Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazyeye
Hey guys,
I am really interested in OTR truck driving and thought maybe I could get some pointers before making the plunge.
Hi, Crazyeye!! Welcome to CAD.
Looks like you're doing some research, and you've given some thought to self assessment. I've been out of the OTR driving biz for almost a decade, and much has changed in that time. Hopefully, some of our board regulars can offer you more recent experiences and up to date perspectives in what to expect as a rookie driver.
The only thing I am concerned about is making sure I can still pay my car payment and insurance for it which equals out to about 400 a month and keeping my cell phone which is about 150 a month.
Regarding Finances:
Some things To Consider:
Other than listing your $400. for your monthly car and insurance payments, and your $150. monthly cell phone bill, you made no mention of your current financial situation. Do you have some money in savings?? An investment portfolio?? 401K?? Do you have an emergency fund?? How much do you owe on your car?? What is your car worth?? Are you upside down in your car loan?? What is the present payoff balance?? How many more payments remain before it's paid off?? Where will you park it or store it while you're out on the road?? Leaving it to sit out in the elements for weeks at a time is an open invitation for weather damage, deterioration and vandalism.
When I became a driver, the demand for drivers was so strong that if you could register a pulse, fog a mirror, and pass a drug test, and as long as you had a somewhat acceptable driving record, you could land a driving job somewhere. As long as you applied yourself, cooperated with your dispatcher and/or your freight manager, didn't run over a nun, and you didn't drive for C.R. England, you could generally run enough miles each week to keep body and soul together. Once again, over the past 10 to 15 years, much has changed especially after the economic collapse of 2008. By then, mant trucking operations collapsed and closed their doors, sometimes with no warning at all) and some highly experienced drivers were left on the outside, looking in.
I realize that we don't live in a perfect world, but I would strongly recommend that you have a solid game plan in place before you begin any career change. Ideally, you should pay of your car loan, (or have the payoff balance and monthly insurance premiums in an automatic monthly debit account) pay cash for your training, have an emergency fund of about $2000. to $3,000. put away, have enough money saved to pay your living expenses while you are attending a wholesale freight relocation institute, (truck driving school) unless you plan to attend evening classes, and another $1000. to carry you over during your first month of OTR training with your new employer. How long would it take you to save up enough to do that?? Most companies used to allow drivers to receive cash advances while under load, but I don't know if they still do or not.
Many trucking companies used to offer tuition reimbursement to beginning drivers, but as I stated earlier, much has changed in the industry over the past decade. I don't know whether they still offer that benefit to beginning drivers or not. Do remember that you're paychecks will be irregular in terms of your income streams. You're going to need some downtime, but downtime will bite into your paychecks. You'll also need to allow for periods possible injury (job related, or not) or illness. Additionally, I strongly recommend getting identity theft insurance. I highly recommend Zander Insurance Group.
Remember: "If you're wheels aint' turnin', you ain't earnin'".
By all means, have an emergency fund. I would recommend having between $2000. and $3000. tucked away, in addition to what you have in your savings and checking accounts. That's substantially more than Dave Ramsey would recommend, but trucking is a higher risk industry, and some injuries require more time for recovery. Few people begin their days thinking "Today is the day that I'm going to slip on ice and break my wrist, or trip and break my ankle or injure my knee, or suffer a severe burn injury, or a back injury", but in the trucking industry, those things happen on a daily basis. If they happen to you, your income stream will be adversely affected. Disability insurance is generally worth having, but claims processing can take a few weeks, and all the while, your money is talking, and it's generally saying "Goodbye"!!
I realize that we don't live in a perfect world, and we don't all enjoy ideal circumstances. While the numbers I proposed are clearly subject to debate, what is most important is that you formulate a game plan, and determine what risk levels you feel most comfortable with accepting. Do remember that many drivers had to start their careers with little more than the shirts on their backs and some loose change in their pockets. Certainly, that's not the most advisable way to begin, but it can be done; they wanted it bad enough, and they were willing to make the sacrifices and endure the hardships required to make their driving careers happen.
