LTL?

Well, seeing as I only ran LTL for a few months, my best advice is: Get in with a good company (USF Holland, Con-way,etc.). I pulled for Central Transport ( Charlotte Express), and it was pretty awful.

First off, He will need to have 1-2 years of OTR experience to qualify. Then, most likely he will have to start off by running nighttime linehaul (I used to run Detroit-Indy and back, M-F); some companies will require him to work the dock at his turn point, others will not. After that, he gets to turn and burn home. But still count on working 10-14 hours.
Also, while running linehaul (typically), you get paid by the mile for driving, and any time on the dock is paid hourly.
And, some LTL companies have longer runs, where hubby would leave the house, spend his break in a motel, and then drive back the following day (Ex: USF has a run, from Grand Rapids to Gallipolis,OH). But even then, compared to OTR, he will get more time at home, typically make more (and more consistent) money, and benes are better.

 

From USF Holland's view point:

As a linehaul driver you will run from terminal to terminal. Depending on the hour if the terminal is open, the driver will park, walk in the break room, punch the clock, turn his paper work in, and wait for dispatch to tell him he is ready to leave for the next destination.

If by chance the terminal is closed: The driver will be expected to drop freight, pick up freight, switch trailers, whatever is necessary to be done after calling central dispatch and then on to the next destination.

 

So that's where you work, eh CG?

 

Never heard of them!

 

I've driven linehaul for both Conway and Usf Reddaway. I've enjoyed working nights but the worst part is that you are tired all week, and on the weekend don't catch up on sleep until Sunday night and finally feel rested on Monday to get ready for Mon night. Or, for me, I can stay up and sleep normal hours on the weekends but feel tired, grumpy and miserable. Definately not pleasant to be around. LTL is just another form of trucking. Not better, not worse than OTR. P&D LTL, however is excellent for Mon thru Friday work, good sleep, good pay, good quality family time. And, you can have very little driving experience and still get a job with ltl companies. It's just that the timing has to be right when companies hire and need drivers. So, if you want it, just go try and keep trying....

 

Great post Mack (and Cruz), you worded the LTL experience perfectly.

The daytime insomnia was the toughest part for me, well, it got really tough when I'd have to wait at my terminal for a truck to return BEFORE I could start my run. And, if that waiting (which could be as long as two hours) wasn't enough, I'd get to Indy and be sitting there as well (indy was one of the terminals that road drivers couldn't work the dock). try sleeping in a daycab with only one seat! And then, nothing was more fun than getting called by Indy dispatch to turn and burn back to Detroit with the same empty I brought, because the realy from KC or St Louis (or Crashville) never made it.
Now, all this being said, it hasn't soured me on running nightime linehaul for an LTL, just like I said, I will do it for one of the better companies out there (with any luck, USF).

 

Yes, and LTL jobs are, in my opinion, probably the best way overall to go trucking.

I was with overnite(now UPS freight), FedEx freight, and NEMF (new england motor freight).

These were probably the best jobs overall i've had in trucking, even though OTR pays a little more.

It's a little different now in that there's more pressure----more stops and less time to do them. But it's still a good gig.

The best job out of all of them was NEMF; All we did was drive terminal to terminal and no doubles---they use mostly 53's and some 48's for linehaul! The only bad thing was it was all at night---say 10pm to about 7am; That was tough. If i was to do it again, i might try moving next door to the terminal, seriously! i made anywhere from $650-750 per week with them. Weekends off. Sat afternoon and sunday completely off anyways.