Take a look in the Sunday newspaper. Did you notice how many trucking companies have ads in there? There are literally thousands of great new jobs available in the trucking industry. And when you look through these ads, you’ll notice that they break up into two main segments of trucking – less than truckload, or LTL, and over-the-road, or OTR. Although both segments require the same driving skills, LTL and OTR jobs offer their own unique benefits. Companies such as Yellow Freight, FedEx, and UPS are all companies that operate LTL divisions.
An LTL trucking company combines several smaller freight shipments headed to different destinations and puts them on the same trailer. An OTR trucking company normally hauls a loaded trailer to only one destination. Because of the way LTL companies haul multiple shipments, these driving opportunities tend to be more local or regional, and offer more home time. These are some of the most sought after driving jobs in the trucking industry, and they usually require a few years of OTR truck driving experience.
An LTL driver usually has a dedicated route, which means that they typically go to the same locations each day or week. They make several stops and work with a group of specific customers. LTL drivers usually drive local or regional routes, which allow them to get home a lot – often every night!