I know you tag a long along the passenger side, how many days is this, how many back ups do you get to do on real life customer ramp. I hope to get a local job but would be very afraid to be left alone on a stressful situation, like tight turns, narrow streets, impossible u turns, if I miss a turn, what else is stressful?. Do you get specials maps of streets to stay away from? I'm having nightmares of entering a residential neighborhood, and not be able to get out. Thanks
Why would you be in a residential neighborhood? Are you talking about training as LTL city driver? If so most "tight" areas you'll be in will be with a 28ft pup and a day cab. You normally practice in the yard for a week as mule moving trailers, then run routes driving with the trainer beside you. Or you'll train linehaul and pull doubles to a location, swap with another driver, and go back to your terminal.
i run local in Dallas/Fort Worth Texas, you just stick to the main roads and find your way in. Most businesses are designed with deliveries in mind, but sometimes I do have to block part of a street to tailgate pallet or two. If you can afford to run local do it, it's really nice to not wear flip flops every time you shower/sleep without backup alarms blaring/waking up next to a pig hauler/wait in line to take a #### etc... But I do miss the income of OTR and the tax breaks.
Sometimes, but not often. I only make about 50k running local, but could make more if I worked night shift. OTR I averaged about 65k. I also don't handle freight though
training may only be a couple weeks.One week you're with a driver and the second week you follow him.Depending how much work you need.Here it's only a week If that and they do require you have some knowledge of local driving.In your case Aarrons I think it'll be till you feel ready to be on your own.
Yea, that's Chicago though . Much higher cost of living there, you have state income taxes there, probably work a lot of overtime. and likely they are Union. A few OTR companies guarantee drivers 1150/week. Apples to oranges argument really.
) Some companies use pups, but many companies use a full size 53 foot trailer and use pups for terminal transfers only. So, YES you will be making deliveries into residential areas (heavy ### memory foam mattresses, furniture, etc.) with a full size trailer, its a pain. I would just use Google to scope of the neighborhood before I would accept the freight manifest. As a new driver after training you will probably run "wild". This just means you will deliver excess freight off existing routes and everything else the veteran drivers kick back to dispatch in the morning before they leave out (often residential, out of route, specific appointment time needed freight etc. Sometimes you can not get into the neighborhood and you will then return with the freight and they will have a cartage company deliver it in a straight truck.......but you will attempt as they are paid for this attempted delivery. You will just have to think things out and take it slow at first. The environment often is not very supportive, until you put in a few months and make it back with out tearing up a truck and easing up the regular routes during peak. Once you get through this period, you will find some help from the most unlikely sources. Good luck, it a tough at first.........but it can be done.
