Truck Driving Jobs

StevenD · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 23

My father and grandfather drove a truck but Dad always discouraged it, he was a Teamster w/ Local 299. After a dozen jobs, including teaching at a high school, I am back to driving (been doing in off & on for ten years), and I've narrowed it down to teaching or trucking. I'm working for a great company, and still absolutely love driving. I'm like a little kid doing what I've always wanted to do.

Teaching is still an option, but the problems in education, particularily for those who are entering later in their career, are huge. This is NOT to generate opinions about our current education system, that is for another topic/post. But who of you loves trucking and why?

Steven

jedfxg · Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 553 Location: se buckeye

i do, loving life, ain't no feeling like 22 wheelin'

Malaki86 · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 2025 Location: West Virginia

Nothing else compares to driving a truck.

Where else can you get paid (by mileage) to sit in traffic for hours every day, arrive at the consignee on time but they say you're a full 24hrs early and have to wait until their appt time to unload, go from -10f and snow to 85f and sunny all in one day, etc

Drew10 · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 8:42 am Post subject:

Cant say that I "Love it"...but, Im OK with it. Definitly a job you have to aquire a "taste" for. Some days are better than others. Gotta take the good with the bad in all that you do.
However....I do like my commute time, about 1 step and your at the Office. :lol: :lol:

Malaki86 · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 2025 Location: West Virginia

Well said - some days are just great, some, well, you wanna become one of the idiots you read about that lost their mind and start shooting people.

It's not a job for everyone, that's for sure.

tweety bird · Joined: 24 Jun 2006 Posts: 425

I like the driving- it's everything else that I dislike. Customers calling (a company driver would not likely have to deal with that), bad directions, bad food (truck stops), sedentary life style, and being away from home in general. The bills pile up and it's hard to keep track of things. The list goes on...

But I really like the driving.

carlos64030 · Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 95 Location: MO.

I've been driving for almost a year now, and I absofreakinlutely love it! I've worked in the corporate world and the manufacturing industry most of my adult life.

I love driving because of the lower stress levels and not having to deal with the annoying people that I used to be a part of my daily routine.

More importantly, I enjoy my freedom.

DaveFromColorado · Joined: 23 Feb 2008 Posts: 75 Location: Chaska, MN

I suppose I've got a super gravy job, driving a dump truck, hauling, and operating a street sweeper. Been doin' it for just over a month now, and I always enjoy getting behind the wheel. Most often I'm driving an unsynchronized 7 speed, and I love shifting gears, up and down, but the thing that makes me smile the most is honking the air horn. No clue why, but every time I pull that chain for my "pre trip" I always get a big smile.

If I ever stopped driving a truck, I'd install an air horn, on a manual valve with a pull chain in my Saturn. (could you picture that? LOL)

--Dave.

JeffTheTerrible · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 647

I may not care so much for the way the industry is, but I absolutely love being behind the wheel. Ever since I first arrived here from Europe, I've been absolutely fascinated with these machines. In Europe, you really don't see conventionals, the overall length is much shorter, and there really is no comparison as far as aesthetics go, although the tiny Scania/MAN/TAM/etc. cabovers are actually every bit as powerful, and actually do carry heavy loads. But they never fascinated me the way the vehicles here do, and I eventually got to drive one. I even graduated up to heavy hauling. Makes me feel like a real superfly sort, you know?

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2300 Location: Concordville PA

I do love driving truck. Looking at the bulldog on my hood 10hrs a day. It is in my blood. 4th gen. driver in my family. I just wished i had this love for a job that makes money.

