Profile For Richard M.

I agree with you 100% on line haul as it's about the best money a company driver can make and no physical labor. I drove for several years as linehaul with AAA COOPER, then at the time USF HOLLAND which is now YRC HOLLAND. So 1 non- union & 1 union and both were SUPPER PAY, BENEFITS EVERYTHING. I would have stayed and retired at HOLLAND as Top drivers are home at least every other day if not everyday and make 85k to 90k yearly according to your run and ALWAYS sleeping in a Motel which is nice if your away from home. Only reason I left was while off duty nothing to do with driving I got into an altercation with someone and got a felony so the hazmat endorsement is a problem for a few more years and with LTL LINEHAUL you have to have hazmat. Walmart Company Drivers also make great but again you have to have hazmat. If a driver wants great money,benefits, always constant freight and time with family more than just 34 hours reset time and you can get your hazmat endorsement then don't wait, jump on an LTL JOB now ,you will have an AMAZING future there. You can also do this job till your 67 or 70 if needed.

I'd have to say that I agree with what Brett said about some trucking gigs becoming just a "job," to some extent. I still get to drive a truck, which is cool, but man the hours and night shift can be grueling. More so the night shift. I will not sugar coat that. Doing what I'm doing right now wouldn't be sustainable for the long-term. That's my outlook for myself - some guys / gals do it their whole trucking career, i.e. linehaul that is night shift. For me, getting a day run, being home every day, and having two days off a week that I can spend w/ my family (during the day, like a normal person), while getting to sleep at night, will be what I'm working for. That's my goal. It'll still be 10-12 hour days while working 5 days a week, but how many jobs will pay you 100K a year just working 9-5? Ya gotta give something up to make a really good living.

Honestly, I'm not the adventurous type. When I was in my younger twenties, and single, I would've sprung for OTR. Now, I enjoy the monotony. The hours are still long, but I don't have the itch to travel to different states and view the country. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the scenery and driving when the sun comes up, but I'd rather have monotony and familiarity than diversity and the stress of having to find a new destination every day. Sure, the ride to the destination would be cool, but I'm spoiled in just going from company terminal to company terminal, never dealing with shippers / receivers. I don't touch my own freight. All drop and hook, except for when I have to spot trailers in the dock doors of certain terminals, not a big deal. In fact, I could use a little more physical exercise. It's a job that mostly takes mental strength and stamina.

Linehaul was my goal in trucking before I even knew I'd have that as an opportunity as a rookie driver. Different strokes for different folks. OTR is certainly a lifestyle, but I originally started looking at trucking mainly for a solid, stable income. If you're looking at trucking for big money, there's not so much big money as there is job security and a career where you could possibly really enjoy doing what you do for a living, while supporting a family. What I do is more like the factory job version of trucking - like what Brett said. I work long hours, but am paid well.