wow....i get back in, a little down time before bed, and it's right there on the table.

I have to say, some of what the old timer says is the gawd's honest truth... this profession at times does suck..... the pay sucks, the hours suck and the living conditions really suck.

First off, for the new drivers, financially, your first year is going to suck, face it. I would dare say for the most part, you're already in financial straights before you ever climb into the cab and now, you just signed your life away for the next year because some company paid for your schooling that lasted three or more weeks and you haven't earned the first buck yet. And if you bail (and odds are against you), you're going to be stuck with that bill. Meanwhile, momma and the kids are depleting the bank account with daily living expenses. During your training period you're going to be lucky if you make $300 - $400 GROSS per week. Take out the taxes, medical insurance, any advances you've made and YOUR living expenses while on the road and there ain't a whole lot left for momma and the kids. You're going to learn to love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cause if you eat out everyday, there goes more of you already tight money that momma and the kids aren't going to get.

Secondly, the hours suck. Your first week you may shut down at night, but by the second week, chances are you're going to be running team hours. You're going to run your ten and you're trainer is going to run his ten. You're going to have to get used to sleeping in a moving box really quick........with all that goes on with it.... the bumps, the jakes, the CB, and if you're really unlucky a trainer who can't carry a tune in a bucket with both hands, but thinks he's the next Elvis. And don't forget the stress, because there will be stress.........for the most part you're going to watch the sun rise and set before your day is done. Each day brings a new place with new challenges on roads and highways you've never been on before leading to places you're not familiar with in all kinda conditions. Here, you make mistakes and it can cost you your job or worse your life.... or the life of your trainer or someone else on the road.......yes... you're going to experience stress. This ain't school no more. This is the real world and you're in it. If the wheels ain't rolling you or the trainer aren't making any money. There are going to be times when you pick your next load up at midnight and hit the road when the only thing you want to do is crawl in the sack and shut your eyes. There are going to be times when you pull up to get your load and you wait... and wait... and wait......only to be told 4 hours later that it'll be tomorrow morning before you can get your load. Get used to it. If the company recruiter told you 3-4 weeks out, plan on 4-5... maybe even 6 if your load manager is a pecker head. Face it OTR, your first year, you're going to be lucky if you see your family 3 or 4 days per month.

As to the living conditions........well remember you're sharing an 8 by 10 walk in closet with another man. You're sharing a bathroom with a hundred other truckers, who aren't nearly as clean as you want them to be at some truck stop or rest stop and you're showering in some place that you don't even want to consider what is on the floors or walls (first rule... never touch any surface with bare skin). The first couple of days it's all exciting and new.... by the end of the week, one truck stop looks just like the last one your were in........one warehouse looks just like the last and the highway you're on is no different than the one your were on yesterday and the day before..... only the trees change. You hookup, you drive, you fuel, you eat, you drive some more, you sleep, you drive, you fuel, you eat, you unhook.... and then you start it all over again. Over and over and over again. Along the way, you'll deal with irate drivers, dock workers, shipping clerks, sales clerks, DOT officials, guards your load manager and a hundred other people who don't give a rat's ass about your problems, they have their own to deal with.

There's a damn good reason why the turn over rate in this industry is somewhere near 130%. I don't care how much research you do, how many drivers you talk to, how many forums you go too, or how tough you think it's going to be.....as a new driver right out of the chute, you haven't got a clue.........none of us did. It's something that too really understand you have to experience it.

So why does anybody do it...........simple. Because you want too or you have too. For some... it's the only option. It does get better after the first year...........as you learn the ropes..... as you get accustomed to the challenges and get some confidence.......it's not easy that's for damn sure. It, like everything else has it's draw backs.......but it also has it's advantages. If you're an independent type person who can meet difficulties with a head on your shoulders and work things out without having someone to tell you what to do.... you can make it in this business and make a fair living for yourself and your family. Like any job or profession now days, it all depends on you............nobody is going to make it easy for you or hand it to you on a silver platter.... it's up to you. If you're willing to work hard, work smart and put up with all the downside aspects of this job..........if you're able to stand on your own two feet, keep your head about you and put in your dues..... you can make it a fairly decent job. Your success depends entirely on you and the path you make. ..... Notice I said make............cause ain't nobody going to give it to you.

I, like Ardmore, do it because I want too..........not because I have to. I can stay at home if I want.... we could live off my wife's salary very easily and anything extra I bring in is just icing on the cake. I can just as easily sit at home and do the occasional contract design job and throw that money into the IRA or the stock portfolio.......our kids are all grown and out on their own........it's just us two and the cats....and although we enjoy each others company we also need our own space.

My first year was hell......I thought constantly, why the hell I was doing this.......my 4 weeks in training, although I had an old timer who pounded the professional aspects of everything about being driver into me, there were times he wanted to put me out on the side of the road and believe me there were times I wanted to get out..........looking back I couldn't have made it without his encouragement and understanding........and once I got out on my own, there were many times I had to say a silent thanks pops for being hard on me......for pushing me....hell... I can still see him seating there in the jump seat with the damn smirk on his face saying...."there's the hard way to do this job and there's the easy way to do this job... why in the world so many knuckleheads want to do it the hard way is beyond understanding....it's hard enough as it is, why be stupid."

The only thing I can say is something I used to tell my clients who wanted to renovate their house....... figure out how much it's going to cost you and how much time you think it'll take... and double it.... then you're getting close to reality...... well new drivers, figure out how much it's going to cost you in time, money and heartache...........and double it. Your first year or so... you're gonna make far less than what you think, it's going to take more time than you think and it's going to be harder than you think............on both you and your family. Ain't no guaranties, just opportunity.

Why the hell anybody would decide to get into this business I'll never understand......like the old timer said.... it just plain sucks at times...........but there ain't nothing like it and unless you do it, you ain't never gonna understand that statement.

