Profile For Tom P.

I run dedicated for swift. Now the otr I really would not recommend. Money is not right often resetting low miles just not worth it. The dedicated accounts well worth it good mileage and pay great dms you have to stay on top of them. The idling they legally cannot say anything about because u require rest n need to be comfortable to gain said rest. Don't worry about home time your going to be a trucker. If u want to be home go bag groceries. This isn't cheap ur gonna go at least a month and a half with pay that will only feed you nothing more. Plus school u earn nothing. Longer u out more money u make. Swift recognizes good workers n will feed them. Be prepared for everyone to tell u every swift joke in the book. Do not get a cb while u work for swift. Oh n they going all automatic so be prepared for that. I got buddies who are otr n not making what I do just do not take the family dollar account just trust me on that.

I have a question. Are you really cut out for this? I drive in places where people will not go I back in alleyways in Newark Trenton Camden Philly dodging homeless people cars traffic. I have 4 months experience period like no other experience. This job really isn't for everyone. Maybe u should think about it like cuz those preventable could mean death for someone. There are alot of people out here who shouldn't be driving. I'll give u a for instance my buddy drives we chat at night while going down the road. He called me one night and told me about a swift driver who almost hit him 4 telephone poles n drove in someone's yard. I dismissed it after he gave me the truck number. I got back to the yard n a tractor almost hit me. I glanced at the number it was the same driver. This could of been my ass or my job if they hit me. I took the number in the office and reported it. Cuz some people should not be driving. Just think about it.

Tom, are you in a regional division that gets you home on weekends by chance? Or a dedicated account of some sort? Also, what kind of miles are you getting each week?

Rarely would a company keep you in such a small area unless you were in a specific division of some sort that called for it.

If you really want to see the entire country you'll want to get on with a refrigerated company. Most of them will send you out west for sure.

I'm on swifts Walmart account dedicated. I run like 2000 a week but they are tough miles. Its good pay 44 a mile stop pay load pay whole nine yards but I really feel like I should be seeing more of the country

Yep, this is why. I was offered a dedicated position at my first company and turned it down for the same reasons you mentioned -- I want to see both oceans, all 48, and Canada. :) Dedicated is great for consistent miles, pay, and hometime. But I got into this for a little bit of adventure. Sounds like you did too.

Have you tried talking to your DM about OTR opportunities? Usually the dedicated slots fill up fastest, if you make it clear that you want OTR and they do that, you should have no problem getting it.

Just be sure you know what you're asking for -- I haven't seen my house since early April. I have no plans to return until early June. This is by choice, but you'll be out at least three weeks at a time with most companies. The pay is a little less consistent, as well. Just something to think about...

I have been asking for trips just like a week or so let me go see stuff but they say no. Like I don't wanna be otr full time I know the money sucks at least with swift I would like to get out some

Let me preface these remarks by saying that I think Red Gator is one tough trucking girl who has proven her worth to the folks at WEL time and time again. She's a runner who has always made it happen out there, and then she proved herself again as an awesome female trainer.

But... when you've had the same driver manager for 2.5 years and been doing great with them and you get a response like this from them there is usually more to the story.

So I did what i never do and commited a NO to it. When my DM called to ask me why I explained my frustration as to the past weeks events.......that was greated with the following response "Take the load or I can route you to the yard to clean out your truck"

Jetguy responded with this:

Sometimes you got to stick to your guns- like you did in order to get the miles

I do not claim to know what's going on over at WEL, but I do know that we as drivers some time just have a small picture of the inner workings at the trucking companies we work for. It makes no sense for us to assume that a perfectly great dispatcher has suddenly gone bad. I'm in no way saying Red is doing something wrong. But she herself used the words "burned out" in her post. She's been hitting it hard for a long time now, maybe she needs to take a break and re-assess what she wants out of this, and how to make that happen. Here is one thing I do know about this career, you don't get more miles by being demanding and threatening to leave. Sticking to your guns isn't the formula for success in trucking. Proving yourself day in and day out and continuing to do just that when your miles are down is how you get past a slow period.

Here's a tip for any newbies looking into this career. When things slow down a little make the most of it. I take the time to do something I want to do for myself. I might rent a car and act like a tourist for a few days, or take in a movie or enjoy a visit to a really nice restaurant. Go to a sporting event that interest you. The last thing you want to do is sit there in your truck and stew over how badly you are being treated. This will lead to nowhere but a different trucking job, and Lord knows there are the same kind of problems no matter which trucking company you go to.

