I have a straight truck as well, so I can not speak for van drivers. What I can offer is this: I worked for a local expediting company out of Rochester Hills, MI......one of the biggest in Michigan. They were pretty much strictly local. Anything good went to the guys with seniority, and if you were lucky enough to get a load out of state, getting a backload was a 50/50 chance. I pretty much went broke working for these guys. The dock high rate I was getting was ridiculous, and it was nothing to blow 10 or 12 hours trying to get a couple local runs completed, especially if they were plant to plant. Fast forward to now. I left my old company, and signed on with a much smaller company in the Metro area, after talking to one of their drivers that was stuck with me waiting to get unloaded at one of the fabulous GM facilities (Ahem, coughYPsilanti! cough cough) It is one thing to hear talk from a recruiter, it is another thing to hear from a fellow driver. I called the manager, he said they had a slot open for a straight truck driver, and if I was interested, to come in and have a chat. I did this, and it was probably the first stoke of true luck I have been dealt in a good long while. I started in late November, and just cleaned up, all the way through to Christmas vacation. The first week I had with these guys was better than the best week I had ever had with my previous company, by about 600.00! We hit January full force, and I mean full force. I am constantly having to tell these guys not to line me up with anything, as I am out of hours, and need a day and a half just so I dont run into problems with the 70 hours and 8 days. The real nice thing about my company is they do not touch cheap freight! Sometimes, they will discount something if I need to get back or maybe they can double me up, but that is it. Now dont get me wrong, this past week, I did see some of what people say are slow times. I went out to New York/ New Jersey twice, and came back empty; but that was under my own free will. I do not have a sleeper, and everything considered, it was just as well to start heading back to Detroit, and hope for something on the way. These 2 past times, I did not get anything coming back, but hey, these guys are so good, I am not even batting an eye. My point to this whole rambling story/ anecdote is that I think it is just a matter of falling into the right company. It has taken me personally, 3 years and 4 companies to finally be comfortable. Always be looking for something better if you are not happy, and you are sure to find it sooner or later.
Scott
