$6 million dollar trucker...how to succeed in the transportation industry...

But like Tim Tebow...I must publicly give thanks to God...the God of the cross..the resurected savior...

I'm an imperfect soul, with a lot of scars...but like Tim Tebow...i must give thanks and recognition to God, the savior, the one who was resurected...

I'm such a rebel...that I don't care if that troubles you or not...

Jesus is my lord, and was resurected from the dead grave or graveyard, or something like that...whatever...I believe...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7zNY0I5JNI[/ame]

 

Success can be very scary to some.......even to myself....

Or even the idea of success....

There are several reasons for this, and many variables...

I will list out a few here, in randomn order...

1. If your held down long enough, you can actually become 'comfortable' with your 'lowly' status...

2. When others see no value in you, or potential in you, if not careful, their evaluation of you can become your own new standard...

3. Success is 'pro-active'...failing is kind of 're-active'....if not careful, you will become more comfortable with the latter...

4. In order to succeed, there are 'risks' involved....many don't like to take risks, on any level...

5. And finally, what scares many, is well everyone has heard this...the higher you rise, the longer the fall....basically fear of failing prevents some from trying....

We are all wired differently, based on different experiences, countries, families we come from, cultures, religions ect ect...

So success is or can be defined a bit differently by each induvisual...depending on what they want out of life, and what standards they have set for themselves...

Also...'TIME' can effect how we define success in our own lives...



For instance...at 16 or 21, owning a brand new Corvette, might be considered the ultimate sign of success, when you're way young and trying to impress women, friends, men, family....



But at the age of say 61...a brand new Corvette, might make you yawn....as priorities change with age and maturity....


So first and foremost...I must say success is not defined the same way for all...but in the most generic way, it can be defined as 'achieving what you want'....

And maybe no one else on the planet wants what you want, but if it's what you want, and is what u think will make you 'content' and or 'happy'...than so be it...

At this stage of my life...to me, success, is basically 'freedom of scheduale'....

To me success, is being able to deciede, and work, whatever schedual I want, while still bringing home enough bacon to grease the frying pan...

Freedom of schedual, to do as I want, while earning a decent living...is where success starts for me...maybe not for Joe or Mary or Kim...but for me...

And to be able to do it while working a 9-5 type schedual, is even better...

Now if this were the 'Trucking can be like a bad Marriage' thread...
I would probably go in a different direction right now...to kind of create a 'back drop' to what I'm talking about...

You have to understand what someone has over come, in order to understand where they want to go....
Without that narrative...it can be hard to follow for readers who might be new...

And finally, compared to what others have accomplished in trucking, what i'm doing now is very 'miniscule'....but again, everything is 'relative' to your own life and past...

What's a 'big deal' to me, might be just a ant hill to someone else...

I know I tend to write like a Monk or something, cloaked in a robe.



But i write that way cause I have learned a lot over the years...
Been through a lot with this industry...and it will either break you, or make you all the wiser...

On this thread here, you will see me at my best, and most positive...
I cannot always promise that on other threads...

Kind of like the step child, that was thrown into the basement...a dark basement of dispair...cold, dark, lonely and wet...



And then someone slides a key under the door for you, for you to step out...what u do with that key is up to you...and how you conduct, handle yourself, once out of that cold, dark, damp basement, is yet to be seen...

to be continued...

 

Oh stop it you silly gal you...I don't deserve none of that...
I'm flawed...and that's why I tread so carefully now...
But I do hope things have been going well for you....

Ok...now onto my next post...have a few things to share...

(it will take about 20 minutes for me to finish the next post)...

 

I want to take this moment to thank a few companies I worked for in the past...some of you might be suprised at how extensive the list is...but each one hired me, and gave me a chance...(I'm only going to list company positions)....



My first driving job ever, was with 'Schnieder National'...

http://schneider.com/

When I came to Schneider, I was 'wet' and didn't know nothing about trucking...fresh out of the service right into the arms of Schneider...
Back then they had a school...and took their training seriously...the school, training, was 'free', as long as you stayed x amount of months afterwards...

