How Honest Are Trucking Companies When They Say “no-touch” Freight Jobs?
Topic 32535 | Page 1
Most of the mega carriers willing to hire new drivers are no touch for OTR. They may have certain dedicated accounts like dollar tree that require a driver to unload by hand but for OTR its nearly all no touch. At one time I recall hearing that flower loads for Prime Inc required driver unload but I believe that changed a couple years back and is no longer required. Most trucking jobs that require you to unload it yourself are local jobs like foodservice.
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.
Prime had flower loads that were driver unload, up until almost 9 months ago. They are multi stop, but no longer driver unload. I was exempted from those loads, due to intense allergic reactions to flowers.
Most of the mega carriers willing to hire new drivers are no touch for OTR. They may have certain dedicated accounts like dollar tree that require a driver to unload by hand but for OTR its nearly all no touch. At one time I recall hearing that flower loads for Prime Inc required driver unload but I believe that changed a couple years back and is no longer required. Most trucking jobs that require you to unload it yourself are local jobs like foodservice.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I've never heard a recruiter lie about no touch freight. I once had a recruiter pull a, "bait and switch" - hired me for a linehaul position, sent me to a week of paid orientation. Called me back the following Thursday and told me that a more experienced driver had applied for my job AFTER THEY HIRED ME so they gave him the linehaul position. Of course, I was welcome to stick around as a P&D driver (100% touch and about 2/3rds the pay of linehaul). I said, "No, thanks".
When you're looking for a job put together a list questions to ask recruiters. Ask every recruiter every question on your list and note their answers. ASSUME NOTHING. Is the job W-2 or 1099? Do you have cameras in your trucks? Where are they facing? Are your trucks governed? At what speed? How do you handle home time? (ie. every weekend, a 34 when you've used up your hours, a 34 after 12 days, only when the driver requests it 3 weeks in advance for a min of 4 days at a time, etc). Are your loads drop and hook or live loads? Will I need to pay lumpers? How am I paid (per hour, per mile, per day or percentage of load). How often am I paid (weekly, every other week, once a month). How do I get my money (direct deposit, paper check, CommData card, company debit card). What other pays do you offer (breakdown, detention, stop pay, etc). Are there bonuses or incentives? You should have a clear mental picture of the job and what is required of you before you fill out an application.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
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.
Linehaul:
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.Drop And Hook:
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Also, do you get paid less for doing exclusively “no-touch” freight jobs? If so, about how much less? "
No. Most driving jobs (where you just drive the truck) are close to 70 hours a week. Let's say you make $30/hr.and turn miles 65 hours a week. That's $1,950 a week. If you're on the outdated, "pay per mile" scheme and average 3,000 miles a week at 62 cpm that's $1,860 a week.
Most touch freight is weekends off and home daily with a work week closer to 40 hours a week. I've seen several ads in the Seattle market quoting rates less than $30/hr for this kind of work but even at $30/hr. and 45 hours a week that's only $1,350/wk. - $500-600/week LESS than driving only.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
With the major trucking companies, no-touch freight truly is that. These positions are most often refrigerated and dry van loads. With refrigerated it's a high percentage of live load/unload, at least for inexperienced drivers. Dry van is often high percentage drop and hook , but that can vary from company-to-company, based on customers for which a carrier hauls freight and the type of freight hauled. Just as an example, I don't think Hazmat loads are drop and hook loads, but I am sure there very well could be examples where they are on occasion.
Some companies have loads that have an option for driver unloading, and it's standard for this to pay extra on top of the mileage. How the carrier compensates for the unloading varies from company to company. Some pay an hourly rate, while others pay by the case or pallet.
Basically, I would say that it is rare for a company to advertise no-touch freight and it actually be something else. Oh, one thing to note is when a percentage is added, like 99% or 50%. With 99% no touch freight, very rarely will a load be a driver unload. If one is, you more than likely will have the option to refuse. With a company advertising 50% no touch freight, expect to be unloading a couple of times per week.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
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.Drop And Hook:
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.
Most of the mega carriers willing to hire new drivers are no touch for OTR. They may have certain dedicated accounts like dollar tree that require a driver to unload by hand but for OTR its nearly all no touch. At one time I recall hearing that flower loads for Prime Inc required driver unload but I believe that changed a couple years back and is no longer required. Most trucking jobs that require you to unload it yourself are local jobs like foodservice.
Greetings Rob T.,
Thank you very much for reply back to my friend’s questions. I will send him your response in an email. What you have shared will be a big help.
On the behalf of my friend, thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Nick S.
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.
Prime had flower loads that were driver unload, up until almost 9 months ago. They are multi stop, but no longer driver unload. I was exempted from those loads, due to intense allergic reactions to flowers.
Most of the mega carriers willing to hire new drivers are no touch for OTR. They may have certain dedicated accounts like dollar tree that require a driver to unload by hand but for OTR its nearly all no touch. At one time I recall hearing that flower loads for Prime Inc required driver unload but I believe that changed a couple years back and is no longer required. Most trucking jobs that require you to unload it yourself are local jobs like foodservice.
Hello NaeNaeInNC,
Thank you for your help.
Kind Regards,
Nick S.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Understand that you might "touch" cartons that were damaged and need to throw them out or take to food bank.
Twice I took a pallet off at Amazon. In 7 years.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
I've never heard a recruiter lie about no touch freight. I once had a recruiter pull a, "bait and switch" - hired me for a linehaul position, sent me to a week of paid orientation. Called me back the following Thursday and told me that a more experienced driver had applied for my job AFTER THEY HIRED ME so they gave him the linehaul position. Of course, I was welcome to stick around as a P&D driver (100% touch and about 2/3rds the pay of linehaul). I said, "No, thanks".
When you're looking for a job put together a list questions to ask recruiters. Ask every recruiter every question on your list and note their answers. ASSUME NOTHING. Is the job W-2 or 1099? Do you have cameras in your trucks? Where are they facing? Are your trucks governed? At what speed? How do you handle home time? (ie. every weekend, a 34 when you've used up your hours, a 34 after 12 days, only when the driver requests it 3 weeks in advance for a min of 4 days at a time, etc). Are your loads drop and hook or live loads? Will I need to pay lumpers? How am I paid (per hour, per mile, per day or percentage of load). How often am I paid (weekly, every other week, once a month). How do I get my money (direct deposit, paper check, CommData card, company debit card). What other pays do you offer (breakdown, detention, stop pay, etc). Are there bonuses or incentives? You should have a clear mental picture of the job and what is required of you before you fill out an application.
Greetings Pacific Pearl,
Thank you very much for two separate reply backs to my friend’s questions. I will send him your response in an email. What you have shared will be a big help.
On the behalf of my friend, thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Nick S.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
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.
Linehaul:
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.Drop And Hook:
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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NOTE: I’m posting this post (below) for a friend who is having trouble trying to get an account setup on TT, who is interested in becoming a truck driver.
"I’m searching for a trucking company, and looking to be a truck driver. On occasion, I see ads enticing potential workers to exclusive “no-touch” freight work options. Since I'm 50+ years old, I see this as a perk, as I really do not have any interest in “loading” and “unloading” a trailer. Yet I was curious about truck drivers that exclusively work those “no-touch” freight jobs. Has that been true in your case and the trucking company you work for? If not, what happened that the job did not stay "no-touch" freight? Also, do you get paid less for doing exclusively “no-touch” freight jobs? If so, about how much less? Thank you for your help/advice."
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.