The New Guy...

Hey y'all how's it going? I'm new to Trucking Truth, found you guys when doing research on companies who do paid CDL training. I'm 39 yrs old single father of 2 boys and I'm looking to build my career for them. I'm glad for this forum cause I have lots of questions to ask you guys. One of them is, how do you guys manage a home/work balance with younger children? My are 8 and 10 so I'm wondering how well it works out. Another question I have is what is a regional lane? And what's the difference between being a regional driver and an OTR one?? Thanks in advance :)

Are your boys living with you? Do you just have them for weekends? Give us a little more info.

Trucking jobs are very demanding. They often have crazy schedules with many unexpected interruptions. Almost all trucking jobs involve long working hours. For the most part, this is not an ideal job for people raising children.

how do you guys manage a home/work balance with younger children?

In my opinion, there is no such thing as "home/work balance" in trucking. This job requires a serious commitment. That's why most truck drivers are up in years. They don't have as much reason to be home. I do not reccomend this career to young parents. I have 11 grandchildren who I would love to see more often. Unfortunately, retiring from trucking is the only way I'm going to make that happen.

what is a regional lane? And what's the difference between being a regional driver and an OTR one??

Okay, trucking terminologies are confusing. Of course when you say regional, you think that means a certain region, and it does. But... what is that region? A man with small children, like yourself, may think a regional position would allow them to be home nightly, or maybe several nights a week. That's not really the case.

Some companies offer what they call a Western Eleven region. That's 11 Western States. That's a sizeable region. I'm a regional driver who seldom goes West of the Rockies. That's an even larger region. Even though I'm regional, I'm only home once a month for a few days.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but we need more information to really be helpful to you. I just don't see this as a good career path for someone who has charge of young children. You'd need a local job at best, and those are pretty tough to find as a rookie. Local jobs can be just as demanding. They still involve long hours and crazy schedules.

Hey Old School, thanks for replying. I actually don't have my boys at the moment, I co-parent with their mother. last month I made the hard decision to move from Texas to Indiana due to financial troubles. I plan on getting a CDL mid January if I can get accepted by Schneiders, paid CDL program. I've heard that the first year of a trucking career is the hardest, due to learning curve of adapting to new career type, learning to drive the truck and navigation. I also understood the expect the unexpected thing. My children are on board with me on this path and they are well taken care of so I'm mentally set on getting started.

So regarding the terminology of Regional and OTR , I appreciate you for clearing that up it makes better sense to me now,I kinda figured dedicated is exactly what is sounds like. Another question I have for you guys is this, after obtaining a CDL from your company, does the company kinda just give you whatever routes they have available as long as you have the endorsements that are necessary? Or do you get to pick and choose what lane you'll be driving?? Thanks in advance. :)

Good questions. To add to what OS said in regards to kids and attachments, the first year can lead to extended absences for more than a month. Not meaning to scare you, its just that during schooling and training, which varies from company to company, you may end up away from home for an extended time.

Generally, at least at the company i started at, Knight, they set up new drivers with routes that match their skill level and the time it takes them to execute. A more experienced driver will be able to deliver a load more efficiently and effectively. I found that they set me up for success as much as they could, its part of the learning process.

I would highly encourage you to dig into our cdl diaries section as well as ask questions as much as you can.

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"Dedicated" is another term that causes confusion. I am a dedicated driver. I'm dedicated to servicing a particular customer. That customer is a manufacturer of aluminum extrusions. I generally deliver anywhere east of the Rockies with an occasional (maybe twice a year) run out West.

I still operate like an OTR driver. I may be in Minnesota one week and then Miami, FL the next. I never know. It just depends on where their product is going.

There are usually around fifteen of our drivers dedicated to this same plant. We go where our dispatcher needs us. That is the most typical way trucking companies operate.

Seniority will generally help if you want to pick and choose where you run. I'm in a fortunate situation that allows me to pick my loads. That isn't very common, and almost unheard of for the first two or three years of driving.

You've got great questions. We are always willing to help, so feel free to ask more.