Is there life after driving?

[geeshock]

I'm prety good in retail, boat building and generaly anything involving customer service but the market being what it is well...


Not to mention, I got out of it and missed it.

[bentstrider]

There is such a thing. BUT. To do it on your own, under your own authority, which is what you are seemingly leaning toward, you are talking about mucho money! That is just for equipment and insurance. I have not kept up on what "rack" requirements are, as far as bonding goes.

Back when I was doing fuel, the company I worked for required a minimum $5,000,000.00! What does that equate to, in a monthly insurance premium? I haven't checked. But with your short tenure as a driver, and even shorter tenure as a "fuel delivery driver", I'm betting it will run $35K to $40K a year, just for one truck and trailer. After insurance, there are the rack fees. You might not know it, but each time you load your truck, your boss pays a fee to do so, at each rack. In Seattle, in the 90's, the typical rack fee was $50 for gasoline and $38 for diesel. That is why you are told which rack to go to for specific loads. That and allotment, as well as dailey pricing.

I carry a $2,000,000.00 "umbrella" policy on my truck. It cost's me $135.00 a month. I have 30 documented years of haz-mat. An "umbrella" is just a rider policy, to protect my butt after the regular policy and the company's policy, are extinguished. When I got the policy, they told me my rate was based solely on my experience and record. I can not imagine what it would be for 3 years experience.


Fuel hauling is even more "cut throat" than refer, dry van, or flatbed.

For the money....I think "Heavyhaul" would be my next step. It is something I have never done. It is something that is definately skills oriented, and requires extremely good trip planning.


I do tanks because out of all trucking...it is far and away the easiest. Not the least stressful, but the easiest.

Had a little taste of that "driving style" from June of last year to the beginning of this year.
Whoever is able to handle that is a master of the game.

Another reason why I choose to stick to company, the W2's, preplans, and all the other stuff are things I'd rather deal with, as opposed to keeping track of "every piece of paper".

But, if you like the challenges of challenges, then O/O is the best route to take in this industry.

[Justruckin]

But, if you like the challenges of challenges, then O/O is the best route to take in this industry.

Not in my book, and I can probably say that quite a few others around here think the same way. When I hung it up, .30 a mile looked good, the rates are just not there anymore unless you have one hell of a gig. And I used to have one of those gigs, so I know what I am speaking of.

And the way things are looking, that light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train from where I sit.

And I am not just talking about the trucking industry.

Europe just stepped in and tried to quash the currency markets today to shore up the dollar, seeing as our guys don't seem to care as they spend us into oblivion.

[bentstrider]

Not in my book, and I can probably say that quite a few others around here think the same way. When I hung it up, .30 a mile looked good, the rates are just not there anymore unless you have one hell of a gig. And I used to have one of those gigs, so I know what I am speaking of.

And the way things are looking, that light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train from where I sit.

And I am not just talking about the trucking industry.

Europe just stepped in and tried to quash the currency markets today to shore up the dollar, seeing as our guys don't seem to care as they spend us into oblivion.

Well, I don't have many things to pay for, so .30/mile is a good enough rate for me.
Although, I still do hear plenty of stories where pay was the same back in the 70's.

Thing is, if you do anything strictly for the money and not for the love of the game, time to find a different game.

[Phreddo]

I know there's a lot more under the hood than I see from the driver's seat, as far as legal this and regulation that. I'm certainly not like some of these guys i see, graduating from the Schneider Training Academy and buying a new Pete or somesuch.

I guess my question is, what is the logical conclusion to this career path? Up until now, I really haven't had a plan. Now that I've been doing this a while, I'd like to try and plan more than just my next day.
I once heard of a guy who drove a mobile MRI, and he said they required 10 years experience with no accidents.
Guess in 7 years I may look into it.

[bentstrider]

I know there's a lot more under the hood than I see from the driver's seat, as far as legal this and regulation that. I'm certainly not like some of these guys i see, graduating from the Schneider Training Academy and buying a new Pete or somesuch.

