Getting into line haul

Given where you are at now -- are you on day shift?

If not -- can you switch over to it (i.e., use that seniority)?

Linehaul is likely to start you out running nites...



-- L

 

Another suggestion: score a 4-day work week.

VER-RY recently -- I saw a job ad for DoT Transportation near you.

They have one schedule option that is 4 on, 4 off....

-- L

 

DoT Transportation -- Manchester, TN -- 4 on, 4 off

-- L

 

Linehaul where I'm at has always been a night job. Working nights screws with family life. You either give up sleep on your "Friday" to stay up during normal hours or you go to work on your "Monday" without sleeping and try and stay awake until after you work one full day and get to sleep. Then everything is making noise all day when you sleep and people expect you do do errands while they work.

 

Yeah - that’s unfortunately the truth.

Even if you’re lucky enough to live 20 miles from the barn, it’s all true.

Sure, it’s your own bed, but to the family and friends, you’re still a ghost, but you do get a ‘ weekend ’.

 

it depends on the company you apply to..all i ever did in my mid to later years was line haul, and i loved it..all night work, had my days to make doctor appointments and such. before i retired, i had night work on dedicated routes, all to my own, home daily...you can even try that as well...dedicated runs.

at first it is tough to sleep during the day time, but it can be done. my job, i was home every day...some line hauls, you stay out over night or 2 nights.

you have to inquire at the places that hire for that.

 

Yep, the most wore out and beat up truckers were always the linehaul guys.
FedEx used to publish a magazine every month or quarter (I can't remember which), but in the back they would have the pictures of everyone celebrating an anniversary, and you could 100% pick out the linehaul drivers.......they ALL looked like they had just rolled out from underneath a bridge.
If you're wore out now, linehaul is not the answer.

 

Who says you can't do both? That's what I did when I was on linehaul. It turns every weekend into a 3-day weekend. And I slept real well Saturday and Sunday night. Tuesday to Friday I'd try for a 3 or 4 hour afternoon nap, but still had time to run errands, do stuff around the house, maybe go to the gym, and otherwise have a normal life OTR drivers miss, including sitting down to dinner together before I go to work.

 

Winding up in court after you volunteer to give up half of your sleep shows reckless disregard for showing up well-rested to drive. Remembers attorneys sue trucking companies because that is where the insurance money can be found. When a careless 4-wheeler runs into you your company may be sued anyway. Laws don't have to make sense to you & they don't require your agreement to affect you. Make good decisions.