My final opinion about this post ,
There are some of us who have no choice but to get into this industry .Especially if we have made mistakes when we was younger , prison etc etc .And if your man enough to start a family then you gotta do what you gotta do as a man to support your family,even if it means the o'lady breaks bad and leaves finds another man and starts filing for child support,.I would much rather feel proud of paying that child support for my kids driving a truck than be a dead beat father who has a chance at driving a truck but decides to believe he will be hired at a local factory etc etc knowing damn well the felonys or the past bad things prevents it from happining.Just as long if your trying is one thing.
Way i see it take all the mental stress and the possibilites of what might happen at home while gone and double it and develop a strong ambition to get you through your first year or 18 months of OTRDing,then once you have gotten the OTR experiance start spending time at home finding a local Class A truck driving position,iam pretty sure most familes who dosen't have issues with the spouses cheating on each other and have been together for a decent amount of time can make it a year and if a woman cannot wait 1 year while you are eating dollar general foods and sending her almost every dollar you earn then something was wrong from the start and it just wasn't ment to be.
And if this happens you can honestly say to yourself "i sure as hell tried" and still have that pride of earing that CDL and atleast working for a honest living.True love will conquer all and true love can sure as hell hold on for 1-2 years .On the other hand going OTR for a lifelong carrer with a family no matter how strong the love is another thing and i personally wouldn't do it or recomend it. Do it the smart way get the CDL get the experiance and i gurentee there are many local companys to drive for making decent money and home with your family everynight or every weekend, i see it all the time in the help wanted adds in the papers, and when you read those adds your like " damn if i only had a CDL and a little experiance".But like i said some of us have made mistakes when we were young and some with very little or no schooling and no skills ,there is nothing out there for these types of people to support yourself let alone a family , so you gotta do what you gotta do as a man !~

WolfMan~

I agree with the fast-food analogy, I never have understood the "would you like fries" option when discussing trucking........maybe I'm like a man from another time and just don't understand.

Where I do have a problem though...............as stated in the original post, this is just one mans opinion, right or wrong, he is entitles to it and one is entitled to disagree or agree............

I personally love this industry and couldn't think of anything I would rather be doing, that being said, Where I thought this post would be beneficial, is backed up by FACTS......

Fact #1:....the turnover rate in the "trucking industry" is at all time high, according to the ATA..........

Fact#2:.....daily, people who can least afford the $$$'s, enthusiastically enter the "trucking industry", with the hopes of improving their lives, spending their life-savings or going in debt for thousands of $$'s, to be trained to drive the "Big Rigs" over-the-road, only to find out in a short period of time, it's not what they envisioned and/or after expenses, amount of hours involved in driving on the road, is not anywhere near what they expected to make.............the sad part though, once they find out it's not for them, more times than not it's to late, they are STILL left with a tremendous debt to be paid off, or face financial ruin, all because of a misplaced dream of running over-the-roads.....or having a complete misconception of this industry.......these are FACTS, not hyperbole.

Fact#3:.....many trucking companies will gladly enroll the "Newbie" driver into what is commonly refered to as the "indentured Servitude" program, where in exchange for training, you drive for a given period of time for the training company at a rate that I personally find disgraceful and consider insulting.......if one decides that trucking is NOT for them before the time-period is up and leaves, they are STILL responsible for paying off the cost of that training.......sometimes amounting to thousands of $$$'s.

As far as "shot full of hole", that is debatable, it seems that more people than not agree with his position on certain parts of his opinion.......so maybe just maybe your statement has just been "shot full of holes" and as far as not worth reading.........just like today, I seem to remember the last time I posted this, you said the same thing.......yet, offer nothing to counter his point that would even remotely be considered substantive, constructive or authoritative.......just criticism, with nothing to back it up.

Your statement, sort of reminds me of politics these day between the "Republicans" and "Democrats"...............all the "Democrats" do is obstruct and criticize, yet offer nothing or anything that would even be considered a solutions...........criticize and kill the messenger is all they can offer........ :shock: :shock: :shock:

Karnajj, don't think I'm jumping on you, I actually respect and enjoy reading your opinions........just please back up what you are saying next time with facts or something used as a "bench mark" to compare it to.........that's all. :D :D

I read 90% of the posts... a few stick out... what I can say is this... as a newbie, there are a lot of companies that have walked me out the door because I have no OTR experience. Those same companies pay more per mile than the three companies that have pre-approved me. luckily for me, I can wait a little while and pick what I *think* is the best one, I might be wrong, I might make a mistake but it'll be the *best* one. My question is simple, if there is such high turn over in OTR then how come so many OTR companies turn down new drivers? Second, there are *good* P&D (peddle?) companies around where I live that want 1-3 years experience (!) - home nightly, work dock and drive, more years = more drive time (better routes, I guess). It's called a job because it's work, that's not too high level to understand. It (OTR) would be great if it was fun but I don't think it will be *fun* (paid to have fun - that would be cool). Negative/Positive attitudes... well, it's all here in these posts from drivers (hopefully not too many deadbeat trolls). I'll tell you one thing, thank you *real* truck drivers out there who take the time to post... you've helped me! By the way, even *bankers hours* have changed (and they are located at stores and malls now)... and how about old beat up sales men (me :-)... not too old... but I have buddies beat up at their jobs too. There's a lot of bit*chin and complaining about trucking companies (this website *REALLY* helps) and CAD adds tremendous valve to drivers and new drivers about companies to *avoid*... hello, no slander, just flat-out first person experiences are GREAT STUFF! ...again, thanks for the tips drivers.

Now what about advice for newbie regarding real world safety and hours? If I am at 10.45 drive hours and pull over to sleep/rest but I am 3 hours away from drop, will I get a phone call or email telling me to "drive on" or else? Believe it or not, I have asked this question during interviews and recruiters have tripped up... this is *not* a good sign. What does a newbie do? I'd say this newbie drives safe first. Can I expect getting blown out for not driving over hours? (no, I don't think so) (or actually terminated for insubordination (add *any* trumped up reason)). Add in the punitive false DAC report additions that are were documented on this site... any (well, most) comments appreciated.

