Comments By 6 string rhythm

Hey 6 string!

I received a conditional offer of employment for line haul with OD yesterday and can't tell you how much I appreciate the time and effort you put into your LTL thread.

6 string do you have tips as to how I can get my sleep schedule swapped from days to nights? I'm no stranger to a grave yard shift, did it for 5 years at a previous office job, but currently work a 6 am - 4 pm pd gig with a different employer. Im still at least 3 if not 4 weeks out from starting LH training, and would love to make the adjustment as easy as possible.

Thanks again sir! Bret

Hi Bret. Glad the thread helped.

There's really no easy way about getting acclimated to nights. If you've worked nights before, you probably already have an idea of how to sleep during the day, and what not to do during your night shift. We're diurnal beings - some just tolerate night shift better than others. For me it wasn't as much the work week that gave me trouble, but rather flipping my schedule on the weekends for the family - that's rough. I try to stay daylight now. I run out of a terminal that has daylight runs and I have enough seniority to stay days.

Thanks for the input, however I'm not looking for easier and I'm not looking to not live out of a truck. In fact, I specifically DO want to live in the truck.

I'm just looking for insight into the tank driver lifestyle, particularly from those who've done both OTR tanker and OTR reefer.

If want it easier with better pay and to not live out of a truck, why don't you do LTL? You're in a major east coast city - there are plenty of opportunities. Try looking into P&D with an LTL outfit. There are a ton of options for you if you want better pay with less hassle.

I assumed you didn't want the typical OTR or regional lifestyle based on your comments, since a lot of your listed things you dislike can be typical of said lifestyle. It seemed to me you wanted it easier and more streamlined. I suggested P&D because it's daylight, you're in and out of customers, and you're not really doing any kind of labor. Of course, if you wanna live out of a truck, then home daily wouldn't be for you.

Also, being in the northeast, a decent amount of chemical tankers run around Jersey City, and that's about as urban jungle as it gets.

If want it easier with better pay and to not live out of a truck, why don't you do LTL? You're in a major east coast city - there are plenty of opportunities. Try looking into P&D with an LTL outfit. There are a ton of options for you if you want better pay with less hassle.

Glad my posts helped. Always a blessing to pay it forward

I went to DCS. I hired on with Old Dominion as a linehaul driver when I graduated. 3+ years now and no regrets. I'm home every day. Average linehaul with OD is 65-85k a year while being home everyday with a real weekend off at home. If you wanna maximize your time at home and your earnings, it's really tough to beat LTL.

LTL Trucking: My linehaul job

The Local Thread

When you take charge of the information feed, then you have taken charge of your career, and any dispatcher that I have ever worked with wishes that he could teach all his drivers how to do these types of things.

Taken from: Dispatch wants me to take a 34 hr reset in a loading dock?!

Litigation?

Yeah. You know. DOT is "litigatin' on you" when ya gotta abide by their rules. It's the same thing as saying someone is "hatin' on you," or being a "hater." DOT is a "litigator."

I love it when people say "hating ON you" instead of just 'hate.' These people are very clever.

I don't know many employees that get paid between $70-100k a year and put in only banker's hours.

You think putting in 55 hours a week is banker's hours? Even in Manhattan they don't have bankers that work that hard. You're putting in almost as much time as most guys driving OTR or regional.

Steak Eater, that will vary from company to company and division to division. Most companies that get you home on weekends will tell you to expect a 36 - 48 hour average time off. Most of the time you won't be on a set schedule of any sort so this will vary quite a bit. You might get home Friday night and be off until Monday morning, you might get home Saturday morning and be off until Sunday night.

Expect your home time to average 36 - 48 hours on the weekends.

You missed my point. I said BANKER'S HOURS, not my hours. I don't know many people that work BANKER'S HOURS ( 9-5 ) and get paid 100k.

Why would I call 55 hours a week banker's hours? That's my whole point.

One more thing. You'll need your hazmat, doubles / triples, and tank endorsements if you wanna go linehaul. Use the resources here to study and you'll ace the exams.

Well, you gotta work with your location. Ward is a good outfit, just small. Fed Ex Freight is a top notch LTL. I don't know much about XPO. I don't know anything about Penske - I thought they just rented trucks? I think Old Dominion's closest terminal to your location would be Scranton.

I wouldn't look into Fed Ex Ground. Those fleets are run by owner / operators and you'll be a 1099 employee. Go with Fed Ex Freight over Fed Ex Ground.