Hours and schedule for a newbie?

Waking up early in OTR isn’t bad. Instead of showering, getting dressed up, then driving to work you just roll out of bed and walk 3 feet to the drivers seat

 

Ya, I used to commute 45 each way to work. Now it’s 15 seconds.

 

I'm a Swiftie also,, but as opposed to Moosetek13, I do reefer and generally abhor dry van loads, although on occasion I'll end up running one or a couple.
Reefer loads generally will have tighter schedules than dry van loads, but seldom get one that doesn't have enough slack in the timing that I have to run nights. I personally don't like night driving. Regardless, it is common for reefer loads to have nighttime pick ups and deliveries. I usually make it work in a way that minimizes my night driving. Swift really only gives me the pick up time and place and the delivery time and place. I figure out the plan to get between the two in that time frame, which usually isn't too difficult. As a reefer jockey, you get pretty good at managing your clock and using sleeper berth splits to add flexibility to everything.
Biggest thing I think I can add is that alot of this you won't really know and understand and figure out what works for you and how to meet the needs of everything until you start doing it. I had all kinds of theories and complicated thoughts about trip planning and such before I started. Once I started doing it, I found it to be quite different, to include being easier and simpler than I imagined beforehand. Those complicated trip plans I envisioned before I started didn't account for unexpected things happening and were pretty rigid. When the reality is trip planning is much more general, less specific and evolves and develops day by day. It's not hard.

 

You walk? I just sort of stumble. The advantage of living in a truck is you are always right there and there's no such thing as a commute. The disadvantage is you are always right there and there's no such thing as a commute.

 

Let’s get real. You don’t like getting up early and have a sleep disorder. Trucking is not for you. Find another path to riches.

 

Having sleep disorder and not liking getting up at all, let alone early, still trucking))

 

Well, if you work it right you'll never pull a watch at night.
All it takes is being one of the company staff.
And the best job there is out of all of them, is assistant squad leader.

That is the last position to be assigned because it is the least important with the fewest duties.
It is the best position because it is the least important with the fewest duties, but it still gets you all the perks.
Perks like no watch at night, first in and last out of the mess...

So, I waited through the whole process until that position came up, then up went my hand.
My higher score on the ASVAB got me the position, just as it did with all the people before me.

Learning the system you are going to be working under and being able to use it to your advantage is key, both in boot camp and in trucking.

 

Same here. My boots are always right there on the floor. So it's always an awkward stumble and then I kind of just fall into the seat... after I hit my head on the overheat compartments.

 

People are putting boots on in the cab? Weird world)