Burned Out Local LTL Driver - Need Advice

I'm in Maine. I doubt I could get a leave of absence. They only give 5 personal days per year and 1 week vacation and weekends. It may be more than OTR was for time off but I've done OTR. Several years of it and I ran hard, yet I'm much more exhausted with this job because they try to cram so much work into so little time.

Your compleetely right about the company not loving me. I dont want to let it to beat me to death, but I also need income. While I have it, it's kind of hard to let go of it, but the schedule makes it really tough to apply for other work...

AND they have a NO COMPETITION CONTRACT with their competitors / companies we haul freight for that says they *will not hire any drivers from the company i work for until after 6 months after leaving this company*

 

I think that would be worth looking into. I have hazmat and tanker endorsements, plus experience with a straight truck hauling heating oil several years back. Bulk plants top-loaded class b trucks back than, but now they went to bottom loading only (not sure if a law was passed or what).

I'd have to learn how the loading/unloading works but it would definitely give my back a break (instead of breaking it).

 

I don't know why the place I work wants me to work so much (doesn't make sense since we get paid hourly and overtime) but they have so much freight, business is booming, instead of getting more trucks and more drivers they just pile the extra work on to drivers who already are there. Works good financially because I make "good money" with the hours worked at an hourly pay rate, but for the health detriment it's causing - I'd say I'm loosing more money than I'm making because health going downhill will catch up with me sooner or later and require more money to restore.