Big truck company driver with 6 wheel dreams.

[DieselDrivinDan]

Hello folks,
I've been a company driver for a while and have spent the last 6 months in a day cab. The whole time OTR I thought a city job would be the end all be all trucking job but it's begining to get a little bit monotonous. I wouldn't go back out OTR with this company, too few miles, too much time away sitting at the J without a load, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I have been thinking about running a 6-wheeler for a owner for a few months and then buying my own. The only vehicle I've ever o/o'd is my Jeep.
Guess I'd really like to know if a single has a snowballs chance of putting something in the bank after his expenses are met? Seems like this segment of the business is heavily team-oriented, have a feeling it'll all be that way one day. And, what do you guys do over your 34hr. break besides sleep? I've always worked for a 'weekends home' company, which created more problems than it solved (see above) but have always wondered what those other drivers that had to stay-put with the truck did with all that time.
Look forward to hearing what ya'll have to say. Hope it's something better than find a woman who wants to drive a truck, those seem few and far between and ya'll are lucky to have em'.

Cheers
DDD

 

[Doggie Daddy]

DDD,just curious... how do you drive OTR all week in a day cab??

I can't speak for everyone,but we spend our waiting time watching sattelite tv,surfing the net on the laptop,cooking meals in the truck,oh and sleeping.

 

[Night_Runner36]

hello DDD wel I catch up on the laundry really clean up the truck ,read a bit from a book sit and relax and talk to other drivers sitting like Iam ....take a walk around the town if it isnt to far from where I'm sitting..a buddy of Mine takes a fishing pole every where with him but I save the fishing till I'm at home with My boys ....like You I'm solo and plan to stay that way ...oh and I'm always talking with My Fleetowner/Partner ....swopping load stories..and yes sleep ....someday like you I want to own My own truck as well but till I either win the lottery or get it saved up I'm happy driving for My Partner best of luck to You DDD

 

[Night_Runner36]

RE:OTR Day Cab...I think Doggie like a job I use to have You drive your hours and then You stop and stay at a hotel where the company has a room saved for You at least thats the way it was for Me

 

[DieselDrivinDan]

I'd like to thank everyone for all the useful replys. "Goof-off" (eatin, sleepin, cleanin, and paperwork) until you get rolling again is pretty much what I remember. My OP might have been misleading. I don't drive OTR in a day cab. I drove OTR in a road cab and then switched to a city position with the same co. A strategically placed comma in my OP might have solved that confusion, but then I'm a truck driver not an English prof. But I meant what I said about greener grass, I thought a home every night type of job would be great until I did it for about 6mo. and now I'm just about bored to tears with it. I'm single so it's not like I'm trying to stay away from mamma either. I'll just stay my course, put some $$ in the bank, and read every post on this forum until I'm ready to take the plunge.

Keep chasing that zippered line & God Bless
DDD

 

[Broompilot]

Get a weekend job, begin saving that way cause driving for Owner you will most likely only be able to survive if that. So save up buy your own truck and make your own $ two people cannot make a living off of one truck, now someone might argue with that but I dissagree and the amount of time they have been doing this will be my point in winning this argument.

Good Luck.

 

[jeffman164]

Looking to talk to other solo drivers. Who do you drive for Night_Runner36 and Broompilot? Want to pick your brains a bit. Thank You !!

 

[BigBusBob]

Regarding the question of what drivers do during a 34 hour
Re-Start... there's actually plenty you can do. You tend to "find stuff" to do. Cleaning the truck, visiting friends/family from time to time, organizing paperwork, doing laundry. Shopping and stocking/restocking the truck with supplies - which as most of us know... usually entails cleaning as we restock the cabinets and re-organize.

You are right though that expediting seems to quickly be going to team operations, and before long I imagine it'll primarily all be teams in Expediting... in regular 18 wheeler work though, I believe there'll always be room for the solo driver - Because there's so many co.'s and so many trucks that are always available.

I'd run solo in an expediter if I knew there was a good seat open for me in a good rig, with the right O/O and right pay. However, there simply isn't a true need in expediting for solo drivers, not like in regular 18 wheeler work or local driving work.

That's all from me for now, Later, BigBob.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Bob... that's not entirely true. There are several companies that concentrate on solo operations, and I work for one of them.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas