Any True OTR Companies??

So I drove from Kansas City northwest corner down to Niagra bottling south of Kansas City. 24 miles and because they have the same zip code I didn’t receive any pay for that. It’s working for free and as a company driver that’s bull crap.

Also thanks for the suggestion. I really didn’t want to turn this into a b@&ch fest thread lol I just was looking for other professional driver opinions.

Tractor Man on here went to Danny Herman for dry van. He usually has longer loads and shorter ones.

Check them out.

The economy is changing though. My company slowed down on hiring and has been shifting trucks out of certain areas for better freight.

I don't understand your comment that you are getting paid for dead head though.

As for the 500 mile runs that you aren’t content with, sorry I can’t help there. That is really just how it goes, as Kearney said the OTR part is misunderstood. I am an OTR driver with my company and there have been times that I haven’t strayed too far beyond the western states (even with a prearranged hometime). Rare these days are true coast times coast , one way burning down the 70 clock type of runs.

A run into LA for example for me, starting out outside of Portland is 2 drive shifts, with a delivery typically AM the day after I arrive, close to 1000 miles. I’ve been with my company almost a year and I have had a few (say 4 or 5) 1800 mile runs from the Food plant near my house to Kansas and back, but yea, other than that most of my runs are like yours short hops, expanding you out to wider area at times over multiple states at times.

The Grass isn’t always greener on the other side either keep in mind, are your 13 months safe, accident free, no tickets? If so do some research on companies, call and see what’s out there. Wasn’t trying to start a CFI debate, I have never worked for them so I have no comment at this time.

Oh and since it’s zip to zip mileage more than a handful of times I’m dispatched with no pay to DH to a load. Not even a couple bucks to drop and hook.

I’m not trying to knit pick but start adding up the ****ty pay and lack of basic compensation that numerous other companies offer it’s time to move on.

I was just looking for some real life recommendations not a CFI debate. It’s a great starter company and they do treat drivers with respect but that’s where it ends.

Check Marten Transport

So I drove from Kansas City northwest corner down to Niagra bottling south of Kansas City. 24 miles and because they have the same zip code I didn’t receive any pay for that. It’s working for free and as a company driver that’s bull crap.

Also thanks for the suggestion. I really didn’t want to turn this into a b@&ch fest thread lol I just was looking for other professional driver opinions.

Tractor Man on here went to Danny Herman for dry van. He usually has longer loads and shorter ones.

Check them out.

The economy is changing though. My company slowed down on hiring and has been shifting trucks out of certain areas for better freight.

I don't understand your comment that you are getting paid for dead head though.

With Prime, I am happy, and have a mix of short haul, and long haul. This is just since October of last year. I just dropped a 1400 mile load, and am picking up a 1200 mile load. It fully depends on what happens to be available in the area you are delivering in. Some times, you take the bad (the 12 mile Fontana drop yard to Fontana Walmart DC) to get the good.

I had been getting a good mix historically at Schneider but as of late, nothing but short haul.

I will say, with the short haul bonuses we get you can still make out very well.

Moe, I'm just curious if you get paid flat fees for some jobs like Michael does. If he's waiting for a load they may have him do some hostling and he'll get paid a flat amount for that or help out another fleet and haul a load that has multiple stops and get paid for extra stops. I don't think he's ever driven somewhere for free (my wife drove for free once just to make things simple since they wanted him to go rent a car and retrieve a truck but she just drove him there instead since we would have had to drive him to a car rental place anyways). I just wonder if some of this is more dependent upon the manager a driver has or the company's culture. I mentioned once that Michael got paid for detention where he just slept and an experienced driver here doubted that but it happens and someone else reported they got the same at their company. Michael has had some slow weeks, waiting for loads, but had a lot of miles last week and did very well.

Check Marten Transport

So I drove from Kansas City northwest corner down to Niagra bottling south of Kansas City. 24 miles and because they have the same zip code I didn’t receive any pay for that. It’s working for free and as a company driver that’s bull crap.

Also thanks for the suggestion. I really didn’t want to turn this into a b@&ch fest thread lol I just was looking for other professional driver opinions.

Tractor Man on here went to Danny Herman for dry van. He usually has longer loads and shorter ones.

Check them out.

The economy is changing though. My company slowed down on hiring and has been shifting trucks out of certain areas for better freight.

I don't understand your comment that you are getting paid for dead head though.

