memorial day poll

Jack_Berry · May 26, 2006

so like me there area a lotta noobies out here reading, lurking and asking questions. as many have said, "if you aren't driving you aren't making money".

okay here's the deal.....memorial day weekend, time for family, chilling and grilling.

here is the question

was it your choice to work and not be home?

how many holidays do you miss at home?

Jack Berry

Moot · May 26, 2006

It was my choice to be home. The load I deliver Thursday gave me a layover at home. I requested a position check Thursday night. I thought if I was #1 I would stay in service. Maybe get something delivering Tuesday. After 1 1/2 hours with no reply I went out of service.

I am home for all major holidays.

I run a van so it's easier and (cheaper?) to get home.

x06col · May 27, 2006

Some folks place more emphasis on their holidays than others. Friday one of my contractors turned down a load from central Illinois to South Carolina paying $1700, a direct delivery, and then dead headed to Louisville. Not too bright in my book. But, that is an extreem need to grill and chill, I feel.

arkjarhead · May 27, 2006

I am gonna try to be home for my wifes birthday and christmas, but other than that if i make it i make it, if i don't i don't.

TeamCaffee · May 27, 2006

We made the choice to not be at home this weekend. We go home about every two to three months and stay there at least a week. We will be going home in a couple of weeks and have that time planned around a renaissance fair, work to be done on the truck and personal business. We try very hard to have Thanksgiving dinner with Bob's mom and that is the only holiday we really work at. Both of our kids are flexible with one being in the military and we try to plan around her schedule and usually celebrate Christmas either early or later with a special trip or gathering for serious card playing. Our girls have no problem with our job and so we really plan around a special event and not a holiday.

cheri1122 · May 27, 2006

Like Moot, I make it home for the holidays - not so much because I really want to, (only Christmas is important, for me), but because I drive solo, in a van, & live in a good area for freight. I am home now, but would leave in a heartbeat for a load, if a decent one came up.
I really admire TeamCaffee's approach - ignore the calendar, & make your own special occasions.

That's the kind of flexibility that makes for success!

mrgoodtude · May 28, 2006

We like to be home for the holidays but find that if more people go home we usually get a great load offer and we stay out as a consequence. When we do it is by concientous choice and not a have too scenario. More often than not (like Cheri and Moot) we make our own holidays cause every day with me is like a special occasion...(don't tell Cynthia):+

TJ959 · May 28, 2006

I usually make it home on holidays but not always. If I'm loaded I'll stay out but I really hate sitting in a truck stop over a long weekend. So my choice is influenced by business. I'll run if there's freight to haul but I won't sit in some armpit town picking my nose for three days.

bernieh48 · May 28, 2006

Well it all really depends on how much money you want to make. We usually go home for Christmas and New Year and stay out most of the rest of the year. When we get loads to FL we go home and sit and wait for another load so we get our home time stuff done then.For 2 yrs in a row though we stayed out the whole year and didn't go home until New Year's Eve. That was our choice though. We make good money staying out when everyone else goes home. Gee I guess someone else on here said the same thing. Oh well too true though. We are currently on the road and still running and delivering even on the holiday weekend. We picked up in Longview,TX yesterday and delivered in Oshkosh,WI today. Now we are pre-planned for one that doesn't pick up till Tuesday morning, but it's over 2000 miles. Good thing anyway because today is our 9th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe it's been only 9 yrs.!

RichM · May 28, 2006

I am runnintg this weekend. Load was too good to pass up. Most of the time when you have a family commitment that when the time comes to keep that commitment, you will be 700+ miles away, and in the process of driving to keep that comitment you will have to refuse a 4 figure load.. Just the way life works. I am always home for Christmas and the 4th of July.

Pappy · May 28, 2006

People will be haulin' freight long after my toes are turned up! Life is entirely too short to spend it all on the road. So, holiday---HUH--I decided it would be a good time to take a week off. The week of Christmas--well, I'd rather be shopping or just sittin' by the fireplace. I really think it may be against my religion to work holidays!

Pappy
35 years OTR T/T

DannyD · May 29, 2006

I make sure I'm home on the drunk driving Holidays. New Years Even & July 4th. NYE is also because on Jan 1 I want to watch all the bowl games. Other than that, I'm willing to work any of them. Last year I worked Thanksgiving & was available on Christmas, though they didn't call me.

Happy Holidays,
Danny

dieselphreak2K · May 29, 2006

I opted for home this weekend. I had to get rid of my passenger, and it was a special weekend. Every Mem. Day and Labor day, about 75 of us from my hometown go and camp out at a big ORV park nearby. It's an excellent way to get your mind off the freeways and trucking. Race through the woods at 60+ mph. It's a blast. Normally, I only go home for a holiday if I am close by, or the company will give me a paid move to home.

Broompilot · May 30, 2006

The better question to ask is how far would you DH home?

Last July 4th I DH from Milwaukee to Charlotte, but took the following two weeks off. I was suppost to have a return load out of Milwaukee to D.C. but the people on the dock acted stupid and so did I. I will not mention the company but I cannot stand there freight its always screwed up.

This was for me the farthest DH I ever did, if it were not for the fact that I had been out for the previous month I would have stuck it out, but that would have meant sitting for Sat, Sun, Mon, and than probably Tues since its always slow the day after.

ATeam · Jun 22, 2006

Different strokes for different folks, which is one of the beauties of the expediting business. As a self-employed professional you can go home when you choose.

Our choice is to stay out. We have one PLANNED trip home per year, for Christmas. The freight takes us home (Minnesota) a few times a year. When it does, we sometimes take a day or two off. Other times, we keep running. If family or business reasons rise requiring a trip home, we of course go. Such trips occur infrequently.

That is not to say we do not have a family life. Our siblings are grown with kids of their own. They are spread out in several states. Since becoming expediters, we've seen much more of them and their kids than we used to when we were home most weeks of the year.

An improved family life has been an unexpected blessing for us. I've formed some memories that I will savor for the rest of my life seeing in person our nieces and nephews in other states demonstrating their piano skills, playing in little league ball games and other kids' stuff that's fun to see and be part of. Such visits also bring us closer to their parents (our brothers, sisters and in-laws) as we spend a day or two in their homes (in service, waiting for freight, or out of service for truck maintenance or repair), interacting with them and their kids.