OTR vs Local Driving Pay

Mr Ed, I know what you mean. As a company driver, I have made a little over 52K this year on a dedicated 340 mile run Mon-Fri. Like you, I enjoy every night in my own bed and have a family life as well. OTR has no future in my life nor has it ever entered the picture. All this garbage about trucking being a lifestyle is just that. Garbage. I drive a truck to have a lifestyle. It's nice to see another happy driver out there.

Drive safe

 

Wow,Mr Ed your a solid 10 mins north of me...lol...i drive through everyday to go to my current job in Boston.....but anyways,ive been looking for a gig like that for a while.Plz send me a PM...

 

Im also trying to decide if I want to take this job offer that pays 18 an hour start or to go otr I miss being on that open road

 

Old thread... but I couldn't help but chuckle over this one. If it wasn't for shifting, and trying to get into tight spots... backing a block, or backing two miles... I'm not to sure I'd be interested in driving a truck!

 

Route driving in cities is hard. That was my first job. I learned how to back the hell out of a truck, probably worked more than otr guys too. 80 hour week was common since I wasn't logging. I was backing 40 times a day. Sometimes blind in downtown rush hour traffic into a 12 ft alley.

I hated that job but I learned a lot and every other job is a cake walk compared to that. I'd head down to west Texas and work the oil fields before I did otr. If I'm gonna be away from home I might as well make the most money possible. Besides I like playing in the mud.

 

Local is better here in my area and i work 10 to 11 hours mostly some 14 . Ill mostly like do 75000 this year.

 

Which one would pay better, OTR owner operator or Local owner operator?

 

Believe or not local pays more then OTR jobs UNLESS your a owner operator. OTR companies can’t compare to LTL, Package, tanker, or Foodservice. Top out at UPS is almost a dollar a mile. That’s what some lease O/O make. That’s a local job. Only OTR job I know of that pays or use to pay is Walmart. Maybe some tanker OTR but mostly local pays more. I’ve ran Radioactive for team months out and most I made was 80k. I did 80k easily with my linehaul job. I spent 2 months out doing the RAD teaming and made more at linehaul and more doing Foodservice being home weekly or almost home daily.

 

When I ran OTR as a company driver I made about $33,000 year and had company insurance. I was and still am married so I have my wifes insurance. I now run local and make about the same, but Im home every night. Get yrself a truck and double yr income.

 

I'm a fuel tanker driver. My pay is 100% commission...but my pay settlement breaks it down to what I'm make per hour. I'm averaging $24/hr. Made $65,000 last year which isn't too shabby for where I live for a driving job that gets me home every day. I'm M-F Friday too working from 0600 and put in about 10-11 hours usually.