My two cents

[eptp88]

I believe there are a lot of good men and women in the trucking industry. I also believe there are a lot of bad one's and people who do this as a last resort. With that being said new drivers need to take what is posted here with a grain of salt. Some people are just mad for whatever reason and are venting. Some are truly professional and are trying to help. I was once a newbie, 3.5 yrs hardly a vet but better, and this industry was a culture shock for me. I also posted some negative stuff here as well. Yes it was lonely, boring, tiresome and my pay sucked. I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks. I tried May Trucking, another story, J.B. Hunt, Arrow and Link America. Yea, I job hopped because I didn't like what I saw or heard in orientation.(May, J.B. and Arrow were orientation only) Thank God I was in a position to do that, it was hard but worth it. I found a job that is Monday to Friday, sleep in the truck sometimes but home a lot during the week and always on weekends. I make decent, no insurance but Obama will fix that soon. Just kidding... Point is I guess, hang in there and look for better opportunities if this is what you want to do. I did and love it now. Here are a few things I learned along the way that may help:

Pay sucks in the beginning don't expect to get rich like the recruiters will say...

Recruiters will tell you anything to get you hooked.....

OTR is a big culture shock and takes getting use to, not everyone can do this.

4wheelers are crazy so watch out.

Most people you meet will be nice to you if you are professional, dress neat, be polite and patient, I have only met a few that were plain *******s. Most people I meet talk to me and help me with anything I need.

Be courteous to other drivers even if they are not, people have bad days...

I don't suggest job hopping because even orientation goes on your dac as a job.

Don't mess with lot lizards, I saw a driver busted in Fl on time. The good looking ones are cops.....

Truckers give themselves a bad name. Don't litter, throwing piss bottles all over the country is b/s. There are trash cans at all rest areas, truck stops, shippers and receivers. You will benefit from the exercise walking to them.

Exercise. Stretch and at least walk a few days a week. Thats not much and you will feel a lot better. You have a 10 hr break everyday so time is not an issue everyday.

Get a frig and bring food with you. I eat at truck stops some but most of the time I have my own. Its cheaper and better for you than Wendy's and such..

Check the company you are interested in out here http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/safestat/safestatmain.asp the lower the score the better. Combine that with what you read here and on other websites as well as talking to actual drivers to make an informed decision. Don't do like I did and countless others, dive in blind. It was like diving in to freezing water, it took my breath.


I hope anyone considering trucking as a job will benefit from this post. It is a crazy business but very rewarding when you settle in with the right company. You will meet all kinds of people and see a whole lot of places and things a long the way. Just sit back, hang on and enjoy the ride.......

[Double R]

I believe there are a lot of good men and women in the trucking industry. I also believe there are a lot of bad one's and people who do this as a last resort. With that being said new drivers need to take what is posted here with a grain of salt. Some people are just mad for whatever reason and are venting. Some are truly professional and are trying to help. I was once a newbie, 3.5 yrs hardly a vet but better, and this industry was a culture shock for me. I also posted some negative stuff here as well. Yes it was lonely, boring, tiresome and my pay sucked. I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks. I tried May Trucking, another story, J.B. Hunt, Arrow and Link America. Yea, I job hopped because I didn't like what I saw or heard in orientation.(May, J.B. and Arrow were orientation only) Thank God I was in a position to do that, it was hard but worth it. I found a job that is Monday to Friday, sleep in the truck sometimes but home a lot during the week and always on weekends. I make decent, no insurance but Obama will fix that soon. Just kidding... Point is I guess, hang in there and look for better opportunities if this is what you want to do. I did and love it now. Here are a few things I learned along the way that may help:

Pay sucks in the beginning don't expect to get rich like the recruiters will say...

Recruiters will tell you anything to get you hooked.....

OTR is a big culture shock and takes getting use to, not everyone can do this.

4wheelers are crazy so watch out.

Most people you meet will be nice to you if you are professional, dress neat, be polite and patient, I have only met a few that were plain *******s. Most people I meet talk to me and help me with anything I need.

Be courteous to other drivers even if they are not, people have bad days...

I don't suggest job hopping because even orientation goes on your dac as a job.

Don't mess with lot lizards, I saw a driver busted in Fl on time. The good looking ones are cops.....

Truckers give themselves a bad name. Don't litter, throwing piss bottles all over the country is b/s. There are trash cans at all rest areas, truck stops, shippers and receivers. You will benefit from the exercise walking to them.

Exercise. Stretch and at least walk a few days a week. Thats not much and you will feel a lot better. You have a 10 hr break everyday so time is not an issue everyday.

Get a frig and bring food with you. I eat at truck stops some but most of the time I have my own. Its cheaper and better for you than Wendy's and such..

Check the company you are interested in out here http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/safestat/safestatmain.asp the lower the score the better. Combine that with what you read here and on other websites as well as talking to actual drivers to make an informed decision. Don't do like I did and countless others, dive in blind. It was like diving in to freezing water, it took my breath.


