How did you get started in trucking (experienced drivers please)

[jeff1981]

I'm sort of an accidental driver. I went to work for a towing company, and the CDL drivers both up and quit. So I got my Class A, and worked there for about a year after, and then ended up quitting to take a job in my field (agriculture). 5 years later a friend of mine bought a truck, and asked me to team with him. I got a new medical card, and having been out of the truck for 5 years (and no tractor trailer experience at all) drove for a few months team, then for a couple years solo, and now we're doing some more team stuff. I've pulled flatbed, dry van, and reefer, all for the same o/o, sometimes all 3 in a week.

I seem to be in the minority however, as I didn't go to school, didn't work for a big otr outfit, and am a "part time" otr driver. (I go out for two weeks or so, then home for 2-4 weeks, then another 2 weeks on the road. Typically for about half the year. The rest of the time I have a consulting business in another field)

I'm curious about how others got started, and how this industry has worked for you. Though I don't do it full time, I can honestly say that trucking has allowed me a much higher standard of living than I would have had otherwise, and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

[Musicman]

Since nobody else seems interested, I guess I'll take a stab at this since I'm home without my truck or trailer and am bored out of my skull.

I had a little experience with larger vehicles growing up. My father had a friend at one time who owned a towing company among other things, and sometimes I’d get the drive the 10k lb flatbed (I was maybe ten years old) through the pasture when we’d go pick up sod for the boss’s new home. Then I got to play with larger vehicles on occasion when I was in the military. I went to truck driving school in 1997, but found they lied when they said they could get me a job with 21 points on my license. I did other work for a couple years until one day, just after being laid off, my wife and I broke down in the parking lot of a strip mall. A couple guys came over to help and it turned out that one was the owner of a small trucking company. Not only did the guy and his buddies put a new distributor in my car for free, but he also gave me a job. Even though he knew I had exactly zero experience in a truck beyond CDL school, he put me in a 90mph Freightliner and sent me to Miami to pick up plants and then New Orleans and Jackson, MS to deliver them. It was insane. I didn’t even know about axle weight (not so important hauling plants, but is much more important when hauling Masonite doors I soon learned) and hadn’t sat in a big truck for two years, and here I was doing a regional solo run in a 90 mph truck. It’s amazing that I didn’t kill myself or anybody else those first few weeks. I learned about axle weight and how to slide my tandems from a nice old man working at a MS weigh station and found out what an IFTA sticker was from a DOT man in a Maryland scale house, but never got a ticket. Nearly two million miles later, I’ve never had an at fault accident and have had a clean MVR for almost that entire time.

[Double R]

I was eating a box of Cracker-Jack one day and the prize was a Class A CDL. So I went down to the nearest trucking company and applied and was hired on the spot. The rest is history......

and if you believe that, then I have a bridge that I would like to sell you

[golfhobo]

ha ha. lost my entire post again. But, this time I saved MOST of it! I'll get back to it after I get thru fuming over this!

I didn't touch a single key! I'm using Mozilla! I didn't just lose the post.... my "browser" redirected me to the forum thread list page! ... Not EVEN to the "last page" or the "thread page."

The reply box keeps "scrolling" up and down while I'm typing. Then.... POOF! my whole post disappears and I am "re-directed" to a page not even related to the thread I was responding to.

Ya gotta just chuckle.

[repete]

Since nobody else seems interested, I guess I'll take a stab at this since I'm home without my truck or trailer and am bored out of my skull.

