Curious about LTL Truck driving.

What are some good companies to work for as a LTL driver?

All major players. Typically they've all been around since the 70s.
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What type of stuff would I be expected to do as part of the job?

Drive against traffic. Dock in areas not meant for semi-trucks. Back against on coming traffic.
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What are LTL working conditions typically like?

Varies by climate your either in the truck, or in the trailer
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What kind of experience would I need to get into a LTL job and would flat bed/boom truck experience be enough?

Typically just driving experience in general is that they look for. Flatbed experience may not be useful as flatbeds don't typically back.
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What steps can I take to prepare myself for a good LTL job?

Practice backing in difficult areas, but there's really nothing that can prepare you other than experience. Gotta love blind backing against oncoming traffic

 

If you are interested in LTL make the move sooner rather than later. It is all about seniority.

 

You're joking, right? Flatbedders definitely back and into crazier places than you could ever imagine. Most flatbeds are spread axles and we don't like to tear up our tires so we don't like to back when we don't have to, but we definitely back, especially at job sites with obstacles. I can honestly say, I've never heard of anyone outside of open deck back for more than a quarter mile, something I've had to do on several occasions because there is no where to turn around closer and they wanted to unload it from the back.

 

This x1000. As a City driver you will be working on days. Linehaul guys start out on vampire shift and it takes few years before they can bid for a day run. Not sure how it works at other ltl companies, but at FXF if let say you are a city driver for 5 years and then want to switch to linehaul, your seniority goes back to 0. You're pretty much starting at the bottom again.

 

Linehaul are just the guys that typically drive at night from one major city to the next.

Think of city drivers as your local mail man, and line haul drivers as your airplane carriers. The line haul guys get the items across the country and the city drivers get it to your door