Question(s)

HA! Nice try, very, VERY rarely will you drop and hook a reefer load, because there is too much at steak( pun intended) Many times, reefer loads are pre-ordered, meaning you live load and go directly to the customer and unload. Van freight that is not as temperature sensitive, can sit, but reefers loads are usually high priority. Just the fact you would ask that, makes me think you don't want to "fingerprint"( hand unload) a load, and if just starting out, fingerprint you will. Floor loads require you to stack the product on pallets, and lumpers are costly, you can't drive a truck and rely solely on lumpers. Restacking on the "cold side" is like working outdoors in the winter, not for everyone. Then the games you have to put up with may have you wondering if you did the right thing.
Now, if drop and hook is your preference, just about every non-reefer freight company, that still exists, has drop and hook options. Called a line haul, that's all you do, take a trailer to another terminal and return, but incredibly boring. Also with new drivers, you'll get the bottom of the barrel, meaning, a "Dollar General" load, with 4,000 items on the floor. It's how most start, so be ready for that.

 

Not exclusively but yeah can do a lot if it.

 

I pull reefer and do a lot of drop n hook

 

100's of drivers live in the truck and bank most of their paychecks.
Some have a pet also. Not all trucking companies allow cats, but some do if the cat is declawed.

 

You don't need an apartment if you're going to live in the truck and bank your paychecks.
All you need is a Florida address for your CDL and mail.

 

Definitely have a little bit saved up if you go with Swift, they house you, and give your breakfast (an apple, a granola bar and a bottle of water) but you don’t get paid *while* you are getting your CDL and then you only get 300 a week when your with a mentor. And once you upgrade to solo, your first couple months while you are acclimating to the lifestyle, you WILL #### up, not necessarily in any major way, but you will miss exits (a bad driver never misses his exit) the Pointe app will send you to an address 4 miles down the road that adds 40 minutes to your day, you will have incidental expenses you don’t think about, and you won’t be making as much as you should. But once you get into that grind, you know what you’re doing, you won’t be able to do anything else. I didn’t start out on the Walmart account, but where im at, driving nights, with the miles I get, I’m clearing 2000 gross on every check. Now, all that being said, I would recommend you start out regional/OTR, the Walmart account is VERY strict, and they fire great drivers all the time, and some of the accounts will fire you in such a way that Swift cannot rehire you, take a few months doing OTR, learn to back, learn form your mistakes, make SURE your getting out to look, and acclimate to living in a walk in closet on wheels. I’d also recommend, if your not planning on starting down this path till August, that you get your TWIC card, its absurdly easy, and your in Florida, so they could get you on a Westrock/Panama City route going in out of ports, that’s 0.65 cpm, and it means you don’t have to wait for an escort in the port, or go through the process of doing a Macro through the Pointe app to pay the Lumper fee (saves you 2 hours of time everytime easy) I can’t speak for the Florida accout/Oocala terminal, but get to know your driver leader, they are your best friend, but keep in mind, they aren’t dispatch, they aren’t the ones assigning you loads necessarily, your only way to contact dispatch is through the App and it’s not consistent. Once you’ve got an idea of what kind of hours you drive, and your a bit confident (maybe 2-3 months in) learn to say no to bad loads/loads that are going to leave you in a messed up spot, and communicate that to your driver leader as it being unsafe (driving tired is as dangerous as driving drunk, if your not comfortable driving at noon because you drive primarily at night for example, don’t drive), in fact, frame everything in the context of Safety, Swift loves that, but it’s also just how you should be driving, don’t do dangerous ####, don’t be a cowboy, your a W-2 Swift driver, not an Owner Operator, you don’t live and die by if that load gets there on time (but you of course should aim to always be as punctual as safety allows, and communicate any potential delays, your never gonna get in trouble if you communicate). And most of all, have fun, enjoy it, see the splendor and beauty of the great country you live in. America is the most beautiful place on earth, and you are going to see some absolutely amazing places! Good luck, and let me know if you’ve got any questions I can help you answer!