Because their insurance companies won't accept new drivers due to the increased risk of liability. The drivers they already have ruined it for the drivers coming in. As far as insurance companies go, past performance indicates future results.

You might.

Then I suggest you sign on with a company that runs legal no matter what.

Again, it might happen.

i will definitely maintain my own journal that briefly documents conversations I have with my dispatcher/terminal manager. having something written down is a very powerful tool as apposed to saying to a judge "one day he said this, the other day she said that" I'll say "On Sept 12, 2006 John Doe, dispatcher, acknowledged I'm at my hour limit yet told me to drive on or else. He won't answer what the "or else" was but he was very upset. I told him I'll drive on ASAP when I am back in hours."

as far a driving safe - I'll be driving safe alright, I won't jeopardize my career, life or the life of others for a mad dispatcher or terminal manager.

regarding good or bad trucking companies, how many times have I heard "Foreign car brand A never breaks down, Domestic brand Z always breaks down" even though the stats might prove otherwise. My point is when one, two or three companies constantly have negative things said about them a newbie like me must stay away for fear of repeating another person's mistake. Sort of like "a wise man learns from others' mistakes" or something like that.

so basically, CAD rocks! and the real drivers that point out the good bad and ugly are much appreciated.

now if I can just find a OTR dedicated run, home every 3-4 days, that pays decent :-)

Ardomore... your points are right on the target. ... all but the Democrat one. :wink: :wink: ....just kidding, blinded democrats are just as bad as blinded republicans........issues, issues, issues...party lines be damned.

Driver2b... the Rev is right. It's an insurance thing.....actuaries know that inexperienced drivers are involved in more accidents than experienced drivers....accidents that involves trucks usually means deep pockets to most lawyers, that means lost revenue to trucking companies.

My first reaction is that if you run out of drive hours just 3 hours short of your drop point, you might want to rethink your trip-planning. You want to avoid those type of situations. Second, most time if you have a load manager who wants you to run over the limit, he's going to be talking to you on the phone (something that isn't on the record). It's handled pretty easily, just ask him..."If you're asking me to violate Federal DOT regs on the HOS and the company's official safety mission statement, please put it on the record and send me an Qualcomm message to that sort and I'll be more than happy to take it up with the Director of Safety. If he approves it with a confirmation Qualcomm message directing me to do just that .. no problem." A - the load manager isn't going to send you any such message, (Qualcomm traffic is kept on file for 5 years per FDOT regs) it is admissible in any court case and is one of the first place investigators will start looking, along with your logs. The load manager is in, most cases, trying to clean up some mess he made.........at your risk. Remember this for future reference......"Piss poor planning on management's part does not constitute an emergency on your part." B - even if he's stupid enough to send you the message.....I seriously doubt the Safety Director is going to buy into it......chances are he's not that stupid.

Like Rev. says.... it could happen. But why let it get to that point. Remember, you're a new driver.......the company will try and get away with anything they can with you as long as it increases their bottom line .......but let's say you're trying to prove your self with the company.... you pick up on time, you delivery on time, you take even the crappy loads when they come up (remembering the $100 bucks you made net on the short run is still $100 bucks more than you had by just sitting waiting for the next "sweat" load). You prove yourself to your load manager. It's in his best interest to not screw you with trumped up accusations, it's in the best interest of the company to not have to bring someone else on board. New hires cost money.......it's a money thing.

It's my opinion, and with that and $1.29 I can get a large coffee at the Stop N Go, new drivers would far better off worrying about what they can do to prove to the company that they're busting their asses off to learn enough to be valuable assets to the company. Hauling freight is a competitive business, every new driver is a deduction from the revenue stream. While you're in training... it's lost revenue and a decreased ROI in equipment. Even once you get your own rig, it's still a decreased revenue stream while you're learning....and you're going to be learning for the next decade. The more proficient you are at your profession, the more profit they make. The more proficient you are at your profession, the more net profit you make as a driver.

The bottom line.......make yourself as valuable as you can to the company and the odds that they are going to screw you are minimized. It's all about business. Granted in the world today, of "me" attitudes, that's an old concept.........but it works.

"might want to rethink your trip-planning"

nope, all have told me they provide directions to businesses or drop yards (whatever), all have gps and other electronic tools... unless it's weather or mechanical related... we're not reinventing the wheel here.

if I said *all* OTR companies have walked me then I meant to say many or most OTR companies because of lack of experience. of course there some OTR's that take on newbies and they appear on the surface to be straight shooters... so, we'll see... soon enough.

my humble advice to a newbie is read as much as you can take, ask the questions and make your choice. unless you have real bad luck you have to be right 1 out of 3... just bear in mind that there are many more OTR's... keep looking. Don't settle. That's what I tell myself.

"would far better off worrying about what they can do to prove to the company that they're busting their asses off to learn enough to be valuable assets to the company."

this raises eyebrows and your post brags a few questions but additional questions would be off topic so I'll stop.

by the way Thank You. this:
..."If you're asking me to violate Federal DOT regs on the HOS and the company's official safety mission statement, please put it on the record and send me an Qualcomm message to that sort and I'll be more than happy to take it up with the Director of Safety. If he approves it with a confirmation Qualcomm message directing me to do just that .. no problem."

...is perfect!

Whoa..... are you in for a big surprise. More times than not your directions from your dispatcher are going to be wrong or confusing at the least. Get you a new copy of the Driver's Atlas... learn how to use it......if you're not checking out each and every direction given to you to confirm the route, you are most likely to find that you're wasting a lot of time. Time is money. The GPS is part of the Qualcomm transponder..... it's for the company's use to track your movement, time and vehicle conditions.........not for you to view a map.......Hell, is there any training company out there that provides drivers with a GPS way finding screen......maybe someone else can add some input here...........as to the "other electronic tools"....... that's a vague statement that needs some more input from you..........what other tools are you talking about.