I don't know what training pay for rookie drivers is in these times. When I went through training, it was an average of about $350. per week + tuition reimbursement of about $150. per month; but that was before gasoline or diesel fuel prices hit $2.00 per gallon. Living on the road isn't cheap, and it's going to take a month or so to find a balance between carrying your groceries, or hitting the cafe or the fast food counter. I stocked my cooler with lunch meats, spinach leaves, cheese, and fruits....... and ate more sandwiches that I care to remember. Sandwiches, fruit, chips,..... fruit, sandwiches, and chips,..... chips, sandwiches, and fruit..... It wasn't really healthy eating.
One More Thing:
As a driver, you'll be doing some unpaid work. There is much truth to the adage that you'll work about 90 hrs. a week, log 70 hrs. a week, and get paid for about 40 hrs. a week; especially starting out. That first year as a driver will be a rough one.
I don't have a wife or kids and no real aspirations for them in the future. I don't mind being alone for weeks or months at a time, I actually thrive in solitude.
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A Few Important Questions:
How adept are you at dealing with difficult people??
I can dig the solitude bit, but if people problems are part of what's causing the burnout you are experiencing, then realize that you will face some pretty peculiar people in your career as a driver. You'll encounter them just about anywhere and everywhere you go, including within the ranks of most trucking companies. Trucking is an industry that draws a lot of social misfits. Tune into the CB radio in the vicinity of any truck stop and you'll understand.
Looking back, I guess I was a bit luckier than most other drivers. With the McMega carriers, you're just a number; an employee number with a truck number, a trailer number, a load number, and a deadline. You're a faceless butt to put behind the steering wheel of a rolling missile that can weigh up to 40 tons. You're problems are your own.
Fortunately, I found a terrific midsized company to drive for. (
"NDI", now named
"NDL", out of Sellersburg, Indiana) They were big enough to keep me running, but small enough to know me by name. They were also very family friendly. Safety was of paramount importance. They would respect a driver's decision to shut down in dangerous weather. I also had an awesome dispatcher. Do remember, that was a decade ago.
As in any profession, I had to deal with a few jackasses, but I also met some really fine people. My trainer's nickname/handle was "Grumpy". Quite a character, and quite grumpy at times, but he was an incredible trainer. During our first three days together, (72 hours, running as a team, 24hrs a day, nonstop, from day one) he spent less than 12 hrs. in the sleeper birth. He never expected me to pull more of the load than he did. There was none of the "noobie abuse" that happens all too many times.
How do you deal with high stress levels?? Particularly, the stress of a sedentary lifestyle?? What's the real difference between an office cubical and the cab of a truck??
If you stop and think about it, the cab of a truck is something akin to a cubical on wheels. I don't know about your current occupation, but along with the rolling cubicle you'll be working in and residing in, you'll have the stresses of long, irregular hours, and a lifestyle that lends itself to poor dietary habits and poor living living habits.
Another Major Stress Factor:
During you're first year, and particularly your first six months as a solo driver, your stress levels will be exceptionally high. You'll be on an intense learning curve. After a few weeks at a trucking school, followed by a couple of months with a trainer, after which time you'll be turned loose with a big truck and trailer that can cause serious damage, serious injuries, and yes, you can even kill people.Things happen fast. Errors and oversights can be very unforgiving. The stakes are high.
You'll most likely hear alarms going off in your head on a constant basis. They'll eat at you. Remember, although they'll be unpleasant, those alarms are assets, not liabilities. They'll challenge you to maintain a keen focus.
That is
most likely what will happen, but remember something very important. If those alarms in your head
aren't making their presence known (and with some rookie drivers and even experienced drivers, they don't!!) then in all seriousness, you need to park the truck and take that as an indication that you are not properly focused.
Consider Health Issues:
The career of an OTR driver can be an open invitation to long term health problems; especially if you don't handle the freight. I used to be a radiology nurse, and many of my patients were former truck drivers. Decades of hard living resulted in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, (COPD) End-Stage Renal Dysfunction, (ESRD)and circulatory problems that all too many times resulted in amputations of lower limbs. That was
BEFORE the days of the energy drinks, which by there very nature wage war on the human body's digestive, metabolic, and immune systems. They also wreak havoc on glucose/insulin balances, hence the diabetes. I'm not wanting to scare you; just warn you. OTR driving is extraordinarily hard on the body.
