My First Year of OTR

One trip took me through Oklahoma down to Texas, another one picked up in Mississippi. Never been through Arkansas but I'd love to complete my list as much as possible.

Since I'm already here I figured I could add to my list for those still interested.


Life As An Expediter:

I'm on call 24/7, 365 days a year. We are provided with smartphones and are expected to be contacted at any given time with a load. However, once the clock strikes 8pm the bidding process is usually about done. Once in the past year I have received a load past 10pm and never before 6am. I park the truck close to my home and commute about ten minutes to arrive at it. The company is based about 480kms away from Toronto so my strategic location means I am available for plenty of loads in the GTA and along the 401 corridor. I will occasionally have to pick up another driver for team runs but otherwise I run solo and much prefer it that way. I have my FAST card and run long and hard within legal means.

About The Company:

They have been in the expedite business for thirty years. It's a privately owned company and our fleet of twenty vehicles are all company owned as well. We have two class 8 trucks and one class 7 truck (all Peterbilts). Our cargo/van fleet are late-model Chevy cube vans. Maintenance wise the company is right on top of things and the drivers pay close attention to any issues with the trucks. If we have a problem on the road we are always directed to a dealership or the nearest shop for repairs immediately, or roadside service/tow if required. We run mainly the east coast of Canada/US but occasional run to the Midwest/West region also. We are paid $0.25/km whether loaded or unloaded, plus $10 for every border crossing, p/u or drop. We receive $25 layover after the first 22 hours and every 24 hours afterwards (yeah...I know). Minor items like tolls, oil, fluids, etc are paid out of pocket by the driver and reimbursed via cheque once handed or faxed to the office. They always pay on time and never once had an issue. We have some very good drivers at the company, but due to the nature of the job, they're always looking for a warm body in the seat. I'm not sure what the turnover rate is but a lot of men and women last for about two weeks to a month before moving on.

What I've Hauled:

We do a lot of loads for GM/Ford/Chrysler (CSA/FAST loads) so auto parts probably make up 40% of my total. I have my Hazmat endorsement so I occasionally will get those kinds of loads. I've hauled jet engines, a forklift, other aircraft parts, motors for Paccar, paint, supplement powders, electronics, dunnage, conference equipment, display stands and a wide variety of other things. Basically the nature of the business. If it can fit on the truck and it's legal to haul, we'll carry it for the right price.

Lot Lizard Count:

One that I've seen for myself. 7pm at the Pilot in Toledo. She knocked on my door and offered her services which I politely declined. I had another knock on my door at 2am but I didn't bother opening the curtains to see who it was.

DOT/MTO/Customs Experiences:

My very first team run, coincidentally my first run period, I received two overweight tickets (one in GA and another in VA - will tell the story if anyone is interested). I'm the one ultimately responsible for the citations but I will plead ignorance as my trainer should have been on the ball and I was unfamiliar with GVWR's and BOL's. It was a very quick and hard way to learn. I've had one level one inspection in Pennsylvania during the June blitz. I received no violations and a nice little sticker for my windshield. I've had my log books inspected twice, both at the eastbound Putnam scales on the 401 in Ontario. No violations and was waved through. My speed limiter was also checked at the same set of scales with no issue. I've been taken in for secondary inspection three times at Customs and had a Port mis-match when trying to cross into Port Huron, MI. That was just a stupid error on my part (broker wanted it cleared for Detroit and I missed that fact on the paperwork, I went by GPS which said PH was closer and cleared it for there). All in all I've been pretty fortunate I believe. No major hassles. I just try to be polite, answer the questions honestly and hope for the best. By the way, for anyone crossing into Windsor, ON there's an officer at the customs booth who is SMOKING hot. Her last name is Cooper I think. Hoping one day she'll ask to strip search me.

I'm Still A Rookie Because:

I'm guilty of buying the 2 for 1 hot dog deal at the Pilot from time to time. Once in awhile I'll bump the dock too hard. I've passed another governed truck and held up traffic. I don't always keep my CB on. Probably lots that I'm missing here as well. Perhaps I'll keep adding as I go along.

Future Plans:

I'm thinking real hard about upgrading my CDL/DZ license to AZ. I'd like to be driving tractor trailers in a year or two from now. I'm not sure my year of experience will count towards OTR with another company with T/T's, but it has counted to me and paved the starting of a great career.

Thanks:

To everyone for the positive feedback. I'm not perfect and make mistakes. I'm trying my best to learn from them, put in an honest and safe effort every single day and try to represent this industry as best I can. I don't have a fancy college degree but a lot of common sense can go a long way.