When you get your load assignment, you're going to get a pick up date, time and Consignor information, along with some routing directions that some dispatcher has taken off of map-quest or map2it (you'll learn how up to date and reliable those are), it's going to include some destination point with date, time and Consignee information. There is going to be some information as to the load... .type, weight, restrictions, etc. etc..

For the most part your delivery window is based on some table formula, taking into considerations, expected conditions, MPH's, large cities, etc., etc......and once you accept the load, it's up to you to make it work with your available hours. Nobody is hanging over your shoulder telling you how to do it............that's the trip planning I'm referring too......the first time you miss a date or time, because you had bad directions from the dispatcher, and you didn't confirm the directions, but blindly followed them..........your fleet manager isn't going to be too sympathetic.

Get into the habit of calling each new client your picking up at to confirm the local directions once you get into the destination town or city.......when you get to your destination, call the customer you're delivering to for their local directions. Like many drivers here, I can't count on both hands and feet the number of times, I was given a time slot only to find the front gates locked, or that the original directions were to some location that the customer used to be at..........or my favorite, on some road behind the plant where the truck gate used to be...................

If you can afford it... get you a good cell phone with a nation wide roaming plan. Get you a laptop with a good mapping program that you can get updates on regularly.... or better yet, a wireless NIC card and satilite ISP provider where you can get Internet access along most of the major corridors. The Internet is a great source of information.

Driver2b......if you're going to rely on the dispatcher's directions as gospel..... I think you'll find very few drivers out on the road who don't think you're in for some hard lessons learned.

cell phone with roaming plus package, check; tomtom.com GPS, check; truckers road atlas, check; truck stop/plaza guide, check. cb, check. I don't know what else I can do except hope that I do not make a mistake and join a company with Mr Wacko safety manager who moonlights as a dispatcher for extra cash (just kidding)... seriously, I'm not risking my life, career or another motorists life to make the drop on time. and if somebody says "you won't last in this business" then I'd suggest they refer to all the DAC horror stories of guys and gals getting hurt by trucking companies for reasons that appear in their control, like saying "no, I won't go until I have rested". I think there's a trade-off here, safety verse on time and I know my choice.

I know many OTR drivers who deeply regret missing out on their children's best years. They all say they'd do it differently if they could turn back the clock and have another go.

Like the man said, OTR is a lifestyle. That's a nice way of saying that you eat, sleep, live and breathe in the big truck day in/day out - sometimes for weeks on end. Just not my cup o' tea as I prefer to have a life outside of and away from the truck. And now that I'm local, I work to live instead of living to work. I bring home just as much bacon as I did runnin' the road, plus I'm home everynight with weekends/holidays off. Ocasionally, I'll hitch up to a set of doubles just for $hits and giggles. But for the most part, I've hung up my OTR spurs for good.

Contrary to all the pissing/moaning on many of these sites, you can make top dollar AND keep them homefires burnin' in this biz. You've just got to figure a way to run LESS miles for MORE $$$. Not the other way around, like so many of these morons do.

Driver2b... sounds like your good to go......as you said SAFETY first in all things, if you're tired take a break....if you're fatigued an hour power nap works wonders, if there's ice on the road, you may have to put on the iron, if you're not comfortable with the conditions..... pull off...........later is always better than not at all. Ain't no load worth your life or anybody else's.

Frosty....you got that right. After 18 months I had my fill of OTR and I was still in the learning curve. Now I've got something that's a piece of cake, 3 - 4 trips per week, I get to sleep every night in my own bed and 3 - 4 days off per week....it's not making me rich, but then I didn't have to work when I went OTR either. No benefits, just straight fee per trip. Gives me something to do, helps out some friends who have a start up company and still allows me time to fish and play some golf. But even that may come to an end. My friends have been discussing putting myself or the other flex driver on a full time status. I've told them if they need a full time driver to give it to the other driver, he's younger, has a family, he needs it more than I do.... besides the last thing I want to do is being in a truck full time again.

Sitting here today, reading postings and putting in my two cents worth, I got a call from a local construction company that I had to worked with in the past on some design projects. They asked if I might be interested in a Sr. Project Manger position, no traveling, company truck, expense account and a very nice salary.........retirement ain't all you think it's going to be...... boring, is the word I'm thinking of. We'll see what comes of it on Thursday.

Anyways, I wish nothing but the best for those of you who are just getting into this business and the ones already out there, may you get whatever you're willing to bust your ass for. The business does suck in more ways than one......and still there ain't nothing like it. Be safe, be smart, be professional.

Well... I just read this whole thread for the first time (been gone OTR!)

I can't remember who said what that I wanted to "debate," so I'll just make a few general points. Take it for what it's worth - I'm no expert and haven't been driving my whole life.

1) AFF: It's too late now, but if you wanted to bring this post up every few months for the newbies, you COULD have found the original post yourself and BUMPED it. Then, we'd have ALL the responses in one place.

2) I think the original author clarified HIS position fairly well while just trying to point out ALL THE NEGATIVES of the business. Too bad he forgot to mention any GOOD points.

3) I guess I am also an exception to the rule. I'm not a young buck anymore, but I'm not married and have no family to consider. Doesn't mean I don't know a bit about it.

4) The problem with the job is not so much the work conditions, but the WORKERS. Americans have gotten TOO soft. No one wants to WORK anymore, or be away from Mama & the Rugrats. Based on what I read here, I expect in 20 years people will be turning down a million dollar job with all the bennies AND hometime, just because they MIGHT get dirty!

5) Reading all the whining here about hometime issues, backs up my point that, like in Israel and other countries, Americans would be well served by instituting a "mandatory" 2-4 year term in the Military for all persons after High School or College. You learn to break the apron strings, put up with inferior superiors, and what "commitment" to a job means. All you people trying to divide your income by every hour you are in the truck, should look at what that means we are paying our military. Yet, people gladly make a career out of that!

6) More marriages have broken up because a travelling salesman gets to party in a hotel lounge every night with all the local ladies and a bed available, expense account, etc., than because some trucker gets to sleep by himself in the berth on the side of the road.

