Linehaul vs OTR for rookie trucker and young family

If you can start off in L/H, why would you even post this? That should be a no-brainer. You hit a gold mine with that opportunity. DONT PASS IT UP!

I've done OTR, and I'm currently a city driver. Don't buy the OTR glamor. It's just that..... Glamour.
 
If you can start off in L/H, why would you even post this? That should be a no-brainer. You hit a gold mine with that opportunity. DONT PASS IT UP!

I've done OTR, and I'm currently a city driver. Don't buy the OTR glamor. It's just that..... Glamour.

I appreciate that! When I started the post I was still undecided, but have chosen the linehaul job. Do you want to eventually run linehaul yourself, or are you staying w/ P&D?
 
You'll be fine, calm down. I drink coffee every night, If you are running out of Carlisle, I'll be watching for you. I start @ 1800 and run LI, NY. for YRCF.
The most important thing to remember is..........SAFETY FIRST,.....THEN PROCEED!!!!!!!

Yep, we might be on the road the same time ;) I'll be running the whole NE in the beginning. Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice. I'm all ears, waiting for anything anybody can give me.

BTW, did you ever know a driver w/ the last name of Warfel? He worked for YRC when they were Yellow - I think he was with them for a long time. He's retired now, curious if you knew him since in another post you said you've been w/ the same company for a long time.
 
Oh, by the way, I got the job. I can start in two weeks. $20.65 hourly during 4 week training, 5 days P&D training, 15 days L/H training, the rest I'm assuming is in the yard learning to build sets etc...

CONGRATS!!!

you are going to spend the first few days on the yard doing paperwork etc... then on the road again you will be hooking and unhooking sets right away. Dont worry about trying to go day time hours. if you want P&D then that will put you home daily and you will make hourly pay. L/H is the way to go and higher pay the longer you are there. Coffee is your best friend, or fresh fruit, like apples, bananas, chewing gum. All these get get your mouth moving and keep you awake, dont fill up on food it will make you tired.
 
Yep, we might be on the road the same time ;) I'll be running the whole NE in the beginning. Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice. I'm all ears, waiting for anything anybody can give me.

BTW, did you ever know a driver w/ the last name of Warfel? He worked for YRC when they were Yellow - I think he was with them for a long time. He's retired now, curious if you knew him since in another post you said you've been w/ the same company for a long time.
I came from the Roadway side.
 
CONGRATS!!!

you are going to spend the first few days on the yard doing paperwork etc... then on the road again you will be hooking and unhooking sets right away. Dont worry about trying to go day time hours. if you want P&D then that will put you home daily and you will make hourly pay. L/H is the way to go and higher pay the longer you are there. Coffee is your best friend, or fresh fruit, like apples, bananas, chewing gum. All these get get your mouth moving and keep you awake, dont fill up on food it will make you tired.

actually, when doing line haul, i was able to have my "regular run" and regular coffee stops, which he can do as well.

gives him a few minutes to stretch his legs to help keep him awake.

i'd suggest NOT to drink any caffeine with in about 4 hours before he gets back to his terminal, so he can get his sleep when at home, but this is what i did, and it worked for me.
 
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really appreciate all the posts guys! i hear ya on not filling up on food. my wife has been able to give a few tid bits - she worked nights for a few years. she said to stay away from the heavy meals, eat snacks here and there, and not to drink much coffee a few hours before the shift is over. can't wait to get started!
 
really appreciate all the posts guys! i hear ya on not filling up on food. my wife has been able to give a few tid bits - she worked nights for a few years. she said to stay away from the heavy meals, eat snacks here and there, and not to drink much coffee a few hours before the shift is over. can't wait to get started!

regarding food, here is what i have done, and it worked for me.

i would take 2 sandwiches on the usual white sliced bread.

i would cut each sandwich in 2, wrap each half individually.

i would take a package of peanut butter crackers.

i would take along one or 2 bottles of water

i would stop at the local dunkin donuts and get a large iced tea.

sometimes, i'd take a small bag full of cherry tomatoes.

i'd only eat half a sandwich, about 2-3 hours into my drive.

i'd space out the rest over the 10 hours

the iced tea, i'd only sip it, not guzzle it, and it would last all shift long.

if i stopped for a break, i'd get a diet soda, maybe not, but i'd get a package of Yodels, devil dogs, or even believe it or not, freshly cooked hot dogs (2).

i would not be filling myself up like this, and many times when i returned home..??

i'd still have some of my original lunch left, pop that in the fridge for the next night.

you will be the only one to know what works for you, and your food budget.

for me, taking food rather than to buy on the road each night, gave me "peace of mind", should i have a break down, long before i hit the truck stop for those dogs....!!!

