Ignorant and confused in the Ohio Valley.

The key to using a GPS system in a truck is to realize that the system is geared towards cars, but it has one feature that makes them worthwhile in a truck. They focus on the destination, and no matter what roads you have to follow to stay on a truck route, they will always lead you to the destination. As long as you don't abdicate the responsibility to check for bridge heights, weight limits, and truck restrictions, a GPS will always lead you to where you are trying to go. You just can;t shut your mind off and let it do all the navigating, because it will lead you down the primrose path into trouble under those circumstances.

As for satelitte radio, I tend to view is as a safety feature to have one in the truck. The amount of time I don't have to spend on changing channels and looking for a suitable station means that I can devote that attention to driving down the road. It pays for itself in lowered distractions.

As for the differences in oay between percentage and miles, if the company is not hauling at cheap rates, then percentage can pay prety well. if they are hauling on the cheap, then you are taing a percentage of a crappy price, and your share will not be so good. I haul on percentage and make a very good living, but many companies try to undebid each other and that comes out of the drivers pocket. Down in our "Storage Trailer" section, you will find some involved discussions of the two pay systems that might be of interest.

As for trying a loacl job, a lot of that is up to him and if he wants to do so. There are always local jobs, but he has to be satisfied with that type of work for them to be of much interest to him,. Some areas, like construction, can be seasonal, and others can actually be a bit more grueling than driving the highway.

As for you, take some time, and read through the various posts on the site, and it should help you to develop a better knowledge of what he;s doing and figure out what questions you want to ask. Folks here will always be happy to answer questions as well as they can. many people here have walked in your shoes, so you aren't alone in this area.

 

Yup, read a TON of threads on here, it'll answer a lot of your questions.

 

The Garmin has a option where you can choose the type of vehicle you are in i.e. motorcycle/car/truck........
I would think the 'truck' option would keep you on the bigger roads but maybe not. Does anyone know for sure what the truck option does for you?

 

Can't say, I use a TomTom. But again, a GPS is a tool, not a be all, end all. Use it as an assist to your mapbook, not as a replacement. I really like the feature where it gives me the remaining distances, and I like it for planning out a trip.

 

any laptop and ms streets and trips is what I use. I use it like the paper map to figure out where I'm going (zoom) and such. I haven't used the gps for quite awhile now. You kinda get used to just intuitively knowing/remembering the directions after you have some practice (6 months or so) and it just really isn't a big deal anymore.

I'm salary plus commission, unusual for the industry but they didn't want me jumping ship if things slowed down... and it worked I'm still here... basically how you get paid doesn't matter so long as at the end of the year you are happy. you won't be getting rich in any event... its a job and if you like driving its a good one.

everytime you switch companies its a strike... so don't be a job hopper. that said, nobody blinks if you change once or twice then settle in for a stretch. company and driver need to be a good fit like a pair of gloves so both are happy.

dedicated runs pay the least because a majority of people like them. out for a month pays the best because that is liked the least (opinion)
In order of long term potential income. flat reefer van. flats harder with tarping and chaining but it pays a little tiny bit more when you first start but not much. but keep chugging along and you can move to
over-dimensional loads then heavy haul and if good at it, make some top dollars five or ten years down the road...

vans... well.... anybody can do that so it pays the least. of course with experience, pay goes up for doing the same old job... and if you're happy with it...??? its fine.

I haul diesel/gas/ethanol/propane/anhydrous amonia. Home every night and weekends off with a good payday and I'm new... its not for alot of people because of the hazzard... but I get paid : ) and I figure I'm plenty safe.. besides if I hit a bridge at 70... well... what's behind me isn't really the issue... in that case.

its whatever your tolerance is... but doing something different will always pay more.

whatever is decided... you'll have to put your time in most generally to get to a point you are valuable and respected. best advice I've had is don't refuse loads... be courteous... bite the bullet on the not so good loads... and after a few months of not complaining and always being there to bail out the dispatcher... well then you can have a heart to heart and say " I like those drop and hook long runs that pay twice as much" and you'll likely start seeing more of them because the guy knows he can still call you with the... I need a little help on this junk load... and you will bail him out

tv is a nice diversion, videos and games if you are into it. my short otr experience was I didn't have time... live load multi drops meant 14 hour days most days to get the miles pounded out. eat, shower, sleep, wake up cold... and do it again. to me it was fun...

like some guys go hunting in the winter for "free" meat...lol whatever your tolerance is...

hope this helps a bit.