7) Not ALL OTR jobs require weeks on the road with only a day or two off. If fewer newbies would sign on with these companies, their policies would change - immediately! And WHY must ALL of you want to drive SOLO? Being alone all the time is NOT healthy. Look into TEAM driving! I go coast to coast every week and get home every week for 2 days or more! The miles are great AND reliable! IMHO EVERY truck on the road should be a team operation. Freight would move faster, and there'd be less turnover due to more hometime!

Eight) I know at least WERNER is dying for people to drive a dedicated OTR run getting you home regularly AND getting the necessary OTR experience. Most of you don't give a dang about where you go anyway, so why not go to the same places day after day (boring) and get HOME??

9) REGIONAL companies count as OTR experience, and you get home more often than long haul, probably plenty of time to fight with the wife and kids!

10) If you want a local job driving a dump or whatever, you just MAY have to pay your dues in OTR for a year or so. Suck it up and DO it! If that's too hard to do, stay out of trucking! But, if you do it, and it's not too late for YOU, it MIGHT make a Man out of you. (see 4 & 5 above.) The Holy Grail don't come knocking on your door - you have to make the journey!

11) If you can't follow directions, and get lost all the time, it's obvious you've never been out of your little neck of the woods and it's probably too late for you to learn. You should have planned your LIFE better! Besides, you'll probably have problems dealing with people from other cultures, too.

12) If you think every road looks the same, and only the trees change, I feel sorry for you. You have no appreciation for the beauty of God's creation, and no interest in broadening your horizons. Stay home and stare at the walls of your cubicle, or screw a part onto another part on an assembly line 8 hours a day! And take your boring self home to Mama every night, sit in your favorite chair, and play with the remote control.

13) If, like one of my recent co-drivers, you think 10 hours is a LONG day.... stay out of trucking!

14) Same goes for if you're scared to death of "catching" something from a public toilet seat or shower. And stay away from public beaches!

15) If you get into trucking because it was a lifelong "dream," and don't do the research necessary to know what you're in for, you need to WAKE UP, and try making decisions when your eyes are OPEN.

Driving a truck is the easiest, most profitable job I've ever had. But, then, I screwed up and blew my chance at a college degree. Maybe not if you insist on dividing your paycheck by 24 hours a day, but that's ridiculous! My paycheck is BIGGER! That means bills paid, stress relieved, and self esteem.

Of course, I didn't have trouble passing a driving test when I was 16. I don't need a compass to tell me which way I'm heading. I eat BETTER at a truckstop buffet (or other places) than I do at home because I hate to cook. I don't have a problem subtracting 11 from 14. I'm not afraid of the dark or the unknown. And I don't get upset everytime something doesn't go as planned.

So... I guess I'm the EXCEPTION to the rule! In the Old West, there were farmers, storekeepers and cowboys. The first two should NEVER try trucking! Unless, of course, they feel they were miscast in life. A cowboy could sleep on the ground (even if rocky) be away from civilization for weeks, and knew that the cows didn't know what a timeclock was! If you ain't got no Cowboy in you, or can't suck it up and be one for a year or so to get that "cushy" local job, YOU will be part of the turnover rate.

Like I tell all the 4wheelers everyday (and the trucks governed WAY below the speed limit) LEAD, FOLLOW, or GET OUT OF MY WAY! I've got a job to do!

My favorite movie line was Tom Hanks in "A League Of Their Own," There's no CRYING in Baseball! IMHO, same goes for Trucking!
This ain't a job for WIMPS.

"golfhobo"..... You the man!!

I couldn't have said it better!!! :D I agree with 100% of what you said!! :D

Golfhobo, Skywalker

Thank you for your positive input. Funny thing about those who whine and complain is that they are not looking to do something else. And then there are those like this writer that complain but say I love it and would not do anything else.

No job is easy! Work never is and if it is too easy it is boring.

One thing my husband will be able to do is listen to ALL his football games this season! He is a big football fan and I am not. On the road he will have his Sirius hooked up.

He has a friend that is in trucking that said he is happier than pig in slop driving his truck. He went back into after he quit the company that both he and my husband worked for. He said it is far easier and less garbage to deal with and better money. Maybe these guys should go to that company and work at those jobs for a while. They would be singing a different tune about trucking.

So I am glad to hear that not everyone is so negative out there.

If these people hate their job so much they should quit and find something else instead of the continued complaining and whining about the industry.

Goin Fer It's Wife

I guess you are missing a whole point of this topic! :roll:
There is two sides, to every story, so the guy simply wanted to show you, not the bright one.
Has nothing to do with whining!
Whining, usualy starts, when you encounter someting, you were not ready to! :wink:

That is the point two sides and there was nothing positive at all. It was a very unbalanced piece put out to discourage newbies.

Goin Fer It's Wife

so......
 

So....... as I start this proffession should I look at "ATTITUDE" as being a major player here? Seems thats what I'm reading? Not to worry, I got a good one of them

Thanks

Re: so......
 

ATTITUDE !! is an extremely important part of this business. If you got a good one, you will succeed, if its a bad one or piss poor to say the least, you will fail miserably.

Sorry, Solo, but the day hasn't dawned where I missed seeing BOTH sides to a story! I'm a "centrist." I NEVER make an assumption or voice an opinion without considering both sides of the coin.

AFF posted this "diatribe" several time now, I'm sure with a pure heart just trying to help the newbies know what to expect. But, although the author SAYS he, himself, loves trucking, he is assuming that he knows what the outcome will be for ANY family man/woman who chooses trucking.... based, I believe, on what someone ELSE told him!

I guess I'm alot like this man. I have no family and am free to "suffer" whatever I want. But, I've BEEN married, and I know a little about what makes a marriage work (and more than some of you about what makes one fail.) And the number ONE killer is discontent! And the number ONE factor in a Man's self esteem is his JOB (or position in life.) Family life comes second, at best. [my father is a minister and has counseled MANY people about this. I've learned from HIS stories about others. And I trust HIS stories more than the one offered by this author.] And, of course, I have known my share of divorcees of both sexes.