I had a little experience with larger vehicles growing up. My father had a friend at one time who owned a towing company among other things, and sometimes I’d get the drive the 10k lb flatbed (I was maybe ten years old) through the pasture when we’d go pick up sod for the boss’s new home. Then I got to play with larger vehicles on occasion when I was in the military. I went to truck driving school in 1997, but found they lied when they said they could get me a job with 21 points on my license. I did other work for a couple years until one day, just after being laid off, my wife and I broke down in the parking lot of a strip mall. A couple guys came over to help and it turned out that one was the owner of a small trucking company. Not only did the guy and his buddies put a new distributor in my car for free, but he also gave me a job. Even though he knew I had exactly zero experience in a truck beyond CDL school, he put me in a 90mph Freightliner and sent me to Miami to pick up plants and then New Orleans and Jackson, MS to deliver them. It was insane. I didn’t even know about axle weight (not so important hauling plants, but is much more important when hauling Masonite doors I soon learned) and hadn’t sat in a big truck for two years, and here I was doing a regional solo run in a 90 mph truck. It’s amazing that I didn’t kill myself or anybody else those first few weeks. I learned about axle weight and how to slide my tandems from a nice old man working at a MS weigh station and found out what an IFTA sticker was from a DOT man in a Maryland scale house, but never got a ticket. Nearly two million miles later, I’ve never had an at fault accident and have had a clean MVR for almost that entire time.

Man that is SCARY!
I started out pumping fuel and washing trucks in the 70s and worked up to inside work (very importent in NY!) and started doing PMs and light repairs. About then I heard Uncle Sam calling me so I put trucking on hold for awhile. That turned out to be about 30 years. When the kids gone and things getting real old working the jobs I had been I decided to get back to trucking, and its all been coasting down hill since.

[KateL]

I wish I had your job. I am new, and an artist, and I would love to work for 2 weeks, and be off for 2 weeks. I could really do that lifestyle. (Sorry, just a comment from the peanut gallery).

[jeff1981]

I've had that problem with Mozilla since they updated it.... i've been using Google Chrome more and more. Seems to work fairly well..

[jeff1981]

KateL- comment all you like. It's a great job, and because we run team a lot of the time we still get coast to coast runs fairly often, which is nice. The tradeoff that makes it work is that we run older equipment (tractor is a 95 w900l, trailer on 02) and keep it VERY well maintained. This wouldn't work if there were big payments on the equipment.
I also do some local stuff in the spring and early fall, and take the entire summer off to run a hay farm. All in all, it's a pretty good lifestyle!

[jeff1981]

ha ha. lost my entire post again. But, this time I saved MOST of it! I'll get back to it after I get thru fuming over this!

I didn't touch a single key! I'm using Mozilla! I didn't just lose the post.... my "browser" redirected me to the forum thread list page! ... Not EVEN to the "last page" or the "thread page."

The reply box keeps "scrolling" up and down while I'm typing. Then.... POOF! my whole post disappears and I am "re-directed" to a page not even related to the thread I was responding to.

Ya gotta just chuckle.

Hope you'll redo it- i'm sure you've got an interesting story.

[GMAN]

I drove a straight truck for about a year and then moved up to 18 wheelers, or semi's as we called them back then. I went around the block with another driver who was about 65 years old. He showed me how to double clutch and where the air brakes were and after the drive around the block, I have been driving 18 wheelers ever since. My dad always had trucks so I grew up around them. There were no driving schools back when I started. We learned on the job by doing.

[Mr. Ford95]

My company decided to buy some large equipment out of the blue along with a truck to move them. They asked if I wanted to get my CDL and be the driver. Have loved every minute of it since getting my CDL and driving.

[Musicman]

ha ha. lost my entire post again. But, this time I saved MOST of it! I'll get back to it after I get thru fuming over this!

Having that happen to me a couple times is why I started typing in MS Word and then pasting into the forum.

[jeff1981]

I drove a straight truck for about a year and then moved up to 18 wheelers, or semi's as we called them back then. I went around the block with another driver who was about 65 years old. He showed me how to double clutch and where the air brakes were and after the drive around the block, I have been driving 18 wheelers ever since. My dad always had trucks so I grew up around them. There were no driving schools back when I started. We learned on the job by doing.

I didn't go to driving school either- I think sometimes it's better that way. I know there are good schools, but I sometimes wonder about how fast they run drivers through. I've only been driving 18 wheelers for 10 years, but even in that time it seems to me that there is less courtesy on the road. It seems like when I first went OTR there were always friendly drivers at the truck stops who would help the new guy (me) back into a parking spot that was tight, or change a trailer light, or whatever that I hadn't learned yet. Now, I see and hear a lot more yelling, and gutter talk.
I'd love to see the "average" truck driver act a bit more like they did years ago.

