I hear truck drivers say they like the "freedom" of this job, or something like that. If you guys/gals agree with that, what freedom are you talking about? You have tons of regulations to comply with, HOS , DOT, safety regulations, etc. And if you are a co. driver, the co. monitors everything you do through the Qualcom, many times you have to put up with nasty dispatchers forcing you to do things and go places you would rather not do or go but you end up doing it for lack of better choice. So, can you tell me what this freedom mean in your opinion? Thx.

I have the freedom to stop when I choose. To sleep when I choose. To eat what I want when I want. I have the freedom to choose my route (of course I choose the 1 thats the fastest).

I listen to what I want when I want. If I want to call my family or friends I do that on the fly with my hands free cell phone. I can get online anywhere with my air card and surf the net or watch a movie or play games in my off time.

If I am layed over somewhere I can rent a car and go sight seeing.

I do not have a shop foreman scrutinizing my activities or my every move. I do not have to put up with inter office politics and the rumor mill that seems to run rampant in most jobs. I do not have to "punch a time clock" every day although I do have to fill out a logbook which is a reflection of my activities during the day.

As for tracking, so what? It is their truck, their trailer, and their freight. I look at it this way; I have easy access to dispatch 24/7. I have access to the company data base when it comes to directions. I also have an emergency button which can be activated in the event of a bad accident and help will be dispatched within minutes (even if there is no cell tower coverage) because it has a satellite uplink. The customers can check on my progress as can the boss.

For many veterans out there they remember the daily check calls and trying to find a pay phone and standing in the rain or the cold waiting for the dispatcher to pick up the phone. Info now a days is relayed via satellite which includes; Trip numbers, customer names, addresses, phone numbers, pick up numbers, scheduled pick up times and delivery times, and even directions and routing if needed. This is such a time saver as compared to the "old way" of doing things that I actually get more accomplished in a day than I used to.

When I wake up in the morning I am "at" the job site. No commute to get to work. I am paid to drive and thats what I do. So long as I pick up on time and deliver on time my employer leaves me alone. As long as I comply with state and federal regulations the bears and dot leave me alone.

As for going to different places so what? I enjoy the variety and challenges of going to different places. Going the same places day in and day out makes for complacency and boredom. Your paid to do a job so do it. I make great money because I have a good attitude and really enjoy what I do. Wether I am going to downtown Boston, Chicago, or New York city I do my job and collect my pay.

It all depends on your perspective regardless of what job you do. If you enjoy what you do and can get paid to do it then you need never work a day in your life!

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Knowledge is Power

What co. do you work for, jlkklj777? I guess it's not Werner...

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You're an example of when you do something you love to do, it's not work.

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The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so
- Mark Twain

I am employed with a small truckload carrier called Eastern Freightways based out of North Brunswick NJ, which is a subsidiary of NEMF. The folks I work for are not perfect but they are fair and have always treated me with respect. I accept their pay therefore I offer them my services as a professional driver. It is a give and take relationship in which neither takes advantage of the other and the result is mutual respect, understanding, and profitability for us both.

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Knowledge is Power

I agree with your perspective Mr. jlkklj777. Ron-Mars is right too. It took me a while to digest what you wrote and prepare my comments. Hopefully I did it right.

You sleep when you choose and still pick up and deliver on time and comply with HOS? How is that possible?

Being a veteran driver, you must know very well all restaurants out there, good ones, bad ones, cheap, expensive, what kind of food they serve, so on and so forth. I bet it took you a while to learn where they are. As a poor vegetarian rookie, I'll be very limited in that regard.


I guess you must know the US. road map by heart.

Well, if you make great money, and have enough time and energy, why not? Better than sitting at a hotel waiting.

If only there were no HOS regulations... and one could manage his/her hours according to their needs, the job would be less stressful and more enjoyable.

I was 19 days on the road with trainers. There was no time to eat, to relax, to shower, to stop at Walmart and buy something, or anything. It was always, rush, rush, rush. But who am I, still a student.

Too many regulations...

I can see... I don't like boredom either, but I would rather run between Florida and Texas only than go to Boston, Chicago, NYC...

That's the key.

Totally agree.

"You sleep when you choose and still pick up and deliver on time and comply with HOS? How is that possible?"