I hope anyone considering trucking as a job will benefit from this post. It is a crazy business but very rewarding when you settle in with the right company. You will meet all kinds of people and see a whole lot of places and things a long the way. Just sit back, hang on and enjoy the ride.......

Your 2 cents was worth it. Nice post.

[geeshock]

good post, most I already was ready for when I came into the job, but the pay part, I almost sent me and my wife to the poor house the first 6 months. As you said, I just love the OTR lifestyle, but many don't. I had more hometime in the service than I have here and we went on 6 month deployments, 1 month workups b4 the deployment and many times we were in the va capes for a week at a time

[bentstrider]

I've never really asked for a whole lot, so the situation you described in the opening paragraph about the working conditions fit me like a keyhole.

But, then you got the princes and princesses that expect the world.

[Jackrabbit379]

I liked the post myself. Very true. It's sad that some guys here, come back and give their '2 cents worth', and the sad thing about it, is that it's true and from their own experience. Lesson learned..
OTR for some, it's what they want, and it's fitting. To some others, it's their worst nightmare. OTR has it's benefits, but also it can destroy marriages, make ya lonely, and makes time fly! Too fast!

[Jmurman]

Thanks for your post!

When you say that you left during orientation, what was it that made you pack and leave?

[Joey Shabadoo]

I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks.

I tried May Trucking, another story

J.B. Hunt, Arrow and Link America.

Yea, I job hopped.

I found a job that is Monday to Friday, sleep in the truck sometimes but home a lot during the week and always on weekends. I make decent, no insurance

So the morale of the story here is to get used and abused by coolie carriers, nearly go to the poorhouse cashing $150.00/wk checks (for 70+ hours...what's that $1.00/hr?!?!?), job hop a bunch of times, and then maybe hit the trucking jackpot by landing a dream job with no health insurance!?!!?

Only reinforces my point that this industry blows. Smart people stay away.

[eptp88]

I left each company for different reasons. May told me I did not have to go out with a trainer which was true but they wanted me to ride with a driver for 3 weeks until we worked our way to Oregon. That's where my truck was located. He stunk and smoked like a chimney. When I asked to wait on someone more acceptable I was told now or never so I didn't go. J.B never issued me a truck. I was told to call everyday to check on one and for 3 weeks was told no trucks available. So I went to Arrow. That was just scary. 65 people in orientation and 64 had felonies, I think I was the only one without one. Also the first 10-15 guys who went for trucks were given bus tickets all over the country to pick up the abandoned trucks. Just seemed like a bad company to me, maybe not. I left Link for my current company. Link was not bad.

Yea most large companies blow. I work for one that has 10 trucks. They have insurance but kinda high to me maybe not. I worked 20 years with the state of Ga. so benefits there were ok. I love my job now. Joey Shabadoo you seem like a negative guy to me. One thing about OTR coolie carriers is the boredom at times. If you don't like yourself you don't have any other options in the truck and you probably don't even like you.... Just my opinion

[Joey Shabadoo]

they wanted me to ride with a driver for 3 weeks until we worked our way to Oregon. That's where my truck was located. He stunk and smoked like a chimney.

J.B never issued me a truck. I was told to call everyday to check on one and for 3 weeks was told no trucks available.

So I went to Arrow. That was just scary. 65 people in orientation and 64 had felonies

Also the first 10-15 guys who went for trucks were given bus tickets all over the country to pick up the abandoned trucks.

Joey Shabadoo you seem like a negative guy to me.

Negative, huh? Hahahah...I've just got to laugh. Everything you experienced is what I've written about over the years (and got banned for, mostly): trainers who don't bathe, 64 drivers in orientation had felonies, abandoned rigs, $150.00/wk paychecks, waiting 3 unpaid weeks for a truck, worthless bennies with high co-pays....the list goes on and on and on and on.

That's why I advise people to go to trade-school, medical, etc where the odds of finding a good-paying job with benefits where you can enjoy a life outside the truck are far higher. Stay away from coolie OTR trucking. Nothing but a dead-end losers job.

Are there some good trucking jobs out there? Sure, but you think private fleets, Wal-mart, LTL etc are gonna hire someone who job-hops around like that? Heck no!! So what do you do...put up with the stinky trainers and waiting 3 unpaid weeks for a truck and $150.00/wk paychecks for a year or two and pray you don't scuff a trailer so that your MVR/DAC is ruined in the hopes of landing a good job?!?!? That is, IF any of these top-flite companies are by a long-shot hiring in this economy? And when they do, they got a stack a mile high of applicants for one opening on the bottom of the seniority board?

Open your eyes and take a look around: this industry blows and it only gets worse with each passing year.

[millersod215]

EPTP88, who do u work for now if you don't mind my asking, I've went through the same BS as you have, maybe I've made up my own reasons in the past to leave companies, but I did what I thought was right. I've found a good home now with Pritchett Trucking out of Lake Butler, Fl, it's taken me a while to realize what makes me happy, 7 years to be exact, but I'm glad I've been through what I've been through, it makes me realize the important things in life now, and makes driving that much more enjoyable.

