OTR vs LOCAL

Locals pedal a lot and kick off a lot of freight. OTR's run with a load for a few days as a rule of thumb. Both have a lot of common ground, but at the same time differ a lot. Most co's are looking for someone that fits the gig they have.

 

Let us add that OTR drivers particularly those that run the 48 obtain a wide range of driving experiences through different conditions....Traffic, terrain, weather....

 

Interesting question and one i have pondered, here is why.

A lot of companies in Ireland will not let you go OTR until you have proven yourself locally. If you can run around Ireland for 6 months without denting anything then they will let you get on the ferry for England and thence the ferry to France. This might be because before roll on roll off ferries a lot of times you had to reverse up the ramp onto the boat and often fit your rig into some tight spaces which was always an occasion for bumps and benders.

Also the roads in Ireland in the 90s where pretty narrow and uneven, maybe the companies figured if you could drive them you could drive anywhere. Oh and of course in ireland and England we drive on the left, but when you get of the ferry or train in Calais or Zeebrugge you have to drive on the right (that little switcharoo has thrown a few drivers), of course your steering wheel remains on the right hand side.

so does it not make sense here also to keep new drivers on a tighter leash? Or is it a case of the more exp drivers want the local work?

 

Well in the USA...local driving tends to be more work...and normally most people prefer local work because they can be home with they family and everything...but OTR and local driving is toally different...OTR driving is waaaay longer then local...locals maybe drive 3 hours at the max straight then go back...well as a OTR driver...your driving for maybe 11 hours a day...depending on how far you need to go and what day and time you need to be there...so OTR driving kinda needs to be a little bit more planned out...also going thru city...mountains...plains...and during the winter...you can be in southern Cali...sunny...80 degrees...then a few hours later you hit the mountains where its snowing at 25 degrees and icy everywhere...OTR drivers have to be able to handle that...where locals know that sudden change will never happen...now local driving is normally more harder spots to dock...that's why they normally have smaller trucks and trailers...but it's just two different things...that's like a sport bike verse a harley...both bikes...but it's a difference...

 

OTR is a lifestyle. Driving for long periods and living in your truck. Experience driving would be a plus when it comes to handling the rig but it means diddly squat when it comes to actually adapting to the lifestyle of driving 48 states through different conditions and being away from home for weeks at a time.

 

pretty much summed it up for me