Going from LTL back to OTR

You're not crazy. Do what makes you happy. I preferred OTR 48 states over local. One company kind of pressured me into driving local & short runs plus working in the office, so I quit. From my experience, I would recommend staying away from dryvan OTR. You will make more money flatbed, reefer,tanker.

 

The thing I don't like about most local, or ltl, jobs is the hours. Getting up at 2-3am to be at work by 4-5am or earlier and working til the sun goes down. You add in clean up time if it is a job where you get dirty, commute, various other odds and ends. You're lucky to have 1-2 hrs to eat and spend time doing something you like. And that's if you're willing to sleep less.

Of course, if you have a family, it is worth it to have the little bit of time each day for most. Whatever happened to working 8 hours a day and making $50,000 with vacation and weekends off? lol

 

Stick it out and try to get a linehaul spot if you can.

If I had to go OTR, I would turn in my CDL in a heartbeat. I run about 3-400 miles a night and the crap I see plus the stuff I read about dealing with shippers, no thanks. I have a short fuse and i wouldnt be able to handle it.

LTL can be a #####, I live it sometimes, but atleast you can have some semblance of a normal life. So stick it out for a little while longer. Are you at the bottom of the board?

 

Your not crazy, I had the same idea once but it was to go local flatbed and quit OTR. To me it dont matter what age, but I think if someone should choose to go local instead, it should be for hometime. I also do think OTR is way better, but like Chinatown said, I would recommend flatbed, reefer, and tanker than dry van.

 

OTR is only for certain people. Dont expect to be able to keep a GF while doing OTR. OTR has ruined many good marriages. Its more of a lifestyle then a job. Depending on what kind of company you get into and how they work it you may end up putting in 80 - 90 hrs a week,.. well above just the 70 you log.

OTR you will fall into one of 2 directions in my opinion. You either run hard and then they see that you will run hard and expect you to continue running that hard day in and day out. You will have no semblance of a real life at that point. Or,.. you will struggle to make loads on time for what ever reason,.. or turn down loads trying to get the better paying long hauls. They will fault you for this and have you sitting in between loads, you would continue down that path until you finally quit or get fired.

From my experience its difficult to work for a company doing OTR and finding a balance between personal time and work time. With OTR, one makes you money,.. the other does not.

I dont want to discourage you from trying OTR if you have your heart set on it. But its a completely different way of life.

Hurst

 

since you have no kids, consider moving to a heavy freight area. i transferred from NYC to reno for a linehaul spot.

No wife, kids or anything to hold me back.

 

Smart move; no personal income tax in Nevada!

 

I didnt know that. My wife wants to live in Vegas but I was against it. I may have to look into this.
I know I dont want to live in Reno. Man how do you handle that? I would struggle just getting used to being 'stuck' in Vegas.

Thanks.