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When you get into trucking, it can be hard to know what types of truck driving you want to pursue. Fortunately, Marilyn Hicks has done almost everything in the industry. Here are some pros, cons and advice to driving Dedicated vs. Over The Road vs. Lease.

 

Types of Truck Driving #1: Dedicated Driving…

The pros for Marilyn:

  • Good money. “It was really lucrative…Dedicated freight pays good money because you get paid to unload the trailer, and you don’t unload that many trailers Over The Road.”
  • Lots of home time and having a set schedule that’s the same every week. “I was off Friday, Saturday, Sunday and all day Monday. You just couldn’t ask for a better schedule.”

The con for Marilyn:

  • “You do the same thing every day…I wanted to see different things. I wanted to see different people.” It seems Marilyn was born an Over The Road Driver! But, if you enjoy consistency over variety, Dedicated may be right for you. Just keep in mind that most drivers go a year or two before being considered for a Dedicated route.

 

Types of Truck Driving #2: Over The Road Driving…

For Over The Road, there are only pros for Marilyn:

  • Seeing new places. “Over The Road, you wake up in a different state every day.”
  • Meeting new people. “What I like most about my job as a truck driver is meeting new people. Meeting different people…Even down in Lousiana, to see people speak in French that are American…it’s awesome!”
  • More miles, more money. “And then, of course, it’s more miles. When you drive more miles, you make more money.
  • The sightseeing. “You get to see the awesomeness of God. If you’ve ever seen the mountains on the west coast…they’re just gorgeous…it’s just awesome. I love it.”

 

Types of Truck Driving #3: Lease Driving…

Here’s some advice from Marilyn on Lease Purchase:

  • Tip #1: Gain experience before leasing your own truck. “I wouldn’t recommend it to a student. Run with U.S. Xpress at least a year, or more. And then step out into that lease world.”
  • Tip #2: You must know how to handle expenses and cut costs. “You have to watch your expenditures…You have to figure out how much fuel you need for that particular run…Because while you’re making the truck payment, what you can save in fuel is how you’re going to be making your money…Once you figure out how to do your fuel and keep your purchases down to a minimum, you can make a good living.”
  • Tip #3: Ask for help when you’re uncertain about anything. “They have the breakdown department, the shops, and everybody to help you out…you have to ask questions. Otherwise, you won’t know that you have the help…when I finally got to where I couldn’t take it anymore, I said something to Adam Leroy. And he said, ‘Don’t you ever do anything like that again. We’re here to help!’”

Never hesitate to ask for help when you need it. U.S. Xpress is here for U.

 

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Pursue the types of truck driving U want!

At the end of the day, Marilyn wants new drivers to figure out what works for their unique situations in life. “Find what works for you…For me, it’s a Driver Trainer, Over The Road.”

 

What kind of trucking do you recommend? Tell US in the comments below.