Then i might be doing something. :wink:

roadhog · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 3:07 am Post subject:

(Hoggius Stupidius Ingeniusi-wrex)
I was born for the road...and love it to bits! :)

HEY! Jeff's back!! :D .... welcome home Bro! 8)

Ironturkey · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 5:26 am Post subject:

I like driving for the most part, but I like workin for a boss thats worth workin for. My current employer pays me by % or mileage which ever will pay me the most that is what I git. My weeks are pre-planned He gives me all my pick-ups then leaves me to do the rest and I don't have to talk to him till the next week. I've been gittin round 3300mi a week. The trk is old and ugly, but it gits the job done.

shanhamm · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 61

I enjoyed the road, but now I absolutley love running a yard horse... It's a little hard on the body getting in and out of the truck 100+ times a day, but I can't get enough of it! Don't have to worry about construction, accidents, ignorant drivers etc. And I know exactly what time I'm getting home... :D

JeffTheTerrible · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 647

roadhog wrote: HEY! Jeff's back!! :D .... welcome home Bro![/color] 8)

Hey! Thanks. I appreciate it. Yeah, I took a little vacation in the land of fun and sun, and now I'm back. I posted a thread in 'Rules and Regulations and Dac...etc' which explains it a little better, if you care to read it.

shanhamm wrote: I enjoyed the road, but now I absolutley love running a yard horse... It's a little hard on the body getting in and out of the truck 100+ times a day, but I can't get enough of it! Don't have to worry about construction, accidents, ignorant drivers etc. And I know exactly what time I'm getting home... :D

Yeah, you rattled off the one part about running a yard spotter I'm not looking forward to, and, honestly, hadn't given much thought until you just mentioned it.
Kinda reminds me of how much easier I thought it would be when I came off the road, and switched to driving local, and how happy I was that I wouldn't have to throw tarps anymore... I somehow overlooked the part where I'd be loading and unloading sometimes up to ten times a day. But I can't complain about that. Having to play chauffeur when there was no equipment to be moved, on the other hand.. now that was bad. "Can you pick my kid up from school?". Sounds easy enough, I know, but I swear that kid had it in for me. And that's why I don't plan on having any. Anyhow, can you give me a quick rundown on what you do in a day of yard spotting? Do you spend all day moving trailers around, or are there other tasks assigned to you.. stuff like that?

shanhamm · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 61

JeffTheTerrible wrote: roadhog wrote: HEY! Jeff's back!! :D .... welcome home Bro![/color] 8)

Hey! Thanks. I appreciate it. Yeah, I took a little vacation in the land of fun and sun, and now I'm back. I posted a thread in 'Rules and Regulations and Dac...etc' which explains it a little better, if you care to read it.

shanhamm wrote: I enjoyed the road, but now I absolutley love running a yard horse... It's a little hard on the body getting in and out of the truck 100+ times a day, but I can't get enough of it! Don't have to worry about construction, accidents, ignorant drivers etc. And I know exactly what time I'm getting home... :D

Yeah, you rattled off the one part about running a yard spotter I'm not looking forward to, and, honestly, hadn't given much thought until you just mentioned it.
Kinda reminds me of how much easier I thought it would be when I came off the road, and switched to driving local, and how happy I was that I wouldn't have to throw tarps anymore... I somehow overlooked the part where I'd be loading and unloading sometimes up to ten times a day. But I can't complain about that. Having to play chauffeur when there was no equipment to be moved, on the other hand.. now that was bad. "Can you pick my kid up from school?". Sounds easy enough, I know, but I swear that kid had it in for me. And that's why I don't plan on having any. Anyhow, can you give me a quick rundown on what you do in a day of yard spotting? Do you spend all day moving trailers around, or are there other tasks assigned to you.. stuff like that?

Our 1st and 2nd shift guys, only move trailers all day. I run 3rd shift so I'll move trailers for the first part of my shift, then I will haul steel coils on a flatbed from one of John deeres vendors (metals usa) across the street to the plant. and now in the summer while things are slow I have to take inventory of every trailer on the property and state what the trailer contains. and in the mean time I'll cover calls from John deeres receiving, and the punch plant. and also cover van loads of metal from metals usa to JD, and also Fedex in town which handles JD's shipping.

I want to eventually get on 1st shift with in the next year or two. I would rather pound out 100 trailers a day than do all that other stuff I do at night.

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