[eptp88]

I believe there are a lot of good men and women in the trucking industry. I also believe there are a lot of bad one's and people who do this as a last resort. With that being said new drivers need to take what is posted here with a grain of salt. Some people are just mad for whatever reason and are venting. Some are truly professional and are trying to help. I was once a newbie, 3.5 yrs hardly a vet but better, and this industry was a culture shock for me. I also posted some negative stuff here as well. Yes it was lonely, boring, tiresome and my pay sucked. I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks. I tried May Trucking, another story, J.B. Hunt, Arrow and Link America. Yea, I job hopped because I didn't like what I saw or heard in orientation.(May, J.B. and Arrow were orientation only) Thank God I was in a position to do that, it was hard but worth it. I found a job that is Monday to Friday, sleep in the truck sometimes but home a lot during the week and always on weekends. I make decent, no insurance but Obama will fix that soon. Just kidding... Point is I guess, hang in there and look for better opportunities if this is what you want to do. I did and love it now. Here are a few things I learned along the way that may help:

Pay sucks in the beginning don't expect to get rich like the recruiters will say...

Recruiters will tell you anything to get you hooked.....

OTR is a big culture shock and takes getting use to, not everyone can do this.

4wheelers are crazy so watch out.

Most people you meet will be nice to you if you are professional, dress neat, be polite and patient, I have only met a few that were plain *******s. Most people I meet talk to me and help me with anything I need.

Be courteous to other drivers even if they are not, people have bad days...

I don't suggest job hopping because even orientation goes on your dac as a job.

Don't mess with lot lizards, I saw a driver busted in Fl on time. The good looking ones are cops.....

Truckers give themselves a bad name. Don't litter, throwing piss bottles all over the country is b/s. There are trash cans at all rest areas, truck stops, shippers and receivers. You will benefit from the exercise walking to them.

Exercise. Stretch and at least walk a few days a week. Thats not much and you will feel a lot better. You have a 10 hr break everyday so time is not an issue everyday.

Get a frig and bring food with you. I eat at truck stops some but most of the time I have my own. Its cheaper and better for you than Wendy's and such..

Check the company you are interested in out here http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/safestat/safestatmain.asp the lower the score the better. Combine that with what you read here and on other websites as well as talking to actual drivers to make an informed decision. Don't do like I did and countless others, dive in blind. It was like diving in to freezing water, it took my breath.


I hope anyone considering trucking as a job will benefit from this post. It is a crazy business but very rewarding when you settle in with the right company. You will meet all kinds of people and see a whole lot of places and things a long the way. Just sit back, hang on and enjoy the ride.......

[Double R]

Originally Posted by eptp88

I believe there are a lot of good men and women in the trucking industry. I also believe there are a lot of bad one's and people who do this as a last resort. With that being said new drivers need to take what is posted here with a grain of salt. Some people are just mad for whatever reason and are venting. Some are truly professional and are trying to help. I was once a newbie, 3.5 yrs hardly a vet but better, and this industry was a culture shock for me. I also posted some negative stuff here as well. Yes it was lonely, boring, tiresome and my pay sucked. I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks. I tried May Trucking, another story, J.B. Hunt, Arrow and Link America. Yea, I job hopped because I didn't like what I saw or heard in orientation.(May, J.B. and Arrow were orientation only) Thank God I was in a position to do that, it was hard but worth it. I found a job that is Monday to Friday, sleep in the truck sometimes but home a lot during the week and always on weekends. I make decent, no insurance but Obama will fix that soon. Just kidding... Point is I guess, hang in there and look for better opportunities if this is what you want to do. I did and love it now. Here are a few things I learned along the way that may help:

Pay sucks in the beginning don't expect to get rich like the recruiters will say...

Recruiters will tell you anything to get you hooked.....

OTR is a big culture shock and takes getting use to, not everyone can do this.

4wheelers are crazy so watch out.

Most people you meet will be nice to you if you are professional, dress neat, be polite and patient, I have only met a few that were plain *******s. Most people I meet talk to me and help me with anything I need.

Be courteous to other drivers even if they are not, people have bad days...

I don't suggest job hopping because even orientation goes on your dac as a job.

Don't mess with lot lizards, I saw a driver busted in Fl on time. The good looking ones are cops.....

Truckers give themselves a bad name. Don't litter, throwing piss bottles all over the country is b/s. There are trash cans at all rest areas, truck stops, shippers and receivers. You will benefit from the exercise walking to them.

Exercise. Stretch and at least walk a few days a week. Thats not much and you will feel a lot better. You have a 10 hr break everyday so time is not an issue everyday.

Get a frig and bring food with you. I eat at truck stops some but most of the time I have my own. Its cheaper and better for you than Wendy's and such..

Check the company you are interested in out here http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/safestat/safestatmain.asp the lower the score the better. Combine that with what you read here and on other websites as well as talking to actual drivers to make an informed decision. Don't do like I did and countless others, dive in blind. It was like diving in to freezing water, it took my breath.


I hope anyone considering trucking as a job will benefit from this post. It is a crazy business but very rewarding when you settle in with the right company. You will meet all kinds of people and see a whole lot of places and things a long the way. Just sit back, hang on and enjoy the ride.......

