Why do I do it? because I don't really know any other job. I grew up in a trucking family, my father and uncle were both truckers, I started driving trucks as a teenager, I used my experience backing up hay wagons as a kid on the farm to get a job as a yard jockey for a small company when I was a teenager, and it all started from there. No fancy expensive driver training for me, I got my licence the old fashioned way.

I knew what I was getting into before I got into it, for the most part I enjoy the job. I don't whine and cry because something goes wrong. There are always going to be days when I hate it, there are always going to be days when something goes wrong, but that's truck driving.

 

Why do I do it?

To be perfectly honest, after the past few weeks and especially the last three days, I don't have a freakin' clue...

I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

 

An old adage about Soldiers seems to apply as well (or better ) to truckdrivers.

"A bitchin' soldier is a happy soldier."

 

I prefer dealing with them when I am in my 4-wheeler - the a-holes aren't as obnoxious when I am one of them!

 

My wife handled it by divorcing me. I guess my problems are over now! :lol:

 

Yeah, but if you are good at kissing the right asses, and stabbing the right backs, you end up becoming the boss who breathes down everyone's neck and pulls in the big bux.

 

Same thing here. Lots of jobs growing up. Construction, landscape. Computer nerd since the age of six, have the skills to work at the large corp. Hate the idea of the same walls, same people, same things. Looking through my windshield I see things I'd never get to see working at any of these places..

Went OTR early in my career and ended up seeing 39 states. Would have never been able to do that working with a local framing crew.

I love the cultural changes in a distance of 400 miles. People's accents, menu's, how soda is soda in NE and in OH it's mostly called pop. In NH its a Living Room, in RI its a Parlor. Little things like that.


It's not the freedom of the road, lack of boss behind you. For me it's about getting a load, and being asked to get their within hours, safely. And it's up to me to find the ship/cons and pickup/deliver on time.

And for the record, after 6 years I still get a kick out of 53' of trailer looking back at me in the mirror. Still smile when starting the truck, much like I did when I first got my license at the age of 16. Just hope driving big truck never becomes routine for me. I'd be screwed then :lol:

 

I'm going to start doing it because..............

For the last 15 ytrs, I've been wanting to, but working in a shop was the way I supported my family. But since a few years ago, when I gave up the stress of the management area of the automotive industry.(God knows where the Auto Business is going), and decided to go out and get my CDL A on my own and started driving a Redi-Mix Truck, then moved onto the Gravel Train, been doing that for @ 1.5 yrs. And loving it.
But I still have the itch to go over the road, knowing (reading, in these post) the good & bad, so I'm in the process of signing on with TMC.

 

Amen! Although, when I read a thread, I skip right over his posts. IMO they're not worth reading, as I already know what they contain. :roll:

 

hey GOOSEMAN do you know yet when you are going to tmc i am heading to Iowa on April 1st :lol: :lol: :lol: oops just read on the tmc thread you are looking at april 30th good luck