Who Do You Drive For?

[RadarRider]

I'm not sure how well this thread'll go as I'm not sure people would want to post up their company's names. But I just wanted to see how wide the variety of trucking companies goes for those of us who drive. When I go out on the road, I can't believe how many trucking companies I see, especially when I go to warehouses where you have trucks from all over the US bringing all sorts of different types of freight. A lot of them all of us would see constantly; Schneider, CRST, Crete, ABF, FedEx, Heartland, England, Road Scholar, etc. Then there are quite a few I've never even heard of that I'll see anywhere from "once in a blue moon" to "a daily basis", & some I'll see once & never see again. So back to my question: Who do you drive for?

[thbd77]

Evans Cattle......

[Ryan Rønning]

I dont drive anymore but back in the day I trove for Ronning Trucking, All American Logging, Crisman Logging, and Superior Tower when I was building cell tower in the mid west.

[JK23112]

I'm not about to post my company's name up here - no way; but it is safe for me to tell you that I don't work for a common carrier (FedEx, UPS, ABF, Schneider, JB Hunt, Werner, Roadway, etc., etc.). We only haul our own product - to our own customers.


There are many different segments of the trucking/transportation business - from truckload carriers (JB Hunt, Werner, etc., etc.) who are long-haul operators; to LTL companies (Roadway, Yellow, UPS Freight, FedEx Freight, ABF, etc.) and small-package delivery companies (UPS, FedEx, etc.). Private fleets (such as my employer) are often overlooked, but employ plenty of drivers.

Best thing is that we are almost always home every night. You can't put a price on sleeping in your own bed; that's for sure. Also, I don't worry about sleeping in a dirty truck or dealing with lot lizards. If I do have to stay out overnight, I get a hotel room paid for by my company (which is very rare).

Go and spend some time driving OTR, learn the ropes for a year or two -- and you'll then be able to write your own ticket and pick where you will work. Who knows? Maybe you'll jump in with both feet, become an owner-operator and work for yourself.

[RadarRider]

Originally Posted by JK23112

I'm not about to post my company's name up here - no way; but it is safe for me to tell you that I don't work for a common carrier (FedEx, UPS, ABF, Schneider, JB Hunt, Werner, Roadway, etc., etc.). We only haul our own product - to our own customers.


There are many different segments of the trucking/transportation business - from truckload carriers (JB Hunt, Werner, etc., etc.) who are long-haul operators; to LTL companies (Roadway, Yellow, UPS Freight, FedEx Freight, ABF, etc.) and small-package delivery companies (UPS, FedEx, etc.). Private fleets (such as my employer) are often overlooked, but employ plenty of drivers.

Best thing is that we almost always are home every night. You can't put a price on sleeping in your own bed; that's for sure. Also, I don't worry about sleeping in a dirty truck or dealing with lot lizards. If I do have to stay out overnight, I get a hotel room paid for by my company (which is very rare).

Go and spend some time driving OTR, learn the ropes for a year or two -- and you'll then be able to write your own ticket and pick where you will work. Who knows? Maybe you'll jump in with both feet, become an owner-operator and work for yourself.

Honestly; as much as I wanted to get into OTR, with the way my life is @ the moment, OTR is out of the question for me as of now. I have a son that lives 80mi away from me & I only get to see him every other weekend & I've got a beautiful wife @ home that I have a hard time being away from. Believe me, I know all about traveling.....just not in a rig, but when I was a drill rig tech in my last job, I rarely got to see both my son & wife. I drive for a P&D freight company & I'm home every night. Even starting @ their bottom rate, the money's great & they give me as many hours as legally possible. Some of the areas they give me for delivery suck, but it's a small price to pay for a great 1st truck driving job. However, JK23112, I've learned quite a few different things from you on other threads you've posted on. I like your advice & also the way you've taken certain situations. I wouldn't be surprised if your company not only kept you for your skills, but also your personality!

[highland512]

Small owner operator fleet

[StarDriver]

SHO-TYME Ent. Trans. Inc. My own company.

[JK23112]

Originally Posted by RadarRider

JK23112, I've learned quite a few different things from you on other threads you've posted on. I like your advice & also the way you've taken certain situations. I wouldn't be surprised if your company not only kept you for your skills, but also your personality!

Thanks for the accolades, sir; but I am about as exciting to watch as an old car rusting in a field.


I have "been around the block" - so to speak - and have learned a lot of things in life the hard way; but I guess that is better than not learning at all.


Good luck to you in 2010!


~ "If I only knew then what I know now." Jeez! ~

[KyBlue]

Small company outta Central Ky, Phoenix Transportation.. there are better outfits out there, and there are worse too. I pretty much get to pick what I do and don't do anymore..

I'm lucky enough that I get to come home every night.. as said before in this thread, nothing like going home and sleeping in your own bed.

[JakeLewis79]

Gordon Food Service. Been here 9 years, 2 as delivery driver, 7 as night transit. I pull an empty set of pups from Springfield, IL, to Michigan City, IN, drop/hook, and bring back a loaded set 5 nights a week. Home every night (I couldn't go for a week or more without seeing my wife and daughters). As of November 1, I had 801,000 safe miles.

And I HATE driving on 80/94, and I HATE lake effect snow!