Rookie Experience?

I've heard it many times that OTR is better experience than any other type of driving. That's when I sit back and smile looking out the window and seeing our 85" truck and trailers that do nothing but local driving and wonder how many of these so called drivers can drive that gasoline truck all day long in the city. So far we've come up with none. When a good company goes to hire a new driver they want experience closes to what they do. We would want a driver with 5 years experience driving in the city hauling gasoline to the stations and back before any OTR driver. Not only do I think it's harder and takes more skill I also believe there's no rest in between loads. Going up and down hills does not make a truck driver. A driver that can let the truck work for him is the driver that shows more than any other type of driving. I've done both and I love gasoline trucks. Not just the pay (because it was at least twice than OTR) it was the challenge each load gave. Not a boring minute in a 12 hour shift.

 

OTR guys think they know it all , eh ? Lol

Some couldn't survive a day in the city backing to tight driveways. Not docks, driveways And with traffic behind them... I've done both and OTR is a piece of cake

 

I'm with you there brother. OTR driving is mostly driving straight on a highway. You can give a monkey a banana and teach him to do that. The real skill comes with, as you said, backing into tight driveways. Not to mention navigating narrow streets, alleys, and even unpredictable pedestrians.

 

I wouldn't go say OTR is a piece of cake. All types of driving has it's hazards. I don't believe that one type or another makes you a top driver. Whatever the driving job is doing it safely and without problems makes you a better driver. You've got to give some credit to the driver and not the job.