Two Questions come to mind!

changing the oil thats no big deal. just more hot to the touch. and make sure you changed the filter also.

you can stay out as long as you like but then you have a problem of getting burned out. it's good to take a break from the truck every once in awhile to feel like as i like to say human again.

 

I think that's kind of a myth that you make much more by staying out longer. You are going to establish an average income per day, and that's pretty much what you make. The key is in productive loads, not in staying out for long periods of time. If the load is right, you can be home several times a week and still make out well financially, and if you haul poor paying loads, or badly scheduled loads that waste your time, you gain nothing for bunking in the truck each night. The key is in being productive, and in the people that you work for seeing you as a productive asset that they want to make the best use of. Then, if those standards are applied, the money will follow. Money follows mximizing your potential, not merely spending hours away from home.

Oil changes should always be done somewhat warm to make the oil flow better. Not as crucial in summer as in winter, for obvious reasons.

 

Lil, this person's advice is more geared to one who is going to be an O/O. Are you going to be? In this day and age, if you're an O/O and you don't run pretty much 29 days a month, you'll be history fairly soon, maybe even VERY soon. Staying out on the road is pretty much a necessity outside the specialized niches like the one he's in. If you're starting out as a company driver, there won't be anything 'niche' about what you'll be doing. Some weeks you'll do well, other weeks not so much. Welcome to the world of OTR trucking.

Many times you yourself will be productive, but the bottleneck will be your company, as insiders may not know (or care) how to maximize your productivity.

This person is also talking as though you will have a choice as far as your loads go. You will if you're going to be an O/O. You won't if you're going the company driver route. I don't know which you'll be doing, as I haven't read your other posts. Forgive me if I've skipped over some critical info. In the real world of OTR trucking, whatever your company gives you, you will have to take, at least at most outfits. Some outfits though, such as Crete, offer choices when dispatched. We all wish we pulled flour trucks and could enjoy the pampered life of the niche. In such a regime, we can choose our loads and maximize our productivity to our heart's content. It's be sweet, wouldn't it? Anyway, let's leave his reality and get back to yours......

He is right about the attitude thing. If you have a good attitude and are efficient, you'll do fine IF your company is in turn efficient enough to maximize your efforts. However, monkey wrenches get thrown into the works, such as bad weather, waiting at docks, breakdowns, slow freight periods, and so on from time to time that will effect your ability to do what you want to do no matter how efficient you are or your company is. This goes for both O/Os and company drivers. Such is the nature of the beast.

 

I don't make more money by staying out otr longer, but I enjoy my hometime when I do go home....My grands are the reason I go home...

 

Hey Liltruck: the answers are:
Yes, let your motor run (for about 5 mins if cold), warm oil drains faster.

And Yes, most companies will let a driver stay out longer, but it doesn't neccesarily mean more money (in the end).

Burky's advise is really good, provided your company (or in this case, your fella's co) gives him choice of loads and/or works with him to keep him loaded and maximize his productivity. But as you can/have seen, it is no guarantee that his paycheck will reflect it.
Unless his company takes a week (or more) to get him into their freight lanes, where he can make the most money. Then it might be better for him to stay out an extra week, but when it's time to come home, he will always take a hit on his pay. It's just the way OTR sometimes works.