I guess my question is, what is the logical conclusion to this career path? Up until now, I really haven't had a plan. Now that I've been doing this a while, I'd like to try and plan more than just my next day.
I once heard of a guy who drove a mobile MRI, and he said they required 10 years experience with no accidents.
Guess in 7 years I may look into it.

Well, all I could say is that many of us are currently locked into it and don't see any other job that could compare to it.
I've tried focusing on other careers for the past, 2 years, but the only way I see myself forgetting about trucks is by going some place to where you won't see one.

Driving wise, the only conclusion you could come to is a lax schedule and better pay obviously, but nothing else I could think of.

[geeshock]

Well, I don't have many things to pay for, so .30/mile is a good enough rate for me.
Although, I still do hear plenty of stories where pay was the same back in the 70's.

Thing is, if you do anything strictly for the money and not for the love of the game, time to find a different game.

I love trucking, don't get me wrong but .30/mile is way to low. I still have a fam to support and I expect to get compensated fairly. I'm not in it for charity.

[Flatbed]

I have been driving for 8 years and am currently in the middle of my 'after driving' plan.

Seriously, there is no long term career path in truck driving. You drive, get a few raises, and keep on driving until you retire. Or, you may move into an office and dispatch.. move into safety or training perhaps .. buy a truck or three and slowly go broke for the rest of your life ... all dead end places to be.

I willingly gave up the house I was renting and that money is going towards becoming debt free, a goal I will reach at the end of the year. After that my only debts will be the currently recurring bills for a cell phone, internet, and car insurance.

I have always loved playing with computers and technology but I always resisted getting an IT degree, it seemed like everyone and their brother has those and most of them know the phrase 'do you want fries with that?' way too well.

I found a niche in the IT world, computer forensics, and have a year left until I have a Bachelors degree specializing in the field. I'm taking classes all online from a good accredited university and the cost is well worth it. It is sometimes hard to get all the class work done if I am running hard but so far I have done well and have maintained a 4.0 gpa to date.

One more year of driving and then I hope to never be in a truck again.

[geeshock]

I wish you the best of luck. I just know I can't see myself doing one of those jobs. I love computers, especialy the network end but when I took a job doing that I found it's a great hobby but i really hate working in the field.

[bentstrider]

I love trucking, don't get me wrong but .30/mile is way to low. I still have a fam to support and I expect to get compensated fairly. I'm not in it for charity.

Well, I don't have anyone to support but myself, so I see what many mean.
Cool thing about getting back into this job is that I'll get to feel like the "cool drifter person" again, as opposed to that "weird guy who never talks to anyone.

I love talking to strangers!!!

[Phreddo]

I have been driving for 8 years and am currently in the middle of my 'after driving' plan.

Seriously, there is no long term career path in truck driving. You drive, get a few raises, and keep on driving until you retire. Or, you may move into an office and dispatch.. move into safety or training perhaps .. buy a truck or three and slowly go broke for the rest of your life ... all dead end places to be.

I willingly gave up the house I was renting and that money is going towards becoming debt free, a goal I will reach at the end of the year. After that my only debts will be the currently recurring bills for a cell phone, internet, and car insurance.

I have always loved playing with computers and technology but I always resisted getting an IT degree, it seemed like everyone and their brother has those and most of them know the phrase 'do you want fries with that?' way too well.

I found a niche in the IT world, computer forensics, and have a year left until I have a Bachelors degree specializing in the field. I'm taking classes all online from a good accredited university and the cost is well worth it. It is sometimes hard to get all the class work done if I am running hard but so far I have done well and have maintained a 4.0 gpa to date.

One more year of driving and then I hope to never be in a truck again.

Debt free is the way to be! Actually, that's about my only real goal at this point too. I'm focusing on the car, and after that the only outstanding bill is my student loan, and that's not going away any time soon. But still, even if that is my only payment it'll relieve some of the pressure, so if nothing else, I could try and scale back my hours, maybe go down to 5 days a week or something :/

I don't have to stay with trucks, but given that that is where the bulk of my experience seems to lie, it only seems logical to try and leverage my experience up until this point.