am I really a truck driver?

I get paid hourly. benefits vary depending on which company you get with (like anywhere else). of course if you have hazmat you can make more money. (if you learn to run a hot oiler truck you make killer money! but I'm not willing, lot of extra dangers involved on hot oiler. wussy little me is afraid of those.)
I dunno about "bunch of dumb farmer cowby drivers", and I probably better leave that comment alone.
I will say out here in 'hicks-ville', oil/gas field and grain hauling jobs make decent money, some have better benefits than others, and home nightly. sounds really cushy to me. I think I got lucky to get my foot in the door.
the draw backs, usually the equipment has "issues". don't be expecting a new, perfectly running truck. I like the idea of being close to base shop, easy to call in, or if having a problem can swing by during the day and let the mechanic look at it. and I've been told to not be so hard on myself about trucks going into shop for repairs, some of the roads to get to location, it just can't be helped.
I also like the smaller company, I feel like it makes it easy for me to ask questions since I am so new to this. (but I have nothing to compare to, this being my first driving job, so I dunno)
it is true most otr jobs do not consider local driving as experience. I don't think this is fair, but I can understand why. it is different, and local gets away with somethings long haul cannot. I can see where long haul and otr would not want to deal with the bad habits. (the company I'm with used to do both, but dropped their long haul division. I have enjoyed talking to owner about it.)
you get judged 'oil field trash', or 'dumb hick' by perfect strangers who don't even bother to talk to you just because you have oil on your shoes and dirt on your cloths when you get off work. stereo types for this job are worse than that for otr in my opinion. (tho I will admit, I know some drivers live up to the stereo types, you get that everywhere, any field of work)