[jorlee]

I started with this.


Susposed to be a single axle van truck here. Photobucket won't keep it here for some reason.

Driving this on the jobsite, getting water.



I then used this...



Till I got a newer truck hauling this...


Susposed to be my current truck with a folding neck lowboy and a cat 565 on board pictured.

Then I got a newer trailer..

Same mill but a newer etnyre black hawk trailer configed in a 3+1.

Beginning of this year.... New mill (heavy 98,000lbs) Used heavy haul truck.



Then I got my truck back, with a jeep and a different trailer, trying for MT's 5 mph conditions, didn't work so well. Equal weight on the front six as there was the rear 4.



My last load of the year before being laid off, til next year. Which weights also didn't work out a planned, according to the air guages.

[goldentouchfreight]

I am one of the lucky few who grew up in the business. My father and Uncle owned a fleet of power only trucks that pulled ocean freight from Georgia Port Authority. I remember them having 17 trucks at the height of the business. I use to drive the trucks around the shop to get washed that they leased and operated. Of course I was the one doing the washing with the powerwasher that had a tendency to knock me down from time to time.

I was going to get my CDL when I turned 18 but was talked out of it until I was 21. I did go through training, with Prime Inc out of Springfield MO. I drove teams with my trainer for 3 months. Then got a Lease Purchase plan from Success Leasing (PRIME-owns). Was a Lease operator for them until I had enough in savings to put a down payment on my first rig, which was not long.

[GMAN]

I didn't go to driving school either- I think sometimes it's better that way. I know there are good schools, but I sometimes wonder about how fast they run drivers through. I've only been driving 18 wheelers for 10 years, but even in that time it seems to me that there is less courtesy on the road. It seems like when I first went OTR there were always friendly drivers at the truck stops who would help the new guy (me) back into a parking spot that was tight, or change a trailer light, or whatever that I hadn't learned yet. Now, I see and hear a lot more yelling, and gutter talk.
I'd love to see the "average" truck driver act a bit more like they did years ago.

There are still some friendly drivers. Most seem to stay to themselves. I can usually strike up a conversation at the restaurant when there is a bar, such as at TA, Petro or Flying Pilot (Denny's). I have had some interesting conversations on the CB. Those days also seem to be long gone. We have allowed the trash to take over our CB's and other aspects of our business.

[Musicman]

We have allowed the trash to take over our CB's and other aspects of our business.

My CB developed issues two years ago and I just took it out of the truck. Ten years ago, had you told me I’d be driving without a radio in my truck I’d have said you were crazy. The truth is that I really don’t miss it much. The last few years it seemed that every time I turned the thing on, I’d hear nothing but “DJs”, guys trash-talking each other or pretending that women next to them were flashing and more. I just keep to myself these days. I have a fridge, freezer, microwave and percolator in my truck, so I have no need for truck stops other than for fuel, and I work for myself so there’s no co-workers to talk to. I never was much of a socializer on the road anyway, but anymore I find the more isolated I am from my “colleagues” the happier I am.

[Mystikal]

I actually had an uncle who drove an old international cabover and did a layover in Detroit, where I grew up, in '86. I got to take a ride in his truck and fell in love with it. Fast forward to '96 and I found an ad in the Detroit Free Press for a driver recruitment thing going on in Troy, MI. Turns out it was for JB Hunt and being that I was only 19 I couldn't drive OTR. So, I ended up joining the Air Force. I still figured I would end up driving once I separated but, as it turns out life had other plans.

I ended up getting married and had kids between '00 and '05. During that time I separated, got my degree, and joined law enforcement.. but, that didn't turn out as I had hoped for personal reasons. So, after my resignation from the police corps, I decided it was time to follow my heart. So, in '08 I went to CDL school and never turned back. Since, I've driven dry van and Reefer and now am a local/regional flatbedder for a local company in Denver. At this point, barring any MAJOR changes to the industry, I highly doubt i'll do anything otherwise.

[golfhobo]

Hope you'll redo it- i'm sure you've got an interesting story.

Not as interesting as some I've read so far...in fact, it sounds bragadocious. But, facts are facts.