[eptp88]

I work for an owner op. out of Tifton Ga. As for Joey Shabadoo, You have a lot of time to run down a good profession that you were not cut out for. You must be a company executive. Unlike you, most people including myself, don't start at the top. Unfortunately the bottom at a mega carrier is below most other companies bottoms. I started at a state prison in Ga in 1988 for 15000 a year. That was the bottom. I worked with the worst prisoners in the state. I was spit on, hit, kicked and even had piss thrown on me. I persevered and worked my way up to the 2nd highest ranking person in uniform at the prison. Desk job, good money, good benefits, good retirement but not happy. There is nothing wrong with driving. You may not start out as the company prez as ol' Joey but with a little hard work and sacrifice it is very rewarding.....

[Roadhog]

eptp88,
Glad things have worked out for you, and I hope things continue to improve.

We try to tell people here what to expect, but in many cases, someone has to find things out for themselves. It's not until you live something, can it be fully understood, and many of us look back on things that were better than we thought, in the beginning. It is a diverse industry, and maybe more so in this industry than in most, it is what you make of it.

You mentioned no insurance. That happened to many of us up here, (N.Mi) as a last struggle to stay in business. There may be more of that in the future.

Sure appreciate you coming back with your story and hopefully this message will resonate with some new drivers.

[geeshock]

So the morale of the story here is to get used and abused by coolie carriers, nearly go to the poorhouse cashing $150.00/wk checks (for 70+ hours...what's that $1.00/hr?!?!?), job hop a bunch of times, and then maybe hit the trucking jackpot by landing a dream job with no health insurance!?!!?

Only reinforces my point that this industry blows. Smart people stay away.

As I tend to agree that there are parts to this job that suck, there are pros to it as well. I'm actualy thankful for this job that I have grown to love. If we all stayed away from the jobs that didn't give us everything, there would be no frieght moved, noone behind the registers at the dept/grocery stores, and we would be clear back to the stone age. At least in this truck I feel I'm doing my part and enjoying some of the beauty of this nation along the way. Better view than the $100K+ CEO gets.

[TimberWolf]

As I tend to agree that there are parts to this job that suck, there are pros to it as well. I'm actualy thankful for this job that I have grown to love. If we all stayed away from the jobs that didn't give us everything, there would be no frieght moved, noone behind the registers at the dept/grocery stores, and we would be clear back to the stone age. At least in this truck I feel I'm doing my part and enjoying some of the beauty of this nation along the way. Better view than the $100K+ CEO gets.

Well I would argue that statement about the view being better on the road, My brother is a 100K+++ CEO of his own company and I have to think when he is flying himself to D.C. for business the view from the cockpit of his 2005 mooney ovation is pretty fing awesome. Then you need to account for how much you and I are able to do with our free time as compared to the 100K executive. My brothers kids, Vanderbuilt and Duke, My kids FSU, only because I was smart enough to start Florida pre paid college fund way back.
Not saying I am not happy as I would not trade my brothers demons for his life by any means, but there is something to be said about big money and how it helps with the daily stress of life..

Timberwolf

[eptp88]

All jobs suck in ways but money doesn't mean everything. As soon as you realize whats important in life you will be much happier. If money was the answer why are so many rich people in therapy and committing suicide?

[Roadhog]

Awah...now you lost me there ep.
I can't see how being a bottom-buffer, breast-finisher for Adriana Lima could suck.

[TimberWolf]

Money is not the answer,
as I said I would not trade places with my brother by any means, he has it all and more... but along with that comes the demons he carries as well, you find so many people with money who have fu.cked up lives, but then again if it comes my way I won't turn it down..


Timberwolf

[Jackrabbit379]

eptp88,
Glad things have worked out for you, and I hope things continue to improve.

We try to tell people here what to expect, but in many cases, someone has to find things out for themselves. It's not until you live something, can it be fully understood, and many of us look back on things that were better than we thought, in the beginning. It is a diverse industry, and maybe more so in this industry than in most, it is what you make of it.
Sure appreciate you coming back with your story and hopefully this message will resonate with some new drivers.

Very true.
Some guys are able to stick with it, and they enjoy it and make a good career. On the other hand, a lot of other guys get either burned out, or they can't stand it. In a lot of cases, it's sad how some drivers find out that OTR isn't all roses, and they find out the hard way.

I also hope that this message board helps new drivers get an idea how it really is.

[geeshock]

Actualy, the smart one sticks with what makes them happy I think, I love trucking so far, so that's where I'm staying if I have a say in it

[Useless]

I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks.

Errr...... you went to Schneider's school and stayed there SIX MONTHS??



EPTP?? Dude, No dis' intended here, but that's an awfully long time to get through truck driving school!! NO WONDER your pay checks were so small!!