3 yrs of OTR experience and thinking about pulling doubles for OD. Need help

I've never worked for Old Dominion but n the local driver world they're pretty good. A friend of.mine who works for SEFL said it takes an act of congress to work for ODFL. Running line haul from NM to DFW sounds like a sweet run. If I ever left my company its either SEFL, ODFL, or YRC (they took a 15% pay cut and still one of the top paying LTL outfits.)

 

My husband has been employed for almost 6 years with OD, with 12 years experience. He has worked several trucking jobs, but he LOVES working at OD.
Starting pay increases most years, as does the pay per mile for all drivers, usually it's announced in August & goes in effect September. There is only one year there was no raise given in the 6 years my husband has worked for them; that was the 1st year of insane fuel prices (gouging).
I drove for them for almost 2 years, but had to leave (my decision, not theirs) due to a medical condition that requires medications I can't ride a tricycle on! My husband & I were driving team at the time, so the $$$ was REALLY good... Our combined take home was between $8000 - $10,000/month. We were on our way to grossing around $150,000 for the year before I got hurt on the job, then was diagnosed with a neurological malfunction.
The solos make less per mile. The top pay for solos (which is what you'd be driving) is about .54/mile. That pay will probably increase in September. You'd be making less than that to start, but would be at top pay on your 2nd anniversary. Who knows how much that will be! You'll get a raise every 6 months, plus one in September (most likely). Drop & hook pay is everytime you hook & drop. I'm not sure how much that is, but my husband & I notice a difference in the paychecks when he has more than the usual number of hooks & drops. The dolly's aren't bad to handle, especially if you get a 2 wheel dolly (super singles). Even I could move those around without any problem.
The benefits are great!! We have not had issues with the medical, dental or vision insurances paying on time; they have never given us grief over paying a claim.... I MISS WORKING AT OD, but my coverage is still the same through my hubby!
Your weekly pay is dependent on how many hours of your 70 your willing to burn. Of course the miles have to be there. After 1 year, you get 1 week paid vacation (9 hours x hourly rate), and 2 PTO days. The hourly rate is substantial!!
As far as time off, you would have to speak to your driver supervisor or terminal manager to determine what their needs are vs. your needs. Also, my hubby had the pleasure of meeting the terminal manager there in Albuquerque earlier today & says she was very nice.
When they say "open door policy", that is exactly what they mean. They even post the CEO's direct number if you have an issue that isn't handled appropriately, if you have an unusual request, whatever! Buddy doesn't usually answer his phone right away, but he always returns phone calls. Very down to earth, practical and generous company, all without a union! LOL
As far as training, it depends on the experience you have & I'm not surt if you'd have to go with a driver/trainer or not. If you do, it'd be a minimal amount of time. I had only been driving for 1 year when I applied to OD, so I had to go with a driver/trainer for 2 weeks.

Hopefully you have applied with them, and if you have, best of luck getting on with them. Even some time away from home a couple or few nights a week for a few years will have it's own benefits in job security, pay, benefits and with time, seniority. You won't find a trucking company out there that pays this well, or treats you as well as OD.

 

Great info thanks so much. I have heard great things about ths company.