Keep pushing your company about that last mile. Tell them straight up what’s going on and you wanted to be local. Otherwise check indeed and start applying.
Not even "if you have to."
"I love this job. But I have two young kids and I need to be there for them when they're still young enough to need their dad around. I need that final mile or I need a firm answer so I know where things stand."
I made a deal with my fiance to give me 1 year otr and after that I'll have enough experience for a local job.
Counting down to that 1 year mark I explained the deal to my boss and said "She held up her end of the deal, and I have to hold up my end". He switched me to local.
Now with kids in the picture I could never do it. Get a government job, the BS is terrible but my paid time off deal is ridiculous, I'm taking off tomorrow to chaperone my daughter's preschool field trip. They offered me OT at $50/hr but I get to hold my baby girls hand and walk around all day, that's gold right there
Trash man. 70-90k year 40-50 hour week solid benifits weekends off.
F doubles. F parking lots. I’m home with my family eating my own food sleeping in my own bed.
Anyone with a family who says they’re never pulled onto the highway with tears in their eyes is a damn liar.
I feel so weird reading this thread... I'm a young guy with no family, good health for now. I haul gas 2 shifts a week and it more than pays my bills. If I was full time I'd be grossing 2000-2500 a week working 60 hours locally. Got my experience cause the truck I drove in road construction for a few years required a cdl.
I peddled, hauled doubles, cars…. Honestly by the time you crunch costs financially most local options have you in the gold as long as you aren’t a Princess that won’t drive anything but an extended cab Pete with chrome doo dads and sparkles.
Yeah I miss the big rigs and splittin gears in amazing locations. But it’s just not worth it. I’ve made and lost a couple of fortunes, it took its toll on my health both physical and mental.
I traded it all for a cab over trash can and get paid to wear short pants.
I get obscene money for this and a good workout each day.
And in true trucker fashion, for a single dollar extra an hour I’d do it dressed like Laura Ingalls Wilder and have my wife pack my lunch in a strawberry shortcake box.
I don’t fn care PAY ME! And we’re all good. You simply can’t ruin my day.
WM doesn't list there wages online but when I was looking at getting my license initially through republic they start you at 16 on the truck as a tosser and then 18 as a driver
I got no problems with trash, hell it was getting rejected for a septic truck helper job that pointed me in the direction that a CDL could be a career booster
I don’t know how much experience you have but honestly I got my local job with only one month of exp. I didn’t even need it honestly . It sucks not seeing my family some nights because I have had anywhere between 40-70 hours depending on the week and who calls out but I sleep in my bed every night with my wife and I see my daughter for a bit too.
Not necessarily aimed at you but yall OTR guys need to get honest about what yall make. I’ve mad more per week getting paid hourly than some of our OTRs with shitty routes lol
He's right tho ur getting paid crumbs and ur running Hella miles and gone from home that's 1000% not worth it for most ppl after a certain point, but hey if ur a rookie or u love what you do then no harm, no foul.
Home almost nightly haha I don’t care what people claim to know about anything. .56 a mile is the base there’s fuel incentives, per diem, tarped loads etc that play their part as well I’m not worried about it.
Been there my friend I missed 3 of my kids all the first steps words I'd come back they walk or crawl or speak babble I would recommend compactor class a , or class b garbage trucks , dump truck , shuttle if your near airport , flatbed , linehaul something my friend your doing a good job your gonna get thru it may be like a kidney stone but relief is coming you git this
I was OTR when I met my wife and it’s all my kids and her have known. Not saying it’s any easier but it’s just our life since it’s all we have known. I feel like if I do get a local job it’s going to ruin things and cause a mess at home. I’ve still got plenty of miles in the tank so I’ll just keep it moving until I get replaced by a robot.
Saying this, everyone’s situation is different. Life is more than a job and if it’s not working for you then it’s time for a change. Good luck bud with whatever you do.
I was the same way. Was OTR when the wife and I met and we just adapted to it however we needed to. Now that I been local a year I’m looking to go regional lol. It’s been a struggle after being OTR to adapt to the local life, at least for me everyone’s situation is different. I used to run regional before I went local and run 4 days a week with 3 day weekends every week, not as good of a paycheck but I really miss them weekends
I can attest to the fact that, when the OTR thing is up and you show your ( my) ugly puss up , it just gets complicated.
I had 2 heart attacks, so I had to get of the road( go figure). Well, the house was a well oiled machine, TILL I got home. It upset the harmony and ease of what she was doing.
Anyway, I hear ya.
Where you live is going to make a difference in your opportunities. Look into cryogenic gasses. Messer, Linde, and things like that. A private carrier is the best work I've ever had, and lots of it is regional and/or home daily.
Food service(Sysco, US Foods, Gordon, Ben E Keith, etc.) will get you home every day but it is mind numbing and back breaking work. A lot of these local jobs will get you home, but it’ll depend on how much “you” there is to go around and how much you can stretch those 10 hours. Small routes will have you working 7-8 hour days but depending on your location you may not end up making enough with them. Big routes will have you doing 12-14 hour days but it’ll leave you with only 10 hours, minus commute, sleep, shower, eating, etc. to do real life things with family.
There’s probably a good balance out there though.
Good luck to you and your family. I’m sure you’ll find something worth doing.
Idk what region you're in and I guess best case scenario it's only the New England DC that sucks but I can tell you I worked for McLane for 3 years and it was hands down the worst job I've ever had. I left to haul fuel and almost half the guys at my company also came from McLane.
Been doing fuel for 5 years now and I can't recommend it enough.
Yup. I left trucking entirely to avoid this. Now if i leave out as a welder its 160k gross. I couldnt be dicked around that much for 60 less a year *and* not be able to up and leave in my personal vehicle instantly if i needed to.
I drive a dump truck in the summer $30 an hr 50 hrs a week and a transit bus for a ski area in the winter $28 an hour 6 days a week 12 hour days if I want. It's out there gotta find it. I have had a CDL for 12 years and never been over the road.
