Tuscon AZ LTL, Knight or Melton?
Posted by RaphealWannabe@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 15 comments
(FYI: Moving is out of the question, my house will be payed off in 7 years)
I am 11 days from finishing CDL training, a guy I have been training with has an interview for LTL out of Tuscon AZ. I don't live in Tuscon, I live near the border, 90 min drive one way. After studying my options my least odious options are Knight, Melton (flat bed) or try my luck with LTL out of Tuscon.
My school offered to help me find a job but...
I don't want to do OTR if I don't have to (but will if it will get me a job) but I don't know if LTL would be any better since I would have to make a 3 hour round trip almost every day.
Yes I know, 3 hours vs. 11-14 hours? No brainer right? Well it would cost me about $270 a week in gas, and I don't expect to be making much starting out 300-400 a week if that much not to mention the wear and tear on my car.
On the other hand, working for Melton or Knight would require me to drive to phoenix (3.5 to 4 hours one way) when hitting the road or when going home for home time.
Plus I would have to leave no later than 4:30 am to make it to my job by 6:00. I am not complaining about either, I will do what I gotta do, but I don't know if it would really be worth it.
Your thoughts please!
Seebs9@reddit
What Ltl is the guy interviewing for? Not many ltls are going to take people without any experience, most prefer to put people through their own schools in those situations.
I’d stick out otr for a couple years till you can find a local or give up and move to an area with local jobs.
Lord_B33zus@reddit
Knight or Melton? I’d go with Knight. I worked for them for a year and it was pretty positive. Only quit to get out of the truck and be home nightly.
RaphealWannabe@reddit (OP)
Thats good to know, since the alternatives are swift, Werner, or Schneider.
I knew that I was going to have to serv my time, so to speak, fortunately I am only required to be in the buisness for 7 years, then my house is paid off and I can go back to being retired.
I retired from the army a year ago.
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
I would look into companies that let you base yourself out of your home, if you can take a trailer home. Instead of going to a terminal everyday. I'm not sure exactly where you are but as long as you're close to an interstate it shouldn't really be a problem.
At the very least I'm pretty sure most OTR or LTL companies will let you take the tractor home. Even if you have to drop the trailer in a drop yard nearby. I've never heard of LTL where you could be home daily. I thought it was like OTR or at least regional. Or are you like talking about doing a local final mile stuff for an LTL carrier?
jmzstl@reddit
For an LTL job that far away, you would want to do regional linehaul. It’s all terminal to terminal work, but you’d stay in hotels throughout the week and come home weekly instead of daily. Estes Express Lines does a lot of that, although I’m not sure they’d take someone with no experience.
SheepherderHopeful55@reddit
See if any of these companies have a drop yard closer to you and you can park the truck there, you can also probably see if there's any place you can park your truck in the town you live in for a few days while you're on home time, most companies let you take the truck home as long as you have a secure place to park it
truckingham@reddit
My friend is a trainer for Melton and he said one of his former students struggles to het home on time in AZ. I would go with Knight, of those options. Being in arizona, there are probably some decent small/medium reefer companies
RaphealWannabe@reddit (OP)
There are, but they demand X-amount of experience first.
Individual-Dark-5022@reddit
Melton sucks ass that was my first company
RichCypher@reddit
I would never recommend a 90 minute commute each way for ltl if you will be home daily. That's just too far to realistically work in my opinion. You could try to find out if they have any more regional type options where you are out 5 said then back the weekend. I think this is basically what Walmart does and I think some ltls do this (I don't know who). I would definitely be looking for closer options personally.
RaphealWannabe@reddit (OP)
The problem is that where I live is small, Sierra Vista, Walmart I am sure have people who go down there, as well as some other companies though. I will try and look but I am not optimistic
RichCypher@reddit
Looks like FedEx ground is there. Maybe you could see if you could get on with any of their contractors.
Radiant_Swan187@reddit
You've already talked to all of these companies about you taking the truck home? That'd be a deal breaker for me if I couldn't take my truck home. But because im flatbed id obviously say Melton is ok
RaphealWannabe@reddit (OP)
Not yet, I will but I assume none of them would be okay with it, because of the distance.
Ok_Application_2292@reddit
I say talk to the LTL. As they have routes that go down by your house I am sure. They might like somebody being down that way.