I've never had a problem getting or holding a (good) job. I'm what you would call an "employer's dream." An above average high school grade record, some college, and the ability to ACE any kind of "aptitude test." Philip Morris passed over several thousand applications on file to call ME to offer me a job shortly after I returned to NC from CO.

I had my choice of "specialties" in the A.F. when I enlisted.

I quit Philip Morris to start my own business, which lasted about 10 years until the big box stores like Office Depot, and the "throw away" mentality of our current business society, pretty much put me out of business. I stayed til' the last dog was hung, cuz that's the way I roll.... but, I finally closed my doors and am just about to pay off my losses.

It was for the 4 years after this, that I happily worked for Onstar, making $11-12 an hour plus overtime... with health insurance... and EXCELLED in my job because of my knowledge of the highway and interstate systems and GEOGRAPHY of this great nation. Another company bought out the contract, decided to fire the higher earners and hire "newbies" with no experience in "routing" at less than MY starting wage was, and my days were numbered.

So, I went back to the State Employment agency (and my Veteran's assistant,) and learned about the Workforce Investment ACT (WIA) started by Clinton to get people into NEW jobs (or schools) when there were no jobs in their area for their "trained specialty."

There were very few jobs for gov't trained intelligence analysts in my area, so... I took them up on their offer. [I could have opted for more school time to finish my degree.] There was a deeply rooted appreciation of big trucks, and a desire for the gypsy lifestyle... and it was a perfect match.

Even with a few black marks on my MVR, I was able to get a job right out of school. Since I aced every test, this should be expected. haha... I even argued with the instructor and administration of the school over one of the test questions.... the only one they said I was wrong about.... and won my case. They corrected their "scoring template" but never gave me back the points they deducted.

Driving a truck comes/came as natural to me as anything and everything in my life. I had a "white knuckle" moment the first time I took the wheel, but it soon passed, and I have been in confident control ever since.

No, I didn't grow up on a farm driving tractors and trucks. I certainly never worked as a mechanic or truck washer... tho I did a few months as a warehouse loader/unloader with a powerjack.

Once I decided to be a truck DRIVER.... I went to school to get my CDL... and never looked back.

I used to suffer from depression. I took lots of pills with little results. OTR [team] truck driving has cured my depression. CAD (and the brotherhood I've found here,) has fed my need for intellectual stimulation. I'm about as happy as I can BE... in the trucking industry.

Heck... I can even put up with twilight and hoggie these days.

[silvan]

My CB developed issues two years ago and I just took it out of the truck. Ten years ago, had you told me I’d be driving without a radio in my truck I’d have said you were crazy. The truth is that I really don’t miss it much.

When I was doing the combo driver thing in LTL, slip seating meant you finished your work on the docks, then you walked down the line trying to find a tandem tractor with a pintle hook that wasn't on the dead line, and then you started reading inspection books on the tractors on the dead line trying to pick out one that would probably make the trip. Fun times. I nearly choked when my current TM told me the company I was driving for at that time had "nice equipment" in my job interview.

I digress.

The point is it would have required a lot more time and dedication than I had to run a radio under those circumstances. I got used to doing without, and have only just gotten a radio up and running in my current truck in the last month or so. If I hadn't already owned the radio, it probably wouldn't have been worth the bother. It used to be you wouldn't hear much on the radio when you got off the main arteries, but now the traffic on the main arteries is like traffic used to be in the boondocks years ago. Nobody talks on the radio much anymore, although people will still warn you of accidents ahead and other such things often enough to make it worth the bother of switching it on if you happen to have one.

Times have really changed.

My "how I got started" story is pretty boring fare. I was working at Wally World at the time, and one of my friends there had a husband who drove for a laundry service. She allowed as how they were hiring, and I went to apply for a job. "Do you have a CDL?" "No." "We'll call you."

So what was a CDL anyway? I'd never heard of such a thing. I did my homework, talked to the ubiquitous recruiter from C.R. England, got saved from a terrible mistake by some people on the old misc.transport.trucking newsgroup, and decided to pay my own way through CDL school. It worked out.