Thanks Guy - You did mention before in another post about the concept of not having to be near a terminal for home time. Home time was more of an afterthought with this post though. I was more looking for input on a rookie hauling different types of freight, with home time being just part of the discussion.
Brett, I appreciate your feedback. I understand what you're saying about most reefer gigs being more OTR. Interestingly enough, there seems to be a lot of opportunity for Shaffer and weekly home time. Probably because where I live is near their 'home' terminal, and there's a lot of local freight around here hauled by Shaffer. They do a lot of candy, and of course, we are within 30 minutes of Hershey ;) Crete/Shaffer starts your benefits within 30 days of hire, which is actually just one more reason we have them at the top of our list.
Schneider does seem to have a lot of opportunity for more home time. They have a lot of job openings in Carlisle and York PA. Plus they have the tanker division. I think eventually I might end up wanting to try to pull a tanker, for a few reasons. One of which is the abundance of tanker jobs in the area, which RedGator mentioned. Just not sure if I want to start w/ Schneider. I don't want to move around a lot of companies either. I guess if I end up wanting to try tanker, I'll have to roll w/ Schneider since they're one of the only companies I know of that hires and trains drivers w/ no prior tanker experience.
I think our game plan will probably be to roll w/ Crete/Shaffer first, stay with them for at least one year, and then look into other options for more home time, like perhaps that line haul gig w/ NEMF. I just wanted to hear some feedback from you guys and gals. Going back to one of my original questions, I"m just not sure if the extra penny for reefer is worth it, so going w/ Crete instead of Shaffer seems like what we're leaning towards.
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 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 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.A refrigerated trailer.
Probably because where I live is near their 'home' terminal , and there's a lot of local freight around here hauled by Shaffer.
Shaffer hauls alot of Nestle product out of Breinigsville, PA. It is drop and hook. Crete hauls alot of Kellogs and Nestle from the same area. It is drop and hook as well.
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.
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
A penny per mile means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. I would disregard that completely. There's no way to predict accurately enough how many miles you'd be getting with either company. The miles you're turning are going to matter more in the end. Choose the company you think you can get more miles with if there seems to be any indication.
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
We live in an area with LOTS and LOTS of freight Bill. You will have no issue at all finding local jobs around Harrisburg. I live in Allentown and there are probably more local jobs in the area than OTR. The kicker is most of the local jobs will be running you into Philly, NYC, NJ. That's just the nature of the area, I am 2 hours away from 2 of the largest cities in the U.S. so that is where the freight goes.
Crete/Shaffer do a lot of hauling near me. I know they have a Wal-Mart dedicated account, out of Pottsville I think, and that gets drivers home weekly. They also have an intermodal local job, probably out of Bethlehem but I am not sure. JB Hunt has a ridiculous amount of local dedicated jobs in Harrisburg and Allentown, reefer , van, and intermodal, but they require various levels of experience from 3 months to 1 year.
I would highly recommend pulling a tanker for Schneider as your first driving job. You will learn some very good driving habits very quickly dealing with a liquid tanker. And Brett keeps saying they are baffled tankers which he is incorrect about. Most of Schneider's, and other liquid bulk companies, tankers are single compartment tankers. So all 6000 gallons of that 45,000 lb. load moves around. Schneider does a very good job training new drivers to drive a liquid tanker, but it's not for everyone, it is quite scary at times.
So if you started with Schneider Bulk they'd get you home 6 days per month. Either all 6 in a row, or 3 + 3, or 2 + 4. It's your choice how you want to take those days off every month. If you stayed with Schneider, or whatever other company you choose, for one year you'd have plenty of options in your area. And not all chemical tanker either. There are a load of food grade tanker companies in your area with local positions. Venezia, Bulkmatic, I think Foodliner may have a local job out of Harrisburg, there are milk transport companies, lots of fuel haulers like BRT, Penn Tank Lines, Sunoco Logistics.
I know you mentioned NEMF, they are great to work for I hear. A guy from my US Xpress account just went there because he lives like 5 minutes from their Hazleton terminal. He loves it so far, he does a local P&D route, lots of NYC and Philly, but he enjoys it. The list is endless really.
You definitely want to do OTR for a while though, it's a lot of fun. I miss it every day, but being home every night has its perks as well!
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 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.
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.
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.
A refrigerated trailer.
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
My company WEL also offers regional work out mon thru Friday and home on weekends. Our terminal is in Allentown. Ive never ever had a problem getting home. Probably because I live 3 miles from the terminal I came out of school hauling reefer. Matter of fact NE regional for WEL pays .46/cpm and $30 drop pay as your hauling LTL loads. I love my job and my company. It all comes down to how dedicated your company is to getting you home. I know many a driver from flatbed to dry and back and Im the only one who never has an issue. It all comes down to personal preference and what you want need and desire from a company andhow the work fits you. Like most ppl hate the wwaiting in reefer but me I love it because I get naps in the middle of the day
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.
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.
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
A refrigerated trailer.