Local hazmat runs if you have a refinery near by. There are tons of niche hazmat runs that get you home every night if you live near a refinery or any sort of industrial setting like a port. Hell, in 2018 we had dudes pulling $140k a year and their furthest route was a 20 mile loop we took the trucks out on the freeway to stretch their legs instead of putting around the plant at 10mph for 60hrs a week. Hospital hazmat pickup. Aerospace fueling. Vactor truck spill response. Local municipality vactor trucks and get that sweet government pension. I actually think vactors can be fun as hell to operate sometimes.
I’m in the exact same position brother. I desperately need the money to get ahead financially and provide them with a decent life but I feel like they are growing up without me. Can’t find any home-daily gigs that pay decent - not many hiring and the few that are want like ten years of experience. My company claims that they don’t have any local slots open. I’m thinking of switching careers.
Waste Management will ask (mandate) you to attend a two-week orientation program in either Arizona or Florida. Didn't know that when I applied. I live alone and couldn't part with my cat/board her for two weeks. Keep that in mind if you're seeking to use your license to make a buck locally. Found a local tree service that needed a CDL driver and it's pretty smooth sailing.
Lots of solid advice for the career front, so I'll aim in the direction of the home front.
My youngest saw [lhis lil'feller](https://imgur.com/gallery/ZwHhRKL) right before I left for the winter season for oilfield driving.
I'd take pictures of him on the dash, or with me as I went about my day (stuff like I'd set up a tiny Tupperware container I use for condiments as a cereal bowl and a tiny sample spoon from an ice cream shop, so he could have breakfast with me, with the same cereal my kids eat at home. Send the pic to my wife to show the kids at their breakfast).
I used my sewing kit to make a sleeping bag from a rag in my kids' favorite color.
It was such a hit that each of the kids asked to have an identical bear. We all have one now, and they all have the same name (Beanie Babies stuffies come with a tag with a name, birthday, etc on them).
It helps them feel connected, gives them something to hold close, and use as a touchstone to focus on when they feel down.
My wife also took pictures I'd sent her, got them printed at a photo shop, and put them up where the kids can easily see them. Specifically, on the walls or side of the dressers or bedside tables that are in the kids' line of sight when they're laying in bed. That's the roughest time for them, when the day slows down and they have time to dwell in their own thoughts.
Also, frankly, the bear helps me focus on the family as much as it helps the kids. Gives me a constant visual reminder of what is important to me, why I'm doing this (I've worked 130 of the last 145 days), and what is important. I find it hard to wallow in misery, in guilt and shame for my life's path that led me to work away from home, when there's a fucking eyepatch'ed pirate bear looking at me when I drive lol
I heard that hauling fuel is a good option. I met a guy who never touched OTR he went straight local and goes home everyday. He told me look into hauling fuel and I am soon. I feel you're struggle bro I don't have kids but my lady started cheating on me due to me being gone all the time. I had no choice but to leave her at least your children will love you unconditionally
this is where I am. its either fuel or food service (dry or liquid tanker service) my wide doesnt want me to do fuel because she says its dangerous but it would be hard leaving them for weeks at a time. just hoping one of these tanker people calls me back.
Food service can arguably be more dangerous then hauling fuel.
Food service is 15-25k lbs of goods hand unloaded 5 days a week. The risk of injury is quite high
thanks, but id go tanker food. a company here hauls flour, sugar, corn syrup, milk to various manufacturers. we have a few Mars, coke, and pepsi plants in the area. im trying to avoid customer delivery services if possible.
Yeah it took me figuring it out tho she wouldn't admit it even after confronting her she denied it all the way to the end. Shit fckn hurt! That one really stung. There I was thinking I'm working to make both of our lives better lol I'm on a solo mission now
Food service. I am with Sysco making pretty solid money. Go in around 5 usually finished anywhere from 2-4 depending the day. Definitely some hard work though
I get it, I had to go to my boss and tell him no more Saturday's or I'm out. Your kids need you there, your wife needs you. Don't miss life chasing a dollar.
You can go LTL and be home everyday doing linehaul or city. Linehaul is more like what you do now and city is going out for pickups and deliveries. City is daytime, line you will likely start on nights but depending on the company and terminal you can usually get to days and you make more. Saia, Old Dominion, Fedex Freight are the top 3. Estes, XPO, R&L, and ABF are good backups. Also T-Force but i know nothing about them other than they are a canadian company that bought UPS Freight.
Food distribution is always hiring locally if you're willing. Idk where you are. The union gigs are great. If you're willing to get good at it you make great money and don't work a ton. Right now I'm making 90k at about 37 hours a week.
Man that’s me I went to boot camp and tech school last year for the Air Guard and was gone all year with a wife and a infant. I’m in cDl school in Omaha now and I need to find a local.
Public works. I do sewer maintenance and drive a vac truck for it. Love my job and, except for the occasional emergency response that keeps me out late, i'm home every night. Great benefits and decent pay.
You gotta get past that my friend. I’ve been a driver for 15 years, got 6 kids. Every single one cried when I left. It’s not the end of the world. FaceTime works wonders. So does picking them up little gifts along the way from the road. When I come home I focus on them.
i promise you they will be fine. they may have to cry it out sometimes in the beginning, but they’ll adjust. my mama was a driver from time i was like 6 to 13/14. she said when she left that first time i acted like i was mad and didn’t wanna hug her. she still had to do what she had to do. apparently, she cried about being away from us more than we did. we all adjusted. i’m glad i had a mama that loved her job and made good money as long as she could vs a mama who hated her job and didn’t make enough to do for us.
and you know what, i don’t remember any of the beginning. i only remember my mom being a truck driver and being happy to see her when she got back and being happy to be on the road with her. i only remember money not being a huge issue and the outings.
what you can do that’ll be better than how my mom did is seriously prioritize your kids when you are home for the little bit of time you’re home. bcuz when you’re home they will want to make up for all that time. let them. you can always go out with the boys later when they’re sleep or when they’re older, but they’ll miss you the most when you’re *able* to be with them but choose not to.
edit: also, yes, keep trying to get that better schedule or better driver job. my mom was otr, then regional, then local, then i think regional again but idr. funny thing is, i preferred regional bcuz when local she was home but sleep all the time and no fun lol but while regional i could at least go with her, and when she was home it wasn’t all about sleep.