Ah yes, good ole Fontana, CA…….12 miles of gridlock lol, they are a tightly spaced DC too lol lol

With Prime, I am happy, and have a mix of short haul, and long haul. This is just since October of last year. I just dropped a 1400 mile load, and am picking up a 1200 mile load. It fully depends on what happens to be available in the area you are delivering in. Some times, you take the bad (the 12 mile Fontana drop yard to Fontana Walmart DC) to get the good.

Right now, the entirety of Southern California is on my 💩 list. 2 HOURS of going 2.5 miles an hour. Ok, fine. I'll suck it up buttercup! I dislike the rudeness, the "me first" drivers, the impatience (I was behind the double fatal, 2 semis, 1 minivan 1 work truck wreck) the extreme disregard for their own lives (jumping into my stopping space) in their little 💩box Tesla or Prius.

I get verbally road ragey in Southern California. Everywhere else? I talk to the traffic nicely! 😇

Ah yes, good ole Fontana, CA…….12 miles of gridlock lol, they are a tightly spaced DC too lol lol

With Prime, I am happy, and have a mix of short haul, and long haul. This is just since October of last year. I just dropped a 1400 mile load, and am picking up a 1200 mile load. It fully depends on what happens to be available in the area you are delivering in. Some times, you take the bad (the 12 mile Fontana drop yard to Fontana Walmart DC) to get the good.

Harvey - keep in mind I’m really tired/just got back from 5 weeks out so I’m answering your post best I can, and then seriously I gotta put the phone down for the night lol (not you just really tired)

We get $25 per hour flat for general duties - hostling, cleaning of trailers (blowout or waiting for washout) any general labor we are asked to do that takes away from our ability to turn miles.

Detention pay - yes $25.00 per hour AFTER the 1 hour grace period. I am not sure about the overnight thing you mentioned - as in paid detention to break overnight? I had to overnight at a shipper once because the load wasn’t ready (drop and hook) and pocketed $180.00, outside of that I have never been paid detention while breaking at a shipper or receiver. More input may be needed on that one.

As an OTR driver, I not only move the freight lanes but also get pulled in from time to time to help out any dedicated accounts that are behind - WALMART store deliveries, Michaels Craft Store deliveries, the most common ones I get are Reesers to Reesers or Reesers to Walmart or some other grocery reciever. Such as this load I had to get me home today. I woke up at 1015 to pickup by 0115 at Michaels Crafts DC for a 0330 delivery in Chehalis WA the onward to Longview WA arriving at 0545. Then DH empty back to my home terminal . For that one I made a total of $230 in local pay and detention. Does that make sense?

Moe, I'm just curious if you get paid flat fees for some jobs like Michael does. If he's waiting for a load they may have him do some hostling and he'll get paid a flat amount for that or help out another fleet and haul a load that has multiple stops and get paid for extra stops. I don't think he's ever driven somewhere for free (my wife drove for free once just to make things simple since they wanted him to go rent a car and retrieve a truck but she just drove him there instead since we would have had to drive him to a car rental place anyways). I just wonder if some of this is more dependent upon the manager a driver has or the company's culture. I mentioned once that Michael got paid for detention where he just slept and an experienced driver here doubted that but it happens and someone else reported they got the same at their company. Michael has had some slow weeks, waiting for loads, but had a lot of miles last week and did very well.

Check Marten Transport

So I drove from Kansas City northwest corner down to Niagra bottling south of Kansas City. 24 miles and because they have the same zip code I didn’t receive any pay for that. It’s working for free and as a company driver that’s bull crap.

Also thanks for the suggestion. I really didn’t want to turn this into a b@&ch fest thread lol I just was looking for other professional driver opinions.

Tractor Man on here went to Danny Herman for dry van. He usually has longer loads and shorter ones.

Check them out.

The economy is changing though. My company slowed down on hiring and has been shifting trucks out of certain areas for better freight.

I don't understand your comment that you are getting paid for dead head though.

Lastly Harvey - About the recovery, I have never been asked to recover equipment. By recovery I assume you mean going out to retrieve a rig some driver just walked away from? We actually have our own recovery team for that. They get paid to fly to wherever and retrieve our assets and drive them ASAP legal to the nearest terminal.

Anyway, this driver is off the internet at least for 12 hours I’m wiped and going to lay down in front of the 40 inch and fall asleep lol.

Night