This man, who says HE loves trucking, has taken the word of a few malcontents who didn't know how to manage their lives, and reported it as GOSPEL! Do you know the meaning of the word? I certainly do. And he is NOT a prophet! I'm sure he meant well, but he knew LITTLE of what he spoke!

I have NO problem with AFF or anyone else posting their own experiences about how trucking has ruined their life (although, I don't SEE that as it concerns AFF,) but I DO have a problem with people "warning" away the newbies who come here with horror stories that just might not apply to them!

If you've read MY posts, you will see that I have NO compuntion about telling WIMPS to stay away. I don't want them on my roads or blocking my way out of a parking lot. But, I won't tell a man/woman that this is NOT a good profession to enter, if he/she has the WILL, and an open mind.

As I said in another post, I believe MANY good men/women have taken the "easy" route into "computer jobs" because someone led them by the nosering. Many of them actually had to STUDY hard to get the math right! I doubt most of them "dreamed" as a child that they would sit in a cubicle and crunch numbers for a living! Others "drifted" into factory jobs, because that was what people DID in their small towns. And having NEVER BEEN anywhere else, they knew of nothing else!

These people have JUST as many "issues" with their marriages, and just as many divorces. Most of them end up paying child support instead of raising their children! The real TRUTH is, that the American family is in distress! You think trucking is gonna make that worse??

My contention is that IF a man/woman has a LITTLE bit of guts, and some independant thinking, and wants to know what "metal" they are made of... trucking is a good way to find out. And it pays BETTER than the average income. IT has its' downsides, and someone should point them out realistically, but this ChickenLittle "sky is falling" attitude has NO place on this forum.

Maybe CAD should make another subforum for "naysayers." Or a "sticky" about the downsides. I'm sure everyone will appreciate it. But, I suspect that newbies coming here are not SO naive as to believe this career doesn't have SOME family implications. Give the newbie some credit. They (should) know what will work for their family. And if they don't, they should be allowed to make their OWN mistakes. They can always get OUT of trucking if it's not for them. But, if we discourage them to the point that they never get IN, then we haven't done our job.

Not everyone in this world has a negative attitude about life. If they come here thinking that trucking is like first class passage on the Queen Mary, yes... they need to be set straight. But, if they come here after some introspection about who and what they are, and what they want, they should be given encouragement. Told the truth, yes. But, given encouragement.

Now... all of that is just MY opinion! But, at least it comes from personal experience, and I'll sign my NAME to it. AFF, (no offense Josh) sits there and posts this stuff while driving part-time in his retirement, on a CDL that he discourages others from getting, and sipping his mint juleps. Because he made his money from SALES, he forgets to mention how much money his CDL has contributed to his "retired" lifestyle.

Like my father keeps reminding me, my CDL is my "meal ticket." It doesn't really matter what I do with it right NOW. Just HAVING it, ensures that I will NEVER stand in an unemployment line again! Some of the people coming to this forum are facing JUST that, because of jobs being shipped overseas and other economic factors. Driving a truck may not be the BEST thing for their family, but I'll bet it beats being UNEMPLOYED!

If anyone on here thinks that being unemployed, but home with the kids, is better than bringing home a good paycheck after being gone for a week or two, you need to get that silver spoon out of your mouth! It's clouding your vision.

That's it. I'm done for now. Soapbox is open.

Hobo

I thought I would handle being gone so much and for so long without much trouble.

BOY WAS I WRONG!!

The first two months just about did me in and the first time I was out for two weeks had me preparing to quit when I got home.

After talking with my boss, he simply said keep trying. Things are much better now.

I have an excellent boss who is patient and gave a greenhorn a chance :D .

I have worked through most of the issues and my wife is very supportive as well as many friends who truck and do not.

I now enjoy trucking and love the freedom. I get to drive nice equipment that is well maintained.

If I ask to get home for a weekend or need to get back for something with a couple of weeks notice I get home as long as I do my part.

I am very fortunate when I see what other drivers deal with.

Until you get out there alone and do it you can't understand it fully. It's that simple.

I know i shouldnt chime in here, but i just would like to add:

While everyone has certain circumstances in life, be it unemployed, job downsizing, boredom, or looking for something new. DESPERATION !! can kill a good idea long before its started.

I know many folks have gotten desperate for income and turned to trucking, only to fail 60 days down the road, get homesick, significant other back at home not able to handle the situation of the other being gone etc; etc..

In turn, the cause of the failure. no matter what the real issue was or is, tends to get turned around back onto the company equipment, or overall industry in general. One needs to take responsibility for their predicament, actions, and problems, be they good or bad.

Much research before jumping in and grabbing the bull by the horns should be a given.. or not.

Desperation makes one do crazy thing, sometimes not thinking straight.

Remember people, pursuing a job in this industry is a three way street, yourself, think about what your getting into, Your partner in life, (Spouse, Grilfriend/boyfriend, Children, And your prospective employer.

with support on the homefront for what your trying to accomplish, dedication to doing a good job, a positive attitude and a respect for the general motoring public anything is possible and you can succeed out here.

think about your situation before jumping in, dont do it out of desperation that only makes things worse if they are destined to be bad to begin with.

this business is totally compatable with a family life at home. but you have to be the one to manage that along with your loved ones taking care of things at home.

My wife doesnt go out on the road with me, but she loves the job, the money it brings in, the stability and the health benefit packages, she handles the bills and the kids and the house, cause she knows i cant do those things out there. she knows that i cant be stressed about them things at home while i am doing the job. she understands what a "safety issue" is, and what can cause it. we have no trust issues in our marriage or life, i guess thats a important area to be sure doesnt have problems. she never worries, nor do i.

take all them things into consideration before jumping in.

I hope this helps a few of the new operators out there feel better about getting in this field.

Its all starts at home folks. if its bad at home, it will be far worse out here.

