Question:
I see it on a few other Message boards but I figuard I whould ask here. How long can I expect to be on the road? I know that some say 7 out 1 off or 14 out 2 off and stuff like that. I guess my real question is do I have to take the time off or can I save it up. My last job I had 3 weeks of vacation, 3 personal days and 1 sick day per month I could save the sick time but I had to use the vacation time and personal days each year like it or not. Is this the same with most trucking company’s or can I save all my time off each year and use them as I see fit?
And if I can save them will I be paid for them if I leave the company or do I loss them
My last job I lost 90 hrs of sick time because I at most called off 3 times a year.

Answer:
Just depends on the company your hire on to. If their policy is 3 weeks out and 3 days off that will be what to expect. If it's home daily that would be what to expect. That is one of those things you need to decide what is good for you and what you can handle. Then look for and apply to companies that can fill that need.
Most people seem to say they can handle X amount of time on the road. Such as a 3 weeks out and 3 days off job. Unfortunatly that is their max. They apply to companies that will keep them maxed out week after week. Instead of going for the max go for what you really need and can live with over the long run.
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Answer:
How long can I expect to be on the road?
You can expect to be away from home 12-14 days. There are a few companies out there that require 14-21 days out before allowing non emergency home time.
I guess my real question is do I have to take the time off or can I save it up.
This is a company thing. Most will allow you to accumulate up to 4 days of time off to use all at once without any problems. If you take more than 4 days off it is not uncommon for companies to want you to turn your truck in and then will reissue a truck when you return to work. Some comapnies will allow you to "bank" any unsed home time (ie you have 6 days coming and only take 3 you can save the other 3 for later use) while some expect you to use all your hometime when you get home (or wherever you are taking the time off). Once again this is a generalization and you will need to ask about it with every company you talk with to find out thier exact policies.
As far as how much time off you earn. You can generally expect to earn 1 day off for each week out. The exact details/wording varies some from company to company but in the end it all comes out to pretty much the same.
My last job I had 3 weeks of vacation, 3 personal days and 1 sick day per month I could save the sick time but I had to use the vacation time and personal days each year like it or not. Is this the same with most trucking company’s or can I save all my time off each year and use them as I see fit?
Vacation time: Most comapanies I have worked for and most that I have talked with will simply pay you your vacation pay when your anniversary rolls around and it is up to you to take the time off or not. I have never worked for a company however that will let you roll over unused vacation time from year to year.
Do not expect anything resembling sick days, personal days, holiday pay. While a few do offer these it is a rare thing among OTR companies. Sick time and personal time are simply worked out on a as needed basis with the company and is generally unpaid.
And if I can save them will I be paid for them if I leave the company or do I loss them
As I said before very few companies offer sick and personal time so you probably will have nothing to worry about loosing there. As far as vacation pay you will just have to ask about that when you talk to companies.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
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Answer:
Thanks for all your advice
The reason i asked is that i almost new take off sick and would use the days off a few times a year for x-mass and my birthday becaues i consider days off a waste of money since i have no kids no place to realy live staying home would be a real pain for me and I'm just happy talking to my family on the phone i am hope to stay out as long as i can

Answer:
I uaully put in for my time off as soon as I find out that I'm going to need off.(and I also tell them WHERE I'll be taking my time off at.)
For instance....
If I were still OTR I would inform my dispatcher that I need to be in Lousville,Ky., to take my time off March 24-March 28.
If I know that I have a doctor's appt January 28th, then I would go ahead & tell my dispatch NOW.(so they can put it in the computer NOW.)
What I'm trying to say is...
You need to PLAN AHEAD & Inform your dispatcher when & where you need to be for your time off.
Something else to remember...
Dispatchers do NOT automatically send you home when it's time for you to go home.
It's YOUR Responsibility to inform them when & where you want to take off.(reason being is that they Don't Want You to go home...can't make the company money if you are home, so they cross their fingers Hoping that you Don't ask to go home.)
[This message was edited by choclit snda on December 26, 2003 at 21:07.]

Answer:
My company wants the truck back if it's going to sit for more than a week. And you have to EARN that week off with at least five weeks out. They use a "2 day off for every 12 days out" as a guideline, but if you run lots of "maintenance free" miles for them they'll let you take a little bit more time off since your truck's monthly revenue is still good.
choclit snda is absolutely right. They'd prefer you live in the truck and NEVER go home, so you're always available to move whatever they want. Some drivers actually do this -- the ones who like to. When you're home, you're not available to fit into the puzzle your dispatcher is juggling every day, and won't be running any miles for them -- miles they usually get bonused in their dispatch paychecks.
But...
This is in a state of change, with new HOS regs starting next month and a new 34-hour hours reset rule. Different companies will use this in different ways -- whatever a company's policy is right now, could easily change this year. Everyone has an opinion on how this will change time off for drivers, but there'll be an evolution as everyone gets used to it, and no one know for sure how it will turn out.
There are no "sick days" in OTR mileage-pay trucking. If you get sick and can't drive, you don't make money for the company, and they don't pay you. Some company's handle vacation by paying you a vacation "bonus" at the end of the year, computed from that year's mileage, and identify it as "in lieu of sick pay". Try not to get sick.
On the positive side, most large carriers will let you simply turn in the truck at a terminal and take up to 30-days leave of absence -- no questions asked in many companys -- up to a couple times a year. If you're good, they've got it set-up so you can step away anytime you want. They want you back and won't get bent out of shape if you want a month off. They'd rather have YOU back than plug in a newbie that doesn't know the ropes. But you have to plan your leave in advance and follow their rules to the letter when getting out of a truck. I do it once a year - take a month off. It's one advantage to being a compnay driver instead an O/O. You can come and go at will, provied you don't do it too often.
[This message was edited by Shuffler on December 26, 2003 at 21:57.]

Answer:
Working for a small company is sure nice. If I run the west coast its about ten days out and 3-5 days off.