Reading the forum, had to chime in :)

Discussion in 'The Welcome Wagon' started by OTR6monthswithPAM, Jan 16, 2016.

  1. OTR6monthswithPAM

    OTR6monthswithPAM Bobtail Member

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    Hey there Truckers and soon to be truckers, Ive been reading all the posts on here about your experiences on the road. And with everything you all have been posting about life out there, Has made me feel the same agitation I felt, When I was driving for PAM back in 2002/2003 for 6 months.
    I Really Miss seeing the country, That is why I went into OTR, it wasn't about the money.
    I didn't have any Bills to pay, I used my Sisters address in Texas as my mailing address and basically just lived out of the truck, that PAM supplied. It was fun at the start, waking up in a new town everyday.
    But when I got out of school "MTC" in Hazelwood,MO I was told I would get 2 day's off for every 2 weeks out. I was perfectly fine with that and did not even need to go back to my hometown, I was content just having my 2 days, wherever I was at. I have no family to support was single, SO I only had to provide for myself. I was actually getting a lot more miles than you guy's on here seem to be getting, back then I was averaging about 3,000 miles a week. I ran the corridor from Texas to the auto industry in the midwest with occasional trips into Ontario and Quebec Canada. I considered myself a good employee and had no problem taking whatever load they assigned me, But after 6 months out and only having 3 weekends off, Enough was enough, I argued with my Dispatcher, but was told "We have to keep the trucks rolling".
    I was starting to get Anxiety attacks and it felt like my skin was crawling. My last load was from Jackson,Mississippi to Philadelphia,PA and I told my Dispatcher, that I was taking the weekend off in Philly. They basically said "We will see about that" After getting the load dropped in Philly, I got another assignment immediately on the qualcomm, I called the dispatcher and said, "I told you I need the weekend off" And they wouldn't hear of it. So I got all my papers from that load together, put it all in a trippack to be sent in. Drove the rig over to an empty dirt lot and thought about it. That's when I said "Screw this" I detached the trailer and left it there and drove down to the philly airport and got me a rental car and got the hell out of there. It felt like Escaping from Prison. I eventually ended up living in Arizona, it's like 13 years later and NOW Im just driving a little CDL class B Box truck locally and you know what, Im making almost as much as you guys are making out there now. and I only work about 8 to 9 hours out of my day, with hometime every night, I do the occasional overnighter maybe once a month and my company puts me up in a motel and feeds me. I look back and Envy that you guy's still get to See the Country, But I look at what you put up with and the lack of pay compared to the time you spend on the job and just say "Hell No, It's NOT for Me" And I have the utmost respect for what your doing. But these Companies need to compensate you better and give you some more free time. To all the NEW drivers, This is what it will be like, I hope your ready for it! it's NOT an easy life. And I see PAM Transport requires you spend 6 months with a trainer NOW, Screw that! 3 weeks was long enough for me. You know how hard it is to sleep in a moving vehicle? If your heart is set on doing this, Just Have Patience, Try Not to get Angry and just GO with the flow. Money won't be good if your trying to support a household, if your single, just get a drop box address and live in the truck, like i did and it should be OK.
    Good Luck Everyone.....
     
    goin2fast10 Thanks this.
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  3. OTR6monthswithPAM

    OTR6monthswithPAM Bobtail Member

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    OH, I would also like to give a shout out to my trainer back then, if anyone knows him, if he's even still with the company. His name was Willard and he was from Toledo,OH, He was my trainer for Pam Transport. Good guy, learned a lot from him.
     
  4. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    You're basing your opinions on one single trucking company. There's many good OTR companies out there, but you have to shop around and not jump on the first job offer. Many new drivers at their first job are making over $50K and some over $60K. They have company provided refrigerators, direct tv, xm radio, and Apu's so they have air conditioning, heat, electrical power while on breaks and don't have to shut the truck engine off.
    Many of us wouldn't even consider a job like you now have and only want OTR.

    You don't have to have a trainer for months at a time if you shop around for your first company. Watkins-Shepard is 10 days and TransAm is 10-12 days.

    Well, it's good you're happy with your job, but some of us would be miserable doing that. There's something for all of us out there.
     
    ethos Thanks this.
  5. OTR6monthswithPAM

    OTR6monthswithPAM Bobtail Member

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    Chinatown: Yes, I was basing my opinion on my own experience, But I also see a bunch of posts from others, who work at many different companies experiencing the same thing.
    The trucking companies you mentioned do seem like they care more about there drivers.
    So hopefully New drivers will look into going with them, if they hire new drivers.
    Im content with what Im doing, I do miss seeing the country though.
    But at 51 yrs of age, it's time for me to not job hop anyway and just stay put and save for retirement. I was just giving my view on what I experienced, So new drivers would know what they were getting themselves into.
     
    goin2fast10 and Chinatown Thank this.
  6. OTR6monthswithPAM

    OTR6monthswithPAM Bobtail Member

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    I tell you what I Don't miss. That would be trying to unhook a trailer in Buffalo, New York in a winter snow storm. 11+ years in Arizona and I need a winter coat, when the temp gets anywhere near 40 degrees now, Getting soft in my older years I guess :)
     
  7. ethos

    ethos Road Train Member

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    I've been OTR for a decade and I've never felt mistreated. I enjoy what I do, now I understand that others didn't have my experience but OTR doesn't mean crappy job and crappy pay by default.
     
  8. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Yes, weather is one reason I moved to Las Vegas a couple years ago.
     
  9. w.h.o

    w.h.o Road Train Member

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    If I was overwork or stress out, one message to my manager and I can have a day off. Most likely not at home but atleast to sleep in. I heard stories like your but never experienced any bad treatment like it, usually back in the days where dispatch thought truckers were robots and can run 24/7
     
    ethos Thanks this.
  10. ethos

    ethos Road Train Member

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    And you and I both pulled for one of those evil Megas!!!
     
  11. OTR6monthswithPAM

    OTR6monthswithPAM Bobtail Member

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    W.H.O.: I have to add before getting my CDL and driving for Pam for 6 months, I worked in a Union Auto parts factory in Ohio, So I was a bit spoiled :) I was used to a nice 8 hour day with weekends off.
    I remember clearly when I was out on the road and stopping for the night at Lexington,KY with a schedule to be at Louisville,KY at 7 am to pick up a load going to Laredo,TX. I had parked for the night at a truckstop, Had my shower and ate dinner and was gonna watch a little Tv and head to bed. was just comfortable in my bunk with the TV on and it was about 9 Pm. My dispatcher rings my phone and wants me to Bobtail up to Dayton,Ohio just like that and bring a trailer down to Louisville That night. So I ask "What about the 7 am pick up, The dispatcher say's "Oh you can also get that" I was ready for a nice nap, all showered and comfortable in my bunk and they wanted me to just get up and do that. AND be there at 7 am for the next pick up. I thought "These people are crazy" I argued with my dispatcher till I was almost hoarse. I said "You can't have both, choose one or the other. eventually they gave up and i went back to my warm bed :) and I was in Louisville bright and early and grabbed that load heading to Laredo,TX. Was I in the wrong?
     
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