New to OTR

This is my first official week being OTR driver. First couple of days were fine I repowered a load heading to MA.

On Thursday after I dropped it off I was assign to pick up a load from Coca Cola, breaks are prohibited in that facility. Since I couldn't get loaded without running out of my hours, I had to leave. Dispatch said just go there once your break is done. Well ok.

I go there in morning again. Lady at the front desk said, they need an appointment. So had to leave again. After 6 hours I got two different assignments. First one was short, from Worceter, Ma to West Springfield, Ma. I did that one. But second one I had to go to Cambridge,MA with 3 hours on my clock. Well, if I had an empty which I didn't.

So, they sent me to another place to get an empty. Well, I got here and there is none. So here I am waiting for one to get unloaded.

I've been doing Walmart for 2 years and that was a piece of cake, but I feel like I'll be struggling with OTR not knowing what to expect. My ?s to you experience guys. How do you do your pretrips? I would like this to go smoothly every time.

 

Yeah, trip planning more like. Trusting dispatch is literally like trusting a trust fall, except there is no one behind you.

 

Marten Transport, I've been here for soon to be 1 year. Honestly I am happy here so far. This load is 1000 miles, then I have 1500 one going straight home. OTR is a different beast, just little nervous, specially around all these heavy traffic areas.

 

Biggest concern for me is not finding parking space. One truck stop, I stopped a t was full at 4 pm. I always wondered why peopl parked on ramps and not even bothering driving in to the rest area. Now I know why