Is going to the northeast mandatory for an OTR driver?

It's funny he doesn't want to go to MA, NY, or NJ. OK....first stop will be Hartford, CT! LOL.

I can't stand the people that constantly come on here and slam "newbies", "CDL mills", and "BFI's" because it gets old and doesn't help anyone, BUT in all reality you have to be willing to go anywhere starting out. I've driven 99.99% of the time in the dreaded Northeast, makes you a better driver.

 

A fellow driver I used to follow on another forum is very cautious about what he takes and when and where he takes it. His company says they allow the driver to make those go/no-go decisions and they will back him, but there are limits to that flexibility. He learned that important lesson the hard way - by having his freight cut back to almost nothing by his company's dispatchers. He left trucking recently because he was only bringing home about $350 a week--and he is not a new driver.

Trucking is a performance-based industry and the company that hires a driver has the right to expect performance to a certain level. Fail to perform to that level and you're hurting them and the customer who puts the freight in the box. If the company cannot depend on you to get a preplanned load from shipper to receiver, taking good decision-making into account, they will find someone who they trust to haul your freight. A driver might have the right to refuse a load and "prefer" not to drive in this part of the country or that, but be aware of the unintended consequences.

 

It all depends who you work for. Most companies have specific running lanes or divisions.

For example, my company had a northeast division basically running across I-80 from the midwest. A southern division running Denver, TX, FL, IL area and they had a regional division. I run them all until they stopped paying tolls. Then since I hired in the southern division, I put my foot down like many drivers and that's what I ran.

There's nothing to be afraid of the northeast. You've been to one big city, you've been to them all. I actually like the northeast. Heck, I like it all. You need to be versatile as a trucker until you get some experience. Then you can start calling the shots.

You can get on the company website and most will have a picture of their running lanes and describe their divisions.

 

The North East is an issue for you now? Wait until you get sent to Hialeah Gardens in South Florida, or maybe get sent to the LA market, or maybe the Water street market just to name a few. Then you'll be begging to go to the big bad northeast corridor.

Please, like everyone has said, go, learn, experience then make an informed decision.

 

What's the big deal? They have roads, there's demand for product - and that means freight. BFD.

 

I was born and raised in Jersey. I always found it odd that NY drivers would stop in the left lane of the highway and try to turn. I'd always say " look at this idiot, why doesn't he take the next Jughandle". Turns out we were the only ones that had jughandles.

 

I don't mind running the northeast at all...

Since they raised all the tolls I have been telling customers that they'll add enough to the rate to cover the tolls or they can call someone else to haul it.

I won't take money from my bottom line to pay tolls...Other than that there is no reason to fear running up there as long as you don't listen to the "truckstop counter liars" telling all of their BS horror stories.

 

Once you do it once, you'll wonder why you were intimidated. Its trucking, follow all the rules of the Smith System, have a plan going in and coming out and follow your directions and you will be fine.

 

Jersey born n raised. Its not bad here. One you get used to it its nothing. Nyc, time it right, no problems. Saying you dont wanna run up here is like me saying i dont wanna run in the midwest cause i get bored easily. I prefer the northeast, pays better and im always usually within a 11 from home.

 

the northeast is kinda like everywhere else. Back off and expect idiots to do something stupid, the only difference is some of the obnoxious accents.