Can you go local anywhere after OTR?

I pull in $90-$100k every year as a local driver. But it’s hard work. Get up at 1230 am, get home at 2/3 pm. Get in a walk or workout, eat a piece of salmon and go to bed. Wife helps me out by packing my lunch. I have no family time during the week. But, she doesn’t have to work and can take care of the little ones. It’s a sacrifice.

 

It depends on the company and the pay structure. Dedicated runs are basically just like OTR, you just make the same run with the same mileage every week, so you're making the same amount of money. Regional runs can be like local runs where you have pick ups and deliveries in a specific area and you might get additional pay per delivery or a percentage of the load, but there is more physical work. For guys that run straight OTR it's all about getting the most miles, and you might be sitting for days waiting for a load, or you might be away from home most of the time just to get the high miles. Dedicated runs are definitely less stress and you're home more often. At least for me those routes paid as much or better than OTR.

 

My runs Thursday and Friday were 625 miles and two stops, plus waiting over 1.5 hrs both days on the load. Tomorrow’s load, boss calls me and says hey, you’re run is 3 stops and a little over 600 miles. I think you can make it, if you run out of time you should be within 20 miles of the terminal and we can come get you. Awesome, huh? But I get to sleep in my own bed (fist pumping in the air) and I am home daily after up to 14 hrs at work.

 

I left otr for local p&d I average about a 11 hr workday and average 1200-1300 a week and have the option of running linehaul on weekends. P&d work is pretty easy, easier than tankers

 

You have options in east Tennessee. Really you have local options all the way across the state. In the east, Averitt has a terminal in Knoxville. You could probably run line haul or dedicated with them. I know Old Dominion has a location there. I'd try them too. Even if you looked closer to Nashville, check out Firstfleet. They're in Murfreesboro, and they have a day can fleet

 

You have Star, First Express, Pam, Wolf Creek, Ceva, US Express. Averitt, Schneider, Venture, etc that all have runs near Nashville. And even..Western Express. Plenty more on CL.

 

Have to call or get on CL and read the ad.