Why did you quit OTR

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ELD , I rather ride around in my yard dog with no heat in 10 degree weather with the windows open for 12 hours

 

I did OTR for a little over a year. I mostly thought it was a mandatory pre-requesite for getting a local job... For me, being away from the wife and 3 young 'uns was the hardest part. That was why I went local. Honestly, I really didn't mind OTR life other than that. I was just starting to really get the hang of it when I moved to local. If I were a bachelor with no kids, I would probably have stayed with it....
I'm not ashamed to say that there's always a tiny voice in the back of my head, beckoning me back. I just have much more important commitments in my life that I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice.

 

As a soon to be new driver this is an interesting thread. Reading a lot of the seasoned driver comments here and in other places I'd gotten the impression that most of the veterans believe "real drivers" do OTR and the only ones that can't handle it are soft-minded / soft-handed millennials that whine too much about hard work anyways. It's refreshing to see that even some of the older hands are like, "yeah, living in an 8ft fiberglass box alone for weeks on end away from family and home just ain't for me".

Personally I'm hoping to find a regional tanker gig out of Houston that does "out-and-backs" or at least gets me home on weekends. Although I understand that sort of thing may not fall into my lap right away, I'd do OTR for a year just to get the requisite experience and then look for something more suitable. Schneider has a new Costco dedicated gig they just posted for the new DC on the north side of Houston that apparently runs regional TX & LA and should have descent home time so if I can't find a good regional tanker gig I'll probably give that a look.

 

Out of my large CDL back in 16-17 only 2 of us wanted to go OTR all the rest wanted local maybe a little regional but not for long. Only 2 of us are still trucking me and the other OTR cat . The rest took low wage jobs and just stay terrified of the open road.

 

I just want to clarify something that you may have a misconception on...
Driving trucks all day for 8-11 hours IS hard work any way you slice it.
Granted, some trucking jobs are more labor intensive than others. Door swingers, as they are commonly called in trucking lingo, who may never touch the freight still don't have an extremely cushy job, IMO.
Hopefully every driver finds something that they are satisfied with. Local, LTL, flatbed, specialized, heavy haul, expedited, food service, OTR reefers and dry van, tanker, or containers... My point is, that being a "real driver" has more to do with the type of responsible professional driver you are, and less to do with what type of trucking you do...
Just some food for thought.
Best of luck to you in the future!

 

Dear God, we've gone 3 pages in the thread and not one rant about "entitlement", "lazy"', ext. Ext. It's a miracle.

Take this for what it's worth, from a newbie with less than (but close to) 1 year of experience.

This job is love hate for me. Everything is like a two sided coin for me.

I love the fact that I get paid to see new places. Most people have to pay money for an RV to go see this beautiful country, while I get paid for it.

I hate the fact that I get paid to see new places. It gets old getting lost or taking wrong turns and then having to improvise on the fly. Yeah I know trip planning trip planning trip planning.

Look, this is the real world. #### happens. And #### gets old. Some days I just want a routine route every single time that I know by heart.

I love the fact that I pay no rent or utilities while OTR.

I hate the fact that I feel like a #### homeless person sometimes, sleeping in Walmart parking lots.

I love the fact that I have less micro management from dispatch, which I guess is my boss, than i would at an office job.

I hate the fact that I am so #### scrutinized by the police, the DOT and my company that I'm guilty until proven innocent.

I love the fact that I get to take more vacations per year than 99% of Americans, by running for 1.5 months or so at a time and then flying over seas for week long vacations.

I hate the fact that I work so many #### consecutive days in a row without a break from this job and this truck, like most Americans who get 2 days off a week.

I love the fact that for the most part, when drivers are in trouble or need help, most drivers will do their best to form an on the spot community to help each other out.

I hate the fact that for the most part, drivers are our own worst enemies when it comes to reforming the industry to better benefit drivers, because MUH LAZY - MUH ENTITLEMENT.

I love the fact that even at the low paying side of OTR trucking, that for many people (myself included) it's #### good money, especially compared to what we were making before.

I hate the fact that when I calculate my average hourly wage, that it's a piss poor salary that is equivalent to what many of us OTR truckers were making before we got into trucking. We just work a ####load more hours driving the truck.

I love the fact that as an introvert, I can be alone.

I hate the fact that as a human being, the amount of social isolation is so #### extreme for OTR truckers.

I love the fact that my truck takes so little time to clean because of how small the inside of it is.

I hate the fact that this truck is literally smaller than the size of a prison cell.

Look, I could go on and on. OTR trucking for me, is love hate. Literally almost everything about it is a double edged sword.

This past month, i have reminded myself when I get frustrated to try to enjoy this part of my life. It won't last forever. Maybe another year or two at most.

I have to enjoy it, because I know that despite my #####ing and moaning sometimes, when I quit OTR trucking there is going to be a small part of me on some days, that gets the itch for dispatch to throw me to the wind and let me go.

So, I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts.

 

Yeah, I actually always kind of figured that frankly, I think some old craggy types just like to pile on millennials b/c it's the "in" thing to do for old craggy types. I'm actually not a millennial though, turned 49 this past summer and this actually a third career move for me so the hard knocks of hard work no matter what it is will be nothing new.

Personally I think driving local in Houston would be way more "work" than anything else. Frankly the idea of being intentionally stuck in Houston traffic is a truck all-day, every-day for a living makes my skin crawl. I'm pretty sure I'd be ready to quit at the end of the first week no matter what it paid!

 

When you refer to the "Old craggy types" I assume you're talking about the older generation of truckers, who have 30+ years driving. I try to put myself in their shoes, because it helps me relate. I have loved ones who were truckers during the "glory days"... To put it bluntly- times, they are a changin'. More regulations, more technology, more micromanagement, more traffic, neutered trucks,and less comradery among the population as a whole, are some of the frustrations the "old schoolers" deal with. To us newer drivers it's the norm, but the biggest frustration for most is the lack of professionalism you see everywhere from coast to coast. It really gives a bad name to all truckers when you see drivers shuffling into customers in pajamas and flip flops, or those who don't speak 2 words of english. College aged kids with their headphones in and feet on the dash watching movies, while driving. EXTREMELY inexperienced drivers who shouldn't be alone, wrecking into things at a truck stop or customer. Bags of human feces, and pee bottles in parking lots, or roadsides. Drivers who won't get off their phones for a few minutes to pay a cashier, talk to a customer, or even sit on the toilet...
I'm already becoming one of those "Old craggy types" and I'm only a 40 year old with 7 years or so under my belt! I don't even want to think what it's gonna be like 20 years from now, but I'm along for the ride anyhow...

 

Im kinda different in my operation these days..........

Im not OTR but im not really local....

My week comprises of 4 days working and 3 off- (I wish i did this years ago) And the 3 days off are consecutive.

And out of the 4 days I work- Sometimes its 2 days here in the city and 2 overnights- Other weeks its 3 overnights.....

Nevertheless- I paid all my dues-Raised my family- and sleep in my own bed at least 4 nights a week.

Its kind of a "Perfect" balance- To Still make Great Money- And be Home........