National Companies with Great Driver Lounges/Dorms

You really don’t need a lot of carrier terminals to live comfortably as an OTR driver. You’ll probably come to find you’re better off getting in and out of terminals as quickly as possible and only going into them if absolutely necessary such as mandatory fuel. But they are nice to have available to park your rig safely and securely to take time off via cab or car rental.

 

Ya, I think being on site just too handy for company to try and get driver to work during their time off. Driver would end up "chipped" or institutionalized so to speak. Never hang around terminal.

 

You won't be able to manage your time to relax at a trucking company facility very often, if at all. The lounges are ok for drivers going through orientation, drivers waiting on a truck to be repaired, drivers waiting on a co-driver to arrive for a team operation, etc.
Best to just choose a company with trucks set up for driver comfort and use it for your apartment on wheels.
I'd look at reefer outfits & some flatbed companies that have fancy trucks set up for driver comfort.
Freymiller - www.drive4freymiller - click on "Recent Graduates."
Butler Transport - headquartered in Kansas City.
Melton Truck Lines - flatbed.
Schuster - coast to coast reefer & nations largest ice cream hauler.
there's a few more.

 

downtime should be less than a day for minor problems, if serious, they either route you to their terminals or let you stay in a hotel. you dont have to rent anything, and your truck could basically be your house if you could manage it well

 

I heard that a carrier had to buy a load of layzboys once. They put them all out in their driver lounges. Might just be another one of those tall tales you hear.

 

Six days off is for a man with a house and a family. If i were to have a clean slate no tie downs and running otr, i’d look for 3-4 out with 3-4 days off. I would then put them days off around cheap hotels in different parts of the country.

One big thing tho, some company’s require that you take X amount of home time at your home domicile. So basically the addy on your DL.

I think for single otr drivers the company’s should allow them to use the terminal as their “home” address. Why pay rent for a roof you sleep under 3 or 4 nights per month? That is a waste of money.

 

SNI has a number of Operating Centers with facilities yes, but they are no more convenient really than a good truck stop other than free showers and laundry. Running 3 weeks you should have plenty of shower credits. I’m assuming SNI won’t reassign the truck over the 6 day off period? That’s where you’ll need to sleep. There are no other accommodations at the OC’s. If you’re gonna live in the truck personally I’d do 7 on 2 off (a reset) so not to go totally cray, but that’s just me.