[Arizona]

"Inrovert and a misfit", you hit the nail on the head nrvsreck, the most stressful time I have ever had in trucking was during the 8 week training with the first company I drove for.

I know why I do it, I simply like it, and my girl likes her alone time as well. I wouldn't do it if it was not at least %90 enjoyable.
The one thing I found out on the road is to make sure you take time off and see the sights. Rent a car, drag a cheap bike, even walk/cab if you have to, but get out of the truck and enjoy your down time like you would a weekend off from a 9to5 gig.
I love to see parks and museums, I carry a small 400cc enduro bike with me, and use it quite often. I don't run for less than $1.75 per mile, so I sit quite a bit. My truck/trailer is paid off, and so is my house. I worked my butt off for the last 5 years to be in this position.
What I have is a system that works.

[ssoutlaw]

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

You asked who gets paid for delays, waiting, weather, etc and I gave you an answer.

Really? Name them.

Wrong. There's plenty of good local jobs: fuel-haulers, LTL, dumps, construction, mining, parcel (UPS, FedEx, DHL), etc. A newbie might have to pay their dues for awhile, but with the baby boom generation retiring, these local jobs will be hiring in droves.

There are, however, only a handful of good OTR jobs.

The point I was trying to get across to you was, not everyone can have a job like you, there are just not enough to go around for this nations trucking population. There will never be enough local jobs for all the drivers in this country. Lets just pretend for a minute, If everyone were to quit Otr at the same time, a very large percent would be in the welfare line by the end of the week. There will always be a need for the OTR driver. I don't know how else to convey my point where you will understand what I mean. I'm not trying to get in a Tiff with you, but you have to understand, alot of drivers will never see a local job. I work for a large drugstore chain, and the road drivers, if they know what they are doing will make no less than 60k a year and will come thru home 1 to 2 times a week, Maybe not for a long time, but home still the same, and a lot will do there reset at the house. Some will stay out longer, but it is their decision to do so. I run what I call local, which is Indy to Chicago, drop my freight then empty home, Mon to Fri weekends off and between 1300 to 1500 a week. Sounds like yours huh?I average around 50 to 55 hr a week. So you see that there are less jobs like this, Do you get my drift at all? there are OTR jobs that pay as well as your local job does and not just a hand full. There are a lot of local jobs that don't pay worth a s@it either. I think the scale is about even. I raised 2 family's, 4 children with all the benefits the family wanted and ran the road. You have to understand, what is a local job worth, just because you sleep at home, does this make it worth It? The money still has to be there and most local jobs will run the extra hrs to make up for the lower wage. I live in Indianapolis, and look at the job market here, and for the most part the local jobs here are long hrs and don't pay what they should. Now there are good jobs here, but like most places the bad ones outweigh the good ones! Before I came to this job, I hauled for the most part over sized loads all over the country, sleep in motels, worked in the daytime only, you know what I mean. I was paid any and all waiting time, so concede to the fact that your job is not the only good gig in the Industry. Now the ones who will get these jobs usually will be the ones with the most experience and time in the industry, and treat their job like a business and not a personal vacation. Most drivers will do good if a good work ethic was instilled in them when they were young.As long as someone works for these big company's they will never command the wage like a lot of the smaller company's pay, I think even you will agree with this.

[ssoutlaw]

Originally Posted by RockyMtnProDriver

I think in the end you just ask yourself two questions.

1. Do I like what i do?

2. Do I make enough money doing it?

If you answer yes to both, then you are doing the right thing.

If you answer yes to just one, then you need to change the way you are doing the one you answered no to.

If you answer No to both, it is time to do something different.

If you answer No to both, and keep on doing it anyway, then you really have no reason to bitch about it.

I like the way you put it...lol I think this is about the best advice yet for this thread.