WHY WORK FOR A OTR COMPANY GO LTL
 

WHY WOULD ANYONE WORK FOR ONE OF THOSE CHEAP OTR COMPANIES LIKE USA WERNER SWIFT OR JB HUNT THAT ONLY PAY AROUND 30 CENTS A MILE? WHY NOT GET A HAZMAT AND DOUBLES ENDORSEMENTS AND GO TO SAIA AAA COOPER FED EX FREIGHT COMPANYS THAT PAY 42 TO 52 CENTS A MILE OR DO YOU GUYS LIKE TO WORK LIKE ILLEGAL ALIENS :twisted: :evil: :P

Being a steering wheel holder for the Big Blue Screw or Swift is not as demanding.

Some people are not cut out for LTL work. At my terminal about half quit in the first month.

Well for starters not everyone likes doing local type work. Many would like to spend more time running the open roads than constantly fighting city traffic.

Next those type of jobs are not available everywhere, and in some places where they do have them the competition is fierce.

Next there are many companies that are now paying around 40 cpm for 1 or 2 years experience so the gap is less than it was a few years ago.

Finally, if it was not for OTR drivers the local guys would have a lot less freight to haul. :P :P :P

For starters, most LTL companies will not hire new drivers. You have to have a year or two experience.

I enjoyed my time over the road (2 yrs.), however the pay was less at .29/mi, but I got the necessary experience and LOTS of miles. I got into an LTL company after about 6 months of constantly calling the terminal manager. Had to be persistant. Very few linehaul openings around here. The pay is better, and I am home every weekend. I drive about 26-2700 miles per week over 5 nights. Some nights I get lucky and will pull 1 set 500 + miles, other nights I will stop at 2-4 terminals and have to hook a set each step of the way. The demands are greater, but so is the pay.

I will not even consider being a day driver, as those guys sling alot of freight all day, and sometimes have 15-20 stops. No thanks. Too old for that crap. Definately for the younger guys.

If you think you can go from training to LTL, or just go to LTL at anytime, think again. Most of those jobs are hard to come by.

LTL
 

Most guys can't afford to start on a casual board of an LTL company. BOL

HA! How true is that?! Good stuff!!! :lol:

Not to mention the fact that I, personnally, don't want a whole lot to do with any wiggle wagons...

I love wiggle wagons...
 

:D especially if there are three in a row.....

I'll tell you why, CALL BOARD. I hate the call board, nothing like waiting all day for a call then get one at midnight telling you to come in at 2am. Of course this is after you've been up all day.

2. Newbies get all of the wonderful grocery warehouse, make 1 pallet into 5,000.

I've worked for USF Reddaway and Fed Ex Freight. Reddaway was pretty decent except for the call board, and Fed Ex sucked with all of the Grocery crap.

I have to agree that living by the phone does suck, Roadway gives you a "slide" where you can request to be called back in 4 hours if the board jumps (increase in freight), so that does help a little but not much.

The money is still good if your with the right company while your still on the extra board. I worked for Conway and now with Roadway, I didn't do that bad at Conway but Roadway's system works out better for guy's with less seniority because if the freight in your area is slow you can go on the road where ever they need you because of an increase in freight in a different area. Plus if your on the road and freight slows down you get paid to wait for freight. I guess it's all about what you willing to do for a good paycheck?

As for the doubles..... rather pull a set any day of the week that a long box. Any one who pulls doubles know what I mean, just something you get used too and feel comfortable with. Unfortunately word is around Roadway is that doubles are getting phased out. All the new equipment coming in are long box's and twin screw trucks.

work for 28 cents a mile

LOL and you're right-Not everybody likes LTL-especially ME

I'm soooooo close to applying at USF Holland. How physically demanding is LTL, generally.

It depends on who you go with. I never worked for holland, but I did work for Yellow who now owns holland. If you are going to go on the road, if you can walk to the truck, hold a steering wheel, and occasionally drop or hook a trailer, you will be fine. City driving or dock will be different though.

thanks for the response teamster.

