prime hometime

As a CDL student? One could arrange something between graduating from the CDL program and beginning of training. Otherwise it's dependent on how your FM and trainer view dealing with getting you on and off of the truck. Its honestly going to be a pain for them to deal with it. If your trainer is an agreeable type, he and your FM will find loads to drop you off and pick you up - and that's probably going to be at a time when your trainer wants/needs some home time too. You're going to have to be flexible about this as well. Best advice for someone just starting in trucking is to get your training done, and then take some home time. Once you're on your own, its much easier to find a load through your home to get you some time off, and to get your truck setup. Also, the training pay guarantee doesn't apply when you are sitting at home... only when you are available for dispatch. Wheels not turning, no pay. So you're practically looking at 12 -16 weeks if you go through the entire training period before you ask for hometime.

On the road after training... the deal is you accrue 1 day of TAH per week as a company driver. You can take a maximum of 4-days at a stretch, before needing to be ready to come back. You must meet your projected availability time. The company line is that they want you out for three weeks between TAH requests, at the minimum. The practical side of this is, how often can you sacrifice a paycheck? Basically, being at home for 4-days kills a paycheck, so the bottom line is you go home when your finances can stand it. No bills, no problem, but a life outside of the truck comes at a fianancial premium.

As an independent 1099 contractor, you are in charge of how much you drive and when you drive. Cool, huh? Actually it's worse, because the truck lease payment doesn't stop... so either you build up some extra cash to deal with this, or you go "in the hole." That means that everything you make after paying for the current fixed and variable costs, goes into paying off what you owe for the time you took off. Could be awhile before you see positive cash flow again.

My experience is that they've been very good about getting me home when I need to be here. You do have to be a bit flexible... it's easier for your FM to arrange it if you have a target range to be there. If it's a specific date, that's harder. You can't necessarily count on being there exactly on the date - they do their best to get you there before that date arrives. The deal is they have to find you a load to get you there. I have picked up loads that deliver near my home, and have been surprised to find that I have the option of taking some TAH without asking. As a company driver you get your choice of Thanksgiving or Xmas... they find a load, and I've been deadheaded well over 250 miles to make that happen.

 

does prime go to nyc? and are they forced disp?

 

Heck with that. What about sacrificing your life or family? Who wants to be out a month or better and be discouraged to take 4 days off? I was out a month this last time and have been home 8 days now. I like to run a week and be home on weekends. If not and freight is bad I will stay out longer. If I was planning on being gone as much as prime wants I would just join the army again and deploy again. This kind of trucking will destroy your family life and this kind of pay must really be bad if you have to live the prime life and be willing to roll and are discouraged to take more than a day for every 7 out.

Newbies and wanna be's if you have no family or very few bills this might be acceptable, but if you have a family you may not have one much longer living like this. I would look for a co that does not expect you to live on a truck and see home a couple days a year.

 

That wasn't what the man asked for. OTR means "Over The Road" - not sit at home.

 

Funny.. I have worked OTR for the last 3 years or better... Now if you want jacked up home time let a co tell you that you need to stay out 4-6 weeks take a couple days at home then go back out....

My avg when flat freight was good 5 days out 2-3 days home take home $800-1200. When flat freight dropped avg 3 weeks out 600-800 take home
Now if I stay out 5 days go home once a week for 2 days... hmmm 104 days a year. You can miss a lot at home during that time, but if I stay out 4 weeks and take a day off at home.... 12 days????? Now if I out 6 weeks and take a day off at home 8.5 days at home???? Per Year??? Now tack on a co that expects me to pay for stuff that they should be paying for.... dang where do I sign up????

Newbies as I have said there is co's that think your home time = about a week a year. Are you willing to sell your soul to one of these co's? I mean if you have no life, no family. don't have any bills I suppose it would be worth it///// well; on second thought... If you are married and have kids, what is this going to do to them? Would you rather be married to your spouse or the truck? Do you want your kids to see you a couple weeks a year? Are you willing to throw your family out to be expected to bow to the co you drive for?

 

OTR means over the road... NGH means never go home. LMH means lost my home. NLM means no longer married.

 

There is a big difference between OTR to a decent co and a jacked up one. A decent one knows you have a life and family. A jacked up one means they expect you and program you to think the truck comes first. Forget the family, wife and kid will find someone else... you just do as we tell you and get the freight there...

 

LMAO

 

Hey Notarrps4me.... Whom is this wonderful company that you drive for and what do they require for experience?