I work for a small company, I've worked for big ones in the past, and always had a poor experience with them at some point. I like being called by name, not a number. I like my truck, My boss just got me a new tractor, it's decked out, big power, no governor, and NO ONE drives my truck but me! I pull the same trailer all the time, have say over maintenance issues( when I get PM's,Tires,Equipment) I even get to set my pay rate( I'm commission, I quote prices directly to my customers) So I really am fortunate, I have the perks of an owner/operator( truck, flexability of hours, choosing loads) without the headaches( payments,maintanance,permits,insurance) and I stay within 300 miles of home most of the time, our base rate is 3.00 per mile to start and oversize/heavy pays more, I also get load pay starting at 175.00 to load( I load and unload all loads) after it all gets added up I get 32.5% of what the truck makes( not including fuel surcharge) so even on slow weeks I still make 800+, good weeks are 1500+... this last week I only worked three days and still made over 800.00. Can't beat it! But I am interested in going back out on the road doing heavy haul only, anyone got any experiance to share on that? I see alot of windmill frieght( blades,tower sections and motor housings) rolling through Texas here latley and wonder if it pays good.

I can't answer your question, but I do Concur about working for a small CO. Our Co. has 10 trucks on the road, I walk into the office and my boss is the owner, dispatcher, mechanic, etc. Plus He drives Truck! His Wife co works the Dispatch, and Pay. I like it that my loads are dispatched by a Real Truck Driver. They actually work out for my Logging. Unlike some Young Kid who has no understanding of the road.

If I had to guess,..Your probably already making almost double what you would get if you go OTR,....

if youve got a good thing going it just stick it out where youre at

Sounds like you need to stay where you are at. From what I've been reading, you will have a tough time being otr at this time. Just my opinion, do what will make you happy.

I know I have it good....just miss the road sometimes, and I miss hauling really big stuff, I love doing 15ft wide loads..lol...some people think I'm crazy

Stay where you are! Not that good out here right now. As far as the "blades", allot of that work is on hold. Even T. Boone is scaling back. Same goes for the oil patch. Stay put!

Mike

Be hard to leave a job like you have.But i understand the feeling.Been there,too.I bet not many people leave your company.

I work 4 Valley and love it. We have 120 drivers with no turn around. Those who drive here stay here. Screw the big Screws!

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Listen 2 your mama,DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!!!

I sure wish I had started earlier. I like the big stuff hauling. I talked to an owner operator who's Daddy had started their co, they had 5 trucks. He was an awesome person. They swapped dispatchers depending on who had need and/or vacation. He said the drivers didn't like it (dispatching) because they were only paid $1500.00 week, which was a little less than they were paid hauling. He was out of Ranger,Tx. Good man. Spent all day bs'ing with him at Weatherford petro.

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No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders.

Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, November 4, 1775