Hello,

I have been considering truck driving lately and would like to know more about the lifestyle.

How much down time per day does your average trucker have when they are on the roads?
My passion in life is distance running, and in school it is definately easy to get a lot of miles in and compete, but college is driving me nuts and I don't know what in the hell I want to do. I enjoy driving, and often take my car for a cruise just to clear my mind.
I figure trucking would be hard work, but I am dedicated enough to get a run in if I had the extra 60-90 minutes in the day to do so. How realistic would this be?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

The thing about downtime is it varies; I've worked for companies that pay by the hour (i got 15.43 per hour) for every hour broke down. And i've worked for some companies that you have to pick them apart and fight for some breakdown pay.

The one that paid by the hour i only broke down once in 16 months and it was only for 2 hours.

If the company has newer and/or well maintained equipment, breakdowns should be pretty rare.

I'm into running too and i've been doing this long enough to know that you can probably squeeze an hour in. Not everyday though. For instance, if you have an urgent load. If i go back to OTR i will probably devote a half hour/hour or so to running.

What are you studying now? Getting your licence would be a good way to spend a semester off and you can earn money and think about what to do next.

Depends on the company you work for. This is just from my OTR experience and it might be different from others.

I worked for a company (Star Transport) that got you home every weekend or I really just should say they got you home once a week because I consider a weekend getting home Friday night and leaving Sunday night. You actually got home Saturday morning and had to leave Sunday afternoon so you really had no time on the weekends to do anything because you are either tired or getting your stuff packed and washed for the next week. During the week you had to run pretty hard Thursday and Friday, they are trying to get you somewhere so it's possible to get home. Monday and Tuesday your trying to get as many miles to prepare for Thursday and Friday. So getting home every weekend makes for a harder week, well it did for me.

I spent about 3 months with JB Hunt where I spent 3-4 weeks out and got 4 days off. It can get rough being out that long but the advantage is knowing you will have 4 whole days off. Most times they got you home the day before you were scheduled so it actually is 4 and half days off. I also like the fact that being out that long you don't have to run as hard because if you have a couple slow days you can it up thru the week. I also had more free time on the road to do the things I wanted to do and plenty of time to get places. You also didn't have that worry about running hard to get home so you did have some home time.

But as far as trying to plan things, it's a tough thing to do when you drive truck. Anything can happen and probably will happen. You have bad weather, mechanical failures, slow shippers and receivers that affect your schedule.

When you drive over the road, everything must revolve around your driving schedule. I would think that it would be difficult to find 60-90 minutes in one block of time to run. There are a couple of problems. Of course, time is the first obstacle. Your schedule can vary from day to day. Second is finding a place to run. It can be dangerous running around a truck stop parking lot. Getting away from the truck stop you may find it difficult to find a good place to park. I am not saying that you cannot run, but it may prove to be difficult, especially on a daily basis. There are those who find time to exercise daily in their truck. I have seen drivers who take weights with them and exercise alongside the truck. Some find ways to exercise in the truck. If it is something you want to do, you will probably find a way to either do it or compromise in some fashion. I would encourage you to stay in college and complete your degree. You will find it difficult to find a company who will hire you unless you are at least 23 years old. If you are stressed out at school, then perhaps you just need to take some time to get away for a week or two. Spring break should be coming up soon. I used to take classes during the breaks, when I was in college. You need those breaks to rest your mind. I got rather stressed out toward the end of my college time. The best thing to do is try to relax and enjoy college. If you are uncertain of your course of study, there are test most colleges have available that are free to enrolled students. They are called preferences tests. There is no pass of fail. You merely answer questions based upon your personal preferences. After you take the test, you are usually given a counselor with whom to discuss the results. You are told about some possible career options based upon your answers. It often helps give some direction to those who are not yet certain as to what they want to do. By the way, one of the tests is called The Strong Test. You can always drive a truck. Getting your education gives you options should you change your mind about driving. It will also give you a sense of accomplishment. Once you get your degree, you can go to driving school and drive a truck. If you don't like it then you have the option to do something else with your degree. You might think of a business degree with a concentration in Logistics, Management or Marketing. There are other things you can do in trucking besides drive. I know a number of college graduates, some with advanced degrees who now drive a truck. They got burned out at their previous profession and decided to do something totally different.

That is what I am considering. Some of us can't be chained to a cubicle and feel happy about our lot in life. The key for me is finding that balance between freedom and time at home.

A lot of people feel the same way as you, groovemachine. Finding the balance in this business is a constant challenge.

Well.... here's a thought. If you drive solo, and are not trying to get HOME every weekend, you can (hopefully) work for a company that lets you drive the "CrackAces" system. That is where you NEVER run out of hours on your 70 rule, by driving/working only 8.75 hours per day. (Or "averaging" that.)

That should give you about 15 hours a day off! (Way too much offtime, IMHO.) Surely you can find an hour or so to 'run' during that time.

Another, is this: Instead of driving 11 straight hours, you could "split log" and RUN during your two hour break, which you might want to take at a REST AREA. It should be safe to run near there. You just can't shower until you shut down later that evening.

But when you ask about how "realistic" it would be? Not very. Really. MOST companies will run you as much as possible, and sometimes more than legal. You will probably be lucky to get 8 hours off and log it as a 10 hour break. Assuming you want to shower every couple of days, and eat once a day, there might be very LITTLE time left for "distance running."

I will say this.... you might find that "running the open road" in a big rig will satisfy one aspect of your desire for the "long quiet run." And a simple 20 minute aerobic exercise program can duplicate the exercise part of it. I can pretty much assure you that ONLY a few "corporate" jobs, after graduation, will allow you to continue your passion.

But, most importantly, FINISH that degree program!! Take the tests as mentioned by GMAN, if you're not sure of your vocational calling. But, GET the degree! Then, if you want to try being a trucker.... have at it!

But, remember..... getting INTO trucking (for you) should be easy! But, getting OUT of it, for most of us, is nearly impossible!

Meditate, "grasshopper." Listen to the song of your heart. You can choose the path of least resistance... the "broad and well traveled path," or you can choose the "narrow and steep road" to the top of the mountain. You cannot do both! And you must SOON decide! And that decision will be THE most important one of your life!

Best of luck to you. Let us know what you decide.

Hobo