[millersod215]

Aspin, I'm 23 and went throught the same thing, the first 3 months was fun, definately the adventure i thought it would be, and then it just got harder and harder, the days were long, and the time at home was not nearly enough, i was lucky enough to have left a local job on good terms, and i simply returned to work with them. As far as your situation goes, pretty much what everyone is saying is true, you're gonna have a tough time, really tough, finding something good and local without that full years worth of experience, i was lucky enough to have found a company with low standards for their insurance, but they have since changed their policy and require 2 years experience, if at all possible just try to stick it out with your current company, or possibly look for a regional position with weekend hometime to fill the time for the next 4 months. Good luck.

[TruckerChris]

Hey man, stick it out!!!! Don't quit early like I did and you'll be fine. I know when I was contemplating quitting everyone said to stick it out for 2 months more but even then a week felt long let alone 2 months. It really sucks having people at home that care about you and vice versa. I miss being out there but then agian, hanging out with friends is a blast. Stick it out until you have a year or so then jump ship.

[aspin]

I'm going to do my best to stick it out. I think I might be suffering from major depression, maybe a combination of not being able to adapt to OTR on top of all of my debt. I duno we'll see out it goes.

[choperbob]

there are so many different aspects of our proffession that i am sure you will find your place. have you ever lived in a 8x10 cell for any real time, have you ever lived off what you can carry in a backpack for 6 months at a time, have you ever tried living on the road with what fits on a harley? most folks haven't. otr is definitly for everyone. infact most sane people run from the idea of it. do not beat your self up. it ain't about being a real man or how tuff you are. it is just another part of trucking, not the only part. i believe you gotta be sorta wacked out and maybe partly psychotic, antisocial, asexual, without the normal time sense, basically so whacked out that this is the last place than will fit your psyche. but then i am just speaking for myself, lol

[clawHAMMER]

I know as a driver you have lots of time to think when you're driving. When you're constantly thinking of negative depressing thoughts and dislike what you're doing, that's not a good thing.

Like some of the previous advice you've received, stick it out for another 4 months. Keep your mind occupied on the end result. Get into one of those book-on-tape clubs like at the Flying J and you'll be surprised how fast time flies when your driving and listening to a really good book-on-tape.

There has been times I was listening to a really compelling book-on-tape and pulled up to the fuel pump and sat there for a couple of minutes listening to the tape and couldn't shut my truck off quite yet and jump out because the tape was at a really good part and I didn't want to miss anything.

Shut off the cb and get into one of those book-on-tape clubs. You'll educate yourself, time will fly (I used to drive coast-to-coast and seldom turn on the cb and before I knew it I arrived at my destination) and 4 months will be here before you know it.

Set a timetable for the end of July so you have something to look forward to.

Happy Trails

[aspin]

OK thanks for all the advice folks. I am wondering though...this one year of experience needed for a local job....does it have to be in one continuous strech or can it be broken up. Reason I ask this is becausea I saw something I never thought of before that really interested me....car sales. The dealerhsip pays a thousand a week for 4 weeks during training, and your income potential is unlimited. I know I could be good at it, I come from a customer service background, love working with people and helping people (maybe thats why otr is so lonely as ur always alone) and I love cars. So say I tried that and it didn't work, could I go back and get the other 4 months and it still count? Thanks.

[saddlebum]

Might try something regional. You get alot of the otr pleasure without the homesick pains. Finish out yer year then hit the local companies.

[larryh31]

I sold cars and mortgages for 6 years prior to driving. Yes, their is no cap on your earnings. But, after your training period is over, you are not guaranteed to make 1 cent. If you don't sell - you don't get a check. So, you better have a few dollars saved up to get you through any slow periods. April to September and December tends to be the busy season. Used vehicles will generally pay you higher commissions than new cars. You will sleep in your bed every night, but that is about it. Working nights, weekends and holidays are pretty much required. As you have to be available to serve your customers on their schedules.

[saddlebum]

forgot to add... If you try to do split time(0-6 months exp.) You gotta do it quick(6 mths- to a year) or they get ya as a newbie all over.

[lifespalette]

Aspin......if you leave it to sale cars and then come back with only 8 months experience you might find yourself back out with a trainer for a couple of weeks depending on the company.

If you're in deep debt, I'd be willing to bet the financial pressures are dragging you down. Man, I've been there and done that and I don't care what kind of job you have, financial debt can drag you down mentally anywhere. If you're not on one, I would suggest you get on a debt repayment program.......there are some reputable ones out there that can help ease the burden. Some of the better ones will get your balances knocked down as low as $.50 on the dollar and what's even better they will block the collection groups from bugging you.........however, if your debt is student loans, there isn't much you can do, short of getting a deferment or consolidation.

OTR isn't for everyone that is for sure. Personally, I don't see how drivers with families do it. I couldn't. But there are ways to ease the boredom and loneliness when you're OTR..........and I ain't suggesting to invite one of Lot Lizards in............Someone suggested books on tapes that's a good mental distraction while driving. A guy I knew, got some of those Learn to Speak Spanish tapes and popped those in when he was driving.......he's learned enough to converse in Spanish pretty good. Next he wants to try Italian. Another guy has one of those digital recorders and he dictates a story he's writing, then at night he transposes it to his lap top for an hour or two. Another guy quilts when he shuts down..........the thing is, you have to get away from this driver mode and give yourself a mental break.
Me I used to carry one of those folding camp chairs with me and whenever I had the chance, I set it up under the trees at a rest stop and just sit. Sometimes I'd catch up on some reading or if I really had some time to kill, I'd break out the water colors and the field pad and paint away.

If you have a lap top, set up a blog site, post your travels and the experiences. Send your friends a link and let them post on your blog. It's a good means of keeping in contact with them..........if nothing else call them or your family daily on the cell phone..... keep in touch and up to date with what's going on.........

I'm curious, how long are you staying out? Maybe you need to adjust that up or down.........I'll be honest with you the 3-4 weeks out and 2-3 days off just didn't cut it with me.....first off, the days off were never enough and they weren't ever a full 3 days.....more like a night the next day and night and the next I was getting my next load........there was never enough time to really do anything around the house I needed to do. You sure couldn't start something that you couldn't finish the same day.......it always seemed that the time at home was little more than change of clothes and restock the cab pit stop. I started staying out 5 - 6 weeks and then would take off 5 full days. If i was lucky, I'd get the weekend before and the weekend after as well...............

I think the main thing is simply this.......happiness and contentment doesn't just happen, you have to work at it. Like the slogan at the end of my posting says........pain and heartaches aren't options in life, misery is a choice. Sometimes you just have to choose to find the good things no matter what your profession is. To be honest with you, the way car sales are falling, you might find yourself right back in the same boat. Doesn't really matter how good you are with people or service, if they ain't buying you're not making any money.