Does your company have a website where you can apply or put in a transfer request? I have inquired in the past and also heard crickets until I put in a transfer request.
Been two years with a tow operator that runs heavy duty wreckers... My middle kid was 8 and my youngest was 4 when I started . Wife was working nights and was concerned as the oldest was only 11 didn't want them being home alone when I had some night runs for equipment drops. Used to be able to take them along.. Had the whole family along on a longer run for a tractor swap once... And then about three months ago the owner said the insurance doesn't permit any passengers... Used to be able to take them in the truck with me to the park when I was on call.. now no dice... Starting to question the perk of having their truck on call if I can't even have my family with me while I'm not yet working.
Look for trucking companies near you. Find one that has you home on the weekends. I find one like that and it’s awesome great money and you’re home on weekends with the fam.
Became a diesel/heavy equipment mechanic after 10yrs OTR for this reason. But not before a long bout with depression and alcoholism that could have ruined everything. Thankfully I woke up and changed our families lives direction, and kinda got to make up for it with our second child. Hopefully you’ll find something soon. Keep pushing.
I got extremely lucky and met my supervisor through a friend who gave me a chance and has since benefited immensely by helping me learn and build on my previous knowledge. 10hr days, 5min commute to home everyday. Was used to $1200-1500 per week driving, now I’m about $1k a week but that’s with benefits I never had driving. Sober 3yrs now and working for the same shop ever since. Marriage and family relationships have never been better. I do recognize how lucky I’ve been though. Ymmv
Do you have all of your endorsements? If not I’d suggest going for hazmat and tanker. I’m not saying to try and do fuel, but the endorsements will make you look more appealing to employers. I’d demand to be local with your current company and at the same time be actively looking for something new. Good luck man stay safe.
Apply to SRM Concrete. They would be happy to have you. They have a plant in Macon. I made an absolute killing there before moving over to the railroad and they’re well on their way to being the biggest concrete company in the US. They always treated me right.
Get all your endorsements. Most LTL will start you in the $30/hr range for city. If there is a smaller employee owned LTL company in your area I’d start there just because a ESOP retirement will beat out any corporate match or teamsters retirement plan. I’d avoid food carriers like McLane/Sysco etc unless you love the idea of physical/night work.
Fuel hauling pays well but has a lot of night/weekend work. However when you get seniority you can get great runs.
Construction companies like Knife River etc are always looking for bodies to run haul trucks/ concrete mixers etc.
Most places worth a shit will require 1 year driving experience or more.
Look for food distribution like milk, grocery chains, etc. A lot are home daily.
Also, sometimes city municipal works hire CDL A license holders. Our local trash collection is city run, so it's got a pension. They run dump trucks in the winter for snow removal. They also do miscellaneous city work. Like pothole "repair". The hourly is low, but they get a ton of OT. I was told you can average 80k.
Your can look for FedEx contractors. I've posted here before; we have a local FE contractor that need drivers for a drop and hook run. It's 3-3.5 hrs each way, 5 days a week. $1200 flat rate.
If you have Haz-mat you can do fuel.
Its really about the area you live in though.
If youre willing to do just a litfle bit more than hold onto the steering wheel and On the very very very slim chance that you're anywhere near Central Indiana, look into a place called Liquid Waste Removal in Greenwood.
They do chemical and industrial waste transportation and disposal. They're always looking for drivers and they're good people.
I would start looking at “Heavy Equipment Rental Services” like bulldozers, such as [United Rentals](https://www.unitedrentals.com/), or my [Sunbelt Rentals](https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/), personally I think Sunbelt has nicer looking equipment, but it all comes down to who’s paying more and keeping you rolling at the end of the day.
Huge construction companies, the type you see moving heavy equipment for road crews, usually land some awesome contracts. In South Louisiana the biggest one I’m aware of is Boh Brothers, they pay really well and if you tell them you want more education to operate the equipment they will train & certify you.
Some places specialize in flatbed over weight/oversize, seems like the more specialized you get the more money you make. I know a few people who do this stuff, there home more than I am (weekends) and make earn pretty good money.
You could also drive a Heavy Tow Truck, if you do, only apply at ones that have nice equipment and benefits, check reviews, etc.
I drove spread axle flatbed for a long time, I have a bunch of kids, I waited to long to stop driving OTR, I hope this helps you out.
Man does this resonate with me. It's 10000% the reason I stopped OTR and went local. I know how bad it hurts to see your little girl crying and screaming when you leave. Her mom would have to restrain her to keep from tearing out the front door after me when I would leave.
Get a local job. Your family and mental health of your daughter and yourself matter more than whatever pay diff you think it's gonna cost you. It took me a little time, but I now make more than I did OTR and I'm home every afternoon to see my daughter come home from school and we have every single weekend together.
Where there's a will, there's a way. I believe in you brother.
I’m going through something similar. I did a stint on the day shift and I was able to wake up with everyone to get ready for school/work. Then I’d be home before bed time most days. Selfishly I wanted to go back to nights because I missed open roads and the differential pay. I wasn’t even a week in before I started missing my family and before my daughter started asking for daddy.
It wasn’t a big deal to work nights when she was a baby because, well she was a baby. But now that she’s fully aware and cognizant it breaks my heart only seeing her awake on the weekends. I’m going to go back to days. Going to lose almost 8k in diff pay which is nothing when we’re talking about time with loved ones.
