Is the worst local job better than the best OTR job?

There are many types of local jobs. Not all are P&D, or LTL.

My local job, 12 hours or less 5 days a week, then 2 days off. 2 or three loads a day, from the middle of no where to a tank farm.

Some would hate it, other love it.

 

Um...do you want to be local or OTR?

Theres your answer, lol.

 

First, Irregardless isn't a word!

To Answer, to me, in most cases yes!

No doubt there are a lot of OTR guys making very healthy livings out there BUT.........

I did nothing but read of all the OTR guys getting screwed when that start out making $35-40k year, I made almost $46k straight out of school and went home every night driving local, I left because that wasn't enough. At my new job I make a little over $1k/week, and again home for my wife and kid EVERY night! I also get paid OT after my 8th hour on, I get weekends off, 8 paid holidays, a pension, When I'm in traffic I'm getting PAID, when I'm held up at a shipper/receiver for hours I'm getting PAID, so ya I'd say Local is better in many cases. I'd say pay and preference has a LOT to do with it, you gotta be happy with that to make the job/career worth it.

 

Yeah, I make more being home every night than most OTR drivers make.

I'm really shocked how little $ some OTR guys are willing to take.

Though there are some OTR Owner Operators making bank.

 

I dunno, I ran regional for two years, and local for 12 years. With regional, I definitely was able to get more sleep, albeit in a truck stop reeking of urine. Now I sleep a little less, but in my own king size bed everyday. And I get to see my kids grow up.

With the regional job, I ran a 2008 International 9200, with all the emissions issues. Broke down once a month. Here at my current gig, I stated with a 2004 Freightshaker classic glider. Which never left me sit. I'm currently in a 2013 Western Star 4900ex glider, and I won't give it up for anything. And last week I was given a new trailer to pull. (We pull the same trailer all the time)

Money here is a little better, but my living expenses went way down as well.

So, yeah, local works well for me right now, but if I had no kids or wife, I'd be running OTR tanker....if and only if the pay was better than here

 

I started off doing OTR and hated it. I currently have a job in Chicago pulling containers out of rail yards for 21 an hour with overtime after 40. I make between 1,100,1,300 a week working 50/57 hours a week. I pull three/four loads out a day then park my truck and take a short trip home. I love it, the work is easy and I get paid for absolutely everything I do.
Waiting at a dock to get unloaded? no problem brah, take your time.

 

I run local P&D for an LTL company. I sweat my ### off in the summer on the dock and jumping in and out of the truck for deliveries. I work with a bunch of diva ########. My boss doesn't know his ### from a hole in the ground. I barely manage 40 hours per week making $22.50/hour. So basically I took a huge pay cut to be home every night for the family and I've been doing this for two years now. I WILL NOT be doing this forever. Maybe a couple more years, if that, so the youngest can get a little older and I am going back over the road.
Oh I forgot to mention the wear and tear on my body. I've injured my knees twice on the job and finally recovered from that. I get home and my joints tighten up and I can barely move. OTR is so much better!

 

Gee, THANKS!! Now I want a Cinnabon!

 

It does actually depend on what an individual is happy with. Some folks love " the road " some like being home everyday.

I drove for a food distribution company for 33 years , retired in 2011. Only stayed overnight on layover runs , but they were regulated to only 2 runs per week. Finally got enough time in and got to bid on a 3 dsy a week run , stayed with that til I retired. Not the same run , different bid cycles you could change areas. I usually bid coastal runs in winter time , and mountain runs during the summer. But always under 40 hours per week. Mostly the same longer run on Mondays and Thursdays with a shorter one onWednesday. Then off Friday , Saturday , Sunday.

 

I know right? I've had better, but I'm not home to make them and I'm nowhere near West Edmonton Mall.

Trying to be good...yet there just so happens to be a Cinnabon inside the flying peelot I'm parked at.