OTR vs. Linehaul vs. P&D

The most common form of trucking is OTR or Over the Road.  Usually you're pulling a 53' dryvan or a flatbed and you might go over the Western 12 states, you might go all 48 states or you might be in a certain region like the Midwest, Northeast or the Southeast depending on the company you work for and their freight lanes. OTR drivers can typically expect to be out 2-6 weeks at a time before getting home time.  Drivers can expect to face a huge number of variables.  Road construction, road closures, consignees with excessive obstacles in and around their facilities, tight backing, dangerous conditions, dangerous weather, tornadoes, wind, ice, snow, freezing rain, flooding, extreme heat or cold, rush hour traffic.  For an inexperienced driver fresh out of training with a trainer, OTR can be VERY intimidating and you might find yourself in a number of difficult situations that you aren't prepared to handle or deal with.  If that ends up being the case, don't be afraid to ask your company for a dedicated route until you get more comfortable with the truck and your backing.  

To the inexperienced driver, OTR can be very difficult.  Depending on the company you work for, freight may be slow, miles limited, and you may find it difficult to make steady income. At Werner I was averaging about $550-$600 a week BEFORE taxes and that's just not very much money for an over the road truck driver.  You should be grossing at least $1200 a week OTR in order to make it.  If you're not, you need to find a new job or go to a dedicated route or regional run.  

Regional runs you typically can go out to a destination and back every day or you might have several stops over a multi-state area and then you're back after 2-3 days out.  These will pay much more than OTR.  

Linehaul trucking is you usually go up to about 300 miles in any direction get to a swap point, meet another driver swap trailers, come back and drop your trailers and go home at the end of your shift.  Usually pays the best too. Most LH drivers are making about $1400 - $2100 PER WEEK. Yes, you read that right...PER WEEK! 

P&D is pickup and delivery.  Usually you go within a 100 mile radius of your home terminal you stop and drop loads, you might have to unload your own freight and load up other freight, scan boxes or pallets and pick up freight.  You might have several stops a day and you do this 5 or 6 days a week.   Typically in or around the city where you are based out of.  Backing can be extremely tight or difficult.  You might pull a 53' trailer or a 28' pup trailer.  Typically warehouses and distribution centers.  These drivers are usually paid hourly instead of by the mile since the miles are so low.  I think it's around $19-$34 an hour depending on the company.  

Oilfields are a whole different animal. I haven't ever worked in the oilfields, nor do I care too, but they are usually so many days on, then so many days off (like 14 on, 6 off or something like that) and the hours are like 24-36 hours at a time.  I wouldn't be able to stay awake that long!