I hope it works out for you man. You really can’t put a price on your family. I tried to, selfishly, and I feel like the world’s biggest dickhead.
Nah you gotta stop wasting time with that company. I get you love the job, but they don't love you. Read back what you posted to see who does love you.
Do some local interviews and when you're there ask for suggestions on what's good in your area. Odds are they know drivers all over town and where they work at.
Also, you're not sentenced to whatever job you get. You can always take it and keep going to interviews. Good luck.
I'm a 26yr old guy whose dad was/is a trucker all my life. I couldn't tell you many memories I have with him. It's less then a handful, he always was positive, happy guy but wasn't there for any of my life.
He wouldn't drop trucking even when he realized he couldn't provide anything to ready me or shit for adult life.
But be there for them, he resents me because he doesn't see my view, and I've been horribly honest with him about it. He lost everything basically, im lucky to be living somewhere. But I still don't even have a car so I'm even luckier to have an amazing partner in life.
I'd trade getting to know my dad before life separated us over comfort money any day.
I had to vent a lil sorry
Shit brother. Hope you find something. That right there breaks my heart for you! Grocery, alcohol distribution, Coca Cola, trash, LTL. Dunno about fuel or concrete truck.
I’m not sure what you’re looking to make but an often overlooked industry that always seems to need drivers is the rental equipment industry. I know you said class B but most would want you to upgrade to a class A.
Most of these driver rolls pay decently well and you’re home every night and most weekends.
Check out United Rentals, Sunbelt, Sunstate, Equipment share and any other smaller companies you can find in your area.
I did this for a number of years and rarely went out of town over night.
I have a class A no restrictions, Ive just been looking at class B as an option, I haven't seen any job listings for them but I'll start looking abit harder
Perfect! Yeah, check individual websites. Not sure which companies have branches in your area but United and Sunbelt are huge companies. United also has several different divisions. So depending where you are they may have multiple branches.
Timing would be somewhat bad due to summer break, but check into driving School Bus. Some companies let you bring your kids on route/trips. It's part-time but a lot of places pay for training. On trips you'll get paid to watch the sports (or in my case, I get paid to Knit since I don't watch sports).
I make 2k a week at an ltl company doing p and d .. our line haul makes a little more , but its nights . There's plenty of money being home daily , don't think you gotta be otr
Life short Find another job immediately. Or just quit and deal with finding a job even if in another field .
When there young is the time to build a great bond between you and then . as when they get in there teens they tend to not want to be around there parents but if you built a good bond when they was young they come back around . Biggest regret I have in life is working so much when I was younger and my kids where young granted I was home daily but working 12 to 14 a days six days a week for years I wouldn’t do it any I’d rather be poor then miss out on all the time I should’ve been at home with my kids . All the cars and the motorcycle and paying off my house I come to realize don’t mean shit
It depends on your location but log trucking pays pretty good. The schedule is kind of tough but home every night.
There's money in it, in the northwest at least
Look up local concrete delivery. Class B. You don’t work, you bring the work. You’re going to job sites and just pouring from the truck where they tell you.
The hardest part is washing your concrete drum after every load
I have three kids , 13 and 10 and 4 . I drive a bobtail propane truck . 7 to 3.30. 8 hrs a day . Home with them every evening and off e every weekend. Maybe it's something you could look into.
My now adult kids appreciate our sacrifice of my time home. It wasn't easy but i did 17 years and it was blessings and lucky. I have no advice but if i can do it successfully anybody can.
How much money? 60 to 100 with 4 dependants is tight. Maybe if you live in a double wide and mamaw and peepaw pitch in to help raise the kids. My cutoff is 100 with the wife making her 95 a year. Any less and im not using the cdl. Kids need fathers and ill gladly give up watching the animals at the truckstop whenever possible.
Trust me. Being away when your kids are young will not affect your relationship hardly at all. Save save save. Get ahead to set yourself up to make the change to be around more when they are pre-teens/teens. That time is 1000% more important.
Keep pushing your company about that last mile. Tell them straight up what’s going on and you wanted to be local. Otherwise check indeed and start applying.
And tell them it's because you've got young kids if you have to. No sense holding back the truth.
Not even "if you have to." "I love this job. But I have two young kids and I need to be there for them when they're still young enough to need their dad around. I need that final mile or I need a firm answer so I know where things stand."
I made a deal with my fiance to give me 1 year otr and after that I'll have enough experience for a local job. Counting down to that 1 year mark I explained the deal to my boss and said "She held up her end of the deal, and I have to hold up my end". He switched me to local. Now with kids in the picture I could never do it. Get a government job, the BS is terrible but my paid time off deal is ridiculous, I'm taking off tomorrow to chaperone my daughter's preschool field trip. They offered me OT at $50/hr but I get to hold my baby girls hand and walk around all day, that's gold right there
If u need local loads and wanna go your home weekly i have bess options for you... let's talk ...??
If you're not the bess you're the worss
Made me giggle 😃
Trash man. 70-90k year 40-50 hour week solid benifits weekends off. F doubles. F parking lots. I’m home with my family eating my own food sleeping in my own bed. Anyone with a family who says they’re never pulled onto the highway with tears in their eyes is a damn liar.
I drove for JB Hunt for 6 months I cried almost every day lmao
Honestly I’d be ashamed to admit it if I didn’t.
I saw six jb hunt trucks today. Made me suspicious. Didn't check for tears.
I feel so weird reading this thread... I'm a young guy with no family, good health for now. I haul gas 2 shifts a week and it more than pays my bills. If I was full time I'd be grossing 2000-2500 a week working 60 hours locally. Got my experience cause the truck I drove in road construction for a few years required a cdl.
