Picking your last load to drop before days off

Hello everyone.

Total newb here. I have plans to sign on with CRST within the next few weeks. Application is out of the way and accepted and now I'm almost ready for the next step after I drop some weight so I can pass the DOT and wellness physicals.

I searched for this question and could not find a similar thread (although there's got to be one out there).

As I understand it you roughly get off one day per week traveled on the road. I understand that these days may be mashed together so you can cumulatively have off maybe 3-4 days in a row. Okay, for the questions...

1) My parents live out in Williamsburg, VA and sis and her family live in Norfolk, WA. My brother is in the ARmy down in San Antonio and I have friends in my homestate of Jersey as well as friends in Colorado, Chicago and the place I currently call home, Washington. If once I get past my OTR with a trainer with CRST and I am sent out as a solo driver, how likely would it be that if I gave my DM (or is it dispatcher?) advanced notice that they would allow me to do a last drop near one of these locations so I could spend some time with my family and friends? Is this normal for this business? Would I just park the truck somewhere legal and then leave that area with a local pickup?

2) HOw do the days off accumulate? Do they carry over from month to month?

I'm planning on not really keeping a permanent residence in the sense of some apartment to pay rent and utilities when I'm not going to be home most of the time. I'm planning on just staying on the road as much as possible and on those days off maybe visiting some people. As it is currently I haven't seen my parents/sis/bro in almost 3 years due to financial issues and it seems that I may actually be able to see them more often with this job.
What do you guys think? Does anyone else not keep a perm. address and just use family for mail, etc?

Thanks for any info. I'm sorry if this has been asked before but I didn't find anything in the search.

J - DocWats

 

Wow, some really good info. here guys. I truly appreciate it. By CRST I am referring to Central Refrigerated Services based out of Utah. I looked into them because I thought they were one of the "good guys" to work for based on this site. I may have made a mistake.
Here is a link to those I have been dealing with. I already applied, took some over the phone application and they approved me for schooling.
http://www.centraltruckdrivingjobs.com/index.php

On their website they discuss different options available to a newb after they get in their 300 hours drive time with a trainer. One of the options they mention is a "company driver" but they mention it seperately from another option of "teams". I definitely do not want to be working on a team after my training. I want to fly solo for a while. If that's not an option then it's not the company for me.

Great info. about using the Fed EX or UPS box address. I wonder how much mail one of those could hold. I kid, I would probably find someone to pull my mail now and then. I also have friend's addresses I could use as well. I am about to go through a divorce and it has wrecked me financially along with the unemployment. I just cannot justify paying rent and all the rest for somewhere I won't be living in 90% of the time. From time to time if I need to stay somewhere where I don't have a perm. place I can use a motel or camp. If I returned each time to the same place I have friends I can stay with.

Kind of depressing news on how I might not be able to use those few days off in different locations. Not the end of the world and I understand how the business has to stay profitable as the #1 priority, I was just thinking maybe if I worked with a big enough company and I gave them advance notice they might be able to pull off a Virginia stop here and there to see the folks. My alternative plan is maybe just drive company OTR for a couple of years and look into buying my own truck to allow a little more flexibility. Not sure. I'm new to this.