Why don’t more people want to work in the LTL industry?

I actually love OTR. I used to haul beverages locally, but working local doesn't give the illusion of freedom and independence the way OTR does. It seems more OTR guys are unhappy because those drivers get so glorified. Complainers always get the spotlight. Look at some of these threads and see how many naysayers there are. Some of them are trying to convince newbies to find a different line of work and not get a CDL, and as unhappy as they are, they're still out here driving. People who are truly happy fly under the radar. I can't answer why OTR doesn't get more money. My guess would be because it's probably more expensive to operate an OTR company. I honestly don't know that to be true, but it's only a guess.

 

FACTS. You're post is exactly why I tell new drivers to stay out of truck stops and take others' opinions with a grain of salt.

 

It's a simple difference in business model. OTR has one load in the trailer that pays...let's say for example's sake $2,000. An LTL trailer has 20 loads in the trailer that each paid $200, for a total of $4,000.

OTR is generally less profitable, so the drivers are paid less.

 

For me its 2 things:

1) I dont want to be on call to start or driving a forklift while I await for my turn.

2) The biggest reason is unions. I refuse to work for a union shop.

 

Being a driver I have done and will continue to do night driving. While I can drive at night irregularly to get a load to the destination, I can’t drive all night for multiple nights in a row.

It’s not just the fatigue either. I am one of those people who is prone to depression when I don’t get enough sunlight. Working all night and sleeping all day all the time would kill me.

 

It takes more effort to make ltl function. More equipment, more resources for management and storage. All those are expenses. I doubt ltl is making double with all the added expenses. But, it is wasn’t profitable, ltl wouldn’t exist.

 

LTL is not perfect…I do linehaul and here are few negatives…

1) Always driving at night which means you have to get necessary sleep during daytime otherwise you will be driving tired. I’ve seen too many accidents at night. Also hard to have a life in general (but that’s just trucking in general).

2) Commute. When you OTR you get to sleep after your 14 hours. In LTL you still gotta drive to work before you even start your shifts and drive home after driving all night.

3) Slip seating. You gonna share more than likely old ### truck with city driver. He might come late so you now gotta find another truck and more than likely junk truck.

4) If you are new driver at company you gonna be starting at random times everyday. Anywhere from 8pm-2am. It can get tiring to some. Also you will be going to multiple locations and not just out and back. Yes, you might be work 14 hours everyday or 16 once a week. You also might have to work dock or work weekend if needed.

5) Truck swaps - You might be going to different terminal with (old) truck that has Christmas light on the dash. (Rare but it happens). Once you get to your destination you get a different truck.

6) Weather - You gonna be driving in winter in snow and you wished you were in your comfortable bed. Sure, you can call off but it is kinda frowned upon. I call off if it’s not safe to drive and I don’t care what anyone says.

However, my benefits/pay/home time is good.

 

At the end of the day, it all boils down to what works for you. That being said, I'm in LTL and I made $94,000 last year working straight days, home every night, off every weekend, and I paid $0 for medical and dental last year. Thats with four weeks of paid vacation and personal days, so I only worked 11 months last year. One whole month was paid time off. And every major holiday was paid and spent at home with the family, not out on the road.

You won't find any OTR job that checks all those boxes.

 

Fair points. Much more overhead and man hours getting all those shipments on to the trailer, both in the office and on the dock, as well.

 

That makes total sense. You're right though. Money generated at the end of the day speaks volumes about anyone's pay