Weekend Jobs?

Jen_M · May 7, 2006

Everyone talks about wanting to be home on weekends, but I'm wondering if any companies hire drivers for weekends only? I have a mon-fri job but could use some extra money and I'm in a good location - central IN - for expediting. I'm thinking this might be worth looking into. I'm a few hours from Detroit,Columbus, Chicago, Louisville, & St Louis, and of course, Indianapolis. I could head out on Friday night and make a couple of runs over the weekend, and still be home by Sunday night.
Also, my job is getting very "iffy" - auto manufacturing. I could very easily not have a job next year. I need something to fall back on, and at age 40, I'm not exactly eager to start over somewhere.

I'm totally new to this and don't even have a CDL yet. What is required for a cargo van? Not sure I want to drive 18 wheels...

terryandrene · May 7, 2006

You are in a good area for expediting. You may have some luck with a local company that would value a weekend driver; however, expediting as we generally know it is not conducive to weekend only work. Most folks that aren't loaded already are waiting for that long weekend job and they will most likely be ahead of you in the dispatch queue when you become available for work. If you get a Friday evening or Saturday morning job, you'll likely have to deadhead back home empty to make the Monday morning whistle.

Check out www.expeditecarriers.com to see if there are any local companies near you. Some carriers don't require a CDL, some do. It would be best to get one to maximize your options.

Broompilot · May 8, 2006

Intresting question, but this industry is not for PART TIME work. Get a load on Saturday out of Detroit to Cleveland, than get one Saturday PM for Pittsburg, than Sunday to Baltimore for a Sunday Evening delivery. Or lets just skip Cleveland and go right to Baltimore for Sunday eveniing Delivery. How you gona get back to Detroit Monday at 7:00AM. Its possible but part timers are gona have great difficulty driving that run and staying awake. It takes expierence to be able to drive a run straight thru night after night. Most of the Expierenced drivers had it happen to them, your first run was not 600+ miles with only 11 hours it was more like 400-500 miles in 11 hours or just less.

This is Expediting not local deliveries, and nothing against those guys we are not the same by any means.

Jen_M · May 11, 2006

Broompilot:

I understand the stress & logistics involved with OTR driving. One of my best friends does it for a living and I don't know how he keeps his sanity.

I was talking about, for example, getting a load on Friday night out of Indy going to Detroit, deliver Saturday morning, get a load out of Detroit or Toledo, going to wherever, deliver Saturday night or Sunday morning, then deadhead home. Maybe that's an unrealistic expectation? I realize there are thousands of variables involved that can screw up plans - getting loaded late, getting unloaded late, etc. But if the loads are there, I think it's very possible.

Thanks for the replies.

jen

LDB · May 11, 2006

One of the primary factors in expediting is urgency. Because of this things are generally very spur of the moment. That significantly reduces the potential of a job out of Indy on a Friday evening that could be preplanned for a weekend only part timer. It further reduces the possibility the job would go to somewhere you want to go if there was a job. When you add in deadheading back from who knows where you've diluted the revenue significantly, perhaps to the point of paid tourism instead of profit. If there were a routine job from Indy to St. Louis and there to Dayton on a weekend it would go to one of the big OTR LTL companies that would haul it way too cheap for anyone's good. Your could look around for a company with a need like that and maybe find one yourself but I can't see it working with any of the primary expediting carriers. Good luck.

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targuard86 · May 11, 2006

not to mention when you went in service you would be way behind on dwell time more than likely.

Crazynuff · May 12, 2006

If you get a CDL you'll have to run a log book . DOT will require you to log the hours on your regular job as " On Duty " hours which may not leave you enough available hours to make the runs you'd like to . You'd need a real pecise schedule to comply with the new HOS .

terryandrene · May 14, 2006

Crazynuff:

Jen mentioned she was interested in a van operation and unless her van has GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more she needn't log, with or without a CDL. If she has a HazMat endorsement and hauls a reportable quantity of HazMat, she would then have to log. With or without HazMat, The State of Alabama requires vans to log, so does NY; I have not known of anyone, however, who has been cited for not logging in those States. Some carriers require van operators to carry a CDL, some do not. Perhaps one or more carriers require van operators to log just to keep them complying with the spirit of the Federal Regs, but generaly it is not legally necessary.

MSinger · May 14, 2006

Jen,
You might try Rapid Delivery of Indiana (airport area) or Wheels Assured (Beech Grove area). They are two local courier companies who do a fair amount of "expedited" runs to surrounding states. They will be more apt to work around your schedule than the "big boys".