[Skullitor]

Truckers will complain about a free lunch!(IT WAS COLD,ect) :lol:
No job is perfect.Make the best of it and enjoy what you get everyday!

[Ardmore Farms Forever]

Originally Posted by honestashol

I must apologize, I'm not smart enough to keep my mouth shut.

Don't worry, I've had the same problem most of my adult life........works out for the better when you don't let someone walk over you by keeping quite.

Originally Posted by honestashol

After 20 years of managing hotels

Your name wouldn't be "Patel" by chance would it............and do you look like you and members of your family look like you just came out of Jean Raspail's, "The Camp of the Saints"? :lol: :lol: (Great book BTW, just finished it)

Originally Posted by honestashol

I realized that I truly hated people.

That my friend is truly sad..........I couldn't imagine going through life like that........I've personally never met a truly "Bad" person.

Originally Posted by honestashol

The "good" ones never draw attention so they are forever forgotten.

Quite the opposite for me, I forget the undesirables, but, ALWAYS try to remeber the good ones........

you want to feel good about yourself, try doing something good for someone, without their knowledge...........and NOT expect any credit or accolades in return.

Originally Posted by honestashol

SHAME ON YOU for blatantly berating a good industry and it's members.

Actually, I was thinking, Shame on you..........you don't know "jack sh!t" about the trucking industry, yet you come in here and give us, the great "unwashed", you valuable insight into whats wrong with our industry and it's people...........NICE TRY!!! your heart might be in the right place.......unfortunately, you have ZERO credibility when it comes to giving advise.

Originally Posted by honestashol

I have been reading this and other boards for a month now and I am constantly amazed how so many of the posters on here sound just like the minimum wage employees I'm so used to hearing similar gripes from. Yes, these are the same employees who would refuse more hours because it would cost them Welfare money. Yes, these are the same employees who I would catch hooking in the hotel. Yes, these are the same employees who did everything in their power to extend the very stereotypes they hated so much. Is there some kind of mindset where some people think everything is supposed to be easy and handed over on a gilded plate? Whether the pay is good or bad, you're getting paid for a reason, not your stellar personality or good looks. You're getting paid to do the bad part of the job. Let's face it, if there's any part of the job you enjoy, you'd probably do it for free. When was the last time someone paid you to drive somewhere for recreation?

I also don't quite understand how drivers can complain about the companies they drive for when THEY AGREED TO DRIVE FOR THAT COMPANY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! I do understand and appreciate honest information that would lead to an educated decision by future recruits, but QUIT YOUR BITCHIN! Want to bitch? Work for Muslim for a Hindu. So what if your dispatcher wants you to drive 12 hours straight, you have laws to back you up. It's absolutely no different than running out of budgeted hours so the general manger has to wait tables twice a week, or cleans 10 rooms a day in order to make budget for the month. It all falls back to how greedy you are. If you are greedy, break the law.

Now let's not forget the customers. From what I can gather, customers (you and I included) are all the same, some are wise and some are otherwise. Everyone has bad shippers and good shippers. I've had hookers and meth labs, and some truly wonderful people.

I guess the point of this rant is simple; are you trying to give wannabees like me an honest picture of the industry, or are you trying to scare us off by bragging how tough you are for having to work in the worst job ever? Just sounds like some people are looking for a little attention. Being that I'm single, I seriously fear that I may become the same way after a few miles OTR.

I realize the many of you that this is directed to will quickly, loudly and proudly tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, and I don't. I'm just sitting here in my studio apartment (I swear the only difference between my place and a sleeper cab is that the bathroom is two paces away) eating beans and rice and surfing on stolen internet access just to feel important and included. Maybe so. But nonetheless, I cannot complain about my situation because IT IS MINE. I put myself here and if I want anything to change, I have to change it. One thing I know I cannot change is that others would realize this same mantra and quit complaining just to hear themselves talk.

Now we all know that the worst vice is ad-vice, but my grandfather's advice is the best. "There is nothing that can't be solved by simply getting off your ass. Now you gonna talk or are you gonna fix it?"

I seriously owe you an apology............I was answering before I read your entire post............YOU my friend are a breath of fresh air...........honesty and frankness are attributes I highly respect............

as far working for Muslims, only if they or their children didn't carry backpacks filled with explosives...........NOT.

As far as Hindu's...........then I can assume your last name isn't, "Patel".
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Originally Posted by Douglas

1 result for: Blivit
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | the Web

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source bliv?it (blvt) Pronunciation Key
n. Slan.
Something annoying or pointless.
Something difficult or impossible to name.

Wrong there "Webster's" breath. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Douglas, sorry, couldn't help myself................used in the context I was speaking about when my father was alive............the definition of a "Blivit", is, 2-pounds of "Crap" in a 1-pound bag. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[yoopr]

I've personally never met a truly "Bad" person

I have-In Iraq and a few other choice places

[mikeyv450]

Honestly i say the WHOLE ENTIRE TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEEDS TO BE FULLY REVOLUTIONIZED.. IN EVERY ASPECT..

everything this poster said is true, and i didnt even realize this truth from driving a tractor trailer. Surprisingly enough, i learned it from driving a School bus!!

**your hours are irregular. You start everyday at 6AM and sometimes dont get home untill 5 or 6.

**Sometimes the parents of the kids decide to come and pick up their children like a hour late, which makes you sit in the bus all that time.

