Is 2-3 days off for every 3-4 weeks out the standard for OTR Megas?

Yup. People avoid slip-seating, but working for a slip-seat operation guarantees you will get a least 12 hours off between shifts.

Our slip-seat guys work five eight-hour shifts per week, and take weekends off. We have part-timers to move the freight on the weekends. This is one of the many reasons we have such low turnover, a great work-life balance.

 

They’re all quick to show you their shiny participation medals from the pain olympics. I give a lot of “ooooh”s and “aaaaaah”s and they appear satisfied.

 

M-F OTR for me. Keep an eye out and you'll find a good company.

 

We have a guy who has basically done the same route for the past decade (unless he asks for a change of scenery for a week or two). He departs on Sunday morning, and he's back in our yard Friday morning, like clockwork. We try to set all of our drivers up on a schedule they want, as those are the things that keep them happy, productive, and RETAINED.

 

How do some companies not understand this‽

 

That's why I tell everyone looking for a job to ask the recruiter what their company's current turnover rate happens to be... most, if not all, are around 100%!

Drive a driver like he's a slave to the road, and you'll constantly be looking for dozens of drivers per month.

Our strategy seems to work... we aren't the highest paying company out there, but our turnover is only 35-36% each year, mostly due to our ever-aging group retiring.

I talked to a kid at PAM (Poverty And Malnutrition) today... Making $0.43/mile, yet only brought home $4-something this past week. Out 3 weeks, home 4 days. After an hours' discussion, he applied here, called PAM to ask where to drop the truck, and will be joining us Monday. I bet he'll be with us a good long while, too.

 

Does a 4 day work week exist anywhere in Trucking? I think that would be an incredibly popular schedule for many people who want a work/life balance.

 

We've got a couple local guys who work 4-10s.

 

Bless you.

So many companies either don't understand or don't care.

 

Lol....slept until 1600 Sunday.....stayed up until 0000 while the wife and kids slept....until 0600 Monday...got up...mowed the lawn...changed the oil in the wifes car so she would SFTU. Yelled at the kids a couple of times.....took a nap at 1200....got up at 1500....packed up all of your crap and headed back to the terminal to start your week! Yup....home weekly.....gotta love it