Three of the biggest contributors to health problems are that few truck drivers drink enough water, and they often go too long without stopping to urinate; those two factors alone will drive your body's ph balance into highly acidic realms. Another factor that comes into play is that many drivers eat right before they hit the sleeper berth. When that happens, the liver fills up with blood and that triggers the body's metabolic system to store food as fat.
Additionally, the stress of the lifestyle will challenge your immune system. I remember getting hit with the flu while driving the outer loops of Chicago. It sucked, but it was also dangerous. You're going to be in and out of truck stops, more than a few filthy restrooms, cafes, terminals, and freight docks, breathing the same contaminated air as thousands of other drivers from every part of the U.S., (except Hawaii) Mexico, and Canada. I strongly recommend you begin a regimen of vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, and anti-oxidants. Drink lots of water, and squeeze lemons or limes into it; that helps to flush out your kidneys.
As far as your truck being your primary residence??
That's much easier said than done. I would strongly recommend that you have some place (other than your truck) to hang your hat and call your home, even if you're just renting a room somewhere. There will be times when you need a break from living out of your truck. Anytime your truck goes in for repairs or service, your "home" goes in as well. Living out of your truck isn't necessarily cheap, either. A steady diet of fast food and TA truck stop cafes will make you belly fat and your wallet thin. Being that you're unmarried and unattached, I highly recommend getting a post office box to receive your mail.
I would encourage you to scroll down to the thread "
A few questions if you don't mind" for some further insights[/B]
(
OP by "Athena";same forum)
Please understand that I'm not trying to dissuade you from embarking on a driving career; I'm just trying to offer you some realistic perspectives that you generally won't find in the truck stop promotional booklets. I only ran OTR for a couple of years, and was never a "career driver". For me, being a trucker was just something that I wanted to experience. Being in my mid 40's at the time, and being a husband and a father, as well as being a business owner, I had a limited window of opportunity in which to do it.
The Good Things I Remember:
I experienced many wonderful things. Things like rolling over the desert on a moonless night, and running the
"Chicken Hauler Highway". (Hwy 54 between Alamogordo and Santa Rosa, N.M.) Many nights, I'd shut down for a short break in Corona. I'd fix myself a little grub, climb out of the cab, and pull out my fold-out lawn chair. I'd lean back and look up into a sky that was just exploding with stars. I look back and remember driving through the White Sands Missile Range during a meteor shower..... and once again seeing the sky exploding with stars. When the moon was out, I'd view it through the lenses of my binoculars, and it looked so very close......
I remember running Hwy 90 through West Texas on a cloudy night, shutting down for a short break outside of Marfa, Tx, and feeling the darkness that was so thick you could almost slice through it with a knife. Silence unlike anything I'd ever experienced. You could almost "hear" it. Words just can't describe how wonderful those moments were.
I remember the night that I was rolling from Tucumcari, N.M to Amarillo, Tx. and watching a super cell that produced a light show unlike anything I've ever seen. Pink lightning!! It went on for hours. The aftermaths of those storms weren't so beautiful. The storms had moved out just before I arrived in Amarillo. When I pulled into the Pilot in Amarillo, several big trucks in the lot were on their sides; there must have been some hellacious wind sheer. Quite a few drivers were reporting damaged windshields. There were baseball sized hailstones all over the place.
I had missed the dangers, but not by much. I guess that The Good Lord watches out after children and fools, and I wasn't a child!! I can only assume that The Pilot had an emergency generator system. There were power outages, but their lights were still on, although the fuel pumps were inoperative. When those storms hit Dallas/Ft. Worth in the very early hours of the next morning, the hail had knocked out windows in many of the downtown sky scrapers,thousands upon thousands of vehicles were damaged or destroyed, and over 400,000 people and many businesses were without power for several days.
I often ran loads for Caterpillar, from Imperial, Ca. to Peoria, Illinois, then back to Imperial. It was a very lucrative and coveted run. Our trucks were governed at +/-78MPH, and between Arizona and most parts of Missouri, the speed limits were mostly between 70 and 75MPH. The loads were were time critical, but even as a solo driver, with the higher speed limits, I could cover a lot of ground in a 14hr. time span.