I'm totally happy with Crete, I just want more hometime then what they can offer. I don't want to be home every weekend, I want to sleep in my own bed! Besides a weekend to alot of companies is home friday night 8pm-midnight and leave sunday afternoon, no thanks.

USF must be hurting for drivers in my hometown terminal because they are looking for "Local and Linehaul/OTR Drivers".

OK n00b question, what's the difference between linehaul and OTR? Linehaul is terminal-to-terminal and OTR is what I'm doing now?

Not sure why they are advertising for OTR. I have never seen an ad for them say OTR, as far as I know their linehaul guys stay out for a week, unless they are on a turn bid or something like that. Keep in mind when entering the LTL arena, the first several years can be very frustrating. You will be at the bottom for a long time working inconsistent shifts, runs, etc.. Your income will be hard to figure. You may make 1500 this week, and then 0 the next. They are always hiring, because turnover is high with the bottom guys and they over hire. I went through orientation with 20+ guys at Yellow and most of them quit rather quickly. If you can deal with those types of things and be willing to put the time in you will have a very good and secure job,but it will not be easy.

I read your reply rather quickly and this statement didn't register with me until I read it a second time (I'm tired) FIRST SEVERAL YEARS :shock: you must be kidding? No way would I give up my current income to put up with $750 a week.
here it is:
http://www.usfc.com/usfc/careers/job...tails3387.html

So will there be times when I wont have any work? Man that sucks. I wish I could talk to one of them on the CB but the majority of them don't have 'em.

It would be worth talking to USF. Maybe they have something to offer that will give you work. Those guys have cbs, but alot of times they are running together and will use a different channel. You wont find them on 19 unless bad weather or road closure or something like that.

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Why wouldn't someone wanna listen to ch 19?? I don't get it

The smartest people in the world are on sesame street. I get all my investment advice and advice on family issues there. Life is good.

If you want to get into LTL you would probably be better off finding a smaller LTL carrier in your area. The hours might be better and probably more steady, escpecially if you go local P&D. the pay wont be quite as high, but it will be close.

LTL is the way to go now , I have a friend ahead of me on the extra board , he is #118 I am #175 , he's been there 3 years . First year he made 31k , next year 46k then this year he's on pace for 65k . It just goes up from there . I don't mind OTR , I like the fact that you get an assigned truck , but you just don't get paid like you should , Working for Yellow , I finally will be paid what I'm worth in 2 years when I'm at the full rate . It will be groundbreaking when a large OTR company finally starts paying an hourly rate (even if it's only 12 bucks an hour) for fueling,unloading/loading right away,waiting on anything, I would have had 30+ hours a week that I didn't get paid . 30hrsx$12=$360 extra a week,that and my usually 3200 miles at .38 cpm like I got at Roehl would compare with an LTL veteran drivers paycheck .

LTL guys run alot of repeat routes, dont need directions, sleep at home so they're not lonely, drive slow trucks, run with their buddies every nite, they just have no use for the drivel on 19. They have radios but they stay on other channels and talk to each other. Sometimes they are on 19 but try 32 or 33 for Conway, Yellow, Roadway and USF. Some who slip seat dont feel like carrying a radio around, some just listen to their music.

Sirius/XM has put a big dent in the CB usage...I think

We run the same routes every night; Its like groundhog day.

I don't even turn my CD on unless there is bad weather. I'm a combo driver that is 90% dock so I can't justify the expense of a satellite radio.

I will have worked for Con-Way a year come late December. I'm on track to make $30k. I hired on as a dockworker and got my truly free CDL in April. Next year if I stay in my same bid I'll make 35-40k depending on OT. The other guy who was in my CDL class just got a line bid and will make about 50-55k next year.

At my terminal right now it takes 5-8 months to get get a bid. How long did it take you guys?

