Why do we stay OTR?

as you stated it becomes a way of life for a lotta folks.

 

I tried local for a short while until I had recurring visions of crashing into a parked bulldozer to end the misery.

 

Considerably more money than I can make locally.

I "live" 3ft away from where I work. No more 1 hr commute in traffic to get to work. That $40 a week I spent on gas stays in pocket.

Assigned truck that I can keep clean. No slip seating with disgusting drivers.

Far less people I have to interact with. I can go days without speaking to anyone if I want.

 

I was Local and regional for 10 yrs. Got tired of the same old scenery, and rat race. I prefer 2 day trips. 4-10 days out. 3-7 days home ideally.

 

My personal reasons for wanting to stay OTR are as follows:
1. I love to travel through pretty and different scenery. If I were local, I'd always get the same, boring, scenery.
2. I do possess a 'gypsy' bug. I love to travel and have never tired of it.
3. I like the lack of routine. OTR is always a mix up of where I'm going next.
4. I get a kick out of waking up in my sleeper and forgetting which State I'm in or exactly where I'm at. Always starts my day with a taint of adventure.
5. And, I simply like the adventure of it.
6. I got the addiction to it and not ready to quit!
I do understand how OTR is not for everyone and find no fault or shame in those that this doesn't work for. But, it just fits some of us and I've realized I'm one of them that fits it! Wouldn't want to be any other type of driver, I'd probably be miserable and quit.

 

drive 3 years as an OTR driver, BEFORE you can get any job you want?

who fed you that horse radish..???

after as little as 3 to 6 months, one can seek other driving venues.
(sometimes right out of CDL school too)

i had my full of long haul (they sissified it by calling it OTR), i got another job in like 4 months.

i nary needed the lifestyle of the nomadic trucker, being what seemed like millions of miles from my home and family and friends.

WE ALL HAVE family, friends, and our favorite places to go to at home base, i never believe ANYONE who says they have "no one, or nothing" at the home base.

 

Where I live ( omaha) I've tried the local thing several times over the last 34 years but always got fed up with sharing a truck with pigs for for low pay ...now pay has come way up but at 58 I'm a little long in the tooth for foodservice work and my tolerance for pigs hasn't improved.
I'm into year 5 at the carrier im leased to and make a good living doing dedicated freight in lanes I choose...out and back ...rarely gone more than a week and stay home as long as I want when I get home .
My kids are grown , truck is paid for , wife is fine with my schedule and don't have to work very hard .....and no boss or coworkers as long as I do my job.

 

Wife?!!!?!!! I thought she was still in the probationary period?