Can you dictate your own hours OTR?

Forgive me if I'm wrong about how this works, I'm still learning!

As a company OTR driver, do they expect you to run the max hours you can every day and then reset? Or do you have the freedom to evenly spread out your driving hours over the course of the week?

 

Most loads are expected to pick up on a certain date and deliver on a certain date. I own my own company but I still have to deliver on time. Most times I can say I can't deliver on that date and they say ok. Not sure if you can do that as a company driver.

 

Ah, ok. So it basically depends on the timing on a load-by-load basis.

 

Pretty much. A company with a lot of freight will try and push you. The more miles they get out of you the more they make. I'm sure others will chime in but I'll be it varies a lot from company to company.

 

Some weeks you will run harder then others. You will get some overnite runs. As far as telling your company you cant deleiver on time, well that ain't gonna work.

 

yes, nothing is the same.

Basically you have pick up and delivery appointments or sometimes windows... as long as you're on time the company doesn't really care how you manage your day.
Just be smart about it.. for example, don't pu/del when your clock is almost up unless you know you can take your break at the customer.

It works both ways, or example you might not have extra time to stop for anything. OR you might have an extra 9 hours to burn and could go to a mall or play video games.
Always different, including your sleep schedule.. especially if you do reefer.

Makes it more interesting but sometimes stressful.
OTR does give you a lot of flexibility guys like in LTL or local don't have.
Either you enjoy it or you don't.
Me, I'd get bored seeing and doing the same things all the time.
If I wanted that I'd get an office or retail job lol.

 

I see, your a lease driver, (glorified company driver)

 

Ya, what he said!!! Good post

 

A Lease driver means the company has you by the ____.

 

how do you know?
I don't see where poster said if he was lease or company