Is LTL the best area of trucking? What's the catch?

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by John Joel Glanton, Oct 5, 2021.

  1. John Joel Glanton

    John Joel Glanton Light Load Member

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    I will have my CDL next month. I'm reading that a new trucker fresh out of CDL school can crack $100,000 his first year and be home most days. Also, as a line haul driver you are just going from terminal to terminal and not dealing with customers for the most part.

    I think Line haul is mostly nights, for the new guys anyways... But I'm wondering what's the catch? Why would someone do OTR for a mega carrier and sleep at truck stops for less money?

    Is LTL as good as it seems? I am looking at options for my first job. Thank you.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2021
    blairandgretchen and austinmike Thank this.
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  3. Hawkeye72

    Hawkeye72 Light Load Member

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    I run LTL linehaul the main downside is its boring. Honestly Im an a bid run and drive the same road every night. I have a couple of different ways to get out of town and a couple of different ways to get to the center. Just to break up the boredom.

    $100,000 first year??? Maybe if you are starting at top pay with the company. But the bottom of the seniority board can be feast or famine. With winter coming up things will slow down. To what degree, who knows right now. When i started there were weeks id sit at home 3 of 5 days.
     
  4. Hawkeye72

    Hawkeye72 Light Load Member

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    And ya linehaul i drive to the center sit and wait anywhere from 1-2 hours then drive home. No customers, just drunk drivers and people on their phones.
     
  5. John Joel Glanton

    John Joel Glanton Light Load Member

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    Thanks for the info bud. I think I will go for it. I was a class b delivery driver and I got tired of dealing with customers plus making 25 stops a day fighting through rush hour traffic. Line haul seems like a nice change of pace. Does winter slow down everywhere or just the snow states? Might move out west.
     
  6. Hawkeye72

    Hawkeye72 Light Load Member

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    Everything goes hand in hand. If it snows out west and centers get shutdown thats freight thats not moving east. So less trucks moving across the country. And vise versa the other way. But when things get reopened the extra board guys get a couple of really good days getting stuff caught up.
     
  7. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    Shhhhhhhh. Don’t tell everyone the secret.
     
  8. Lunatic Fringe

    Lunatic Fringe Medium Load Member

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    The odds of that happening are less than 1%. Still, linehaul and dedicated are your best options as a driver if you value home time, getting paid for your work and driving well maintained equipment.

    Your odds of getting a linehaul gig right out of school will depend on your location. Some locations do hire drivers fresh out of school some don't . In Portland, OR I applied at ODFL with 2 years of OTR experience and no tickets/accidents/incidents. They had one vacancy and called 10 applicants in to interview. They sent me packing because I only had 2 years of experience. In Houston, TX they want a CDL just to work the docks. They don't hire drivers, just dockworkers who eventually may get a chance to drive P&D.

    It's more likely an LTL outfit will want you to start out at P&D. Just like your Class B gig only you get to wear a costume! Even if you think you have a linehaul job they might trick f... you into P&D. After I finished 2 years of OTR I thought I had a linehaul gig at another LTL outfit. After a week of paid orientation my first hint that something was wrong came the following Monday - no call. When they finally did call me on Thursday they told me that a driver with more experience had applied for the linehaul gig WHILE I WAS IN ORIENTATION so they gave him the linehaul job and would let me stay on as a P&D driver!

    Even if you get lucky and do get a linehaul position you'll start on the extra board filling in for other drivers when they use their sick and vacation days. You're on call - they will call you if you work that day. A lot of days you won't get a call. You won't have enough seniority for a bid run for a few years.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2021
  9. Moronica

    Moronica Light Load Member

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    LTL is mostly working nights ? How the h3ll do people sleep during the day ? i can't do it
     
  10. idriveaholden

    idriveaholden Super Heavy Hauler

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    that's why it's 100k and based on seniority cause no1 will stay. ltl is for weak men
     
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  11. LPjunior1970

    LPjunior1970 Light Load Member

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    Black out curtains, ear plugs and melatonin.
     
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