Pros and cons for dedicated routes ?

Groundhog Day.

 

Everyone is giving you good advice. Dedicated runs is not why most of us got into this business. We like the open road and the problems that come from having to figure out different docks and the like.

Home time is time when you are not making money. You get more with dedicated so your pay is often much less. It is a trade off. Time with family or money for the family.

Personally, I hated the dedicated runs once I figured out the fun of over the road.

 

It really depends more on what your personality is, than anything else. If you love to drive, but aren't interested in being away from home a lot, if you don't get bored too easily, or have found a way to deal with that boredom, and if you are a people person, it can be a great life running more or less the same route all the time. But like any other job, it can get old.

I am seeing more negativity on here towards dedicated, than I personally feel. But everyone is different.

 

Dedicated Route or Dedicated Account ?

We do a Dedicated Account at US Xpress.

Pros:
1. Drop & Hook
2. Light loads
3. Easy docks
4. See the same people on a regular basis
5. Still see the entire country
6. Customers let us park at their yard for the night.
7. Drop trailer & bobtail anywhere(makes shopping, going to the movies, date night, etc. possible)

Con

My only complaint is hometime but that's trucking in general lol

The Pros and Cons all depends on which Dedicated Account you get on.

 

Good luck, Murph!

 

I have the best of both worlds. Intermodal local in Chicago.

10-15 different shippers/receivers. All familiar faces when I check in. One week I will see the same place two or three times. Sometimes I will not see them for a few weeks.

Oh, and home every night!!!

Mikeeee

 

I am on a dedicated account and I like it.. for a few reasons.. I get more CPM than OTR, I get good accessorie pay, I am nome on weekends so I save money on food, laundry and such.. I believe I am treated better by my fleet manager than the OTR drivers are.. because there is not shortage of OTR drivers, there is always another driver they can give your load to.. on my dedicated it is better for my fleet manager to keep his drivers happy then to be out a driver..

It can be the same old thing if you let it be, I dont always take the same route... depending o. Now much time I have on a load.. if I need to get there fast I roll on the interstate, if I have time I take the back highways...

I dont worry about getting miles, I know I will always run at least 2500 miles a week.. I do t worry about not having a good pay check.. on a bad week, truck in shop, or delays I will still always bring in at least $700 take home.. but again that is on a bad week.. that is the lowest I ever make..

I like being on a dedicated.. if i get burned out on this account, i can switch to another..

Also, because I am out for a week and home every weekend, I run a 5 state area.. my time and miles are considered OTR experience...

The bad thing.. is you have to be a safe and responsible driver.. the accounts are important to the company so you can just walk in to the customer looking like a slob, smelling or being rude.. you will get yanked from the account right away.. but, I like to be neat, clean and showered and I am personable.. so it is not a worry or concern for me..

I am on a dedicate that is mostly drop and hook.. we have some live loads, but, we get in and out fast.. I rarely have to wakt for a doc assigment.. I just call when I am 30 minutes out and they tell me what doc to get I to.. it does piss off the drivers who have been waiting or who get bumped back while I get loaded.. ssame with the unload.. we get in and out...

Right now, I am at the terminal having my trailer worked on.. I got pushed to the front of the line because they need me out rolling as soon as possible... so, they put my trailer right in the bay..

 

We had a driver at GSF that bid to run the beach in the winter and the mtns in summer....did it for years.. you gotta love a high bid/seniority spot......