Avoiding Night Hauling....?

Hi Friends,

I need the truth. I'm Investigating the OTR work AND was talking to a friend who mentioned that companies often force drivers to run at night. Is this true?

• If you tell a company "you don't drive nights, will they accommodate you?"
• How difficult is it to AVOID night hauls when you are starting out?

~Thanks for your Input....

 

Depends on the company I guess. I like driving evenings myself but not past 2 or 3 am.

 

All depends on where you're working. Freight moment (trucking), for the most part, is truly a 24/7/365 industry especially when having to operate within HOS rules and meet demands. Best way to this end is to

• work at a local company that has typical day work only because this is the nature of their business.
• work at a carrier who typically runs coast to coast freight to where you can solo run large segments of your time on your preferred schedule (these opportunities are rare)

Jobs where most deliveries and pickups are run by appointment times are going to have you regularly shifting work schedules, especially in a regional operation.

Honestly, trucking may not be a good fit for you if you will only work days. A hate working nights myself. I'm in a 48 state refrigerated gig where many loads exceed 2,200 miles and must still occasionally run a night shift or two to work within HOS rules and to meet appointment times which are critical. Current HOS rules can push you into a situation you don't like if you're trying to make a decent paycheck and the loads don't fall just right.

 

Probably pulling flatbed is your best shot. I've never had to drive overnight. The places I've delivered too (home depots ect) are mostly open during the day. Now, I've started my day early in the morning and have driven till 2100 on occasion.

 

It all depends on the appointment times. Generally speaking, working nights -either occasionally or hard core daily like I do- is a part of the job. Telling a company who has customers that need overnight drivers "I don't work nights" will disqualify you from hire.

There are very limited opportunities without night work. But you'll have to look pretty hard and there will be a ton of competition for them. Most are local. And local gigs pay less. Just food for thought.

 

^^^^ Great info, right there. Personally, I prefer driving nights. Don't know about 'all' the tanker gigs, but hauling asphalt, we mostly DO work nights; delivering to the customers so they have their product for the pavers 1st thing in the morning. Most of the reefer guys I know do nights about 50% of the time, for similar reasons.

 

IMHO, the truth is that if you are just plain unable, or unwilling to run nights, forget about trucking altogether. Yes, there are jobs that run only days. Yes there are jobs where you run days and are home every night. And yes, there are drivers who came into the industry, and have worked for, and retired from those companies.
BUT
When you are just getting into a career, it doesn't matter WHAT it is, if you start with limiting yourself by acting all prima donna, you are shooting yourself.
Now, there is a difference between preferring not to do something, and flatly refusing to do it.
You don't say your reason for not wanting to work nights, but if it is a medical one, related to night vision, then you just don't belong in trucking.
I hope you can get squared away, and find out what you really want to do. Once you have made the decision, then you can start working your way toward that goal.

 

Excellent summary, sir. Much agreed with.

 

Gotta love it. Newbs declaring they "don't do". Yeah, that'll get ya hired.