When Should You Put Your Foot Down?

Rob T,

I started another thread as a response to this thread. As I mentioned in the other thread, when I researched companies outside of Prime, I skipped over any home daily jobs. Specifically, because every time I saw a home daily job posting, I said to myself "and be like Rob T? No thanks."

Of course, I am at a much different point in my life where being home daily for my family doesn't matter as much as it does to you. And to be honest, because you want to be home with your smaller children more, it seems like the only way you can get the best of both worlds is to put your foot down.

Rob T,

I started another thread as a response to this thread. As I mentioned in the other thread, when I researched companies outside of Prime, I skipped over any home daily jobs. Specifically, because every time I saw a home daily job posting, I said to myself "and be like Rob T? No thanks."

Of course, I am at a much different point in my life where being home daily for my family doesn't matter as much as it does to you. And to be honest, because you want to be home with your smaller children more, it seems like the only way you can get the best of both worlds is to put your foot down.

In reality for many local jobs your time at home is similiar to what you'd have doing regional. Often times you're so busy cramming everything into your 10 hour break that you don't have the time to really relax until your weekend anyways. I still prefer seeing the family for a few hours every night but I often times need to sacrifice sleep to make time for them on days I work. Once my wife begins working again I'll be able to cut back my hours.

We rebid our schedules for the year in 2 weeks. I plan on trying to get onto a 5 day work week being paid mile/stop instead of the current 4 day schedule and choosing the hourly option. Given the way our routing system has been there are several routes that fall to me that I could make more money than I currently do, and spend more time with the family as I'd work less hours each day. If 2 of the 3 kids are in school all day, wife's busy doing homework having a 3rd day off doesn't really matter since my daughter would rather play by herself lol. There have been days I've ran routes that would pay better mile/stop. For some, 400 or so miles with 6 stops would pay about $450 and I knocked those out in about 10 1/2 hours. We have a bunch of gas stations around the area that you can knock out in 10 hours and it pays over $500. Downside is it's a lift gate trailer and you're trying to get into gas stations while the morning rush tries to get their coffee. 57.3 CPM , $31.97 per stop, and a bunch of other extras including detention after an hour and a half. On the days loads are late we also get paid detention of our normal hourly rate from our dispatch time and not required to start our 14 hour clock. Hourly drivers are required to start their 14 hour clock or they won't be paid when loads are late.

I guess I would consider myself more regional now.

The difference with my 10-hour break and a home daily 10-hour break, is that my commute at the end of my shift, at most, involves walking into the truck stop to use the bathroom.

I guess I would consider myself more regional now.

The difference with my 10-hour break and a home daily 10-hour break, is that my commute at the end of my shift, at most, involves walking into the truck stop to use the bathroom.

It totally makes sense ~ for instance, Tom is almost 'going forward, in reverse' (good song..) . . . He's liking a 'sorda' flatbed company, in Wooster near Don . . . with a day or two out. Off weekends; 350 miles radius.

Exponentially better than the folks on 'our' side have offered him. He NEEDS a change, so so much. This may be it.

I'm 100% for it. I'm just going to revise many things, re: our schedule. The fear of the unknown, with six years at one place, is unnerving. He may just 'be' a regional / sleeper guy soon, though.

I know, wrong thread. Rob T, your topic/thread will be a highlight of the forward motion, of TT. Rob D., you should become a mod . . . yet you don't have the time, and I get it. You'd be an asset to Brett.

Anyway; ADS Pipe in Wooster, Ohio .

I am so grateful for the crew on this site. Always. So is 'silent Tom.'

~ Anne ~

Anne says:

Rob D., you should become a mod . . . yet you don't have the time, and I get it. You'd be an asset to Brett.

I think that I'm too irreverent and contrarian for Brett's tastes.

Rather than moderator, I think the title of "Chief Cook and Bottle Washer" would be more appropriate.

What has happened today? Long, long posts by Rob T and Chief Brody. I think the floodgates of the literary heavens must have broken. Very informative, interesting and thought provoking. So, trucking is not like a regular job? Go to work at 8, work until 4:30, go home and do it all over again for 4 more days?

This reminds me of what a unique and challenging profession driving is. So many variables involving each individual driver, so many different companies doing many different things, so many paths to choose from, so many schedules to decide on, etc., etc.

Great original posts. Very well thought out and articulate. I guess some of you people went to school and paid attention. I wanted to quit school in the 4th grade and get a job. I thought I was qualified to teach kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades since I was a recent graduate. But my parents put the ki-bosh on that plan. Keep up the excellent writing.

Oh, Anne. You said “silent Tom”. Quit pretending. Everybody knows you just made him up. Lol

Anne says:

Rob D., you should become a mod . . . yet you don't have the time, and I get it. You'd be an asset to Brett.

I think that I'm too irreverent and contrarian for Brett's tastes.

Rather than moderator, I think the title of "Chief Cook and Bottle Washer" would be more appropriate.

Contraire, good sir. He NEEDS someone with your moxie; tantamount. Honestly honest. Formidable, yet complicitly agreeable and argumentative, at the same time.

Just my opines !

~ Anne ~

ps: I missed my calling. Again, my two cents; I've suggested you, more than once . . . and then you don't show up to find !

Oh, Anne. You said “silent Tom”. Quit pretending. Everybody knows you just made him up. Lol..

Trust me, month(s) like this one, I wish.

I too, however, BK ~ appreciated the posts by the two Robs' in this thread.

Very educational; much ado about everything.

~ Anne ~