After 25 Yrs. Of Local Work, (thinking, Only Thinking) Of Going OTR
Topic 10857 | Page 2
Yep, I drive for OD. Are you in NJ?
Yeah, Jersey born and raised. I knew a few good guys from OD. Only knew them by ...OD LOL Maybe your one of them. Have you ever picked up at Roland Foods in Dayton?
"an owner operator?" ! maybe in the 70's NEVER today,
Yeah, it ain't what it used to be, but I can see how it might be attractive to some. It adds some dimensions to the "lifestyle."
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
Yep, I drive for OD. Are you in NJ?
Yeah, Jersey born and raised. I knew a few good guys from OD. Only knew them by ...OD LOL Maybe your one of them. Have you ever picked up at Roland Foods in Dayton?
I only do P&D if they need extra help, and it's only near my terminal in PA.
Our South Plainfield terminal was just remodeled - it's really nice. Booton has a small terminal, and Jersey City is, well ... Jersey City 
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
And Jersey City is, well ... Jersey City
LOL I was born it Jersey City, went to Snyder High in the 70's Them's were some tough days, LOL I'm in central Jersey now. I lived in Bayonne before Central Jersey and that was a step up from Jersey City, I wouldn't even consider going back to Bayonne
So I might just do it, keeping in mind some the suggestions here to stay away from the start up companies
Ignore those suggestions. That's a strange attitude some people have. I don't know where they get that from but it's something I've heard forever.
The "starter companies" happen to be the largest companies in the nation with the strongest finances behind them. They have the nicest equipment, tons of different opportunities with various types of freight, numerous divisions often including local, regional , OTR , linehaul , and even intermodal , and a long list of great perks that often include things like:
- National accounts for repairs, hotels, and towing
- Per diem pay
- Hotel, Vacation, & travel discounts
- Medical hotlines staffed 24/7 with doctors and nurses
- Individual and family counseling
- Big, beautiful terminals with recreation rooms and big screen TV's
- Trucks equipped with APU's and satellite TV & radio
.....and who knows what else.
So the idea that you start with the large companies and move on to "better companies" is silly. It makes no sense. I spent most of my career at the larger companies because they had such great perks, great equipment, and a huge variety of opportunities. I also put in plenty of time at small to mid size companies and they had no advantages whatsoever as far as I was concerned.
I don't see any reason not to give OTR a shot if you're looking for something new. You can always change your mind and move onto something else whenever you like anyhow.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
Per Diem:
Getting paid per diem means getting a portion of your salary paid to you without taxes taken out. It's technically classified as a meal and expense reimbursement.
Truck drivers and others who travel for a living get large tax deductions for meal expenses. The Government set up per diem pay as a way to reimburse some of the taxes you pay with each paycheck instead of making you wait until tax filing season.
Getting per diem pay means a driver will get a larger paycheck each week but a smaller tax return at tax time.
We have a ton of information on our wiki page on per diem pay
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
APU's:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
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"an owner operator?" ! maybe in the 70's NEVER today, but thanks for the feed back on Prime and Crete
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.