Think ahead when you are a truck driver - recognize that slow times are going to happen, we can't all run 3,200 miles every week. Take some of that good money you are making during those busy times and rat hole it away into some kind of a savings that you can dig into if you have to when times are slow. I enjoy running real hard, but when it lightens up I try to make the most of it. The one constant in this job is change, and if Red cools down a little she will soon realize that the miles are back on her. Why did it slow down? I don't know. But this I do know, the time where she can barely keep up with what they are giving her will be back.

I have found getting up in a dm butt to let them know ur not happy tends to help I got in mine this morning guess wat I got longest run of them all for us in Delaware yaaa! Closed mouth don't get fed. Good for her.

Hey truckers! I'm starting my Class A CDL Training at New England Tractor Trailer Training School next year and I have a couple questions for you guys! Some questions may seem a little silly but bare with me lol. 1) Can I own my own truck without being an owner operator? 2) What do you guys do to cope with the loneliness of the road, if you find it lonely? 3) What do you find most challenging about the open road?

Owning a truck is a pain if you do not have a spare $50k laying around after u buy a truck don't do it. As for being lonely there is porn before bed n the rest of the time eh ain't so bad. Honestly I like it out here more then I do at home. I sleep better in my bunk then I do in my bed at home. After a hour my gf gets annoying other then my son I got no reason to be home. Besides if u don't think money money money this is not for u. Challenges ummmm city driving lack of food I miss pasta so much n canoli n perogi n zeppoli n good pizza n bolis n cheese steaks n beer. U will find your choice of food kind of limited to where u can park I'm Italian n well good pizza tough to get on the road.

Tom, are you in a regional division that gets you home on weekends by chance? Or a dedicated account of some sort? Also, what kind of miles are you getting each week?

Rarely would a company keep you in such a small area unless you were in a specific division of some sort that called for it.

If you really want to see the entire country you'll want to get on with a refrigerated company. Most of them will send you out west for sure.

I'm on swifts Walmart account dedicated. I run like 2000 a week but they are tough miles. Its good pay 44 a mile stop pay load pay whole nine yards but I really feel like I should be seeing more of the country

Was it in your car or a truck?

Thanks Brett, 2 years since I was considering a career change to Driver. Your High Road and prep tests proved invaluable. Your cast of characters are entertaining and or informative. Home time was important but not a deal breaker. The best advice on pay was common sense. You can't start at top pay as an entry level employee. I was ? lucky enough to start out in city P&D for an overnight LTL carrier tugging a 53 box with a tandem axle tractor around the metro, backing into areas wouldn't pull a fishing boat into ... The biggest advantage to this gig is sleeping in your own bed, 60 hour work week 5 days a week means that is about all you do 5 days a week. .. I agree that it is not for everyone Driving I mean. If you have to be first to the stoplight, if you don't understand following distance , if 6 minutes to 60mph bugs you...then a person should stick to video games. .. I really enjoy bumping 15 to 20 docks a day, most customers are great, I work with some of the greatest people. In short.. I read reviews did my homework, was honest about expectations. .. it's a good job. The biggest challenge Is finding the right fit. . Thanks

Love it right with ya my first week with my mentor I hit a bridge in Jersey city learning about tandem cheating. But I just stay in the truck save money on gas

Well I have done damn near everything else I was a steel worker forklift driver did HVAC logistics manager supervisor on a dock cook door to door sales retail sales did collections for some umm people lol. But this is something else my experience isn't like your guys at all I haven't seen the sunrise over the rockies or looked at some majestic desert. I drive in NYC n north jersey county roads in south Jersey the mountains of pa which is home to me. My treat is a run down the ocean hwy in MD or Delaware. This being left alone and earning what u can is love to me. Its just me n the truck my music n bumper to bumper traffic in Garfield cursing out some jack off for trying to take my spot at a dock. ( gotta be aggressive to survive everyday up here we all Italians n Ricans). I love it miss my kids but honestly the money allowing me to give them a better life

Well I have been driving for about 4 months or so and I have been running new jersey new York east pa MD n Delaware. I figured I would of seen a few states but I haven't. I am making good money well gross after swift takes theirs n the tax man I am getting garbage but anyway. I feel like I am learning more then most about driving but not seeing any of the sights I live 60 miles from the DC I run out of pottsville pa so all these places I been to before in my car tons of times. How long should I keep doing this because its like a normal job at this point.