Should I Commute For ODFL?

That is kind of what I figured, if you can don't mind waiting and can get a dock job, it is worth considering.

I've been here 5 years and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Commute or punt is a false choice. Rent a room in a Nashville suburb until you can transfer to Bowling Green. You can go home on weekends and start building seniority all for less than $800/mo. ODFL is an excellent company.

Does OD allow you to keep your seniority? There's a few companies around here that your seniority only counts at that terminal/yard. Transfer elsewhere and you're back to the bottom of the list.

I don't doubt OD is a great company. At one point I considered switching. But to spend $800 for a studio in another town on top of whatever bills you already have seems like an absurd idea if it may take a year before they're eligible for a transfer. Getting on as a dockworker ($26.75/hr here) and going through their training in the future may be a cheaper/better option. Otherwise get started elsewhere and apply for a driving job at the BG terminal when one becomes available.

Does OD allow you to keep your seniority? There's a few companies around here that your seniority only counts at that terminal/yard. Transfer elsewhere and you're back to the bottom of the list.

Same here you are back to the bottom.

But to spend $800 for a studio in another town on top of whatever bills you already have seems like an absurd idea if it may take a year before they're eligible for a transfer.

I agree with this. The part of LTL that gets ignored is there is no guarantee of work. The lower in seniorty you are, the higher the chance of sitting at home. There's also no guarantee of that transfer being available or that you would get that transfer before somebody else.