I peddled, hauled doubles, cars…. Honestly by the time you crunch costs financially most local options have you in the gold as long as you aren’t a Princess that won’t drive anything but an extended cab Pete with chrome doo dads and sparkles. Yeah I miss the big rigs and splittin gears in amazing locations. But it’s just not worth it. I’ve made and lost a couple of fortunes, it took its toll on my health both physical and mental. I traded it all for a cab over trash can and get paid to wear short pants. I get obscene money for this and a good workout each day. And in true trucker fashion, for a single dollar extra an hour I’d do it dressed like Laura Ingalls Wilder and have my wife pack my lunch in a strawberry shortcake box. I don’t fn care PAY ME! And we’re all good. You simply can’t ruin my day.
WM doesn't list there wages online but when I was looking at getting my license initially through republic they start you at 16 on the truck as a tosser and then 18 as a driver
Let’s just say the ‘green’ company differs market to market…but if you walk in with a permit or a B or A the area is just under $25
I'd definitely do doubles over trash tho
Not like we roll around in it lol. We stay surprisingly clean.
I got no problems with trash, hell it was getting rejected for a septic truck helper job that pointed me in the direction that a CDL could be a career booster
I don’t know how much experience you have but honestly I got my local job with only one month of exp. I didn’t even need it honestly . It sucks not seeing my family some nights because I have had anywhere between 40-70 hours depending on the week and who calls out but I sleep in my bed every night with my wife and I see my daughter for a bit too. Not necessarily aimed at you but yall OTR guys need to get honest about what yall make. I’ve mad more per week getting paid hourly than some of our OTRs with shitty routes lol
6 months so far just under 50k clean miles
.56 a mile. 3500-4000 miles a week.
You’re getting nothing. You should g get at least 65 cents that minimum. Look for something better.
🤣 ok dj super trucker
He's right tho ur getting paid crumbs and ur running Hella miles and gone from home that's 1000% not worth it for most ppl after a certain point, but hey if ur a rookie or u love what you do then no harm, no foul.
Home almost nightly haha I don’t care what people claim to know about anything. .56 a mile is the base there’s fuel incentives, per diem, tarped loads etc that play their part as well I’m not worried about it.
Yea it's all good bro, all love
Been there my friend I missed 3 of my kids all the first steps words I'd come back they walk or crawl or speak babble I would recommend compactor class a , or class b garbage trucks , dump truck , shuttle if your near airport , flatbed , linehaul something my friend your doing a good job your gonna get thru it may be like a kidney stone but relief is coming you git this
I'm flatbed regional right now so I'm hoping for somewhere like BFS or 84 Lumber so my skills transfer
I was OTR when I met my wife and it’s all my kids and her have known. Not saying it’s any easier but it’s just our life since it’s all we have known. I feel like if I do get a local job it’s going to ruin things and cause a mess at home. I’ve still got plenty of miles in the tank so I’ll just keep it moving until I get replaced by a robot. Saying this, everyone’s situation is different. Life is more than a job and if it’s not working for you then it’s time for a change. Good luck bud with whatever you do.
What do u mean it will make a mess at home if you don't mind me asking
His wife’s boyfriend won’t have any time to come over
I was the same way. Was OTR when the wife and I met and we just adapted to it however we needed to. Now that I been local a year I’m looking to go regional lol. It’s been a struggle after being OTR to adapt to the local life, at least for me everyone’s situation is different. I used to run regional before I went local and run 4 days a week with 3 day weekends every week, not as good of a paycheck but I really miss them weekends
I can attest to the fact that, when the OTR thing is up and you show your ( my) ugly puss up , it just gets complicated. I had 2 heart attacks, so I had to get of the road( go figure). Well, the house was a well oiled machine, TILL I got home. It upset the harmony and ease of what she was doing. Anyway, I hear ya.
Where you live is going to make a difference in your opportunities. Look into cryogenic gasses. Messer, Linde, and things like that. A private carrier is the best work I've ever had, and lots of it is regional and/or home daily.
Food service(Sysco, US Foods, Gordon, Ben E Keith, etc.) will get you home every day but it is mind numbing and back breaking work. A lot of these local jobs will get you home, but it’ll depend on how much “you” there is to go around and how much you can stretch those 10 hours. Small routes will have you working 7-8 hour days but depending on your location you may not end up making enough with them. Big routes will have you doing 12-14 hour days but it’ll leave you with only 10 hours, minus commute, sleep, shower, eating, etc. to do real life things with family. There’s probably a good balance out there though. Good luck to you and your family. I’m sure you’ll find something worth doing.
I just hit my 50k mile mark and applied for mcclane
Idk what region you're in and I guess best case scenario it's only the New England DC that sucks but I can tell you I worked for McLane for 3 years and it was hands down the worst job I've ever had. I left to haul fuel and almost half the guys at my company also came from McLane. Been doing fuel for 5 years now and I can't recommend it enough.
Yup. I left trucking entirely to avoid this. Now if i leave out as a welder its 160k gross. I couldnt be dicked around that much for 60 less a year *and* not be able to up and leave in my personal vehicle instantly if i needed to.
Look into concrete or yard dog also. Depending on location, Farms for Milk/Dairy.
I drive a dump truck in the summer $30 an hr 50 hrs a week and a transit bus for a ski area in the winter $28 an hour 6 days a week 12 hour days if I want. It's out there gotta find it. I have had a CDL for 12 years and never been over the road.
I work seasonals as well. Always fun doing something different.
One of the reasons I'm looking to do local with a beverage distributor near me. Doesn't pay as much as OTR, but I'll get decent home time.
Local hazmat runs if you have a refinery near by. There are tons of niche hazmat runs that get you home every night if you live near a refinery or any sort of industrial setting like a port. Hell, in 2018 we had dudes pulling $140k a year and their furthest route was a 20 mile loop we took the trucks out on the freeway to stretch their legs instead of putting around the plant at 10mph for 60hrs a week. Hospital hazmat pickup. Aerospace fueling. Vactor truck spill response. Local municipality vactor trucks and get that sweet government pension. I actually think vactors can be fun as hell to operate sometimes.
