J.B Hunt Intermodel

My statement is I don't want to work 12 plus hours a day. If you do 14, go home, eat, get sleep, wake up, eat, drive to work, what have you done but live for the truck?

I used to do that local, and got more rest and home time OTR. Of course, that was before mega carriers and new drivers thought the only way a truck is supposed to run is 7 days a week, and maybe get home for a day or two every few months, if lucky. That is not a life, nor is working all day, going home just enough to sleep, and back at it again.

I will catch flack for this, but that's the way I feel. When I first started I wanted to live in the truck, and I did. 3500 to 4700 miles a week was the norm. Sunday evening until Friday evening with being home during the week.(didn't keep logs and drove all I could) It cost me a marriage, and surely didn't do any good for my health. If a person is not married nor want's a social life outside a truck, that's fine. I just decided that is not for me these days. Money is fine, but you won't be spending it if you're dead.

 

Very understandable. I currently have an hour commute one way to work so whenever I work a 12 hr day I'm really putting in a 14 hour day. Which is extremely brutal especially if I work a 14 hour day because it's really a 16 hour day. I literally can't physically and mentally handle working 6 days a week because of all the extra time I spend commuting to work. Right now I'm working only 12 hour a day or less and have been doing that successfully for the last few months. I should make between 55-60K this year working 12 hours or less each day and never working a 6th day. Also I'll be moved into my new place on Thursday and only have a 20 minute commute to work each day which helps severely.

For all the OTR drivers out there thinking about getting a local job. Make sure you live close to where you are applying to because if you don't live close working long hours and having a long commute before you get to work and after you put in a 11, 12, or 13 hour day will beat you up.

 

Long hours for the most part are a part of the trucking industry. The numbers I quoted (50k new driver, 65k exp driver) assume the driver wants to work 12 hrs or more regularly. But working 12 plus hrs per day is not required. Where I work they say they expect you to work at least 9 hours. And in reality that doesn't mean you have to even work 9 hours each day. It just means they don't want you to refuse dispatches if you've only worked 6-7 hours . But I know several drivers who work 40-45 hrs per week. They might only make 40-44k a year but some of them have other income streams and don't need to kill themselves to make more.
They do allow you to work less if you communicate with them and are productive during the hours you are there.

 

I'm an anti social vampire any ways lol, so I didnt mind working overnight an busting my arse 12-14 hrs a day. But in Haslet it was the same. We had guys like me who work work work for whatever reason, an we also had guys who'd work 8-10 hours. Its all what you wanna do, communication, an work ethics while your there. Loads went down due to the increase in drivers, an I need consistency in work. Thats why I left, but I have absolutely nothing negative to say about J.B other than d/fw traffic. Thats the job though. They were great to me, an always willing to work with me on personal, family issues, time off, short days, etc. Like I've said previously I don't know about otr or regional but local side is great as long as you follow policies an cya.

 

I worked for jb hunt intermodal out of Elizabeth,nj. it was ok but slip seats is the make or break for me and having to clean up my truck because the other guy driving it was a pig it was a no go...I just to work until I hit my 300 dollars daily (getting paid by the move) and going home some days I worked 6 hours others my 11.

 

I start orientation march 10th 2014. I will be running intermodal regional. I start at .40 a mile. Not sure if there is stop pay but they said 14hr for delay or detention time. I am looking forward to no touch freight. I have been unloading freight for 20yrs now.im only 30min from Haslet. Right now I have a hour drive to work so I am looking forward to this change.

 

I don't understand the detention time or live unload stuff. Anybody run out of Kansas City? I work for a LTL company now and am thinking about working for JB Hunt doing intermodal. But if I want to make sure that I'm not leaving a gravy job for something that doesn't pay as much for as more work than I do now.

 

moved up my Orientation a week early. I started Monday the 3rd. I am released and ready to work. I go to Haslet Monday morning the 10TH for another classroom day of instructions on rail stuff, then Tuesday I run with a local driver. Off WED/THUR Then start my solo regional.

Talked to my FM and he was cool. Told me I would have these days off for 90 days or until I show I can run and do elogs correctly. Sounds ez enough..

Only problem I had with orientation is it was not much info for experienced drivers. There were many drivers with 3 to 6 months xp so I just had to deal with it and put in my time. I was in a class that had about 18 people, 4 local intermodal,3 o/o intermodal,2 regional intermodal and the others were otr or truckload regional. DCS Had their own class. I was told that in a few weeks all intermodal orientation will be in Haslet.
Orientation was just to long. they need a shorter orientation for experienced drivers, I think they could get more to go to JB if they did that..

Looking forward to this new gig. I will update you after my first week or 2

 

orientation seemed like it was long because your an experienced driver.. They cover mostly for the newbies. congrats and welcome aboard

 

in the long run, intermodal will make you good money. You will make more if you want to run. I have friends that are on intermodal out of KC and they are all local now. there is the ability to make a lot of money with JB