LTL P&D vs Linehaul

at my former employer (NEMF) line haul actually COST the company money, is what i was told.

i made a good wage, but the city drivers always did better.

 

Like @Digman943 said, some places are so desirable, they have a waiting list of internal transfers.

The wait for city drivers to transfer at the hub I run to is around two years. Until then, their city bid is overnight dock. Occasionally they might get a road run if the extra board is exhausted or run to the rail yard if there’s some overflow, but for the most part it’s working the dock the whole time. Then when they finally transfer to linehaul, they go to the bottom of a 30+ driver extra board and still end up on the dock a lot if there’s no runs.

 

I have never worked for a freight company but I’ve always been local and can chime in from a lifestyle point of view.

The most money I’ve ever made was a 565 mile run every night starting at 8 or 9 pm. It was a 14-15 hour shift with loading/unloading in a tanker. We were paid by the hour @26.50. 5 days a week OT after 8. Good money.

Would I do it again? No. This was in California so I had to just to make ends meet.

Now I work on the cryo side in Washington/Idaho starting at 630 am everyday making almost $30 in the union.

Not an even comparison but I’d ALWAYS make more in California or most states on a run like that vs day shift. BUT, nothing against the night owls, it’s not for everyone ESPECIALLY a family man. I have a 5 year old and a 1 year old. I would never go “linehaul “ again with the situation I’m in.

The money (for the most part) is generally better on the “easy” night runs than bumping docks all day. But you have to compare the lifestyle differences. I do 12-20 stops a day. Majority of them are liftgate deliveries NOT dock. I’d rather do this than bump one dock on a 12 hour shift in the middle of the night.

We are all different types of drivers. This is what makes this forum a community. Evaluate your personal life and make the decision. We are here to help

 

In the North east Line Haul is not always the better job. Traffic on I-95 from DC to Boston never stops , not even in the middle of the night( Cross Bronx in NY is same day and night- pure hell !!!). Tons of construction done overnights to keep traffic flowing. As for preference, I say Line Haul is a breed of drivers- driving all night sometimes without seeing other head lights for quite sometime. Break down on a rural interstate in the middle of the night and you can be there for a while. P&D is days but definitely harder work, 15-20+ stops a day between Deliveries and pick ups. Depending on run will determine you trailer- 28, 32, 40, 45, 48- liftgate, no lift gate. Heavy industrial areas will get you more stops but usually more loading docks and less miles vs. rural runs less stops but more miles.

 

oh i agree, hook up and go, unhook, wait for next load, or get another load to another terminal, then rinse-repeat back to your terminal.

i liked it, and wished i had not left, but all things considered, they closed up anyways.

and as we age, trust me, age discrimination IS out there...BTDT.....

 

Cross Bronx isn't that bad between 0000 and 0230, it's the CT state line going south bound and construction on GWB that REALLY bones your night. Summer time I used to take Tappan Zee every night, fall/winter I'd rely on the PANJNY app to make my decision in real time on whether I was going straight through or not. 90% of the time the app was pretty #### good in my trip planning.

 

There’s a senior city guy at my barn always complaining how he should be a road driver because he does about 250 miles on his route. I asked the supervisor what he does a day...5 deliveries and 5-8 pick ups a day. All country back roads. I’m a road driver I would love his peddle route. I don’t think he knows how good he has it. I’d like to seem him run out of Chicago Summit where those city guys run down town Chicago all day.