and come winter, you'd WANT a lunch with you, in case the road is shut down due to an accident or unsafe driving conditions.
 
thanks for the detailed post, pro1. i'm fortunate enough to have a very supportive wife that will be packing me snacks and drinks. she got into canning, partly to have food for me to take from home while on the road. she's gonna get a dehydrator so i can have my own jerky and dried fruit snacks. pretty cool. I'm all about saving the money while on the road, staying out of the stores. i'm curious to see how i adjust to the night shift work.
 
i love dried apricots....but i do not dehydrate, i buy them, and as a result, they can cost more....

i also will sometimes take along "trail mix"..

anything that can have a long shelf life is good to take along, never know when you will need it.

you could even come across a family (or an inexperienced trucker), that is stuck in a snow bank/broke down say, and they are waiting for a tow truck. sometimes an offering of dried fruit or peanut butter crackers and a bottle of water can go a long way in thier survival. which hopefully from that point on, THEY LEARN to take thier own kibbles and bits....
 
I appreciate that! When I started the post I was still undecided, but have chosen the linehaul job. Do you want to eventually run linehaul yourself, or are you staying w/ P&D?

I'm staying with P/DC, since my employer doesn't do L/H.

Congrats on the new job.
 
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Yep, we might be on the road the same time ;) I'll be running the whole NE in the beginning. Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice. I'm all ears, waiting for anything anybody can give me.

BTW, did you ever know a driver w/ the last name of Warfel? He worked for YRC when they were Yellow - I think he was with them for a long time. He's retired now, curious if you knew him since in another post you said you've been w/ the same company for a long time.

I asked my Lancaster Guys about Warfel, they said he retired about 8-9 yrs. ago. He worked mostly Switcher and P&D classifications, he tried L/H, but didn't care for it.:shift:
 
Yep, he's from Lancaster, and that would've been about the time he retired. He told me to check out YRC. I believe he spent his whole career at Yellow. He's in his early seventies now, and actually just retested for hazmat again ;) He doesn't wanna let that CDL go.
 
Yep, he's from Lancaster, and that would've been about the time he retired. He told me to check out YRC. I believe he spent his whole career at Yellow. He's in his early seventies now, and actually just retested for hazmat again ;) He doesn't wanna let that CDL go.

I know what you mean, Our # 1 man came from Lancaster also, seniority date 1972. Our oldest Driver is 78 yrs. old and still gettin it done.:shift:
 
I know what you mean, Our # 1 man came from Lancaster also, seniority date 1972. Our oldest Driver is 78 yrs. old and still gettin it done.:shift:

well there are some drivers that either do not know when to retire and quit, and those that are like a Timex watch and keep on ticking.

in one respect, i cannot WAIT to retire and turn in my CDL so fast, the DMV will have a huge fire as i make tracks in and outta there.

and if, i say only IF i am unable to work as a driver anymore, due to my recent surgery....

that fire will happen SOONER....!!!

i simply cannot see how anyone over an age of 62, can still have what it takes to handle all the traffic and b.s. of a truckers job, but God bless him for doing so......just ain't gonnabe me......
 
I don't see how people can drive for that long. I've been driving semis for almost 10 years and I'm already looking for a way out of the truck.
 
Yep, he's from Lancaster, and that would've been about the time he retired. He told me to check out YRC. I believe he spent his whole career at Yellow. He's in his early seventies now, and actually just retested for hazmat again ;) He doesn't wanna let that CDL go.
I've been retired for five years after trucking 36 years. I have kept my CDL with hazmat and medical card current. Go figure.
 
I've been retired for five years after trucking 36 years. I have kept my CDL with hazmat and medical card current. Go figure.

some things are hard to let go, especially when so much money is invested into it.

you may be holding onto it for "posterity reasons"..

for me, i wish not to hold onto mine any longer than either when it's up for renewal, or i cash in my chips.


by the way, you do know you still have to have a DOT physical, every due date, otherwise, it'll be "automatically" downgraded if you don't..???

for me, i cannot justify complying to any more DOT rules, regulations when i won't be driving anymore. plus all the costs, of a CDL, and DOT physical...a "regular car driver's license" will do for me.....PLUS, in my state, we cannot go to any other state DMV we have, we must go to the "main" DMV building....for ANY CDL items...

i cannot wait till the day when i can go to my local AAA office, and renew my "regular car driver license"....NO LONG LINES......~~~~!!!!~~~~~
 
"by the way, you do know you still have to have a DOT physical, every due date, otherwise, it'll be "automatically" downgraded if you don't"..???

Not a problem, the DMV will remind you.
 
You will give up a lot of family time no matter which choice you make.The hours are long and when you are off you need sleep at the same time the family need your attention.I missed a lot of valuable family time over the years and do so regret that,as do the family.
 
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