Best Area In US For Daily Drivers

Where is the best are in the country to live if you want a home daily local/regional job?

I’m hauling cement in Kansas now, making about $80k/year but am considering a relocation. Where are the best jobs for experienced drivers to be with a family? Pnuematic, dry bulk, tankers, haz mats, oil field, I’ll drive anything as long as I can go home at night.

If you're within driving distance of almost any of the metro areas you'll have many options. If you live a couple hours away from the nearest city you'll obviously have less. If you're looking to relocate look at the cost of living. If the metro has multiple interstates passing through/near even better. I moved to Des Moines IA a few months before I started my trucking career. Low cost of living with good wages, smaller metro compared to most but within 2 to 3 hours for Omaha/KC/Minneapolis, 5 to Chicago allows us to enjoy what we have but easily make day trips to the bigger cities. We've since moved 45 minutes north of Des Moines to enjoy small town rural life but I make the commute. By having I-35 and I-80 come together we're able to run about a 300 mile radius and make it home daily. That covers Sioux Falls, Kearney NE, St Cloud MN, Springfield Bloomington Illinois, Manhattan KS, Madison WI. If everything goes right we can even turn 720 mile runs out to Lexington NE, or Springfield MO. For me, this job is excellent having so many options of what direction I'm going which helps prevent burn out.

Most LTL jobs will get you home every day and pay a solid wage. However, it's also a seniority based system. Starting out you likely will be on call, work the dock, or get the worst runs (whether it be traffic or low miles/pay). It will vary by company. Where I'm at we work 4 days a week and depending on what routes you pick you could easily make that amount. Last 2 years I grossed over 100k picking up a 5th day quite a bit. This year I've slowed down quite a bit but should still hit 92k or so only working a 5th day a few times.

Yep, same here in Ohio!

Read the thread that Don started to me; it's called "Hey, Anna!" ... so many suggestions, mainly from LTL guys. Ohio is RIPE w/ freight, much around Columbus, Dayton, Akron/Canton, and the ports in Cleveland and Toledo~always hopping.

Even where we are, almost dead set middle (near Mansfield,) there's many opportunities. We do local; as well..looking for a new company to call home, and we've got plenty of choices; all no touch. Cost of living here in Ohio is quite reasonable too, I might add!

Wish you well, O/P ~ just like Rob said, once you build up seniority, that matters too.

~ Anne ~

Most LTL jobs will get you home every day and pay a solid wage. However, it's also a seniority based system. Starting out you likely will be on call, work the dock, or get the worst runs (whether it be traffic or low miles/pay). It will vary by company. Where I'm at we work 4 days a week and depending on what routes you pick you could easily make that amount. Last 2 years I grossed over 100k picking up a 5th day quite a bit. This year I've slowed down quite a bit but should still hit 92k or so only working a 5th day a few times.

That's really good, especially when you consider the low cost of living in your location. I thought I was doing pretty well for small-town Michigan with $75k/year. You are killing it.

Where is the best are in the country to live if you want a home daily local/regional job?

I’m hauling cement in Kansas now, making about $80k/year but am considering a relocation. Where are the best jobs for experienced drivers to be with a family? Pnuematic, dry bulk, tankers, haz mats, oil field, I’ll drive anything as long as I can go home at night.

I would think any of the metropolitan areas would be good. Plenty of business within a 2 hour drive. Places like DFW and Atlanta have quite a good flow of freight coming through, so decent options.