Getting To/from Work/home As An OTR Driver
Topic 17000 | Page 1
I'm regional and 'home every week', but I get an assignment routing me to my park location when it's time, even if it means I drive there with no load (as happens more often than not). It's easy for me though because my park location is a company drop yard right off I95, and I go past there a couple times a week anyway. I suppose if you're parking in a more remote area, that might mean not always getting home exactly on time, but I'm pretty sure you'll always drive your truck to where your car is parked.
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.
For my hometime I park at a nearby truckstop and my family picks me up. One thing to consider which isn't too important is if the said company has a terminal nearby or even a customer nearby so you can deliver there and bobtail home if you have room to park by your house. A lot of us otr guys don't have a car. As long as it's within reason they will let you take your truck home, but keep in mind some companies may not. In my experience at swift it's usually the truckstop if I have a trailer or if I'm bobtail I will park at my dad's shop in town. But in general to answer your question they will route you to your car if that's what you want if said truck and car are parked at terminal, etc. We can take hometime wherever we want as well. If anything make sure to clear up how hometime will work with whatever prospective company you come across.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
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.
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.
Best thing I think is to park your car at your home terminal , then when you have home time, they just route you back to that terminal and you have a safe place to park both your truck and your personal vehicle.
Now, if your home is several hours away from your home terminal, then you will have to find a safe place to park your truck when you are going home..or, if you have space and you clear it with your company, you can take your truck home and park it on your property...again, always get permission before you bring a company truck home. Some.companies have rules about doing this
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.
When does your home time begin? Does it begin the day you drop off your truck?
When does your home time begin? Does it begin the day you drop off your truck?
For example you have it set for 11/24/16 and make it home on the 24th, but you made a delivery that day then went to the terminal to park your truck so technically your hometime begins but that day won't count. So let's say you get threes days off which means you will get the 25,26, and the 27 off. Makes sense? Kind of hard to articulate it in writing haha.
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.
I cannot take my truck into my neighborhood. Walmart one mile away is kind enough to let me park there. But bobtail only. My company always has me drop my empty at a nearby shipper or a drop lot 70 miles away. My wife takes me to/from the truck. A few times I've had a friend pick me up, we'll go eat, catch up and he takes me home.
My company has been very good about the home time. If I'm supposed to have three days off, they let me take three days. So if I'm supposed to be off Friday through Sunday, but am still driving Friday (any part of the day) I just tell them I'll be available Tuesday instead of Monday. However, I never ever miss coming out when I say I will and I never leave them guessing what I'm doing.
Good luck and I hope this helps.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
I live a bit South of Atlanta. The closest Stevens Transport facility is in Dallas, TX.
When I go on home time, they have to route me to Atlanta, or within a couple hundred miles.
This most recent home time, I repowered a load in Newberry, SC, and then deadheaded an empty trailer to the Union City, GA, and then drove my truck bobtail to a Kenworth service facility in McDonough, GA. Then I used Lyft to get a ride the last few miles home. In other words, being a Stevens driver living in Atlanta is a bit of a pain in the butt.
If possible, I suggest that you try to pick an employer that has a substantial facility near your house.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Deadhead:
To drive with an empty trailer. After delivering your load you will deadhead to a shipper to pick up your next load.
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I'm sure there has to be a simple answer to this but I'm a bit confused from what I've been reading.
If you're an OTR driver, you drive to where your truck is, park your car and head out for x amount of days. Now when you have home time how do you get back to where your car is? What I've been reading is.....You can catch a load going back towards your home "area". Now what do you mean by "area"? Are you driving back to exactly where your vehicle is at so that you can drive home? Or do you have to find your way to your vehicle if you're returning to a location other than where your vehicle is?
Thanks in advance.
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.