We don't have CBs in our trucks, and since we slipseat who wants to hassle with putting yours in for a shift?

I get my "own" truck every week on my big route, but I'd rather just listen to the radio.

I got a hand-held Midland CB that works well for me.

I have been doing city p&d in Dallas for 2 years for Conway where I got my free cdl. It can be tough some days and yes you have to work the dock. I will make about 46 this year which is good but the best is the benefits. Insurance 1% of gross for the family 2 weeks vacation and a bonus plan that most ltl don't. We bid every year for any position and unlike others if you bid city that's what you do unless you want to go to the bottom. All in all not a bad gig. Although sometimes think if not for the family I would like to try OTR. You guys have my respect.

I want to go OTR. Being out on the open road appeals to me. Granted, I am single, and enjoy solitude.

You will enjoy your solitude even more when you are married. :)

That's why we have radio box's. hook your alligator clips to the positive and negative and mount your antenna on the mirror frame with vice grips mounts. it takes about 3 minutes and your ready to go.

Would take even less time to just use the existing antennas that are on the mirrors, and the existing power line that runs to the CB box. I don't own a CB :-) All our trucks are wired for them, but I just never have really seen the point in owning a CB. I may get one though, just cause I get bored out there sometimes and I've also had a couple situations where it could come in handy. The other day I was driving down the other side of the interstate and I saw another truck whose wheel was about to catch fire, I don't think he had noticed so a CB would have come in handy to let him know before he had an even bigger problem.

While that may be true for "newbies"....its no longer true where more experienced drivers are concerned. The pay is much higher nowadays, and many companies are shifting to practical miles as well.

I get 40cpm on practical miles, and I get paid for most everything I do. My pay is rather comparable to a Teamsters....so there are many opportunities out there that pay far better than 28 cpm. Unfortunately the jobs like this are generally out of reach of newbies....but then again most LTL jobs are as well.

I think a CB is a must have in the winter time (changing road conditions and brake checks) Last thing I want to do is slide into stopped traffic because I can't get stopped in time. We can't all ways just pull over and take a nap while the road conditions to get better so we have to keep moving. It has also saved me a couple times in the last month from speeding tickets, I run a lot in Ohio so it's nice to have a radio, so it's worth to take a couple minutes to hook everything up. I just have a cheapo Cobra 29 but it does the job.

I make about 15 cpm more than I would OTR driving line-haul, drop and hook, ca. 2500 miles/wk and im home weekends. I LOOOOVE my company :)

so can someone tell me city driving with an LTL company is comparable to food service delivery...someplace like Sysco or US Foods?

Dont forget some guys dont like to be far away from the buffet lines at the hook. :arrow:

I have zero desire to drive around Los Angeles all day unloading a trailer at 20 different places.

I have seen L.A. I am doing this to get the hell out of L.A. and see the rest of the country.

This job is something I want to do, not have to do. Therefore, I will do it the way I want to.

No. You don't have all the labor involved with the foodservice routes. Most LTL involes bumping a dock and running off a board. The call board is the biggest downfall of staying in town in my opinion.

My father in law drove linhaul for 10 years. Seems like something i would love, but i did a VERY short stint at a food service company, and was possibly the worse experience of my life. Now i am kind of hesitent to hand deliver freight.

Not that i am against hard work, but my last day was 18 hours on duty DRIVING and expected to turn around and do it again with 4 hours sleep.

Foodservice like USFS and Sysco are very different than city pd drivers. You probably unloaded with a ramp curbside of had a liftgate to move every carton on the trailer into stores. Like someone else said this gig you bump docks or D&H. The worst case scenario may be having to use a handtruck but it wont be to load or unload your entire truck, just to load a few cases and go.

i think i can deal with that. Where i was we had to break down the pallets and deliver all pieces down the ramp. Scared poopless every time i ran down that ramp with 200lbs of canned ketchup.