I caught the very tail end of the previous driving generation...when many companies gave their drivers uniforms that resembled 'pilots'...you know, logos, patches ect ect...
Back when learning to drive a truck, felt like learning to fly...(and maybe that's just because I was new at the time, if may still be that way for some)...

But the instructer I had with Schneider, played a very important roll in that, in my image of trucking, at the time...an older man from 'Oregon'....wonderful wife, and odd wierd white cat...

I think his handle was 'father nature'...and he loved yoddling music...'~'....

The man wore his uniform, always...he was professional, always...treated me with respect, always...and I'll never forget him...for he was my gate keeper into the world of trucking...and did his job well...

Our first trip together was to Bellingham, WA...
I'll never forget how excited I was, I felt like I was in a space ship or something...I remember looking in the mirrors, and seeing that long long trailer...as I was a passenger for the first trip to 'Target'...so I just got to sit back and enjoy the ride...in that Cab over, which I thought the world of back then...

This was back when drivers, of the same company, actually 'waved' at each other across the interstates...



At the time, this was all new to me...and I remember thinking to myself..
'Wow, they don't even know each other, yet the goodwill between truckers is 'strong'....
And of course that left a strong impression on me at the time...
Drivers, while on the road, I'm talking drivers who worked for the same company, actually liked each other back then....even strange drivers liked you......but in a good way of course...

I was proud to be a driver back then...proud...I felt like a pilot...I remember taking the truck back to my home town, and just driving all over the place...places I would never even think of driving now...(sorry Schneider)...
But it was all innocent...I remember parking that thing outside my mothers apartment complex, taking up half the block...and no one saying a word...
Back when folks were just more 'understanding'...plus it was a smaller farm/University type town...
There was no crime there at all...so no one had any reason to be upset...
But still, try that today, and get about 30 tickets in your windshield, and a tow...(just goes to show how much things have changed)

Anyways..getting side tracked here...

I hear all the horror stories about Schneider now...but the Schneider i worked for, and those memories, that special time, is locked away in a time capsule...and is what i choose to remember about the company, and the opportunity they gave me...

Dispatchers were different then also...they weren't out to 'burn' you....

They were more like 'Dolly Parton'...layed back, country, and happy....



What I mean by that is...they weren't out to 'get you' the minute you got hired...and then when you leave, 'burn you' on the way out the door...

It was a different mentality...they actually liked you...dispatchers that is...
And maybe that's because back then, you were more than a blimp on a screen...I don't know...

I just know towards the end of my OTR company driving experience...dispatchers had really changed...

Many were 'power tripping'...always trying to pull rank, and 'threaten'...instead of understanding and helping...

Anyways...Thanks Schneider National, for giving me my first opportunity to drive...korny as that sounds, thanks...

I've learned a lot over the years, and one thing I learned is to always thank those who helped you along the way...

I guess I just still got those old fashion manners about me...

I want to succeed now, and therefore must go back and thank a few of those who helped me get to this point...

I've ran out of time...but I would also like to thank

Werner Enterprise (back in the day...ye baby!)

Carrol Fulmer, Knight Transportation, Boyd brothers...(flat bed)...
NFI...oh and Gainey...not sure if Gaineys even still around...but at the time they were money makers for me...

I could share special stories with each company I was with...and will later...but right now...I want to get back to more technical stuff...

Like Taxes...and LLC vs personal propriator...ect ect...

I have left the world of 'company driving' and '1099', and am now a 'owner'...

We shall talk again soon....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7zNY0I5JNI[/ame]

 

http://therealdealtrucking.com/startupplans.html

I stumbled across this site or ebook, written by a successful driver/business man....

It is must reading for those serious about getting ahead in this industry...

The author is nothing more than a good ole boy, with brains and smarts who, like myself, was compelled to share the ups and downs of the trucking industry....

Excellent read....many different topics to answer your questions...

I've learned long ago...listen to those who have made it...they made it for a reason...

http://therealdealtrucking.com/startupplans.html