I Have Never Been as Tired

Yep...it comes down to this...do you wanna enjoy your job or be home?

There are a very few ways to get both, but those jobs are scarce...

Its all in what a person wants to do, I turned down a job for BAE Systems just last week...it was a yard jockey job, EXCELLENT pay, great work schedule (7 on 4 off, then 4 on and 7 off or something like that, benefits...the works)

My uncle retired from there (actually it was Holston Army Ammunition Plant back then...but its the same place) and has been try to get me to go to work there for a while now but I keep telling him "no". Last week I got a call from BAE asking me to turn in a resume'...I respectfully declined...because I am not cut out to work in any type of factory setting and my work history from back in the day proves it.

I'm just not much of a team player...at least not 8 hours a day worth.

I had a local gig too for a while...I ran harder and longer there than I ever did OTR...

 

Yup, local isn't all it's cracked up to be. I worked 14 hr days with a 1 hour commute one way for a while and it was rough. 16 hrs total out and 8 at home. In those 8 hours I had to shower, eat, do household chores, and try and get sleep. Now my hours are less, but I get beat up pretty bad driving a Mack tri-axle with a camleback suspension on some pretty rough mine roads. I want to go back OTR, but the wife has pretty much put the kibosh to that.

 

I work really weird hours myself.I start at 1pm and tonight I got off at 2am.I go home,eat something,then I have to unwind for a few hours before I can even think about getting some sleep.I've been doing this shift for quite awhile,and by the time the weekend comes,I'm wiped.

 

Ive never worked OTR but I can say most days I run more hours than OTR drivers can legally log. I've never tried OTR but im sure it has its ups and downs also.

 

Where is BAE systems?

Will comment on local vs. OTR in a sec.

 

I ran local my whole entire career, and I can say depending on What your doing. You can work hard and long hours. But you can also do drop and hook work or tanker work. I've done both but I'm back to freight because the money is good but I would do tanker again because the money is also good and u only average about 4 stops a day.

 

I too did the local and came back OTR. I feel my quality of life is better out here. I'm home on the weekends though, no way would I stay out longer than a week. Been there and done that. I'm missing nothing at home during the week and really enjoy the commute from my bed to the drivers seat. I love home and the open road and really feel lucky to have a job where I can enjoy both.

Another thing to consider is the price of gasoline. If you have a long commute to work before you know it half of your income will be going in your gas tank. I'm out in the sticks, about 50 miles east of Dallas and there are plenty of good local jobs in the mid-cities but I'm too far out for those. My company's yard is 20 miles from my house and it's a nice quick rural drive a few times a week.

 

I had a decent regional flatbed job, home daily, nice equipment, good pay. But the yard was located in Chicago, and I had to deal with the Windy about 4 out of 5 days a week. That, and some looooong days. Got burned out after about 6 months.