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Originally Posted by ghost_ryder
The thing is, LTL is just not for everybody. New drivers will get in over their head and quit within a couple weeks. It can be pretty tough trying to find 12 stops a day in and around busy city areas not to mention handling all of the freight. In and out the truck over and over again, then in and out the trailer over and over again. On top of all of this, they have some pretty tough areas to back in and out of as well. Alot of the customers are small businesses and they have very little room for trucks and freight, makes both things hard. OTR gets to hang around alot of DCs and large warehouses with much more room and truck friendly. LTL seems like its for guys in their early 20s in very good shape. Last year when I was working LTL, I worked 12 or 14 hours a day. I got more sleep and felt alot better when I was OTR not to mention I made about the same amount of money but almost felt like I never even worked with OTR compared to LTL. Of course with OTR, being away from home which as we all know can be tough at times. At last, with OTR, don't forget the trucks are much newer and nicer. In the end, its all just a matter of preferrence, what one prefers. LTL would be much better if it were three 12 hour shifts or four 10 hour shifts. Whats the purpose of working local if you are working 60 hours a week? So 40 hours a week is a full time job, none of this we don't pay overtime until after 50 hours stuff. Thats a whole other problem in itself with some LTL carriers and its not acceptable. Over 40 hours should be time and a half, if they can't pay that, I work only 40 hours period.
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LTL is not for everyone.
In some ways it has a much steeper learning curve that OTR. In a busy day I can do more backing into tight areas that some OTR Factory-to-DC guys get in a year. Once you have your backing skills dialed in its second nature.
Right now its TDC season; if you want to see some serious backing skills observe a Rodeo skills course.
After a few months you know the city you work, most of your customers and what types of freight they ship and receive. You could pull all the address and shipping labels off all the freight on the outbound dock and I could ID 90% of it and take an educated guess as to where its going.
Its a smaller version of what London Cab drivers simply call "The Knowledge".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kno...#The_Knowledge
Once you have your knowledge and driving skills dialed in you can pound out 20-30 stops per day.
When taking my equipment in unfamiliar areas I frequently will park on the street and recon the area on foot.
When you only spend 8-12 hrs per day with your equipment its quality & age become less of a factor.
You don't have to be young, just in good shape. My barn has plenty of city drivers in their 40s who are very productive.
You can earn as much in LTL working hard 45-50hrs and home every night as you can doing OTR 60-70+.
When I describe my job to people unfamiliar with LTL in a social setting I simply say its "Like UPS but with pallets rather than boxes". The common public conception of drivers is from Smokey & the Bandit and OTR.
