Trucking Momma
Topic 13251 | Page 1
I seriously doubt that any Company will get you home 3 nights a week. Generally speaking, most new drivers are assigned OTR jobs, out 2-3 weeks at a time. Most local driving jobs will require a MINIMUM of 6 mos. OTR. I would recommend applying for as many local jobs as you can. Even a Dedicated route will at best get you a 34 hour reset at home 1x per week as a rookie. Good Luck!
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
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.
Rachel, first, I'll tell you some good news: people have gone directly from school to the job that's their heart's desire. None of these rules are carved in stone.
Now the bad news: something like that happening is as common as hen's teeth. But I know people who are lucky like that.
As Tractor Man said, chances are you'll end up with an OTR assignment, and home time every few weeks. At the end of my road training, my trainer recommended me for a dedicated account. No deal - I went OTR for several months. I eventually got into that account, but I get home every weekend, usually on Saturday afternoon.
Also, using the term "HAVE to" do anything will not help matters.
I don't know the details about reefers, others here actually do that work. There is one job I've done: shuttle. You drive a trailer to a meeting place, swap trailers with another driver and return to the home terminal. You are home daily. Check into that.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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Bout half way through my schooling, been very fortunate to have a close friend coaching me through the process and this site is icing on the cake! I have a job lined up with a reefer company once I graduate and I know I'm coming in as a newbe, but I'm also going into this line of work to better provide for my family. I'm a newly divorced single mother of a 3 year old with joint custody. My friend says I can ask for the dedicated routes right off the bat, but I want to know what can I ask for as a newbe and actually expect to get? I HAVE to be home at least 3 nights a week with my daughter. Thanks a lot!
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.