Comments By TailGunner (Ken M)

WIA is the Workforce Investment Act. Check into it, you probably qualify from what I have read. I think you might check with your Unemployment Office, or whatever it is in Kentucky. Your training will be paid for by the State or the Feds.

I don't have XM, but I used to listen to Art Bell EVERY night. Coast to Coast A.M. was always on a station I could pick up. Now George Noory has the program, he is good, but no Art Bell, but he's from Michigan, so that's a plus. The weekend guys suck though.

Hi Brian,

Linehaul generally means the LTL company drivers that drive at night between their home terminal and a re-ship terminal, work the dock overnight unloading and reloading trailers. It usually pays mileage for the driving portion and hourly while working the dock. For Con-Way, anyway, everyone usually has a lift truck to use, so it's not by hand, unless it's something that requires it, but usually everything is palletized. Also, TMC uses "Linehaul" as the term for their regular OTR drivers.

Dedicated is for a Company that has drivers that only pull freight for a certain customer. They deliver all the merchandise from distribution centers to the customers' stores. I'm sure there are other scenarios for dedicated, but I think this is basically the theme. We have three different stores distribution centers in my area, Meijer, Target, and Wally World, and they all have several different companies pulling their freight.

There are regional OTR situations where you can get home sometimes during the week, but that depends on where you live in relation to pick up and delivery locations. There are a lot of regional fleets that want you out two weeks. And some that will try to get you home most weekends if you want.

If you read up on or call Con-Way, I think they let you move into local P&D (pick-up and delivery) after a certain amount of time driving for Con-Way Truckload. Generally, when you start with an LTL company, you are low man on the wheel, and you cover for whatever they need covered, be it peddling a local route during the day, or overnight linehaul, or a combination of the two. Yes, sometimes they will call you in to do some afternoon pick-ups, then have you hook up a set and do an overnight linehaul. But when you get more seniority, you get to bid on what you want once a year. The highest seniority driver gets whatever route he wants, then down the line. I know a lot of drivers that want some linhaul routes, because the combination of mileage and hourly pays a lot, especially if you're making top rate.

I know I have been rambling long enough, but I hope this helps.

I'm sure someone else will chime in soon an fill in what I've missed or got wrong.

Good Luck in your search!

It would help to know where you live. There are some regional companies that only hire in their areas.

Another thing about those complainin' posts, for every one with a disgruntled driver, there are probably fifty happy drivers. Nobody signs on there and says they are happy with their job. They only get on there when they have something to gripe about. And if you read the posts closely, if 90% of the complaints were true, the company would not be in business. It's just the driver got his panties in a wad over getting caught doing something he shouldn't have, or got caught in a lie. And like RedGator said, a lot of drivers will complain about anything just to hear themselves talk. Give them a bag of gold, and they'll gripe that it's too heavy.

Scott, I don't know where you live, but if you have a big truck stop near enough for you to drive to, you can go there and check out all the goodies. The prices may not be as good as online, but at least you can get an eyeball on the things before you buy them. The truckers store in the big truck stops have some pretty cool stuff.

Just make sure you get Schneider's deal in writing. And don't worry about hurting Celadon's feelings. They most likely lose dozens of drivers weekly. They were trying to hire a driver when they hired you, and they are still hiring. You didn't fill their last empty truck to be sure. Do what will be the best deal for you, not them.

A lot of churches stream their services on line now, also.

There would be No explaining to do. Just pack your stuff and leave.

That's fun stuff. This is not really the same, but I was in the mountains in VA on night, and I cut my headlights to let another truck in that passed me, and when I flipped the switch back up, the toggle came off in my hand, with the headlights still off. At about midnight. That was a waker-upper. I just kept up with the truck in front of me, and got out my pocket knife and used the tip, and luckily I was able to nudge the innards of the switch up and turn the lights back on.