I drove OTR (Over The Road) for about seven years before I made the switch to a more local position a bit more than two years ago. There are days when I think about to the time I spent OTR and there are actually things that I do miss. Do not get me wrong as my life is at this moment I have no real desire to return to driving over the road however I do have some fond experiences. In this article we are going to take a closer look at what I do miss driving OTR
Discovering New Places
This took place more in the earlier years than later on as I tended to stick to the same routes over and over again. It was a neat experience coming off of the interstate and discovering a new town or monument. Even the experience of driving to a new place and taking in the scenery on the way down was pleasurable for the most part.
Seeing the difference in the United States from a State such as Pennsylvania to another like Wisconsin was rather eye opening at the time. From the mountains in the Northeast to the area surrounding the Great Lakes
Driving My Own Truck
Right now I slip seat so some weeks I could drive a different truck each day of the week. Yes they are all Freightliners but every driver knows each truck has its quirks
It was nice to know that the truck that I was driving was set up exactly the way I like it. From the way the seat is set to the mirrors to the stereo system. Now every time I enter a new truck I need to figure out the seat and mirrors and no longer bother trying to adjust the stereo to the way I like it
Of course not having to unload all of my belongings at the end of the day and if I get hungry knowing there is an assortment of snacks near by is another plus driving OTR
Variety
Right now I drive a dedicated route. So I leave from the same place go to the same place and come back to the same place. I do this five days a week and have been doing it for the last two years
Depending on the company you work for you never really know where you are going to go week to week and sometimes day to day. Today I could be going to Wisconsin, the day after return to Canada and then head off to Pennsylvania. Make another trip back to Canada then head to Michigan or Vermont
The only real variety I see now is the time my shift starts and construction
Setting My Own Schedule
Again this may vary from company to company. What I did enjoy is deciding how I was going to plan out my day. Whether I decided to start really early in order to finish earlier in the day to ensure i found parking at a near by truck stop or driving during the night where I knew traffic would be a lot less and I would be able to get to my destination more quickly
Right now I have to bid on my schedule for the month and that is what I get for the month. So if the route I am scheduled for begins at 11:00pm well that is when I am starting at til the next bid
Well there are a few things that I miss driving over the road and I would imagine they would be pretty common for drivers who have made the switch to a local position. Now the list of things I do not miss driving OTR is going to be longer but we will get to that in the next article.