Well, i've never thought about it as a job! :roll:
Cause for the last 32 years, my job, was delivering freight, from points A to Z! :D
I admire your passion, but that's beside the point.
I believe, we all here, just trying to provide an info, hard cold facts!
And if that will discourage somebody, too bad! May be this job is not for them after all! :o

If it is, then I would like to know where my paycheck is, and would like to file a workman's comp claim. :lol:

I would like to add to driver2b that ANY company that "requres" you to operate illegally is probably a job that you don't want. If you do get fired for REFUSING to operate illegaly then you are protected by OSHA. If you operate illegally and are still fired you are not protected.

Exactly, I agree 100%.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Leave it to YOU two guys to point out my ONLY stupid statement! :oops:

You're right. WE are NOT recruiters here! We should tell BOTH sides of the story. But, my point is that we are here to answer questions from Newbies who are allready considering trucking as a job.

Give them a little credit for knowing what will affect their families. We are here to answer questions.... NOT to tell them ghost stories... or what to do with their lives!

I did SAY that a 'sticky' would be acceptable listing all the downsides of trucking.

It just seems a little disingenous to me for someone like AFF, who lives luxuriously off the proceeds of his CDL, and works at his pleasure, to give countenence to a naysayer from another board concerning the good or bad of trucking.

If we're gonna buy into this crap, why don't we just come out and say it? If you're married, you have NO RIGHT to be a trucker! This is a job for "SingleMan!" :lol:

I suppose that would make the decision a little easier for some of the newbies!

But, it's not that simple, is it??? And so, I don't feel that this "immigrant post" has any place on this forum! They say that "immitation is the greatest form of appreciation" (or whatever!) I say that, if you've got an opinion, let's hear it. If you don't, don't give me some pablum you copied off another forum!

My name is GolfHobo, and I approved this message! :lol:

Many valid points have been made...on both sides of the coin so to speak.

The biggest thing that "rankles" me...is not the message, but how its delivered. There are ways to say things, and then there are ways to say things. The truth is the most important thing going.... and it needs to be told.

On the other hand...twisted truth or half-truths, along with questionable speculative and lopsided claims are absolutely worhtless...in fact less than worthless.

No, we aren't "recruiters"....so we have the luxury of telling the truth, and can do so without fear of recrimination on this site and others. I just think that telling the truth in a non-offensive and non-obnoxious way is far better than repeatedly posting "Shuffler's" thesis.

Like golfhobo....I have few of the cares or worries that others have. I have a wife, and am fortunate that I have the wife that I have. I do this job and she deals with it, and has often gone on the road with me. I like many others do not suffer the travails that others do.

I guess what I am saying is: Lets not be guilty of trying to jam large round pegs into small square openings... and if we can't manage to do that, maybe the moderators can resolve the problem.

Ok my turn..(as a newbie fresh out of school)

I worked for 11 dollars an hr as a pig sticker for almost 10 years. That amount of money is outstanding for this area (Minot, ND). It supported the purchasing of many things for my wife of 15 years and 2 kids. A house, cars, blah blah.. Anyway, I NEVER and when I say never I don't mean "I hate them cus they were mean to me so am going to trash talk them here never" I mean NEVER was able to take time off to see a ball game or a play or anything else that was important to me and mine unless it was at a time when I was off anyway. In fact my second was born at 3am I was told to be at work by 6am if I still wanted my job.
That is when I finally left. I went back to cooking. I took a major paycut and was unable to keep up with bills. But I was home more, had the time off when I needed it and the kids loved it. Until we started running low on funds.. No more camping, vacations, Wife had to take a second job, blah blah..
I am going into driving BECAUSE of my family not in spite of them. I know exactly what I am getting into and so do they. Driving will increase my revenue by 3 times. Driving will allow myself and my kids time to spend together more one on one (ride alongs) w/o anyone interrupting.
Jobs today offer one or the other..Time at home or good pay..If it's time at home it is very little and too tiring trying to squeeze it all in.
If it is good pay then it is high stress and heavy workloads.
Either way EVERY family has to make decisions on where they want to be and what they want to do. If your family bond is strong than it doesn't matter either way. If your bond is stong enough then kids or not GO FOR IT!! It might be fun it might not either way you give it a shot otherwise you just lay down and die!!


Bill

I think OTR sucks! I am as green as it gets and OTR sucks! Of course I was running with the Paperless Logs Gang which doesn't help. I call you OTR guys/gals Road Dogs! I actually saw several road dogs walking on highways in the middle of the friggin' morning (night) and that's when I realized I was a road dog too. Life in a truck stop? Showers every 3-4 days at Petro? After 45 days I am an expert and I am NOT OTR material. A wimp?... hardly, but the Paperless Logs Gang did me in... I'll survive... I'll find a company that respects its drivers... I hope.

You really have a nasty attitude and maybe should think about not driving. This is not a profession for everyone and for the ones that aren't happy just makes it all that much harder for the ones that really would like to make a decent living and be treated decently also. This is a job that only you can make the most of. I have seen you reply to a few subjects tonight and have not seen one nice thing you have said. The attitude you have should really be checked at the door.

this is a message board, a chat board on the Internet... there's no right or wrong answer... just my lowly opinion. I respect drivers... but does the paperless log gang respect drivers? With your attitude you'll do fine...

You can't do that two full time food job thing here. minumum wage is 5.15.

Amen, nobody could have said it better!!
 

Nothing else to say.

billnliz wrote:


I completely agree with Bill. If you and your family can do it,then power to ya. I would rather miss a few things than to see my wife and kids go without. I've got a 13yr old daughter that needs $5,000.00 worth of mouth hardware and I'm going to make sure she get's it. Have two more daughter's that will also need and want things.
Life is all about family and sometimes you have to do what you think is best for you and your family. JMHO.

I call BS! If you live in a place with an anemic ecomony perhaps. Here on the left coast there is plenty of local work for noobs.

If you're young and single OTR can be an interesting trip for a year or two (see kona911s blog) but as a career it sucks.

