Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Nicest OTR drivers that I've met were all O/Os. "Oh, your route takes you home every night? Not bad man... just not for me. Can't do the same trip over and over again. I stay out a week or two before the wife starts raising hell over the phone."

These dudes have not a worry in the world.

THEN this thought reminded me of one of the snottier ones (company driver). I won't mention the carrier, but it was one of the ones (perhaps only one) that keeps their drivers running at 55 MPH. I passed this dude and he eventually caught up with me as I was fueling. Wearing the stereotypical Wal-Mart bought sweatpants, NASCAR t-shirt with food stains. He must have been around 25... probably loaded light in his trailer. He had to be... no way he could have legaled his drives as big as he was

"What exit is this?"

-274....

"Oh ok, cool. What's it like pulling doubles? I saw ya passing me and I was tempted to race ya to the gas station"

- Meh... not too bad really. Pain in the arse to turn, in tight city traffic... but I am about to dump them and call it a day. My terminal is just down the road

"Must be nice cruising a daycab. Us 'real' truckers ruff it out on the road! What do they start you at?"

- Daycab is not as roomy... buuut, I highly doubt the DOT officer at the scale would wave me on my way when I forget my logbook or CDL at home. "I am actually NOT one of THEM" would not work as a valid excuse. They started me out at $.41/mile.

***So here is where it gets funny

"Not too bad! I only make .39/mile, but me and my co-driver run 8,000 miles a week, so that makes up for it!!!"

***As gullible as I am, I was running the numbers through my head just to make sure it was mathematically possible to run that far ...at 55. I should have walked away, but I really wanted to see where he was going with this story. Deep down inside I was laughing a bit

-At 55 MPH, that really isn't bad to cover that much distance!!!!

"Yeah, I know, my trainer really knows how to hammer down!"

-Your trainer?

"Yeah, I am already in second phase of my training!"

-Not bad for a trainee to start out at .39/mile. I heard some of the other ones only shell out .14-.22 cpm. Why do they run you guys at 55?

"The reason they run us so slow was cuz back in 2008, one of our drivers was doing 85 MPH and lost control of his truck! He took out 22 cars on the interstate and killed 18 people! It was nuts!"

-Errrr.. look at the time. Gotta get back to my terminal. I just remembered my mechanics wanted to change out my jake brake pads... they are wearing out. Plus I just got a citation for not changing out the winter air out of my tires.

"Well you enjoy your daycab! I am gonna cruise the country! Gotta head to Seattle tonight, then be in Atlanta two days from now!"

...At 8,000 miles per week, it shouldn't take him more than a day and a half.

 

I am just waiting for someone to wail in and go "Well look at road_runner all high and mighty on his LTL (daycab) horse."

Meh... I don't think we are better than anyone else... we are truckers... just different types of truckers.

They are long distance & irregular route, shipper to receiver

We are short distance & regular route, terminal to terminal... or terminal to customer (or vice versa)

I will say this... I back better than half these guys on the road... and I bet ACH and Shaggy will whoop me in backing. And they in turn will take a spanking when compared to a guy running a yard goat all day.

...ok, yard goat drivers are NOT truckers. I don't care if they hold a CDL. Meh, time for another beer

See this: I brewed it myself!