I drove at night whenever I could. To the point where it was possible, I planned my driving schedules around predicted rush hours. I'd pull out after evening rush hour, and try to put the big cities behind me before morning rush hours. Driving the deserts and the mountains during the daylight hours was awesome, but you couldn't pay me enough to drive a big truck through Chicago or around Atlanta in mid afternoon or at rush hour.
At night, I missed seeing the mesas and the incredible rock formations along the highways, or the majesty of the desert, but there was far less traffic. Less traffic meant more miles each day, all while breezing through (or around) large cities without the hassles. Shorter times in transit translated into being assigned the more preferred loads, with better miles. With thai, I gained the respect of my freight managers, and earned bigger paychecks.
Our trucks were equipped with the electronics gear that allowed us to bypass many scale houses, and most of the scale houses we couldn't bypass were often closed at night. Additionally, the drivers with whom I shared the highways were generally more experienced, and of substantially higher quality than many of the daytime drivers. True professionals. I had some interesting conversations over the CB, without all of the moronic, vulgar, trash talk that permeates the channels during the day.
The Not So Good Things I Remember.:
Although I enjoyed some wonderful things, there were also some downsides. It's not like I had much time to experience the joyful things to their fullest degrees. There was never enough time to shut down and roam the flea markets in Quartzsite, Arizona, or to stop off at the old tourist spots along what used to be Route 66.
I remember making an autumn run through New England. It was like being right in the middle of a picture post card. I was surrounded by the Autumn leaves in the trees, but there was no time to shut down and enjoy it. Then, there was my one and only run through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Amish country. A quaint little town, with streets filled with horse drawn buggies. Unfortunately, time didn't allow me to shut down to enjoy those thing, either.
On that same run, I remember pulling into a roadside stop one afternoon for personal relief. I was already missing my wife and our daughter, and I was wishing that they could have been with me to see the incredible beauty. While walking along the sidewalk, I came upon a Mennonite family; the father, the mother, and three precious young daughters. I smiled at them and offered a friendly "Hello!!" They just ignored me. My heart sank. Apparently, their culture discourages even momentary interaction with strangers. That was a real disappointment.
I would have loved to have found a campground and pitched a tent for a few nights; instead, I had to settle for a short break. In less than 20 minutes, I was back in the cab, and back on the road. After all, I was driving someone else's truck,
(someone else's depreciating asset) with somebody else's freight,
(someone else's wealth and potential profit) and I was on someone else's time,
(someone else's dime) with the reputations of my employer and the shipper, as well as my reputation as a driver, all hanging in the balance.
I was never on an excellent adventure in my personal R.V.
For all of the advantages that nighttime driving offered there were some huge downsides. By about 4:00am, my circadian rhythms were making themselves known, and registering their protests in no uncertain terms. I would get
VERY, VERY TIRED. Remember, driving "tired" can be every bit as dangerous as driving drunk, so I had to be
VERY, VERY CAREFUL I drank coffee by the gallons. By morning time, as other drivers were pulling out of the truck stops, I was pulling in. Come evening time, as other drivers were clamoring to get in, and as the lots were filling up and the parking spaces becoming fewer, I was pulling out. Once again, though, the trade-off was (almost) constant fatigue. Did I mention that I was almost always
VERY, VERY TIRED??
My blood pressure and cholesterol levels shot through the roof. Muscles turned into sponge. (I never handled the freight.) In two years time, I quite
literally looked and felt like I'd aged somewhere between five to ten years. I could see it in my face, in my skin pallor, and on the grey hair became much more pronounced. I met more than a few drivers who looked quite a bit older than me, but they weren't.
Overall, with all of the good, and even with the not so good, I enjoyed my time as a driver; but after two years of being out on the roads, , I was ready to come back home. I may hit the road again someday, and go back and visit some of the many places I drove past without seeing while I was running OTR, but if I do, it will be in a small RV, on my time, and on my dime.
Hope this helps!! Best of luck to you, but always remember:
"Luck" is a phenomenon which occurs when the thresholds of preparation converge with the thresholds of opportunity and/or circumstance!! 
Burnt out on the cube farm, looking for some advice on a trucking career