**You are paid 10 $ an hour at most 12 and dont get paid overtime.

I imagine all these things are 10 fold worse in many cases with tractor trailer/otr driving with layovers and all that kinda stuff..

at least while driving in a tractor trailer you can whip out your piss bottle and do what you gotta do right there while driving (for those with true skills lol)
However in a bus you cant really do that because you got kids as well as a matron on the bus..

its all these little things that make your life HELL..

And speaking about health?! well yeah your health diminishes rapidly and surely because you are basically restricted to eating FAST FOOD everyday..

[hamboner]

Alright, as I sit here and read this post I get extremely pissed off. I dont know how one person can sit here and blatantly claim to save everyones life by advising them that trucking is going to ruin everyones lives and family. I do agree that people need to know what they are getting into, instead of believing what they hear.

I happened to be raised by a father who is a PROFESSIONAL TRUCKER. I grew up riding on the dog house of a cab-over Freightliner and have seen first hand what a Trucker CAN do for his family. Me and my sister both were put through college by a trucking father that never made us work to pay our way through it. If the bills were mounting up he would turn more miles to make up for it. I never went without, because I had a dad who was always willing to keep the wheels turning to bring my family what we needed. I played Little League ball and that big blue Freightliner used to come rolling in the lot with a hot load to watch me play.

My father has missed out on a lot of things, but in almost 40 years as an O/O I have never heard him complain about his job once. Some people do this cause it is what they like.......others do it for a paycheck and because they cannot get hired anywhere else. Just dont forget there are a few professionals out there that love this job, and provide for their families everyday by doing it.

[Redlight]

I know im a newb and not into driving yet, but one way I looked at it for not seeing the faimly is this, and based on experance. If I work as a machinest and wife works bank I work nights 10-12 hrs a day, wife works 9-5 I still will never see her or the kids during the week. On top of that if you arent happy in your current job, can't get one or what ever, its better than nothingand its better than that.
I know I'm looking threw some rose colored glasses but being in the military we are use to me being gone on short notice and not seeing each other for weeks to a year. To me being able for sure to see the faimly just on the weekends is better than going to Afganastain or Iraq again for a year. Time in the middle east for me since dessert shield one= 2 1/2 years. So when people complain about no home time it could be alot worse and with the Air Force putting out 40K people so we can buy new airplane its going to get worse. The 2 1/2 years dosnt count being sent on training or other deployements and if your faimly isnt strong enough it will fall with or without being gone. Love and comminication is what jeeps a faimly strong if it were time I would be devorced long time ago but 19 years of marriage and wife still looks dam good.

PS dont even get me started on pay when you do or dont get payed
US Air Force 22 years and looking foward to this kind of job!! It will beat my home time and pay I get now

[Rushman]

Originally Posted by crzy4trkn

how many 18 year olds are dieing for our county but can not get a cdl to drive interstate.at 18 years old you can train to become a capenter,iron worker,

None!!! They are all dying to make Iraq a safer place for Iraqi's.....which is even worse.

[GMAN]

There is no such thing as the PERFECT job. At least that I have seen. Not everyone likes a regular schedule such as working in an office. Many office workers take work home with them which is not paid. You can eat more healthy if you stay away from the buffet's while on the road. Some people seem to have a more healthy marriage when they spend time apart. Others don't make it. I have known of people on both sides. My wife and I have been married for more than 26 years. I have traveled most of the time we have been married and been away from home. When I travel now, she will usually go with me. You can miss family events even though you work at home. This is not a profession for everyone. Some people just can't cut it. You need to be able to manage your time and be flexible. Some people need a regular schedule because they cannot manage themselves or their time. There are those who will blow their entire paycheck in video games and gambling machines. These people have no self control. It has nothing to do with the profession. These people will have problems regardless of what they do for a living. This is a job, a profession and a lifestyle. This profession offers a higher level of income than many would be able to earn by staying home. It offers a college level income after only a few weeks of training. It can be difficult on relationships, but so can many other professions. I know a number of professionals who work in town and have not been able to make their marriage work. If you want to earn an above average income, you will make sacrifices. Everything we do in life is a trade off. If you want to work 9-5 you will probably not earn as much money as if you did something else, but you will be home every night. If you are in this profession and hate it, stop complaining and go do something else. Life is too short to work at something which you detest. Most of us who elect to do this for a living enjoy it. Many of us have a good education and experience outside of trucking. We don't do this because we can't do anything else. We do this because we enjoy it. Most people make a good living driving a truck. Some people will be miserable no matter what they do for a living.

[l2en]

With all that being said....Why not opt for a regional or local driving job? There's plenty of them in my area. Hell they'll hire ppl fresh out of driver training schools for local or regional runs. I'll agree, OTR does suck if you have a family. I have a three year old son. I'm unfortunate if I have to spend the night somewhere and not to be home every night of the week. I couldn't imagine only beign home for two days out of two weeks. Something I just can't see myself doing for a lonngggg time, OTR driving. Maybe when me and my wife are old and gray, or she's retired. haha.

[GMAN]

If you are in the process of considering over the road driving, you should understand that this is a profession which requires you to be away from home most of the time. It works for some people, but not everyone. It can be especially difficult for those with small children.