So when I first looked into going into trucking the consensus was that if you keep your nose clean, work hard, most importantly keep your record clean, after about three years of experience you can have pretty much have any trucking type of job you want. That does seem to be the case as I’ve surpassed the three-year mark and knock on wood have kept my record clean and work hard.
So the thoughts about doing local driving, or a dedicated route where I just run back-and-forth to the same place like maybe two days over and two days back and then I’m off for three days start entering my mind. Or maybe I want to work for five days a week drive locally and be home every night. Out and back each day.
question is, what makes you stay OTR? Do you truly enjoy the lifestyle because as we all know it is a lifestyle. If you’re an OTR driver that is pretty much your life. Do you just have some gypsy blood in you or what? You can have any truck driving job you want, but what makes you stay out on OTR?
Why do we stay OTR?
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Lennythedriver, Jul 22, 2021.
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D.Tibbitt, WesternPlains, BigBob410 and 5 others Thank this.
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as you stated it becomes a way of life for a lotta folks.
Rollr4872, D.Tibbitt, Blue jeans and 9 others Thank this. -
I tried local for a short while until I had recurring visions of crashing into a parked bulldozer to end the misery.
Texas_hwy_287, Studebaker Hawk, CargoWahgo and 17 others Thank this. -
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.Studebaker Hawk, FredZeppelin77, Just passing by and 15 others Thank this. -
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.
geargrabber89, Team818, Coffey and 5 others Thank this. -
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.snowlauncher, Opus, Just passing by and 12 others Thank this. -
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.Cdubb, ibcalm19, bryan21384 and 4 others Thank this. -
I truly enjoy OTR, overall, although there are a few pet peeve’s about it. I know I enjoy it because when I take my days off or I stay home for more than about four days I start wanting to get back out there. That’s a pretty good indication you enjoy it.
The downside is any kind or type of consistency with a social life. I like to go out, #### chat with people, etc. just whatever. And I find that like 95% of the places that we stop at, you’re stuck on the truck and there’s nothing to do with an a reachable distance of where you’re at. That’s why I started the thread about a month ago for us to start listing fun truckstops where there’s stuff to do around it.
Sometimes we stop And we have to rush, get things cleaned up organized and get to sleep because all we got is it exact 10 hour break. Or maybe even an 8/2 split. But It seems like usually once or twice per week you’re going to get like 14 to 16 hours to break somewhere just by the way the appointment times might be. And on those days it would be nice to get out of the truck in the evening and do something.Trucker61016, bryan21384 and bzinger Thank this. -
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.Opus, Turbodriven, ibcalm19 and 12 others Thank this. -
Trucker61016, bryan21384, Wasted Thyme and 1 other person Thank this.
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