Burned Out Local LTL Driver - Need Advice

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by BurnedOut, Oct 26, 2014.

  1. Disgruntledriver

    Disgruntledriver Light Load Member

    I just read the thread and wanted to chime in. BurnedOut I feel your pain man. You definitely have it worse than me. I've done all out physical delivery stuff before in the past and it can really mess you up, I got out of it in (I hope) enough time to save my back. I know what you mean about long hours too. I usually work 12-13 hours a day, 6 days a week. Big problem for me is due to current construction work a normally 20 minute commute is about 45 minutes right now, so that doesn't help. My one off day a week is spent washing clothes, buying groceries and preparing for the next week. Very little if any fun time at all. I love driving a truck, if only we could have a 9-10 hour day and still make a decent living, I think there would be a better vibe in the entire industry. At least we aren't alone, I know many of us local, LTL and even OTR get overworked quite commonly... I agree with whoever said the DOT rules are set up in a way to almost make it worse than better. I think when a trucker clocks in, he/she should HAVE to clock out 10 hours later, doesn't matter what you do between then. That would fix a lot of problems, but then again all they would do is cut our pay.
     
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  3. Marksteven

    Marksteven Road Train Member

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    Maybe the OP needs a B-12 shot? :biggrin_25523:
     
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  4. Mack185

    Mack185 Medium Load Member

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    What kind of crap LTL outfit you running for? My guess is Central or R&L. I'd be looking at other LTL outfits, they are NOT all the same.
     
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  5. Big Don

    Big Don "Old Fart"

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    B-12 huh. Does that mean he needs 12 shots of Bourbon?:biggrin_2559:
     
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  6. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

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    Being in Maine, it could be either Ross express or land air to.

    I have been In a daycab since I was 18, could t even leave the state of MA until I was 21. Peddling ~500 pieces of 200% touch freight with a hand truck gor 18-20+ stops a day, I am 25 now hauling an frameless dump now with a sleeper, I leave Monday and I am home with a nice cold beer in hand by 2 pm Friday,. I will never drive another ########## day cab again. I make more money and sleep so much better now
     
  7. Brandonpdx

    Brandonpdx Road Train Member

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    LTL P&D is pretty much the unglorified grunt work who's only real redeeming quality is the hours and schedule. For guys with families it's an understandable compromise, but it's often nasty work for what IMO anyway is not nearly enough money at the end of the week to make me want to ever be a freight guy again. They've got some crumby ma and pa outfits around here offering $19/hr NO overtime. The third world immigrant, English-ain't-my-first-language crowd can fight over those jobs delivering crap all day in Brooklyn, Queens, etc. Been there done that. The reputable companies pay $20-25/hr which is decent money in some parts of the country but doesn't get you far in the bigger cities once Uncle Sam and your state get their hooks into you. $25/hr to start feels a bit more fair for that kind of work and $30+ for top scale.
     
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  8. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    You think that's bad? About two years ago a local LTL outfit around here offered me $16 an hour straight time (no overtime.) LOL You've got to be an idiot to agree to drive a tractor trailer for that. Shame on the guys who do it. They are only selling themselves short and depressing wages.
     
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  9. tjcase85

    tjcase85 Bobtail Member

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    Sounds like my job. Although in food service you have to unload piece by piece. Sometimes down stacking a whole skid to find one piece.... 15 stops a day, 800 + cases a day. Up stairs, down stairs, 14 hour days. Only 1 day off a week. Yeah I feel you man, you get burned out quick.
     
  10. true blue

    true blue Medium Load Member

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    thcase85, your body will break down much sooner. I used to do that job up in New England, NY & NJ. Up and down the rickety stairs in old restaurants, handtrucking all day, stuck roll-up doors, yanking on heavy pallets, etc. When I saw stairs that were oily or dangerous and they wouldn't let me leave it at the top, I'd just let go of the hand truck and let it bounce down the stairs and leave a big mess at the bottom for them to clean up. Then they'd say, "Oh, never mind, just leave it all upstairs." Figured that was the best way to not destroy my back. Anyway, I'd encourage you to save your back and knees and get out of that as soon as you can. I know the money is probably pretty good, but like BigDon said in his post, "It's not worth it."
     
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  11. true blue

    true blue Medium Load Member

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    BurnedOut, I've been where you are. Moved from New England down here to the Carolinas. Best move I ever made.
    Drove for one of the non-union companies working straight time some 20 years ago. Same life you're describing. I'd have to say the Lord got me out of it, because I didn't have time to look for another job as I was always burned out. My wife used to say it's like you're gone all week and then you sleep on weekends. Yup, no life. My input is to listen to BigDon. Just find a way to get out of it. It's not going to be any good for your body or your health. If you want work and are open to moving, NC, SC, GA are great for trucking jobs. I eventually got my own truck in '97 and leased on to some companies before getting my own authority in 2000. I decide if I want to do a load or not and choose my work carefully. I'm home a whole lot more and am far more rested. I don't live on the road, have a KW with a stepdeck and a 53' van so I can run whatever freight is prime at the time and don't have to run open deck in the crappy weather. I run some local, some regional and some long. It's so much more agreeable for my body, my health and my marriage. Can get together with friends every now and then and go to events like family reunions, weddings, seminars, etc. - WITHOUT asking for time off - which usually was denied. In LTL, they'd always say, "Yeah, we'll see if we can get you off early tomorrow." Only problem was, there was always freight to pick up. The only way to get time off was to call in sick. That's what you'll have to do to find another job, looks like. You also might consider looking for a job with a private carrier. Usually, they have dedicated routes and better hours and pay. Money isn't everything.
     
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