Regional ?

I love it. One day out, reload, come home. Maybe do a local. Never spend more than 3nights a week in the truck. But I've got a special needs kid and need to help out my wife a little more than most.

 

Advantages are reset at home in most cases. Limited time on the road and a break from the truck every week with a couple days at home.
Disadvantage is that you can make more money by staying out longer periods of time. Most of my runs are two days out and two days back but changes weekly.
Personally I like the schedule but wish money was a little better.

 

See I disagree. I make more in local stuff, but lots more work chaining and unchaining all day.

 

Agree 100%. Local is more of a money maker. At least it works for me. I know the right people. You gain all this knowledge throughput the years. It doesn't happen over night.

 

I was comparing regional with otr. Understood that some of the local guys are paid by the hour and agree you can make good money doing that. I am paid hourly on local runs and would not make as much if paid by the mile on those runs. Can make around $1000 weekly "regional" and home on the weekends averaging about 2000 miles and complete reset at home. Working a dedicated hazmat tanker route and most routes are two days out and two days back with a shorter run (hourly pay in some cases) toward the end of the week. Could get more miles and make more money if willing to stay on the road for longer periods of time but enjoy the home time. I personally like the weekly travel as long as I get to reset at home but everyone is different and what works for me probably wouldn't work for someone else.

 

I came into the trucking industry as a flat deck driver out of school. A few months ago, the company came to me and asked me to be a "backup" bulk driver. Since then, I've pretty much been about 25% bulk, 75% deck and all regional/city. I left the OTR lifestyle after 5 months because I couldn't take living out of the truck for 5-6 days at once.

It just wasn't for me, but I *love* my job and am looking forward to the next 25+ years. Today I came to the conclusion that I like bulk work just as much as deck work, after not being to fond of it to begin with.

 

The route depends on the product you are hauling. Just about all of gasoline runs are local and are seldom paid by the mile. However, other products are hauled OTR or regional and if you know where to look can be the best job you might have.