Best reply to this RANT!!!!

[quote="Ardmore Farms Forever
BYW................I bet if we were to take a survey, maybe 95% of the people on this board would have NO idea what a "Blivit" is.............I laughed my butt off when I saw that.........that was my dad's favorite expression when he was alive.

quote]

1 result for: Blivit
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | the Web

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source bliv?it (blvt) Pronunciation Key
n. Slan.
Something annoying or pointless.
Something difficult or impossible to name.

My 2 Cents Worth
 

Well I just finished reading every post and I must say I got some usefull pieces of info I cant coment on what its like on the road because I aint out there yet I leave the 22nd for my company I am going into trucking for 2 reasons its somethimg I have always wanted to do and minimum wage just dont pay the bills......I read where a few said trucking was a thankles job well if you truly want to experience a thankless job that barley pays u anything try being a carnie wanna talk about long hours and hard work thats it. I figure if I can survive that I can survive the road. Another thing everyone keeps calling this a job well I am going to quote someone because I belive what was said completely Trucking isnt a job its a lifestyle GolfHobo I agree with everyone of your posts now granted I am as green as they come fresh out of school and yes I relize I have a whole hell of alot to learn about being a trucker but you know what I am looking forward to every second of it be good or bad...As with everything else in life you half to take the good with the bad... Every proffession comes with its ups and downs but if you think about other than or armed forces cops and firefighters our proffession is one of the most immportant out there we are the back bone of america if it wasnt for truckers nobody whould have anything and if you ask me truckers dont get enough respect on or off the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just my 2 Cents

Eating right and working out.... is a life style...

Being GAY ..is a life style....

an open marriage .....is a life style....

smoking crack and turning tricks to support your habit ...is a life style...

...DRIVING A TRUCK FOR A LARGE MOTOR CARRIER....IS A DAMN JOB...not an F-N LIFE STYLE...
WHO EVER DECIDED TO WRITE OFF THE POOR PAY..POOR LIVING CONDITIONS...EXPERIENCED ON THE ROAD ..AS A LIFE STYLE ...MAY BE PAR- TAKING IN THE SMOKING CRACK LIFE STYLE ..OR METH... :wink:

Questions
 

Hello everyone. I'm very new on deciding if trucking is for me. I?ve read all the posts and I'm trying not to go into this blind. Well after reading these posts some seem that now matter what you will be blind. LOL It?s only been this last maybe 3 days that I have started to look into this career. Let me tell you a little about my back ground. I'm 44 years old. I spent 21 years in the Air Force, went to desert shield/storm for a little over 5 months. But other then that it was only a week here of a week there maybe an additional 2 months total away from home. This is something that I thought of doing. So here are some of my questions. The more different people's response I get a better look. I know there are variables in every situation just try and give me a good average. I hate looking over the propaganda brogues the companies give our. After hearing what different recruiter told guys under me they can almost polish a turd and make it look good. LOL I've learned to as the professionals not the guys that have money to gain on your behalf. Thanks for your time and help and if you can list them by the same number. Thanks

1. How many miles and a good, bad, and average week do you drive? I figure with the weight and the hills (small or large) and traffic. It seems in a car when you try to run lets say 65 MPH it does not average that. It is normally less.
2. I know they will teach me about the truck, laws, and books but one I just like clarified and that is I found this on the internet so I just want to double check it with you guys. It goes with question one. Here is the link and it is under the HOURS-OF-SERVICE RULES. http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...s/hos-2005.htm is this what the companies are suppose to use? I use the word SUPPOSE very loose. I know drive2b ask a question a long these lines. What do they mean by coming on duty and when does that start. I don?t understand the 60/70 hours on duty 7/8 consecutive days. All the other rules in this are cut and dry but this gives you a 10 hour and 1 day window.
3. What do you get inside the truck? I know what the brogue says. You get a castle. LOL Now reality is it like microwave, TV, and other plus for downtime, or do you have to by that yourself and have that installed.
4. What are some of the common questions in the business that one needs to ask? I will more then likely go with the company?s school route. It is not like I can?t afford it. Why pay for it when in a since you get it for free. If I found out that it just isn?t for me I can pay it off and move on with my life. It is not that I have to drive to survive. It is because I want too. I know one is when will this, debt, loan, or credit be paid off so I?m free to move or just leave the business if I choose 6 months, 1 or 2 years. LOL
5. I?m looking into flat bed school. Maverick company looks good so far BUT what is their angle I?m missing or is there one? They say you get more CMP then at other companies and some I have looked at is $.25 to $.28 for student drivers Maverick?s is depending on division, you?ll
start out earning between $.34 and $.35 cents per mile. Sounds like the bait and switch routine. LOL Is there someone that went to Maverick?s company under the student driver program that can help plus other truckers thoughts.
6. I live in Goldsboro NC about 25 miles east on US-70 from I-95 how do they get you home time? Is it I can drive the truck home. Does the company have to have a hub (not sure about the name the military uses base/post/port) close and your time starts from there. If they don?t have a hub close what happens? Are they required by law to bases you out of the closes hub no mater what or whose?
I?m going to tell you the truth home time, money and having a career you enjoy are important to me. I?m not 21ish with a new girlfriend or wife with/without kids my kids are 18 and 21. I do not need to party or stay running around after work. Most of the time after me and the wife get off work she is reading or quite time for her and I?m watching TV or on the computer. When I worked (right now trying full retirement and it is hard without losing some standard of living but can be done) we were working over time from 5 am to 3:30 pm MIG welding complete exhaust pipes and mufflers. You would weld anywhere from 100 to 300 complete parts. Looking for something less physical 10 hour days 5 days and one 8 hour day stretching, bending, lifting and holding a MIG gun all day long kind of physical. My last question

7. How does my last job compare with your trucking career? I?m not saying my job is tougher then your job or yours is tougher then mine anything like that. Just would like your honest view. I?m just trying to get a good feel to help with the decision making.
Thanks to all.