Local drivers, what would you prefer?

Posted by Ornery_Ads@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 21 comments

400 mile round trip, start between 10am and noon, finish around 9 hours later, you can pick up to 5 days a week. 570 mile round trip, start between 10am and noon, finish around 13 hours later, you can pick up to 6 days a week. 610 mile round trip, start at 8pm, finish 14 hours later, pick up to 7 days a week. All pay the same hourly rate, they're all 2 drop and hooks/day (start with a trailer, drive, drop and hook, drive, drop and hook, go home with the next days trailer).

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21 Comments

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IntelligentCandy8716@reddit

This sounds a lot like my CNG hauling job. Lots of hours, only drop-n-hooks, 450-550 miles per day. My 1st load times were between 10am and 2pm. Didn't get any OT pay, though, and the benefits weren't nearly as good. The biggest grip I had was the rolling start times. I worked Tuesday through Saturday but starting at 10am on Tuesday somehow managed to make my 5th day end at 5am on Sunday. My family hated it because they never saw me. Sunday afternoons and a few minutes each morning before school wasn't enough. 3 years in, The contract for hauling CNG was given to a different carrier and they made offers to all the drivers. I went completely different to spend more time home.

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FutureCorpse699@reddit

I wouldn’t like any of those. That’s peak traffic time. I’d prefer to start much earlier. Also means I’d be off earlier so more time with my family.

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Creepy_Penalty_5433@reddit

400 mile trip with a few 570 or 610 trips here and there if needed. The start time isn’t the best for any of them.

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iTNB@reddit

This is exactly what I’m looking for but in Georgia. Damn 🥲

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RestoWolf629@reddit

start times between 10-noon sounds awful, rather start early and be done early

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Charlie_Hustler@reddit

I like money so I'd take the biggest run they have lol

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Zealousideal_Try4171@reddit

If it’s hourly, whatever gets me the most hours.

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tvieno@reddit

Overtime after 8 hrs or after 40 hrs?

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nastyzoot@reddit

Neither. All you're doing is 2 D+H's? Kill me.

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Frogspoison@reddit

I'd avoid the 14 hour one as local. Any delay means I'd get fucked in HoS. The other 2 are solid for scheduling imo.

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Ornery_Ads@reddit (OP)

They're all short haul exempt, so no ELD to worry about going a few minutes over type of thing, and you can do one 16 hour day/week if needed. I was also intentionally a little pessimistic on the timing for each one. I've done the 610 mile one in 10.5 hours with a 63mph governed truck, but most days, it's closer to 12-13 hours. I've had a nightmare trying to hire, so I'm trying to see which lane a potential hire would want

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Frogspoison@reddit

Short haul exempt removes the time constraints then, 3 flexible lanes. What area are these lanes in?

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Ornery_Ads@reddit (OP)

Scranton to CT, RI, or MA

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Waisted-Desert@reddit

RI, half of CT, and most of MA are not within 150 air miles of Scranton. Those lanes are not short haul exempt. If a company is trying to convince you they are, don't work for them unless you like living that outlaw life. [https://imgur.com/Cb4I6A3](https://imgur.com/Cb4I6A3)

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Ornery_Ads@reddit (OP)

Now move the starting point to Connecticut. Start your day driving West to Scranton, drop and hook, then drive East to the destination, drop and hook, then drive back to where you started.

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Frogspoison@reddit

Dont live in that area. The routes themselves aren't the issue at the very least, so compensation, locality, and your ability to reach drivers are likely where you need to take a look at. Good luck.

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Ornery_Ads@reddit (OP)

I tried a variety of compensation offers, but for a while my offer was $30/hr with 1.5x overtime after 40 in a week, 80 hours pto every 6 months, dedicated trucks (no slip seating), and you can take the truck home if you have space for it. W2 job, no bs pay, just normal hourly stuff. I tried varying the offer, higher pay, lower pay, health/dental/vision fully covered, partially covered, more pto, less pto. One person said they don't want to drive a Cascadia or VNR, so I told them if they work out for 6 months, I'll let them pick any truck from RitchieBros and get it for them. They didn't even show up for a working interview. I was told it's all compensation, so I tried something unreasonable, $45/hr, ot after 8 or 50, 160 hours pto every 6 months, full health/dental/vision after 30 days. Guy told me he wanted as many hours as possible, so I offered him all 6 days of the 570 mile lane. He called out 3 days the first week and 4 days his last week. He didn't even claim to be sick. he just said he wasn't coming in. I them tried to get away from full timers, just offer cash for a day worker. $500 under the table cash to come in...8 out of 8 people I offered it to didn't come in for the paid working interview.

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Frogspoison@reddit

Yea, might just be locality then. There are simply areas where you aren't going to be able to hire decent quality drivers (or workers) from, which really hurts when it comes to trying to fulfill local contracts. Again I can only wish you the beat of luck. 30$ an hour w/ OT and lanes that do a shit-ton of hourly sounds like not just fair but impressive, especially when benefits are also added. Good luck.

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Ornery_Ads@reddit (OP)

I previously worked for a heating oil company. Excellent equipment, super friendly people, everything you might want. They have 4 trucks, but are now down to 1 driver. They hired 2 drivers in February last year and the hires were mediocre at best, but they needed the help. During the summer, there's almost no work. Each driver was only working 2-3 hours/day, but they were still guaranteed 8 hours pay every day. Come October, when oil picks up, they both left for other oil companies on the same day with no notice. Within 2 weeks, they were both unemployed. One quit his second day because he hated that he just went from a 2024 truck to a 1980's truck and the other was fired because he was so slow and lazy. They asked for their jobs back, but were told to go pound sand. Meanwhile, there's a bulk oil and gas hauler that hires at $25/hr, no ot, no benefits, etc... but many of his drivers don't even have a license. Never mind a CDL, they don't have any license. I know he has at least 3 drivers with no cdl, and in the last 24 months hes had 3 oos inspections due to drivers not being licensed. I had so many applications come in on Indeed...I know there must be at least a few good applicants in the list, I just don't know how to weed out the good from the crap.

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PlsCheckThisBush@reddit

Just reading your comments this sounds like a pretty solid gig. I’m not sure what the applicants are looking like though or if the market in your area pays outrageously high. The PTO and hourly rates/OT alone is enough to interest people in my opinion. If I was in the area I’d definitely consider it - I’m in south-central Ohio so I’m a tad bit too far! To answer the question, the last one would interest me to avoid the headache of traffic, but to each their own. Some folks want a 9-5. But I’m also OTR driveaway so I may be skewed.

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xDoomKitty@reddit

I want the one where I sit at home and you pay me 70 hrs a week to think about trucking. 8)