is local worth it ?

I haul gasoline for 10 yrs never real slow in this industry maybe a little but can still make good money

 

Local P&D is pretty easy work most days compared to OTR. Pulling a pup box with a little Freightshaker city tractor is a piece of cake, and Half the time I already know where I'm going so it becomes pretty routine, while the other half keeps it interesting. Occasionally they'll throw me a curveball and have me grab the Big boy Kenworth twin-screw to go load a heavy one in some cramped little dock somewhere where everyone is in the way (with the wide fairings blocking your view while backing up of course...) but the truly obnoxious driving situations like that pretty rare and are fun to bellyache about after the fact. I don't miss having to do that kind of stuff frequently tho.

 

I disagree with that...I drive local & Im not any better than any other driver...Its just a matter of to each his own...I miss OTR sometimes especially out west..

 

Hey you are local in Toledo? May I ask whay company do you work for? Any advice on Toledo local companies? I'm currently looking for LTL and other local jobs mainly in the Perrysburg area.

 

I wouldn't have a problem going local if I didn't live in the Los Angeles area. Or any major city for that matter. I can't stand driving my car on these freeways let alone a truck. I did local for Estes for a while when they cut my bid run. I also worked at Coke and FedEx Express. Estes local was all right but the other 2 tried to work me to death! I liked being home every day and the hours but never got used to the traffic. All my customers were cool too. I do hit traffic doing line haul and otr too but it got pretty frustrating when I was local and trying to keep appointments. On the the other end, I can't stand doing otr where I'm out for 2-3 weeks at a time. I have always been lucky to find jobs where I am only gone 5 days at the most and all drop n hook. Or I was in line haul. I maybe spent 1 year of my career in a real otr position. I guess it just depends on what you can put up with, what jobs are available and what you really like. I know a lot of otr drivers that can't wait to get a local gig and I know a lot that just love the highway. I'm kinda stuck in the middle I guess. Local to me is a tougher job. It's easy to just sit behind the wheel and drive, for me anyway.

 

My thoughts exactly. Local in Dallas where I live just isn't an option. On the other hand 2 weeks out isn't an option either. I was fortunate enough to find an OTR job that runs round trip out of Dallas. A few days there and a few days back home with a grand total of TWO loads per tour. I like the road but I like being at home the same, if not more. Also couldn't stand those stupid waste of time short hauls a thousand miles from home. Deliver a load wait all day to pick up a 200 mile load delivering tomorrow...ugh not my cup of tea. I will never work for another "national" company again.

 

I'm planning on moving to Texas one day. Maybe north west of Dallas. I have spent a lot of time driving in Texas and it is crazy at times, just like where I live. Maybe even worse on some days. Seem to be a lot of good jobs like the ones you and I prefer out there.

 

I grew it Dallas (Plano) and had enough of that. I moved about an hour north east of Dallas several years ago out into the woods. That's why the local job is out of the question for me. It's about 40 miles to Garland and even that is too far for me to make a daily commute. The metroplex is a great freight hub to live near. Schneider always had me home like clockwork, the stupid idiots at Knight had plenty of freight here they just wouldn't give it to any of us that lived here. Then I found my "last" OTR job luckily.

 

I would really like to live in the suburbs or even better a rural area with some land. Sounds like you live in a good spot. Glad you found a good job too. Texas sure has grown since the late 90's. I mean all those little towns across the 20 even seem crowded now. Between Van Horn and Weatherford.