Hey Bill, I know I'm late to this thread,but I've been checking in on it every now and then and just want to jump in here and say that I've always counseled new drivers to not concentrate so much on the mileage pay, but take that first year and concentrate on proving to yourself and to your dispatcher that you really can do this job. There are a ton of new drivers that never even make it to their first anniversary. I started out at a very dismally low mileage rate, but I was soon making more money than my friend who started at .39 cpm. The reason I was able to make good solid paychecks was simply that I proved myself and therefore my dispatcher began to trust me with the "good stuff". In this business you are turning miles into money, but most of the time the uninitiated think the main way to a solid paycheck is by getting the highest pay rate per mile. It's a totally backwards way of looking at it for a beginner because he has no way of knowing what kind of miles he can responsibly handle until he gets out there and faces the difficulties of the road warriors lifestyle. Some people take to it very naturally, while others who thought they were cut out for it cave in after just a few months behind the wheel.
Wherever you get your start just do your best at being an efficient producer so that both you and your dispatcher are confident that you can handle this. After you've done your first year then you can start deciding about how much money you'd like to make per mile, and how often you'd like to get home. Remember when you are home you are not making money - it's a balancing act for sure, and I find that when I'm on home time I see my rig out there sitting still, and it looks almost forlorn that it's not out there chasing that white ribbon. Next thing I know I can't wait to get back out there on the road again. I love being home with my dear wife, but I will tell you that once this job gets in your blood it becomes a jealous mistress at times. You'll get it all figured out I'm sure, but don't let one cent here or there be any kind of a deciding factor in your decision.
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Operating While Intoxicated
Thanks everybody for the thoughtful input!
ThinksTooMuch, I appreciate your encouragement to give tankers a try, even as a rookie. And I appreciate your info on PA freight. You're also one of the contributors on this forum that gave me some encouraging words through another post about driving in NYC. When I first started looking into trucking, I automatically crossed off companies I thought would go to NYC. I've since acquired a more positive outlook on it. Really, it all comes down to not being afraid. As with anything in life that poses a challenge, even with a bit of trepidation, there's a fine balance between having a healthy respect and living in fear. I'm sure those horror stories have some merit, but like anything else, you eventually get used to it - I hope ;) Things could change between now and July (when I should graduate), and I don't have to decide now, but I'm thinking about just starting off w/ Crete as a dry van driver, and then I'd probably like to give tanker a try. We'll see... wish Crete/Shaffer had a tanker division because I'm really starting to favor that company.
RedGator, funny how you mentioned about the naps - I thought the same thing being a reefer driver, or I could use that downtime to practice guitar and write songs for my daughter!
Old School. Much appreciated wisdom. I've already come to the realization that more cents per mile doesn't mean a better paying job - miles are part of that equation as well. I also agree and welcome your advice to learn to become a proven driver, and an employee that can be dependable. As with most nuggets of wisdom, repetition is never a bad thing. I enjoyed your anecdote about looking at your rig and longing to be on the road, and yet also enjoying the time at home w/ your wife. Sounds conflicting, but yet endearing. My wonderful wife is very supportive of my decision. I used to drive a lot when I was younger in my twenties - I've already been to a lot of our great nation's states. Being a sucker for wanderlust, I think truck driving will suit me just fine. I'm hoping to relive some old memories by driving through some familiar places, albeit this time in a big rig. My wife and I have no idea how trucking will REALLY impact our family, but we are anticipating great things, and I'm looking forward to supporting my family doing something I think will be very rewarding, and enjoyable.
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
A refrigerated trailer.
I love it because I get naps in the middle of the day
Oh MY!
Not my thing at all, I'd need a eye mask and GOOD heavy curtains,
I'm rather photosensitive, Can't sleep well in the light. When we moved to this house, I chose the bedroom I'm in simply because it had the thickest darkest solidest drapes across the windows!
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You want dry van or flatbed for the best home time options. Very few refrigerated companies will get you home on weekends. They may have some divisions that will, but most refrigerated gigs are OTR and you'll only be home a few days a month.
Liquid tanker - no. And most places won't allow a rookie to pull a liquid tanker. I pulled a food grade tanker for a year one time and I loved it. But there were no baffles in the tank so you had 48,000 pounds of liquid sloshing around. It's incredibly difficult and dangerous to handle.
That being said, I think you should take a hard look at Schneider for home time options. Look at both their dry van and bulk tank division. ThinksTooMuch used to work there and he had nothing but good things to say about it. In fact, here's one of the conversations we had about Schneider Bulk with ThinksTooMuch.
You may still haul liquids but there will be baffles in the tanks which will limit the sloshing considerably. And from what ThinksTooMuch has said, Schneider has really awesome training for that division. I can't remember what the home time options were though.
I have no concerns about a rookie starting out in refrigerated trucks but it's not likely you'll find that type of job with good home time options, especially straight out of school.
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.
Baffle:
A partition or separator within a liquid tank, used to inhibit the flow of fluids within the tank. During acceleration, turning, and braking, a large liquid-filled tank may produce unexpected forces on the vehicle due to the inertia of liquids.Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.