Does Solo Long-haul Exist Anymore?

thanks, I visited their website but found no specific info about pay, terminals, fleets, hometime, etc. And since I don't have the ability to bring a truck home, I can't realistically consider a company whose terminal is so far away. I've even ruled out Roehl because they are 130 miles away on the far side of Atlanta from me, and I don't care to do that much commuting every week or two. 'preciate the heads up, though.bb.

 

Regional Update -
I was disappointed to (still) not have heard from Shaw transportation, the carpet people down in Dalton, GA. I heard in the news they shut down a plant that cost 800 jobs, wonder if that has curtailed their hiring? The recruiter I spoke to 2 months ago had quit and a phone call told me my app was "probably" in the stack on the desk. Not great news. I've tried twice in the last 2 weeks to order a new app via the website but have had no response.

Watkins Shepard : got a call back from them but they are only offering north south runs up to the Chicago and New England regions - deal breaker and I said no thanks (I had hoped they might have west coast runs after seeing their terminal map).

CR England posted a dedicated Austin/Chattanooga run on-line but the recruiter knew nothing about it. I didn't argue and hung up.

USXpress has posted a TN/NJ dedicated run and I'm waiting word back.

I put my resume on line and got an offer from Shaffer, LOL! I just wrote back to him and reminded him his co-worker just pulled the rug out from under me 3 weeks ago telling me I couldn't be hired until I worked that cursed WalMart assignment for Crete. I said in my email he needs to check my name, check his other recruiter buddy, and get back to me - I will come to Shaffer in a minute, but they need to get their act together.

Finally - my first taste of regional work, maybe it's not what I expected.
I signed on to Pemberton truck lines in Knoxville agreeing to a 34cpm base even though I had told myself I needed 36cpm minimum. They promise home weekends and 2500 miles a week and drop and hook. Well, 1 out of three just ain't cutting it and I will be quitting in 2 weeks. 35% drop and hook is more like it with no detention pay for the frequent delays at live loading and unloading locations.
What I learned may be obvious to other regional drivers but not to guys used to running longer hauls. Regional runs are shorter and by nature are booked in shorter term by your boss. Meaning you get less notice for a short route and there is no "pre-planning" to allow you to help schedule your own day. Instead, finishing one trip with only a few hours left in your day, you may be told to get a load 240 miles away. Obviously they do not care about log books as long as they are legal when they cross the safety clerk's desk. I haven't run so many illegal hours (mostly 14 hour violations, not 11 hour violations) in my entire 12 years as I have in the last 3 weeks. Overnight running is typical. Pay was a surprising 32cpm and I was told that the other
2 cents are withheld as safety and mileage incentives.
Wrong answer.
I'm not getting 2200 miles so how can I meet the 2600 mile/week requirement? Well, I can meet it by running illegally but then I am in safety violation! No, you put the incentives ON TOP of the base pay.
They do get me home on weekends, but I had requested to be home on Tuesdays so I could honor my volunteer fire department obligation Tuesday evenings. I'll wait til after next weekend to tell them to bring me back to Knoxville for the last weekend of September and then inform them of my decision. That's another pain, I told them I don't have a place to secure a truck at home, I want to return to Knoxville for weekends (where my car is parked and I can commute home). 3 out of 3 weekend and they have screwed that up as well.

IF you enjoy running around the clock and not worrying about the risk you take any time you might have to hand over your logbook and get caught in violation, this company certainly has freight and contracts, but just not the kind I care to dedicate my time to (I also had a 24 layover for the first time in my driving career caused by Pemberton giving me the wrong delivery date).
So I'm back to looking at OTR work since I assume that most regional work no matter what company is running it, will be similar - its the nature of the beast I think.
I will be looking at Heartland and Roehl, and Tyson while waiting for dedicated responses from England, Shaffer, and USX. And no longer really waiting for Shaw Transportation.

Oh, and the company every one seems to love to hate, K&B out of Souix City, IA, has called me reference the local job here in Chattanooga - I'm considering that as well since the bad reports seems to be about their OTR treatment of drivers and this is a contract job for a local chicken hauling outfit with $175/day x 5 days guarantee and most nights back at home.

With luck, my next visit to these threads will be with better news.bb.