Hello TTR.
I always wondered what's another driver's story? How did you get started? What your thoughts were? How you started? Basically what is your story if it could be a movie or a kick ### book?
My story to try to be short goes like this.
I dropped out of high school at 16.
A friend of the family was a 10 year old owner operator. He didn't know dispatching and computers or anything. He offered me $600/week starting to dispatch him and few of his owner operators. At first I was nervous calling random numbers. I learned to what the owner operators say "no" to. They knew I was young, and doing my best, so they gave me a break and explained to me what is good, and what is not. From that point on I started to become what I like to call a "shark". Back then it was beautiful for a dispatcher. I would go onto google maps and stay on the phone giving directions street by street, making sure the driver got where he needs to be. These guys would come to the office and give me $200-$500 a week as a "tip". Safe to say I was making about $2,000- $3,000 a week with tips and pay. Problem occured when the guy that "hired me" didn't like the fact I was giving "all the money" to the owner operators. Which means if a load paid $3,000 on 1000 miles, i was suppose to give it to them for like $2,200. And the owner would keep the other $800 and the % he took from them. We got into an arguement and I quit. He asked me to come back for a higher salary, but words that were expressed during our session didn't fly with me. I went into a medical field, and finishing my school.
At towards being 21 I was becoming homeless,since I was on my own. I knew trucking makes money. I got grants to pay for my CDL. Contacted a friend in this business that his own trucks. He gave me a truck starting at .40 CPM. I had to be trained buy a guy, which in two weeks I was good to go.
I learned to drive through worst black ice, and snow my first few weeks. I've talked with multiple drivers. I had situations where my batteries were dead and I couldn't start. Walking up to a owner operator, being young and all he thought I was going to ask for money. Once I got him to put his window down, he apologized and helped me out. How battery bolts get loose,etc. I learned from guys like this. I always cared about the company equipment, and cared about saving money. Light in the box being stuck on 80 in Wyoming at 2 am, i've learned to force my truck to jack knife towards the "grips" and pull me out, while the guys that initally made us all stop and get stuck were mega fleet guys.
I've learned every part of the truck. I drove as an "outlaw". I always made sure I was rested tho. When I finally got my own truck, I was so happy I spent a day cleaning every part, detailing and so on. I went straight to the shop for any sound I head that wasn't familiar. I spent "down payment" money for my friends to get trucks and run under my authority. I got my money back. It's been a good succesful last 3-4 years if you ask me. I had a goal of taking a guy that wants to drive, and teach him everything. From shifting to backing, to whatever you name it. I wanted to make a video off it how a guy is suppose to drive, and what he should be paid. Once he learned, my gift to him was going to be a paid off truck.
I have been a single, young guy for last few years, and money I made went onto stocks, and trading. That's where my "REAL" money comes from. I'm safe to say I can be okay for the next few years. Let's put it like this, I invested into Tesla stock 70k when it was still at $30 a share. However I ####ING LOVE TRUCKING!
I imagined CB radio talk, and so many things. What I have found was majority of drivers are heartless piece of ####s, and I can't blame mega fleets for treating them like that, and also compensating them with dirt. I have realized no one is thankful for the hauls I've done. I realized people looked "down on me" for driving a truck. It feel ####ty.
Now I have my own authority, and I have 24 trucks leased onto me. All good guys, owner operators. We help each other. We don't want company drivers, or liberal drivers. We went through so many crooked owner operators, such as they need money for tags and a trailer, then within a week they want to show their custom paint job off....really?!
I am only still driving because I love trucking. I still want to reach my goal of finding a guy with 0 knowledge, that wants it, and making him into what guys go through 15 years to develop, I'm just waiting for the market to pick up.
Otherwise what is your story?
What's Your Story?
Discussion in 'Road Stories' started by Flipflops, Oct 24, 2015.
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Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
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