lacking my own license and interested in traveling the country..... how hard is it to find drivers that are taking trips and might be interested in having someone along just for the company???

I don't want to discourage you BUT there are many reasons why this is very difficult, if not impossible to do. Most company drivers cannot carry passengers unless the passenger is a spouse and is pre-approved by the companies insurance company. Any driver who runs solo (as I do) generally does not need, nor wants, company. An owner-operator could do it I guess, but is risking a lot in liability if he was to get in an accident with you in the truck and you were hurt (or worse) or you simply fell off the steps and hurt yourself.

I have heard that there are companies that for a daily fee can arrange for you to be a passenger in a truck...I am sure someone here will post the name of the company. Good luck in your pursuit...I'd suggest that you get a commercial license, then you can see America and get paid.

ON EDIT: [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. ...incluuding some info on the companies I mentioned that arrange passenger travel in trucks.

__________________
Neal


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Wind it up! Accelerate it!
'nother hundred miles in a dead man's shoes,
Diesel fuel, I smell burnin'
White line fever and the interstate blues.

Thanx for that link, Neal.
Now I know what to do on my daze off.

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Pontificating Dogmatist

NealinNevada is right on his comments. I run solo and if I had a passenger,I don't know what he'd do while I was sleeping (I'm a light sleeper) besides,I'm a loner and really don't want to be bothered with someone in my truck 24/7

Ever think of joining a circus or carnival ?

send me a pm

When I drove OTR, it was against company policy to carry riders, unless it's an emergency (someone broked down and needs a ride to the next town with service), or the driver had called dispatch to pre-approve the rider, who's usually another company driver for the same company I pull for. However, I often find myself picking up a load, leaving late in the afternoon or early evening, and the load is an all-nighter that requires overnight delivery. When I felt myself slowly dozing off behind the wheel, I would stop and pick up the very first hitchhiker I see. I try to engage in any conversation, just to stay awake. In most cases, the hitchhiker falls asleep on the passenger seat while I'm talking, but I pretend he's really awake, or only half asleep and listening to what I have to say.

I don't know how many truckers out there would adopt my strategy to stay awake, but if you can't find an O/O (owner operator) to give you a ride, your other option is to hitchhike late at night, and hope to find a trucker who needs someone to talk to, and help him stay awake to make the overnight delivery run.

For one thing hitchhiking is illegal on all interstates and hitchhiking in the dark late at night runs a great risk of being hit by a drowsy driver drifting to the shoulder .

Hang around a truck stop to bum a ride .People do it all the time.

Generally, in order for a driver to have a passenger in the truck a driver must have written permission from the carrier (unless the emergency conditions exemption is in effect). The permission is explicit in time and other things. In addition, the insurance carrier for a motor carrier usually frowns on passengers due to obvious liability reasons

From a retired federal DOT officer