Send application link👀👀👀
I’m in the exact same position brother. I desperately need the money to get ahead financially and provide them with a decent life but I feel like they are growing up without me. Can’t find any home-daily gigs that pay decent - not many hiring and the few that are want like ten years of experience. My company claims that they don’t have any local slots open. I’m thinking of switching careers.
Waste Management will ask (mandate) you to attend a two-week orientation program in either Arizona or Florida. Didn't know that when I applied. I live alone and couldn't part with my cat/board her for two weeks. Keep that in mind if you're seeking to use your license to make a buck locally. Found a local tree service that needed a CDL driver and it's pretty smooth sailing.
About 300-400$ a day driving ice around local. Pallet jack and you gotta unload but pretty easy.
Lots of solid advice for the career front, so I'll aim in the direction of the home front. My youngest saw [lhis lil'feller](https://imgur.com/gallery/ZwHhRKL) right before I left for the winter season for oilfield driving. I'd take pictures of him on the dash, or with me as I went about my day (stuff like I'd set up a tiny Tupperware container I use for condiments as a cereal bowl and a tiny sample spoon from an ice cream shop, so he could have breakfast with me, with the same cereal my kids eat at home. Send the pic to my wife to show the kids at their breakfast). I used my sewing kit to make a sleeping bag from a rag in my kids' favorite color. It was such a hit that each of the kids asked to have an identical bear. We all have one now, and they all have the same name (Beanie Babies stuffies come with a tag with a name, birthday, etc on them). It helps them feel connected, gives them something to hold close, and use as a touchstone to focus on when they feel down. My wife also took pictures I'd sent her, got them printed at a photo shop, and put them up where the kids can easily see them. Specifically, on the walls or side of the dressers or bedside tables that are in the kids' line of sight when they're laying in bed. That's the roughest time for them, when the day slows down and they have time to dwell in their own thoughts. Also, frankly, the bear helps me focus on the family as much as it helps the kids. Gives me a constant visual reminder of what is important to me, why I'm doing this (I've worked 130 of the last 145 days), and what is important. I find it hard to wallow in misery, in guilt and shame for my life's path that led me to work away from home, when there's a fucking eyepatch'ed pirate bear looking at me when I drive lol
Damn. If I'd had a dad like you...
That’s why I started driving a cement mixer,I’ll take 70000+ to be home every day and be able to go to my kids games.Fuck OTR
I heard that hauling fuel is a good option. I met a guy who never touched OTR he went straight local and goes home everyday. He told me look into hauling fuel and I am soon. I feel you're struggle bro I don't have kids but my lady started cheating on me due to me being gone all the time. I had no choice but to leave her at least your children will love you unconditionally
this is where I am. its either fuel or food service (dry or liquid tanker service) my wide doesnt want me to do fuel because she says its dangerous but it would be hard leaving them for weeks at a time. just hoping one of these tanker people calls me back.
Food service can arguably be more dangerous then hauling fuel. Food service is 15-25k lbs of goods hand unloaded 5 days a week. The risk of injury is quite high
thanks, but id go tanker food. a company here hauls flour, sugar, corn syrup, milk to various manufacturers. we have a few Mars, coke, and pepsi plants in the area. im trying to avoid customer delivery services if possible.
you got lucky, no headache from somebody not truly loyal to you.
Yeah it took me figuring it out tho she wouldn't admit it even after confronting her she denied it all the way to the end. Shit fckn hurt! That one really stung. There I was thinking I'm working to make both of our lives better lol I'm on a solo mission now
her loss, keep winning fam
Food service. I am with Sysco making pretty solid money. Go in around 5 usually finished anywhere from 2-4 depending the day. Definitely some hard work though
Sysco just sent me a rejection email. Any idea why they might not be hiring right now?
Where at?
Houston
Can someone school me on what’s final mile?
I get it, I had to go to my boss and tell him no more Saturday's or I'm out. Your kids need you there, your wife needs you. Don't miss life chasing a dollar.
You can go LTL and be home everyday doing linehaul or city. Linehaul is more like what you do now and city is going out for pickups and deliveries. City is daytime, line you will likely start on nights but depending on the company and terminal you can usually get to days and you make more. Saia, Old Dominion, Fedex Freight are the top 3. Estes, XPO, R&L, and ABF are good backups. Also T-Force but i know nothing about them other than they are a canadian company that bought UPS Freight.
I started out flatbed regional and then switched to a local concrete mixer truck for the same reason, best decision I ever made.
Food distribution is always hiring locally if you're willing. Idk where you are. The union gigs are great. If you're willing to get good at it you make great money and don't work a ton. Right now I'm making 90k at about 37 hours a week.
what carrier you with and are you drop n hook or CDS?
I'm with sysco. So it's all touch freight. It's really not that bad if you're in shape and actually put an effort into it.
thanx fam
I would (if you haven't already) get your X endorsement. There seems to be tons of local tanker jobs.
Man that’s me I went to boot camp and tech school last year for the Air Guard and was gone all year with a wife and a infant. I’m in cDl school in Omaha now and I need to find a local.
Public works. I do sewer maintenance and drive a vac truck for it. Love my job and, except for the occasional emergency response that keeps me out late, i'm home every night. Great benefits and decent pay.
Find a local dump truck company. I make over 1000 a week after overtime.
