patio party for everyone. It can be hard work like I said. Of course, since you think all LTL linehaul guys drive, park the truck, and hit a hotel, I guess you really dont know then do ya?

 

Let's all decide to agree to disagree agreeably and focus on respecting one another no matter what.

Hey driver, could you please pass the ketchup? Thanks!

 

Gee...and I thought us LTL pick-up & delivery guys had it the worst! :roll: :wink: :P :lol:

 

Interesting. I think cheap labor like cheap freight will continue to co-exist with not-so-cheap labor and not-so-cheap freight. Our country is based on a capitalistic system--a free market/free economy. Shipper Sam can choose whomever he wants to get his goods to Receiver Rachael (or vice-versa). The OTR market will change but not as drastically as you seem to hint.