My first trucking job, Dot Foods

It was a leaking wheel seal.
Took 2 cops with lighted floors, creepers and flashlights to find it.
1st cop didn't see it.
Not visible on a pre trip at 4am unless I had lighted floors, creepers and flashlights.
It was fixed and signed off before I ever left the weigh station.
The company payed the $25 fine.
The cop just decided to check the little box that said "not correctable" instead of leaving it blank.
In other words, he lied to blow me up.
That's the way they do people at the Chowchilla weigh station in CA.

Never failed an inspection before or after that.

 

I'm looking for input from drivers who work for the company now, especially the original poster.

Truckers can work 14 hours a day, so do they keep you busy that entire time every day or do you get an hour or two to yourself outside of sleeping at the end of a day? How much of a workday is spent driving and how much is spent breaking down loads? What sort of sleep schedule are you able to keep? Do you have to deliver at all hours of the night where you can't get a set sleep/wake cycle?

What's average home time on the weekend; like how often do you end up getting just a 34 hour reset and no more on a "weekend"? I had an interview and was told drivers don't get "weekends" off because it's just a 34 hour reset, but was also told there will be times when you get more; I'm just curious how often either scenario happens in the grand scheme of things. When you get home on a weeknight, is it just for 10 hours exactly or do you get some more time? Logistically speaking, if you have to be in the truck exactly 10 hours later when you get done with the day but home is an hour or more away, it might be better to just sleep in the truck...

 

Here is my schedule, I have a middle of the week dedicated. Depart Sunday (7am-4pm depends on where you go) for Monday morning deliveries. Usually 6am is your first delivery which means you have till 8pm to get your ### home. I run new england out of NY and its usually 300-330 miles back, running 68 is 5-5.5hrs. I make it home with maybe 1-3hrs left on my 14 clock.

Home Monday night 5-8pm, then I am due out Tues afternoon at 1pm but don't leave till 2 or 2:30 to miss Boston rush hour and get to my delivery with just enough time for a 10hr break. Start at 6am, done by 9am then usually two more small stops and a pick up at 1pm. These pick ups can make or break you getting home but usually your fine but sometimes things happen. I get home weds 7-8pm.

Due back out Thurs 11am-4pm depending on what they give me, and am usually home Friday by 5-6pm. I run about 2000-2500 miles a week.

My weekend starts when I get home Friday till I go back out Sunday. Every driver is different and others have dedicated Monday due outs instead of Sundays. Some just do 14hr days mon-fri locals with weekends off. As a new driver you'll be pulling the stuff most don't wanna do, I've been there and done it. But I also like making $1500 gross per week. Also depending on what DC you run out of, things can be much different. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks man. That actually sounds incredible. Hopefully I won't be stuck in the trenches as a new guy for too long because it sounds like you've got it super sweet, but then again, as you said, I like making money too. Wait... are you a transfer driver or delivery driver?

I was asked in my interview which one I wanted to be and I assumed delivery made more. I was told that was correct, so I went with that.

 

Delivery, that's where the $$$ is at. You'll do an odd ball transfer once in a while. I don't like sitting that long in the drivers seat.

 

Sweet. I hope it works out. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

I drive out of the California DC. I dont know how the other DC's dispatch, but with DOT there are alot of variables. I have always been home on weekends for at least a 34, but like 3Mile said the suppliers you pick up from can make or break you on getting home. There have been times I got in on a Saturday morning then was due out early Monday so I had to run on straight hours, but dispatch watches that.
I don't have a dedicated run, so Im at the mercy of dispatch weekly, but its not bad. Your Monday deliveries will be due out Sunday afternoon (depending on distance to the delivery) Sometimes Ill leave on a Monday for Tuesday starts. In California we spend most of our time south of the grapevine or in the Bay area. We rarely deliver out of state as the rest of the West is taken care of out of Idaho and Oklahoma, though we do take care of some Arizona stops for the Oklahoma DC.
The dispatch computer figures your drive time over distance at 50mph average, so there are many other factors to take into consideration. It will give you a due out based only on the drive time. It will not figure in traffic, breaks, pre and post trip etc. 3Mile said he changes his due out based on the traffic around Boston, I do the same for L.A. or the Bay area. Ill leave earlier on some, later on others. DOT just wants you to be running legal and make your deliveries on time.
I do run some 14 hour days, but most of the time I probably average around 11-12 hours, it depends on how many stops are stacked on me.
Example: I leave tomorrow at 11am for a 4am Sysco delivery. After that I drive into the Anaheim area for 4 pick ups, then I head back in. They expect me in by 9am Tuesday. Ill set my hours according to how I want to run, but I like my 10 hour breaks. Some guys like split breaks. It all depends on what works for you.
If I lived closer to the terminal Id be home more weeknights, but I tend to stay at my dads house when Im between runs in the middle of the week, Like Tuesday night this coming week.
The money is in delivery but they try to balance all the pay. The more cases you throw, the more stops you have, the more you make.

 

That all sounds fine. From what I gather it's not a 14 hour a day job, at least not every day, and the home time sounds ample.

Something else I'm curious about... Does every driver go to the Mt. Sterling location for initial training and orientation?

 

You get trained at the location you are hired for. 1 week of classroom , then out with trainers. They pay for your meals during training too.

 

Thanks Greg for the replies. Sorry to be asking so many questions, but there were so many I forgot to ask in the interview...

Now I'm wondering about the trucks, really just out of curiosity; I'll take whatever they give me in all honesty but if you don't mind asking a weird question... I know they're Volvos and they're autos. Which models are they? I know the trainer trucks are the bigger ones with two bunks. Do the solo trucks have the sort of bunks that can turn into a table and a seat on either side? Do they have room for a TV and a fridge? What about room to stand up without bending over? They look like low ceilings...