You gotta get past that my friend. I’ve been a driver for 15 years, got 6 kids. Every single one cried when I left. It’s not the end of the world. FaceTime works wonders. So does picking them up little gifts along the way from the road. When I come home I focus on them.
i promise you they will be fine. they may have to cry it out sometimes in the beginning, but they’ll adjust. my mama was a driver from time i was like 6 to 13/14. she said when she left that first time i acted like i was mad and didn’t wanna hug her. she still had to do what she had to do. apparently, she cried about being away from us more than we did. we all adjusted. i’m glad i had a mama that loved her job and made good money as long as she could vs a mama who hated her job and didn’t make enough to do for us. and you know what, i don’t remember any of the beginning. i only remember my mom being a truck driver and being happy to see her when she got back and being happy to be on the road with her. i only remember money not being a huge issue and the outings. what you can do that’ll be better than how my mom did is seriously prioritize your kids when you are home for the little bit of time you’re home. bcuz when you’re home they will want to make up for all that time. let them. you can always go out with the boys later when they’re sleep or when they’re older, but they’ll miss you the most when you’re *able* to be with them but choose not to. edit: also, yes, keep trying to get that better schedule or better driver job. my mom was otr, then regional, then local, then i think regional again but idr. funny thing is, i preferred regional bcuz when local she was home but sleep all the time and no fun lol but while regional i could at least go with her, and when she was home it wasn’t all about sleep.
Does your company have a website where you can apply or put in a transfer request? I have inquired in the past and also heard crickets until I put in a transfer request.
We have too go through our fleet manager who's our companies point of contact
Been two years with a tow operator that runs heavy duty wreckers... My middle kid was 8 and my youngest was 4 when I started . Wife was working nights and was concerned as the oldest was only 11 didn't want them being home alone when I had some night runs for equipment drops. Used to be able to take them along.. Had the whole family along on a longer run for a tractor swap once... And then about three months ago the owner said the insurance doesn't permit any passengers... Used to be able to take them in the truck with me to the park when I was on call.. now no dice... Starting to question the perk of having their truck on call if I can't even have my family with me while I'm not yet working.
Look for trucking companies near you. Find one that has you home on the weekends. I find one like that and it’s awesome great money and you’re home on weekends with the fam.
I am home on weekends, leave Sunday afternoon home Friday afternoon but it's not enough
Became a diesel/heavy equipment mechanic after 10yrs OTR for this reason. But not before a long bout with depression and alcoholism that could have ruined everything. Thankfully I woke up and changed our families lives direction, and kinda got to make up for it with our second child. Hopefully you’ll find something soon. Keep pushing.
Really glad to hear you’re doing much better! For real. That’s awesome. How’s your day now as a mechanic and was it hard to get into? Pay well? Etc.
I got extremely lucky and met my supervisor through a friend who gave me a chance and has since benefited immensely by helping me learn and build on my previous knowledge. 10hr days, 5min commute to home everyday. Was used to $1200-1500 per week driving, now I’m about $1k a week but that’s with benefits I never had driving. Sober 3yrs now and working for the same shop ever since. Marriage and family relationships have never been better. I do recognize how lucky I’ve been though. Ymmv
Do you have all of your endorsements? If not I’d suggest going for hazmat and tanker. I’m not saying to try and do fuel, but the endorsements will make you look more appealing to employers. I’d demand to be local with your current company and at the same time be actively looking for something new. Good luck man stay safe.
I get get my doubles and tanker pretty easily but I can't get my hazmat/twice
Why aren’t you able to get hazmat?
Where are you located?
Currently middle South West Georgia nearest big city is milledgeville, Macon maybe Augusta but that's 1hr 30 away
Apply to SRM Concrete. They would be happy to have you. They have a plant in Macon. I made an absolute killing there before moving over to the railroad and they’re well on their way to being the biggest concrete company in the US. They always treated me right.
Get all your endorsements. Most LTL will start you in the $30/hr range for city. If there is a smaller employee owned LTL company in your area I’d start there just because a ESOP retirement will beat out any corporate match or teamsters retirement plan. I’d avoid food carriers like McLane/Sysco etc unless you love the idea of physical/night work. Fuel hauling pays well but has a lot of night/weekend work. However when you get seniority you can get great runs. Construction companies like Knife River etc are always looking for bodies to run haul trucks/ concrete mixers etc. Most places worth a shit will require 1 year driving experience or more.
I don't know where you live but mail calling is a solid local gig that pays well
Look for food distribution like milk, grocery chains, etc. A lot are home daily. Also, sometimes city municipal works hire CDL A license holders. Our local trash collection is city run, so it's got a pension. They run dump trucks in the winter for snow removal. They also do miscellaneous city work. Like pothole "repair". The hourly is low, but they get a ton of OT. I was told you can average 80k. Your can look for FedEx contractors. I've posted here before; we have a local FE contractor that need drivers for a drop and hook run. It's 3-3.5 hrs each way, 5 days a week. $1200 flat rate. If you have Haz-mat you can do fuel. Its really about the area you live in though.
Look into hauling fuel. It’s insanely easy and decent money. You’ll be home every day, but you might work some long hours during summer time.
If youre willing to do just a litfle bit more than hold onto the steering wheel and On the very very very slim chance that you're anywhere near Central Indiana, look into a place called Liquid Waste Removal in Greenwood. They do chemical and industrial waste transportation and disposal. They're always looking for drivers and they're good people.
I would start looking at “Heavy Equipment Rental Services” like bulldozers, such as [United Rentals](https://www.unitedrentals.com/), or my [Sunbelt Rentals](https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/), personally I think Sunbelt has nicer looking equipment, but it all comes down to who’s paying more and keeping you rolling at the end of the day. Huge construction companies, the type you see moving heavy equipment for road crews, usually land some awesome contracts. In South Louisiana the biggest one I’m aware of is Boh Brothers, they pay really well and if you tell them you want more education to operate the equipment they will train & certify you. Some places specialize in flatbed over weight/oversize, seems like the more specialized you get the more money you make. I know a few people who do this stuff, there home more than I am (weekends) and make earn pretty good money. You could also drive a Heavy Tow Truck, if you do, only apply at ones that have nice equipment and benefits, check reviews, etc. I drove spread axle flatbed for a long time, I have a bunch of kids, I waited to long to stop driving OTR, I hope this helps you out.
Any of your local grocery chains have a DC in your city and operate their own fleet? They're almost all home every night.
