OTR or Dedicated after orientation?

im just curious as to what dedicated u guys have beside the dollars stores

 

I noticed something on their site about some trucks including gps units and satellite radios. I'd probably be willing to try out their gps at least (provided that I don't have to pay for it that is, lol!), but if I'd rather just buy my own satellite radio and pay for the subscription myself (not have it deducted from my paychecks), could I at least get them to remove theirs from the truck? I know it sounds like maybe a weird question, but I've got my reasons.

Actually, let me rephrase and simplify my question. If I don't want one or either of those gadgets, should my truck be equipped with them, can I simply have them removed, in favor of my own personal belongings - gadgets?

 

The GPS in the USX Trucks is part of the DriverTech system that. Your Elogs and everything to do from company e-mail to shipper/receiver information is on this system.

The SAT radio is built into the factory radio in the truck. The SAT radio is not enabled. You are more them welcome to use your own SAT Radio and your own GPS too.

Side Note - You are given a Route Solution and a Fuel Solution that you have to follow, or they can charge you out of route and then charge you 1 dollar per mile for running out of route. There are some cases where you can be running out of route and not be dinged for this.

 

Well that's good to know. I've heard of that type of setup before with a gps built into the qualcomm, or I guess in this case the DriveTech system (that I'm less familiar with). That is basically what I was wanting to know, that there will still at least be room for my stuff.

Now on the subject of running out of route. You've got my curiosity. That's normally not a problem for me to stick to the suggested route, as it is anyway. But what kind of circumstances would they allow you to run out of route and not get dinged? If in fact they really do that.

 

If you run into a detour not an issue. I think it becomes an issue when you run exsesive miles out of route with no explanation. I have also heard they can also use it when they want to go after someone too. In most cases, just tell your FM why you were out of route.

 

Well generally speaking, the only times I tend to find myself running out of route is when the route consists mostly of US or state highways, and instead of being able to just take a few interstates to go most of the way, I find myself with a route with like 10-20+ US highways, state highways, small town main streets, and everything else in between. Makes it a little bit harder sometimes to hit every single little street and 2 mile stretch of highway I'm supposed to hit that way, to me. For instance, when I was last driving for Werner, there was one particular run they loved to give me on almost a weekly basis...running a 3M load from Socorro, TX (just outside of El Paso), to a Freymiller/Werner drop yard in Oklahoma City, OK. Well if you look at a map, you'll notice that there's no interstate running between those two cities, and there's not even all that much of a direct route either. You pretty much have to either take the I-10 to the I-20 to about Midland, TX, and from there there's about 2 or 3 US & State highways you have to catch to get to the I-27 in Lubbock, on up to Amarillo, to eventually the I-40, the rest of the way to OKC. Either that or the route I wound up finding to be a little bit shorter (although you have to go a lot further to get to your first major truck stop) was the US 54 to the US 70 to the US 60...I-27, I-40.
But anyway, that was different with them (Werner). I always said there was only two things that I enjoyed about working for Werner...that they allowed you to decide when and where and how much to fuel on your own, so long as you're hitting one of their fuel network truck stops. The other nice thing is that they not only allowed you to drive out of route, but they pretty much preferred you make your own route and stick to it (within reason, without going too far out of route of course).

 

Hey I am head to Dalton GA for orientation how is an what to expect.

 

Missing a turn is not what they mean by going out of route. I've even run the PA turnpike instead of that BS route they gave me and nobody said a thing.

What they don't want you to do is take a major detour to conduct personal business, like heading over to Tampa to visit family when you are routed down I95 to Miami.

Also, the DT will often say you are out of route when you aren't. They can see that you are not out of route so don't panic when that shows up. I've made my own route and it didn't show me as going off route as well.