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Old 04.01.2007
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What are REALISTIC weekly miles for OTR driver?
Hey gang,

As some of you know I am concidering a change to driving.

Questions I still have...

What are REALISTIC weekly miles for OTR driver?

What is the required DOT down time for a driver in a 24 hours period? Is that all at one time or can it be spaced out over the 24 hour period?

I have seen "no forced NY runs" what is the deal with New York? I know if I get a run and nod't take it I will not be one the dispatchers good side.

Do any companies let your kids run with you you, like on summer/Christmas break? My kids have asked me about that.

Which truck stops do think are better, TA, Pilot, Flying J, or Petro?

Is it better to drive at night or during the day?

Just some questions I have been wondering about. Would love to get your seasoned opions on these.

Thanks gang.
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Old 04.01.2007
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I don't know whats with NY....its so much fun

Your OTR miles depends on how hard of a runner you are and if you don't complain with the loads given to you....The company you work for has a lot to do with how many miles you get.
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Old 04.01.2007
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DOT down time is 10 hours you can do it all at once or do what is called split breaking which is 8/2...its easier to do all 10 at once.

Some companies will let riders go out with you, some have age requirements but you have to check with each company that your interested in driving for, they all make up their own policy on that one.

Realistic miles should be about 500-600 a day depending on freight, time of year, breakdowns, road delays, traffic, weather, loading and unloading times etc.

Best truck stops, just depends on what area you are in when you need to stop, there are some places no matter what name they have on the sign, you just keep going cuz its a bad area.
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Old 04.01.2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shaddmuzak View Post
Hey gang,

As some of you know I am concidering a change to driving.

Questions I still have...

What are REALISTIC weekly miles for OTR driver?
it depends on you and the freight movements. but you can probably expect at least 2,000 miles up to 3,400 miles.

Quote:
What is the required DOT down time for a driver in a 24 hours period? Is that all at one time or can it be spaced out over the 24 hour period?
drive up to 11 hours, make sure you do as your dispatch will be watching this too. followed by a 10 hour break.

Quote:
I have seen "no forced NY runs" what is the deal with New York? I know if I get a run and nod't take it I will not be one the dispatchers good side.
some compnies jsut don't run into new york city. but when things are slow, there just might be a run there. and yes, if you refuse a load, first you can be fired. but if you are not fired, then yes, you will be on the dispatchers "list".......

Quote:
Do any companies let your kids run with you you, like on summer/Christmas break? My kids have asked me about that.
there is usually an age requirement for some companies. you would have to ask the company you go to work for.

Quote:
Which truck stops do think are better, TA, Pilot, Flying J, or Petro?
yes

Quote:
Is it better to drive at night or during the day?
you don't really get to choose this as much as your log book does.

Quote:
Just some questions I have been wondering about. Would love to get your seasoned opions on these.
Thanks gang.
we try our best...........
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Old 04.01.2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shaddmuzak View Post
Hey gang,

As some of you know I am concidering a change to driving.

Questions I still have...

What are REALISTIC weekly miles for OTR driver?

As several said this depends. The thing to remember is if you have a load and you can do it legally (Hours of Service), then run it. If you run out of hours then you take a 34 hour break and you have a new 70 hour. You can average aprox 3500 miles and maybe more. This depends on Traffic etc as Luv mentioned.

What is the required DOT down time for a driver in a 24 hours period? Is that all at one time or can it be spaced out over the 24 hour period?

If you drive 11 hours take a 10 hour break you can drive again. There is no limit in how many hours you can drive in a 24 hour period as long as you follow the 11,14 & 70 hour rule. You need to see the Regulations thread and read some of the stickied top threads that goes over 11,14 & 70 hour rule. This will help you in understanding what is expected.

I have seen "no forced NY runs" what is the deal with New York? I know if I get a run and nod't take it I will not be one the dispatchers good side.
This means they are not going to force you to run to New York. Many drivers don't like New York because of crime and laws.

Do any companies let your kids run with you you, like on summer/Christmas break? My kids have asked me about that.
Yes as said above it depends on age etc. Ask them to make sure the kids can be on the truck, if you don't they might find out and you might get fired when you could have signed a piece of paper. Also knowing the kids are on there helps in emergency situations.

Which truck stops do think are better, TA, Pilot, Flying J, or Petro?
I have no IDEA, I don't drive. See the other posters they have great advice as well
Is it better to drive at night or during the day?

There is rules of certain hours you shouldn't drive, but many drivers like to drive at night because of less traffic. You have more drunk drivers and safety risk as in crimes on you.

Just some questions I have been wondering about. Would love to get your seasoned opions on these.


Thanks gang.
Ask anything here and we will all give you our two cents worth. That is why we are here

I hope this response turns out ok, I had a few issue's.
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Old 04.01.2007
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When co-driver was driving solo, he would usually get between 2400 and 3000 miles per week -- sometimes more depending where he was driving, how long the trips were (longer trips mean less time spent at the shipper/receiver that week) and of course what time of year it was (much less freight running from Christmas to Easter).

As far as riders, each company has a different policy. Most will make you pay the insurance for the time the rider is with you and many have an age limit. Some won't let you have a rider unless you have driven with them for anywhere from 3 months to a year accident free, and if you have an accident after that time, they may rescind your rider privileges.

As for truck stops, Travel America's are really the nicest I've seen, but there aren't very many of them out there. The chains are always hit or miss although I've found most of the Flying J's to be OK. Biggest difference to me is whether I want to eat something at a sit down restaurant or if I want take out. Pretty much the truck stop you use will be dictated by where you are going to be when you take your break, and whether or not there is any parking.

I love driving at night -- less traffic and aggravation, but it's nice to switch up and drive during the day. I think the ideal time for me to drive is early morning (2 or 3 am) until after the sun comes up. That way, when I start to get tired driving, it's usually about time for the sun to come up and the change from night to day will invigorate me. Biggest drawback to driving at night is that if you need to use the bathroom at night, you probably won't be able to get into a rest area or find parking at a truck stop. I've found the best solution to this is to stop at a truck stop and pull through the fuel island (they usually aren't too crowded at night). That way, you won't block the pump if someone needs to fuel and you can run in, use the facilities and run out without causing problems. The fuel islands are usually well lit and near the building too.
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