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::clap::clap::clap::c lap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

Your 2 cents was worth it:lol:. Nice post.

[geeshock]

good post, most I already was ready for when I came into the job, but the pay part, I almost sent me and my wife to the poor house the first 6 months. As you said, I just love the OTR lifestyle, but many don't. I had more hometime in the service than I have here and we went on 6 month deployments, 1 month workups b4 the deployment and many times we were in the va capes for a week at a time

[bentstrider]

I've never really asked for a whole lot, so the situation you described in the opening paragraph about the working conditions fit me like a keyhole.

But, then you got the princes and princesses that expect the world.

[Jackrabbit379]

I liked the post myself. Very true. It's sad that some guys here, come back and give their '2 cents worth', and the sad thing about it, is that it's true and from their own experience. Lesson learned..
OTR for some, it's what they want, and it's fitting. To some others, it's their worst nightmare. OTR has it's benefits, but also it can destroy marriages, make ya lonely, and makes time fly! Too fast!

[Jmurman]

Thanks for your post!

When you say that you left during orientation, what was it that made you pack and leave?

[Joey Shabadoo]

Originally Posted by eptp88

I got mad and quit a nice paying job for Schneider. Went to their school and stayed there 6 months. Nearly went to the poor house. 150.00 a week pay checks.

I tried May Trucking, another story

J.B. Hunt, Arrow and Link America.

Yea, I job hopped.

I found a job that is Monday to Friday, sleep in the truck sometimes but home a lot during the week and always on weekends. I make decent, no insurance

So the morale of the story here is to get used and abused by coolie carriers, nearly go to the poorhouse cashing $150.00/wk checks (for 70+ hours...what's that $1.00/hr?!?!?), job hop a bunch of times, and then maybe hit the trucking jackpot by landing a dream job with no health insurance!?!!?

Only reinforces my point that this industry blows. Smart people stay away.

[eptp88]

I left each company for different reasons. May told me I did not have to go out with a trainer which was true but they wanted me to ride with a driver for 3 weeks until we worked our way to Oregon. That's where my truck was located. He stunk and smoked like a chimney. When I asked to wait on someone more acceptable I was told now or never so I didn't go. J.B never issued me a truck. I was told to call everyday to check on one and for 3 weeks was told no trucks available. So I went to Arrow. That was just scary. 65 people in orientation and 64 had felonies, I think I was the only one without one. Also the first 10-15 guys who went for trucks were given bus tickets all over the country to pick up the abandoned trucks. Just seemed like a bad company to me, maybe not. I left Link for my current company. Link was not bad.

Yea most large companies blow. I work for one that has 10 trucks. They have insurance but kinda high to me maybe not. I worked 20 years with the state of Ga. so benefits there were ok. I love my job now. Joey Shabadoo you seem like a negative guy to me. One thing about OTR coolie carriers is the boredom at times. If you don't like yourself you don't have any other options in the truck and you probably don't even like you.... Just my opinion

[Joey Shabadoo]

Originally Posted by eptp88

they wanted me to ride with a driver for 3 weeks until we worked our way to Oregon. That's where my truck was located. He stunk and smoked like a chimney.

J.B never issued me a truck. I was told to call everyday to check on one and for 3 weeks was told no trucks available.

So I went to Arrow. That was just scary. 65 people in orientation and 64 had felonies

Also the first 10-15 guys who went for trucks were given bus tickets all over the country to pick up the abandoned trucks.

Joey Shabadoo you seem like a negative guy to me.

Negative, huh? Hahahah...I've just got to laugh. Everything you experienced is what I've written about over the years (and got banned for, mostly): trainers who don't bathe, 64 drivers in orientation had felonies, abandoned rigs, $150.00/wk paychecks, waiting 3 unpaid weeks for a truck, worthless bennies with high co-pays....the list goes on and on and on and on.

That's why I advise people to go to trade-school, medical, etc where the odds of finding a good-paying job with benefits where you can enjoy a life outside the truck are far higher. Stay away from coolie OTR trucking. Nothing but a dead-end losers job.

Are there some good trucking jobs out there? Sure, but you think private fleets, Wal-mart, LTL etc are gonna hire someone who job-hops around like that? Heck no!! So what do you do...put up with the stinky trainers and waiting 3 unpaid weeks for a truck and $150.00/wk paychecks for a year or two and pray you don't scuff a trailer so that your MVR/DAC is ruined in the hopes of landing a good job?!?!? That is, IF any of these top-flite companies are by a long-shot hiring in this economy? And when they do, they got a stack a mile high of applicants for one opening on the bottom of the seniority board?

Open your eyes and take a look around: this industry blows and it only gets worse with each passing year.

[millersod215]

EPTP88, who do u work for now if you don't mind my asking, I've went through the same BS as you have, maybe I've made up my own reasons in the past to leave companies, but I did what I thought was right. I've found a good home now with Pritchett Trucking out of Lake Butler, Fl, it's taken me a while to realize what makes me happy, 7 years to be exact, but I'm glad I've been through what I've been through, it makes me realize the important things in life now, and makes driving that much more enjoyable.