I work for a DOT compliant company. We are not pressured to violate HOS and our appointments times are adjusted as needed. Time management and good trip planning goes along way in this biz. Working as a subsidiary of a larger company also gives us access to a large complex of terminals where we are able to repower high priority loads with other drivers. It takes some juggling at times from the management to keep everyone compliant and the customers happy (a job I would not want) but they do a pretty good job overall.

"Being a veteran driver, you must know very well all restaurants out there, good ones, bad ones, cheap, expensive, what kind of food they serve, so on and so forth. I bet it took you a while to learn where they are. As a poor vegetarian rookie, I'll be very limited in that regard."

I used to be amazed at my trainers ability to offer routing instructions to other drivers over the cb and at company terminals. I asked my trainer how it was that he could keep all that info in his head. He responded with a question; "are you familiar with your home towns setup, restaraunts, points of interest, etc.?" I said of course I am familiar with my home town. He continued with the statement; "well this country is my 'home town' with a rather large backyard. It did take me a while to understand what he meant. The longer you travel these highways and byways the more knowledge you will accumulate. If you do not have a good memory for places you encountered and liked (as in good affordable restaraunts with truck parking close by) then by all means get a note book and write yourself some notes.
Some drivers will even get index cards and a box. On each index card they will record the name of the customer, address, phone number, shipping or receiving hours, and directions. Recording additional info on that card such as wether you can park at the customer over night and what eating establishments are close by will create a personal database of invaluable information in an easily understandable format.


"Well, if you make great money, and have enough time and energy, why not? Better than sitting at a hotel waiting."

Enterprise rent a car will come and get you. If your going to be layed over for a weekend select a nearby hotel or truckstop to park at and have them come to you. Rent the car and do some exploring. Sitting in a truckstop for a couple of days will just make you miserable. Your not making money and your not at home with your friends or family can put a driver in a very sour mood especially when he/she has to pay high prices for mediocre food. Hotels are great too. In door swimming pools, shuttle services, many have night clubs inside. Hey enjoy life while you have it.


"I guess you must know the US. road map by heart."

I have traveled 48 states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec pretty regularly for the past 16 years. I also utilize Pc Miler mapping software to show me "practical routes, hazmat routes, and shortest routes." I use technology in conjunction with personal knowledge to choose the best routes at that time. Using a laptop computer with a wireless aircard can also give you up to date information regarding weather systems that may of interest to you (as in avoiding a major storm with road closures or chain laws up). The cb is also a valuable tool for avoiding traffic jams and speed traps. Having a motor carriers atlas will be EXTREMELY important to your job performance. Use it regularly to verify your routing choices so you do not run into low underpasses or get caught on restricted routes which will cost you big money out of your pocket.
Being an effective time manager means plotting your routes and trip planning as soon as you are given the dispatch info so you may get on the road asap. While being loaded or unloaded (provided you are not required on the dock) you may begin calculating the next leg of you trip. I jump the gun a bit on empty calls so I am able to put myself into rotation faster than drivers that wait until they are completely empty.
The other thing I do is pack food in my truck so I can make a meal for myself when I am at a customers and there are no other places to eat. No sense being hungry if you don't have to be.
An inverter, a cooler, a microwave, a sandwich maker, a crockpot, and a toaster oven give me the tools I need to stay fed and comfortable. I also carry 2 gallons of fresh water, many vacumn sealed meals that do not require refrigeration, microwaveable rice, and soups. I like my condiments too so I have A1 Sauce, and spicy mustard, salt and pepper, mrs dash, seasoned salt, and hot sauce all in a box under my cabinet.
By the way I drive a 610 model Volvo and while it isn't as large as I would like, it is big enough to store all this plus 10 days worth of clothes and many other supplies that keep me up and running. Other supplies include spare bulbs and fuses, duct tape, a 50 foot airline with airchuck to inflate low tires rather than drag them down the highway hoping to get it fixed before it blows out or forced to wait several hours for a road service truck to come to me. Other important "accessories" veterans may carry with them include chock blocks, heavy duty boards (for the trailer landing gear in the event you need to drop your trailer at a parking lot for any reason you do not need the landing gear punching holes in the pavement), a tow chain to help other drivers out of jams or to jump start a truck (even yours) in the event the starter fails. The tow chain can also be used to drag pallets to the back of a trailer at a customer that doesn't have a loading dock but does have a forklift.

