3 months in otr and I like.......

OTR reefer can be pretty horrible. You get treated poorly at warehouses and your appointment times are all hours. If you are on a load out of the meat patch, you very often have NO control over your schedule at all, its ten hours in the sleeper then back on the road and no lingering on your half hour break. If you take a few impossible loads that someone else effed up and you are able to fix them or at least make a good showing, your company will always give you emergency loads and beg you to bust butt for a bonus that is never worth it.
If you have had enough of that crapola then try to get on a dedicated where you know what your day will be like in advance or try flatbed like you were saying. I hear those guys get to run days if they like to.

 

Give flatbed a try. And get away from the truck stops. Ugh. I hate when I have to stay there. Too darn many people, trucks moving all night long, feel like everyone is watching me. Filthy depressing shathole many places. Some of my co-workers are nasty subhuman pigs.
Go find a pretty rest area. Or a Cabela's. Small independent truck stops. Back corner of the shipper or receiver. Set yourself up like you're camping. Enjoy.

 

This right here helped me a lot. Stay in a truck stop if you have to , or its one thats not crowded that you like, otherwise rest stops are much nicer to me. Then again I eat most meals in the truck

 

No bathroom is ridiculous and that when you just piss on their building. Not being able to bobtail doesn't make any sense either. If your employer doesn't let you bobtail or use PC, they suck.

 

You've got to look outside the box.
If you're automatically going to that PFJ, TA, or LOVES because it has the neon sign and the 80 spots... that's the problem.
So is every other window licking mouth breather tooling down the highway.
You've got to go to the Citgo with a dirt parking lot that holds 6 trucks.
You get your shower at the big place in the afternoon and eat before you get there if you don't have food in the truck.

I just gave away Trade Secrets for free.
There are Pro tips in Construction that only the smart ones utilize... same with trucking.
Take it or leave it.
Drive, or swing a hammer.

 

I got so pissed at a receiver one time that I just had to do something evil. I took a pickle jar that was empty and busted it where the yard dogs drive . This was at night my guess is someone blew a tire from all that glass

 

Just another thought. A Jostler job. just a thought..

 

thats a 10 hour break there. ill take that 12 hour unloading time and be ready with a fresh 11

 

Uh, I'm a company OTR reefer driver and quite content. To each his own! What I like about being a company driver, no truck repair bill's, and they give me loads, which I can refuse if I want (not forced dispatch). What I like about OTR, I am enjoying traipsing about the lower 48 and seeing the country and not knowing where my next load will take me. What I like about reefer, my company's reefer trailers are noticeably smoother to pull than our dry van trailers, I get paid a little more and consistently have loads. Reefer stuff is the most stable with fewer feast and famine cycles than other types.
On the flip side, I am gone from home for, on average, a month and a half. This is harder on my S.O. and kids (teenagers) than we thought it would be, but we are all adjusting to it. Reefer stuff requires patience and flexibility. I spend much more time at shippers and receivers than we should. But, I have patience so I can roll with it, adjust to whatever and not have a conniption. Also, reefer loads are almost always on the heavy side. I've gotten used to the heavy loads and actually think I prefer them. Less problems with the wind and everything is smoother,as the weight dampens things.

I almost always park at the truck stops, I just feel safer than at a rest area. I really like reserve parking several of the big truck stop companies have. Depending on where I am and what time I'll be able to park, I don't hesitate to spend the money and reserve a spot. That way, no worries about where I'm gonna park. To me, the money is worth not having to worry about finding parking if I am too long at a shipper or receiver or simply driving later than 4ish.
To each his own. I think we all find out individually what we like and works best for us as we trudge along.
I do think I might want to try tanker someday. My laid back style of driving I think would lend itself to being a tanker driver. But, if it is in the cards for me, we'll see. My current company doesn't do tankers and as I've only been solo for about 7 months now, I'm still pretty green and have another year and a half before I'm at a point to consider moving elsewhere. At present, my company, Swift, has been very good to me and I have no major complaints. It is not perfect, nut the good has strongly outweighed the bad. And, I know many do not have a good experience with Swift. I think I just got lucky to end up where I did and working for the people I do. They treat me well and I give them my best in return.