Comments By Woody

Man Logan that's GREAT!!!

When I was in school the instructors were telling stories about driving for Madonna and other top entertainers. They said how sweet the gigs were but also how hard it was to get them. Says a lot about the job you have been doing!

Woody

What is it exactly that's giving you doubts about your current company?

That is exactly what I was going to ask, and is the million dollar question.

I have stated on here before that I left my first company at 4 months. But I also say I believe in the 1 yr mark way of thinking and my circumstances were different then just jumping ship in hopes of finding better waters. I was very happy with my first company and my DM. There were a few issues but nothing that was going to make me leave. When I started trucking I knew exactly what I wanted and who I wanted to work for but that company always required 1 if not 2 years experience. Because of driver shortages the company changed it's policy so I was able to make the switch sooner than expected. The pay and benefits were such that I could not turn it down and the sooner I got in the sooner I started building seniority. If that had not been the case there is no way I would have left my first job.

BTW I totally agree that it's hard to follow Old School. I got to the point that if I saw he posted in a thread I almost didn't open it because the questions had already been answered. But I had to continue to read so I could pluck some of the nuggets from his posts!

Woody

If you prove yourself as a dependable driver like you are doing I don't think you will ever have them say no to 100 miles out of route to get home. When I was with them I had an instance where they were having trouble getting me home. I tried to schedule home time when my wife was off work and was getting close to having to go home when she went back. They had me bobtail 180 miles to get home and spend time with her! My DM was one of the things that made it hard for me to leave the company.

Woody

My only claim to fame hauling freight was hauling the first load of salt that went into the aquarium in Chattanooga, TN when it was first built.

Really? That aquarium if freakin incredible!

That's awesome Travis!!!

Jeez after reading my own posts it sounds like all OTR drivers are miserable. Didn't mean it to come out like that. I think its just the ones that are seem to be more memorable.

Woody

Do you think there is more of an atmosphere or camaraderie in the ltl world compared to otr? I am very interested in ltl because home time is important to me, however, I get the feeling that "fitting in" may be a little more important in the ltl world than the otr world.

As a fellow linehaul driver I totally agree with 6 Strings assessment and will chime in a little on this part of your question. First let me say I feel where you are coming from. I spent over 15 years in the retail world the last 5 in management. I was tired of the headaches and dealing with people and was ready to do what I like, which is being alone. I should clarify that I enjoy being with my wife of 25 years and my children but there are times I need a break from them lol.

I drove OTR for 4 months before getting into linehaul so I have a limited experience in that crowd. My plan all along was to go LTL because of the pay but it has always been you had to have experience before you could get in. As 6 has pointed out this has changed and are even hiring straight out of school. As soon as I found out about this I made the switch. There are things I miss about being OTR but when I look at how often I am home, my current pay, and my benefits there is no way I could go back right now.

Does there seem to be more camaraderie in LTL? I would have to say yes. There is some in OTR especially when your somewhat specialized. The flat bed drivers will tend to look out for each other is just one example. But I notice a big difference when I am at one of our terminals compared to when I was at the terminal driving OTR. Sure I have seen the occasional person that is having a bad day or is just a jerk in general but they have been few and far between. It has been my experience in the 7 months I have been linehaul that the drivers are friendlier and much more willing to help one another out. As I walk in and out of our terminal, which is a long walk from the parking lot, every person I pass smiles, says hello, and wishes you a safe trip. If you stop to talk and they ask how you are doing it is a genuine question. How much interaction you have with the same people may depend on your runs. I have been on a bid run for 6 months so I see many of the same people when I go in but this changes Monday as I did not take a bid this time and chose to go to the extra board so I can go different places and change my schedule a little.

I do work in a union shop, so within that camaraderie is a little of the brotherhood that comes with unions. But that being said I would not be surprised at all if 6 had some of the same experiences. He works for one of the top LTL companies out there and they keep their drivers happy. I have ran into some of them at hotels and everyone has been friendly. When workers are well paid and satisfied with what they are doing it shows with how they interact with others.

I would compare LTL and OTR like comparing other forums on the net with Trucking Truth. I have a tremendous respect for OTR drivers and what they do, especially the experienced drivers on this forum. But those drivers are a rarer breed in the OTR world. Brett, Daniel, Old School, Guy, and all the other experienced and those quickly gaining experience know how to do the job and be successful and love what they do. If they saw you having trouble at a truck stop there is no doubt in my mind they would help. While many of the typical OTR drivers will be barking at you on the CB to tell you to get the %&*# out of their way. If you can stomach it spend some time reading on other forums and see what the atmosphere is like, then compare that to Trucking Truth. Its the difference between being successful and happy with what your doing instead of miserable and not making any money but blaming everyone but themselves for the problems. When I was OTR I HATED being at the truck stops or even my companies terminals. Everyone wanted to complain about this or that and was basically pretty negative. What Brett is doing here is incredible and I truly believe is changing some of those outlooks a little at a time.

You will still have plenty of alone time if you go LTL. If you want little contact with other people that can be achieved just like 6 said. In fact I never see my linehaul manager. But if you do interact with other drivers it seems to be much different than what I experienced on the road.

I hope no OTR drivers on here take any offense from my opinions. Again the drivers on here go totally against the norm that I experienced.

Woody

I attended TDI in Indianapolis and was very happy with my experience. Although different schools will have different instructors.

I originally financed through the school with 6 months no interest and planned on getting a personal before the promo expired. I went to school in November and they called in January with an offer. If I paid my loan by the end of January they would accept $4500 to settle the $5900 loan. I immediately called my bank and took out a personal loan. Great deal for me!

Considering tuition reimbursement many offer it but be sure to get details. Mainly are there minimums to be met like monthly mileage? My first job offered tuition reimbursement and I never saw a dime of it. Kept asking but they never got it straight. A friend started at the same time as I with the same issues. He eventually got them to pay but had to keep on them to get it.

Woody

Check yes but then explain that you didn't inhale. Seemed to work for a previous president LOL

Woody

Welcome to the best trucking site on the net

If you decide to move into trucking be sure to check out the High Road Training Program. It makes the info much easier to learn and the price is hard to beat

Woody