"If only there were no HOS regulations... and one could manage his/her hours according to their needs, the job would be less stressful and more enjoyable."

I will have to disagree with you on this point. Unfortunately there are many drivers that DO NOT have common sense and are unwilling to stand up to the boss and say; "I am tired and am going to bed. Re-set the delivery appointment as needed." It does no-one any good if you crash the truck and spread the customers freight all over the highway. Stress is usually the result of a driver feeling pressure to do something he knows he should not be doing. This may be fear for losing his job or not making enough money to pay his/her debts. I like the fact that I may use the HOS as legal protection for myself in the face of employers that do not care about me but care more about the money I generate. Of course this is something we all have to learn for ourselves. Living BELOW your means financially is the BIGGEST stress reliever available. The other stress reliever is "integrity." Integrity is defined as:
1. possession of firm principles: the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
If an employer pushes you to run illegally then you need to move on. The fact is they do not care about you and in the event of an accident will throw you to the wolves in a second and replace you. CYA is extremely important so be sure you do it right the first time. Lawyers and prosecuters will take your freedom, assets, and even your cdl if you are found to be in violation of the hos and are involved in a bad accident.

"I was 19 days on the road with trainers. There was no time to eat, to relax, to shower, to stop at Walmart and buy something, or anything. It was always, rush, rush, rush. But who am I, still a student."

As a former driver trainer, I am well aware of how others operated their trucks. Many trainers "use" the trainee as an extra log book and attempt to burn up the highway to make more money for themselves. This is usually due to 1 of 2 things. 1. is greed. The other is living beyond their financial means and need you to help them pay their bills. I leave it to you to decide wether this applied to your situation.

"Too many regulations..."

I agree there are alot. Each state has its own laws and they are not necessarily uniform from coast to coast. I think this has alot to do with generating revenue for fiscally irresponsible communities. I work hard for my money so I try to comply with local laws and ordinances so I do not have to "give away" my dough. In general I have found its the local cops with the "big fish in a small pond mentality" that are the worst to deal with out here on the road rather than the state troopers. I do not really care for cops but I recognize them as revenue agents for their communities and try to avoid them wheneer possible. Some Leo's (Law Enforcement Officers) are decent men and women tasked with doing a job and so I act cordial and respectful when stopped. Others are on a power trip and its best not to aggravate these guys. Remeber you will NEVER win an argument with a cop on the side of the road. Hire an attorney to fight any tickets you get. It is imperative you protect your CDL as it is your livelihood.

"I can see... I don't like boredom either, but I would rather run between Florida and Texas only than go to Boston, Chicago, NYC..."

There is a difference between easy driving and hustling. Easy driving is a dedicated route cross country where you do not waste time at customers getting loaded or unloaded and get paid to drive. Other drivers want to be home daily or every couple of days so they fight the big city traffic each day and collect their paychecks and go home. This is fine. There are many niche jobs out here and what works for me may not work for you or someone else. In alot of cases the drivers that go to these large cities can make MORE money than an otr driver and will be home each day rather than sleeping in the truck and eating out every day.


Some people are built for this lifestyle and others are not. I do not believe I am better than others nor do I believe others are better than me. I know who I am, where I want to go, what I want out of life, and have found a job that suits me very well. I hope others can find their niche in life as well without having to compromise themselves for a paycheck.

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Knowledge is Power

Great response and attitude! It is clear that the trucker carries his mental attitude into the truck with him which colors the whole experience.

Allot of it comes down to who you work for. No, you won't have allot of
freedom right out of school. Later on you can.

My last job would tell me they had a run comming up and where it was going. If I wanted it I'd take it, if not they'd give it to the secondary guy. They told me what date and time it was to be delivered and asked me when I wanted to leave. The departure, route, scedual was compleately up to me. I'd run WI to CA and back and they would never even call me unless something came up that needed to be done. I delivered mbile medical scanners to hospitals so I'd be bobtailing back and sometimes they would get a trailer transport job or something on the way back they would ask me if I wanted to do. We charged round trip miles so if we did get something back it was just a bonus, I didn't have to do it.
That's the freedom we like.

In short, all of this comes with experience. I think most people are reluctant at the thought of going to places and doing things they have never gone to or have done before. It's an opportunity to expand your life. That's why there is this forum and the CB. If you ask there is always a helping hand to show you the way.

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The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so
- Mark Twain