[eptp88]

I have been debating getting my cdl with Schneider and driving for a living about 8 months now. I have read through alot of forums and have come to this conclusion. There are alot of people driving for Schneider and a thousand other companies and only a small number post messages on these boards. I have friends that drive and love it and I have talked to alot of drivers here and there that say they love it as well.Sure some people will never be happy no matter what. I worked at a state prison for 17 + years and up until 2005 if you had asked me about my job I would have said I loved it as well. Now I hate it and want to try trucking. I am not stupid and understand there are pros and cons to anything you do in life. I will hate being away from my wife and kids but they are teenagers and soon to be moving out. They have there own things going on and most of the time mom and dad are left out now anyway. I love my beautiful wife but when my youngest daughter moves out she wants to get her cdl and go out with me as a team. Thats 4-5 years away but if I like it and make it that long I can help her transition to this "lifestyle" easier. I know sitting and waiting at shippers/recievers sucks and sleeping in a truck away from loved ones sucks too but so does alot of things in everyother job I have ever had in life (only 3 others). I guess what I'm trying to say is if you are new like me and wanting to start driving as a career dont believe everything you read on these message boards. Just know this is what you want and go for it. If its meant to be you will suceed if not aleast you tried. Keep a positive outlook and understand it wont be easy or fun all the time but what is? Some of the people on these trucking boards helped me out alot, some with advice to others and some by being just plain stupid. Check out some of the post on the Ripoff report. Just type in Schneider and search for some humorous stuff. Anyway to all the decent hard working professional truck drvers out there who try to stay positive and help rookies like me, thank you for your support. For all you digruntled, crying and whining wantabe professionals who try to infect everyone else with your negative ways, thank you as well. A warden who I worked for told me once, you can learn something from anyone. Some things you learn to better yourself and others you learn not to do for the same reason. I know this will not be easy and fun all the time. I know it will be hard work and lonely at times but I hope that I meet some of the professionals along the way to make it easier for all of us. If I pass the cdl permit test Fri. I should be in training in Charlotte on Feb. 24th. After that I hope to see you on the road....... :lol: http://www.myspace.com/bp123456 http://www.ripoffreport.com/default.asp

[Snowman7]

Originally Posted by eptp88

I have been debating getting my cdl with Schneider and driving for a living about 8 months now. I have read through alot of forums and have come to this conclusion. There are alot of people driving for Schneider and a thousand other companies and only a small number post messages on these boards. I have friends that drive and love it and I have talked to alot of drivers here and there that say they love it as well.Sure some people will never be happy no matter what. I worked at a state prison for 17 + years and up until 2005 if you had asked me about my job I would have said I loved it as well. Now I hate it and want to try trucking. I am not stupid and understand there are pros and cons to anything you do in life. I will hate being away from my wife and kids but they are teenagers and soon to be moving out. They have there own things going on and most of the time mom and dad are left out now anyway. I love my beautiful wife but when my youngest daughter moves out she wants to get her cdl and go out with me as a team. Thats 4-5 years away but if I like it and make it that long I can help her transition to this "lifestyle" easier. I know sitting and waiting at shippers/recievers sucks and sleeping in a truck away from loved ones sucks too but so does alot of things in everyother job I have ever had in life (only 3 others). I guess what I'm trying to say is if you are new like me and wanting to start driving as a career dont believe everything you read on these message boards. Just know this is what you want and go for it. If its meant to be you will suceed if not aleast you tried. Keep a positive outlook and understand it wont be easy or fun all the time but what is? Some of the people on these trucking boards helped me out alot, some with advice to others and some by being just plain stupid. Check out some of the post on the Ripoff report. Just type in Schneider and search for some humorous stuff. Anyway to all the decent hard working professional truck drvers out there who try to stay positive and help rookies like me, thank you for your support. For all you digruntled, crying and whining wantabe professionals who try to infect everyone else with your negative ways, thank you as well. A warden who I worked for told me once, you can learn something from anyone. Some things you learn to better yourself and others you learn not to do for the same reason. I know this will not be easy and fun all the time. I know it will be hard work and lonely at times but I hope that I meet some of the professionals along the way to make it easier for all of us. If I pass the cdl permit test Fri. I should be in training in Charlotte on Feb. 24th. After that I hope to see you on the road....... :lol: http://www.myspace.com/bp123456 http://www.ripoffreport.com/default.asp

Good job. You did your homework and made your choice. Welcome to trucking. You'll do fine.

[cdreid]

And ignore all the BS.

Most of what your liife will be like depends on nothing more complicated than luck, who you are and your dispatcher. Every driver likes to run a different way. Almost every driver has a totally different experience. Being positive, handling the stress, and going after what you want is the secret imho.
Btw my two roomies in training were prison guards.

I get around 25-2700 average a week. Home every weekend and LOTS of holiday time off (too much!). I could get more miiles but its taken me a year and a half to train my dispatcher not to give me more! (I love hometime!).

I know another driver who's home 3 times a week and weekends.. who makes about 1700 a week +. I know o/o's who net 2k+. I know drivers who are home one day a month and clear 4 to700 a week. I know drivers with 3 to 5 years experience who get 1800 miles a week (and run totally legal.. think theres a connection there?). And one husband/wife team that get less than 2k a week total. It all depends. I know a guy who works at schneider right now who gets home 2 days a month, gets about 2200 miles a week....and gets bitched at for idling. Id quit that job so fast its not funny.

It all depends on your dispatcher/company/dispatcher/truck/dispatcher/habts etc etc. Did i mention your dispatcher. The trick is to get a few months in then if you arent >happy< leave. Period. You dont owe anyone jack and if you arent happy WHY are you doing this. Tons of companies out there.

Let me offer some free (and worth it!) advice.

1. Stress kills. If you start getting stressed/freaked/tunnel vision slow down and stop whatever is doing that to you.
2. You aint supertrucker. Dont try to impress anyone. That 20 year driver will be more impressed that you got out and looked or DIDNT go over the side of that mountain than he will by the nodriving moron talking smack on the cb and risking lives and equipment to prove somethng.
3. F*ck what anyone else thinks. Theyve got exactly the same cdl as you. And ill guarantee if theyre talking smack about you.. its to compensate for the knowledge they are sh*tty drivers.
4. DONT DRIVE TIRED. When you run some kid over noone is gonna be impressed that you got 3500 a week.
5. The number one rule of trucking: Dont hit sh*t.

If you like it great. If you dont.. try another company.. or something else. This isnt a holy calling. Its a job. We do it for money. Thats all.

Good luck