Questions on DOT Transportation

Good evening drivers. I am a week away from getting my license and have a few companies at the top of my list as of now. I'm really liking DOT as they seem to have some great schedules, competitive pay, and decent benefits. Can anyone with the company or that has driven for them in recent history give me some pointers about working for them. I will most likely be working out of the Indianapolis area for them and am looking at either their 4x4 or 6x3 schedules. From my understanding the 4x4 is a slip seat so leaning towards the 6x3. Thanks.

 

What do you want to know?

If you search them, I’ve posted tons of information, in the last couple months.

 

Thanks, I actually came across some info you'd left on another post where you said you'd have stayed forever with them if possible. Will they keep me busy during my schedule, will they meet the promises they make, if I take the 6x3 schedule will that really be my schedule or can I expect to be out longer than promised? Thanks again, I'll look into more of your post history.

 

When drivers are on set schedules, they’re worked. They have more loads than drivers, which is why they contract out so much. But, if you sign-up for a schedule, you’re expected to work it.

What they say is what happens. Drivers are the ones who don’t meet promises. Drivers are the disappointments. Drivers are who always left me hanging. Never Dot or its staff.

Your schedule is your schedule. If you want to stay out, just tell them. There are 4X4 drivers who continue working past their 4. But, if you’re going to make a habit of that type of thing, you may as well just run open dispatch and not be restricted by your schedule. The less restrictions you put on them, the more work, and variety, they can offer you. My willingness to run wherever, whenever, is what allowed me to run big miles and see parts of the country I’d never seen, before Dot.

 

Thanks for the response. I'm looking to do some driving so what you say sounds good to me.

 

If you’re looking at Cambridge City, as a no-touch transfer driver, variety will be tough. Those drivers are primarily between Mount Sterling and points east.

 

I'm looking at going touch freight so shouldn't be a problem I'm hoping.

 

Personally, I wouldn’t do 6X3, then. 6X3 is a rotating schedule, which means not having a dedicated customer(s). I’d do the traditional 5X2. Typically, 5X2 would have a dedicated customer(s) to start their week, with a fill-in(s) to finish the week. Cambridge City might even have drivers on dedicated customers, all week. Not sure. I don’t know how tight of a radius they run, which is what dictates schedules/customers. But, if you’re going to be throwing groceries, you want to be going to the same places, so you know their systems and you know their people. You need those relationships, throwing Dot loads. Trust me. If you know their deal and they know you, you’ll be in and out a lot quicker and easier, which means having efficiency working toward you earning more money. If you want to be earning $100K-$120K, you gotta’ be smart about things.

 

Ok, I definitely want dedicated as that means a more "guaranteed" mileage on that side so thanks for that advice. I'll talk with their recruiter Monday and get set up with the 5x2 side of things. Thanks a lot for the advice, look forward to the day I'm able to give some on here myself.

 

As a grocery thrower, don’t think about miles, at all. The money isn’t there; it’s in the multipliers. You have to look at the miles, stops, pieces, line items, and pallets. All those have a rate they’re multiplied by. Add all of it together and that’s how those guys make what they do. If you were no-touch, then, you gotta’ look at miles, stops/turns, days out, and detention, which is why I operated how I did. Multipliers.

Just don’t get discouraged, if it’s not as easy as you think it should be. That’s where the consistency of a dedicated route comes in. It’s easier to figure it out, with the repetiveness.