The real reason so many new drivers don't last...

They were sissies tho.

 

Things are rough in trucking today. But things have ALWAYS been rough in trucking. Its a tough job!

I like tough jobs. The tougher, the better. When times are hard and freight is slow, you have to drive harder.

You walk into a truckstop, theres 2 different groups of drivers: Group One is yelling and bellyaching about something they heard or saw on the news. Group Two is trading war stories and cutting up with the waitress. Where are you going to sit?

I flatbed. I surround myself with people just like me. I'm not looking for respect, or a place where I'm not treated like a number or a place that I can call home. I'm here to get paid.
I like those difficult, "have to be there" loads. I can get it there, but you have to pay me what I want.
My truck has a small sleeper. Why do I need a big sleeper? The only thing I do in a sleeper is sleep. If I am not sleep, I am driving. If I am not driving and not sleep, I will be outside the truck trading war stories with the others.

Absolutely. I have a network of guys i keep in contact with...call them and talk with them through the night.

Sure, you hear all of this negativity and stuff on this board but these effeminate fools dont speak for all of us. Some of us are actually doing what we want to do AND ENJOYING LIFE! You hear some weak-willed, sissified, ######## crying about how he can make more money at McDonalds. Take your ### to McDonalds then.

I enjoy every minute of trucking. Give me that hot load...the hotter, the better! Tell me where the good food and the cute waitress are at. Tell me a war story. Would love to hear it.

 

I think that all companys that hire and train new drivers should have to provide them with a 4 hour movie about truck driving. You can do all the research you want on this computer but nothing is like seeing the real thing. Now i love to drive a truck my dad drove and my granddad drove does that make me a driver nope but i new what i was getting it to before i did it.
Now with that said who out here wouldn't love driving down the road 2,000 miles from home not knowing when your going to get home,stoping at the so called truck stops (pilots,loves,etc) that don't even have a good place to eat. I can recall stoping at truck stops sitting down ############ with the waitress other truck drivers just having a good ole time out here. Has things changed yes they have but one thing that hasn't is i still love to drive and hope to keep doing it for a while.I can also remember when the old hands would help a new hand out, That don't happen much anymore its all about the american dollar, Now i know were all out here to make a living but the new drivers are the future of trucking if we don't show them how who is. So what i guess im saying is instead of putting down all the other drivers maybe sometimes we should pick them up take a extra second out of your day to help someone.

 

yeah....stole it from the Mexicans and the Indians.....so its the american way.

 

Really glad to see this thread and the great posts on here. I am sick to death of reading about all the bad things those bad companies do to those people. LOL It's like most of you have said, it's what you make of it, if you can do the job and most of all if you want to do the job. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this thread.

 

Some people you cant help.

I was in Fargo, picking up an oversized on an rgn when a guy with a step asked me a question

Step: I have 2 tractors on. Is it really neccesary to tie down the bucket?

Six: Yes. Its required. (I looked over his load and realized that he had each 2 chains and 2 binders on each tractor...a definite NO NO). You are also required to run 4 points of attachment to any wheeled vehicle. You only have 2.

Step: Ive been hauling these things for years. Never had a problem (if he has been hauling the things for years, why did he ask about securing the buckets?)

Six: Most of the time when you cross a scale, the DOT cop is playing solitare on the computer. They look up as your trailer wheels hit the scale. If one is really paying attention to the load, like any flatbedder, he will in an instant know that you did not secure the load properly.

Step: Well, like I said, I've never had any problems in the past

Six: Need a second opinion? Hey lowboy...can you come here for a moment?

Lowboy: Yessir?

Six: See anything wrong with this securement?

Lowboy: Yep. Needs to have 4 points of attachment per vehicle.

Step: Well, I never had DOT say anything to me

Lowboy: Well, its your load, do what you want...


Step left before me. I went to the Morehead scale and DOT had Step out back reaming him, pointing at his securement.

Theres no shame in asking for help. Theres no shame is accepting suggestions. If you have to haul something that you've never pulled before, ask the loaders or another driver.

 

Theres bad companies, bad dispatchers, bad checks bad drivers, bad trucks, bad trailers, bad freight, bad brokers, bad roads, bad cops, bad laws, bad trafffic, bad weather, bad days.

If you avoid everything thats bad, guess what get to do? N=O=T=H=I=N=G.

I'm a good driver(doesnt mean I dont goof). I have a good truck(doesnt mean it never has issues). I get good freight (doesnt mean that I dont see that 'load from hell). Good money. I have a good dispatcher (doesnt mean I never have to get her in check). I know good drivers (doesnt mean they arent a-holes. I've driven on great roads, chatted with good cops, seen perfect weather and days that everything fall into place.

I'm satisfied.

 

Hey SIX like Pharmphail said " you can tell a trucker but you cant tell (him or her)much.

 

I don't know about that. You have to remember people back then were very superstitious and believed in things like sea monsters. Plus they thought the world was flat so by going "too far" out to sea they thought they'd fall off.

 

i dont sit in a 120 degree metal box (but im not arguing about piss soaked parking lots ew), i dont sit for 3 or 4 days waiting for a load but i sat for 2 days waiting for truck keys once...

i dont get paid for all my work but...im not so silly that i expect to be paid when i sleep either.