Typical schedule for a newbie.

That's a good schedule for a newbie, me personally I try to avoid night driving but I get stuck on it sometimes and I like it no lie. Now when I drive in team format you never get a set schedule, one day you may have to drive at night and the next on a day schedule, but I try to stick close to a schedule as possible. I wish I could be on a set schedule in this job but in logistics world it's just not possible (well it is) but I would get bored.

My day starts between 5am-7am depending on if I have to pick-ups that day and how much rest I will get the night before. Weather plays a role, how long it takes me to back in at the customer, traffic, and the fuel stops, stuck tandems, etc..etc...if it's a day of driving I try to get up when my 10 hours are up and get to going. I always like to try and get a pre plan from my driver manager two hours out from consignee so that way I can start planning at least where I gotta shut down if close to running out of hours and how far shipper is away from consignee and finding a truck stops on the route.

 

From the OP:
My primary goal is to maximize my drive time on the 70-hour clock as I rarely take a 34-hour break unless forced to by my dispatch. I try to be on duty or driving 10 hours during 6 out of my 8 consecutive days, and be on duty or driving 2 or 3 hours for 2 out of the 8 days. I can drive more in a 24 hour period when I need to because I start at midnight or at least try to. If you stop at 10 AM take your 10 hour break and start driving again a at 8pm you can drive 14 hours n a 24 hour period therefore maximizing your drive time on the 70 hour clock. I also drive the entire 10 hours without stopping as my bladder can handle it and I save my fuel economy and time by not stopping at all.

My circumstances are rather unique as I am in my early 20’s, single, have no fixed residence. most loads are drop and hook, most loads are 1200 miles or more, and I have friends and family all across the country. I don’t care about home time as I don’t really have a home other than my truck. What do I do about mail? Well I try to remain as paperless as possible, but I have a mail forwarding service that will scan my mail and mail it to me if I really need the item. I just set the address to a relative or friend I am headed towards. Why do you have so much off duty time? I need the extra time to manage my online business that counts for over half of my total income. So I think the extra off duty hours are worth it. If you make so much money with an online business, than why are you a trucker? Mostly for tax reasons and to drastically cut expenses while I pay off my college debt. I know it is not completely legal to take advantage of the per diem deduction when you have no fixed residence but it is hard for anyone to find out as my official address is with a relative. Since all I do is travel for business nearly all of my expenses are tax deductable. Do you even have a life? Sure I do, since I have a network of friends and family across the country I tend to meet up with people I know along my route. About once a week, I also stay a night at a hotel if it is before a three hour drive day. I also plan to start taking two week around the world or cruise vacations every three months and since my online business sells travel products, I can even deduct the vacation as a research trip since I sell the products I am using even though I get everything for almost nothing if not free through my contacts. I know if you are with a major OTR carrier you don’t keep your truck if you’re gone for two weeks, but I don’t really care as my company has a fairly modern fleet anyway. Do I plan to be a trucker forever? Not at all as I am just using the lifestyle as a tax advantage while I develop my business and pay off my debt.

Many people get into trucking for the wrong reasons and I am probably one of them. I felt like quitting almost everyday until I found this rhythm that acts as a perfect balance. Does everyday look like this? Absolutely not and I don’t expect it to as this is just the schedule I attempt to take and it is rather easy to adjust to if I have a long load. After you learn to safety operate a truck in almost every road and traffic condition you should focus on what time management strategy works best for you as that is how you make money. If you’re looking for a OTR carrier you should pick the one that best allows you to manage time wisely. Look for modern equipment. large ratio of drop and hooks, large average trip length, and electronic logs, as they are a lifesaver to legally manage your time effectively. Most newbie’s focus on backing too much but I would not sweat that too much as it is a skill that takes time to learn anyway. As long as you got the backing concept down you will get better at it eventually. I would just work on finding a time management strategy that will optimize your earnings as well as provide a good work life balance.