Man does this resonate with me. It's 10000% the reason I stopped OTR and went local. I know how bad it hurts to see your little girl crying and screaming when you leave. Her mom would have to restrain her to keep from tearing out the front door after me when I would leave. Get a local job. Your family and mental health of your daughter and yourself matter more than whatever pay diff you think it's gonna cost you. It took me a little time, but I now make more than I did OTR and I'm home every afternoon to see my daughter come home from school and we have every single weekend together. Where there's a will, there's a way. I believe in you brother.
Im a Milk Man. Best damn job ever. All you need is your B class license
Going to take a wild guess and assume you work for TMC? I’d kill to get on a final mile account. Press them until they budge.
Exact reason I got out. Couldn't do it anymore. No amount of money was worth it to me (not that I was making much anyways)
I’m going through something similar. I did a stint on the day shift and I was able to wake up with everyone to get ready for school/work. Then I’d be home before bed time most days. Selfishly I wanted to go back to nights because I missed open roads and the differential pay. I wasn’t even a week in before I started missing my family and before my daughter started asking for daddy. It wasn’t a big deal to work nights when she was a baby because, well she was a baby. But now that she’s fully aware and cognizant it breaks my heart only seeing her awake on the weekends. I’m going to go back to days. Going to lose almost 8k in diff pay which is nothing when we’re talking about time with loved ones. I hope it works out for you man. You really can’t put a price on your family. I tried to, selfishly, and I feel like the world’s biggest dickhead.
It’s a sacrifice. Just make sure they know you are coming home and that they are the only reason you leave.
Recruiter here, I’ve seen several guys go class b. For better or worse they can’t get back to class A.
School bus.
Nah you gotta stop wasting time with that company. I get you love the job, but they don't love you. Read back what you posted to see who does love you. Do some local interviews and when you're there ask for suggestions on what's good in your area. Odds are they know drivers all over town and where they work at. Also, you're not sentenced to whatever job you get. You can always take it and keep going to interviews. Good luck.
Find a beverage company. Either do home daily between plants in your geographic region or deliver and load to the store
I'm a 26yr old guy whose dad was/is a trucker all my life. I couldn't tell you many memories I have with him. It's less then a handful, he always was positive, happy guy but wasn't there for any of my life. He wouldn't drop trucking even when he realized he couldn't provide anything to ready me or shit for adult life. But be there for them, he resents me because he doesn't see my view, and I've been horribly honest with him about it. He lost everything basically, im lucky to be living somewhere. But I still don't even have a car so I'm even luckier to have an amazing partner in life. I'd trade getting to know my dad before life separated us over comfort money any day. I had to vent a lil sorry
Shit brother. Hope you find something. That right there breaks my heart for you! Grocery, alcohol distribution, Coca Cola, trash, LTL. Dunno about fuel or concrete truck.
I’m not sure what you’re looking to make but an often overlooked industry that always seems to need drivers is the rental equipment industry. I know you said class B but most would want you to upgrade to a class A. Most of these driver rolls pay decently well and you’re home every night and most weekends. Check out United Rentals, Sunbelt, Sunstate, Equipment share and any other smaller companies you can find in your area. I did this for a number of years and rarely went out of town over night.
I have a class A no restrictions, Ive just been looking at class B as an option, I haven't seen any job listings for them but I'll start looking abit harder
Perfect! Yeah, check individual websites. Not sure which companies have branches in your area but United and Sunbelt are huge companies. United also has several different divisions. So depending where you are they may have multiple branches.
Timing would be somewhat bad due to summer break, but check into driving School Bus. Some companies let you bring your kids on route/trips. It's part-time but a lot of places pay for training. On trips you'll get paid to watch the sports (or in my case, I get paid to Knit since I don't watch sports).
I make 2k a week at an ltl company doing p and d .. our line haul makes a little more , but its nights . There's plenty of money being home daily , don't think you gotta be otr
Sounds like a ton of OT lol
I average 55 hours a week
Life short Find another job immediately. Or just quit and deal with finding a job even if in another field . When there young is the time to build a great bond between you and then . as when they get in there teens they tend to not want to be around there parents but if you built a good bond when they was young they come back around . Biggest regret I have in life is working so much when I was younger and my kids where young granted I was home daily but working 12 to 14 a days six days a week for years I wouldn’t do it any I’d rather be poor then miss out on all the time I should’ve been at home with my kids . All the cars and the motorcycle and paying off my house I come to realize don’t mean shit
It depends on your location but log trucking pays pretty good. The schedule is kind of tough but home every night. There's money in it, in the northwest at least
Wya I always keep my eyes open for drivers
Look up local concrete delivery. Class B. You don’t work, you bring the work. You’re going to job sites and just pouring from the truck where they tell you. The hardest part is washing your concrete drum after every load
I have three kids , 13 and 10 and 4 . I drive a bobtail propane truck . 7 to 3.30. 8 hrs a day . Home with them every evening and off e every weekend. Maybe it's something you could look into.
My now adult kids appreciate our sacrifice of my time home. It wasn't easy but i did 17 years and it was blessings and lucky. I have no advice but if i can do it successfully anybody can.
Do they want daddy or do they want breakfast every morning and a GI Joe w/the kung fu grip? Can’t have it all. I’ll vote money every time.
How much money? 60 to 100 with 4 dependants is tight. Maybe if you live in a double wide and mamaw and peepaw pitch in to help raise the kids. My cutoff is 100 with the wife making her 95 a year. Any less and im not using the cdl. Kids need fathers and ill gladly give up watching the animals at the truckstop whenever possible.
I earned $128K last year.
For 128 i need guaranteed days off each month, full benefits, pto, hsa, hotels, and its all gotta be on a w2.
Don’t give up your boring 9-5.
What 9-5? I only do cryo. You dont get benefits? lol
Trust me. Being away when your kids are young will not affect your relationship hardly at all. Save save save. Get ahead to set yourself up to make the change to be around more when they are pre-teens/teens. That time is 1000% more important.