[ssoutlaw]

Originally Posted by aspin

Hey guys. I've been driving OTR about 8 months now...Why is it that no matter how hard I try I cannot make myself happy on the road? I dream of being home, of having my old life back, and when I'm home, I absolutely dread going back on the road. I sit there and worry myself sick dreading going from place to place to place. There are moments when I feel awesome rolling the truck down the road and I enjoy seeing the countryside, but I'm not sure if I'm really able to truely adapt to the OTR lifestyle. I just dread going out on the road. I thought it was the companies but I changed companies and just finished orientation and I'm already dreading going back out. Do you think this means OTR isn't for me? I like get depressed when I'm out there. Maybe a local job will the answer for me? I love driving the truck itself but being OTR I do not like. What advice to you have? Any solutions to my dreading going out? What about loca jobs with my experience? Please help!

Andrew

No offense, but from the sound of it, its not the life for you. Its a lifestyle and new drivers need to remember this... Good luck..

[madbunny]

Originally Posted by aspin

I live about 20 min away from Little Rock, AR. I just feel bad because I dreamed of doing this and now that I've done it it's like it is out of my system and I don't want to do it anymore. Where at first I was excited now I'm burned out on it. Does that make sense to anyone? Makes me feel like I'm just not cut out to be a trucker,

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[cecole74]

Originally Posted by aspin

I live about 20 min away from Little Rock, AR. I just feel bad because I dreamed of doing this and now that I've done it it's like it is out of my system and I don't want to do it anymore. Where at first I was excited now I'm burned out on it. Does that make sense to anyone? Makes me feel like I'm just not cut out to be a trucker,

I did about 4 weeks from my family before I had to leave. I was the exact same way. My trainer lived in my home town so when I was back I told my wife about how I felt. I was getting depressed until I was in a Wal-Mart. I got a cell phone and now I am able to stay intouch. It is verry important to me to have support back home. it will do wonder's to just hear a familer voice when you are feeling down and out. Just dont talk while you drive :lol: I hope it helps.

[aspin]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm young, 24, and I got into trucking because of bad finances and I wanted some adventure in my life. I wanted to prove to myself I could drive a truck. Family said it was a bad idea. Now they are proud of me for what I accomplished. For a while it provided that adventure but now it is gone. I miss my old life, my apartment, my cat I gave up, hanging with friends, hiking on the weekend, going to my favorite coffee shop, stuff like that. I might go back and finish college once my finances are better. I only like 45 hours getting a degree in biology. Trucking also kind of runs in my family as my uncle owns a successful logging company and my grandpa moved mobil homes for 40 years. HEH now I hope I can stick it out for 4 more months. I really can't afford to quit, and quitting is not what I want to do. I could appreciate any advice or encouragement to help me tough these next 4 months out.

[serbie]

Originally Posted by aspin

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm young, 24, and I got into trucking because of bad finances and I wanted some adventure in my life. I wanted to prove to myself I could drive a truck. Family said it was a bad idea. Now they are proud of me for what I accomplished. For a while it provided that adventure but now it is gone. I miss my old life, my apartment, my cat I gave up, hanging with friends, hiking on the weekend, going to my favorite coffee shop, stuff like that. I might go back and finish college once my finances are better. I only like 45 hours getting a degree in biology. Trucking also kind of runs in my family as my uncle owns a successful logging company and my grandpa moved mobil homes for 40 years. HEH now I hope I can stick it out for 4 more months. I really can't afford to quit, and quitting is not what I want to do. I could appreciate any advice or encouragement to help me tough these next 4 months out.

Get in with your uncle. Is he local to you? You might ask him for some advice if you haven't. Maybe he has a lead or two for a local gig.

[aspin]

Originally Posted by serbie

Get in with your uncle. Is he local to you? You might ask him for some advice if you haven't. Maybe he has a lead or two for a local gig.

He recently got out of the business, and besides that, logging in southeast arkansas pays very low wages.

[GMAN]

What about working for the family business? You could haul logs or perhaps pull mobile homes. Some of the mobile home people get home most nights. Others are over the road. It sounds like you basically want some encouragement to stay in the business for a while. The cell phone is a good way to stay in touch with friends and family. There are some carriers who get you home most weekends. Perhaps you should look for one of those carriers. I think most of them require at least 1 year experience. You stated you are about 45 hours from completing a degree in biology? Is that what you want to do? There are ways in which to get a college degree on line. I have met some who do that very thing. I am not sure if that particular degree is available, but it would be a way to pass the time and accomplish something positive with your down time. It is difficult to work full time and go to college full time. I know. I did that for 5 1/2 years. I would encourage you to complete your degree, whether you go into that field or not. Good luck.

[aspin]

Well there is no family business any longer. My uncle sold his business when his son died (they ran it together and he never really got over his death ) and my grandpa who moved mobil homes just retired at age 72. I've helped him move before and it's not something I'm interested in. I'm more interested in maybe LTL or running fuel or maybe even one of the local food deliver companies like Sysco. Con-way in Little Rock is hiring and I talked to them yesterday and he said I need one year experience, so did the Dupre fuel thing one of you posted on here, so that seems to be the magical number. I do know that I don't see myself doing trucking in any capacity for the rest of my life. I a friend of mine who used to be married to a trucker, she keeps telling me you're never going to get out of that truck, that once it's in your blood you will always return to it (refering to OTR). It frustrates me that she says that when I feel in my heart it's not for me. But maybe she's right? I dunno. But at any reate I know that no matter what I do later in life I will always be proud of what I did by learning to drive a truck and I have many fond memories from OTR. I will always be a truck driver at heart.

[aspin]

A friend of mine who does pipeline work said that they have truck drivers who work for the, hauling in fuel, supplies, different things like that. He said they make about 2000 a week starting out. He said they work a locatoin for a few months, then go somewhere else for a while. He said to contact a Teamsters Union to find out more. Anyone know anything about trucking in pipeline work? Thanks.

[aspin]

Also does anyone know anything about Performance Food Group? It looks like they have good benefits but what about pay?