Advice? Don't become a trucker.

I never made a lifetime career out of trucking, I have held over 90 different types of jobs from retail to corporate executive management. Trucking was always the one I could come back to anytime I needed to work. There have been periods of time in my life where I made a fortune and laid back to do what I wished to do at the time. Some times as much as three years without a JOB. Just living off the money made in previous years. My passion has always been to avoid working for the MAN and work for me and my family. Trucking allowed me that flexibility.
OTR for a big company is a good entry point and a way to learn trucking do's and don'ts. Once you have learned the fundementals. Get your own truck. Maintain it well, keep it and your nose clean, drive lean and mean, Learn all the tricks of hypermiling to save on your biggest expenses, fuel and maintanence. learn to use less fuel, fewer tires, learn about how to not change oil till it needs to be changed, I do once every 200,000 miles or so. Find the ways to make that 5 mpg go to 8mpg or better, don't ilde your truck,keep the left side door shut except for fuel and dot mandated breaks, use some proven time tested products and driving techniques which will allow you to run a truck without a major repair for a million miles or more. There are ways you can get the money to outfit for this kind of peak profit running and use the money you save to pay for the equipment, and still increase your take home by a grand a month while paying for the equipment . I found out how to decrease my fuel and maintenance costs by 40%, you can as well. ggfs is a hint for those into anagrams and puzzles.
The key? You have to have a passion for trucking and the ultimate freedom it can give you.

 

Because they'll help ya out that's why. Shrug. The world is full of "snitches" just depends on what you get snitched on for.

I surely made life better for drivers in our company. I do not care what ya thing, and I mean..not at all.

 

Spoken like a true Liberal.

 

Who is they?
Oh, I think you may care just a tiny bit, carrol, or you would not have responded to my query.

 

Proud of it too. Ralph Nader is the one that I admire most out of all of 'em. Obama does not go far enough.

 

As far as snitching goes, what about D.A.C. services eh? Is that snitch enough. Once I got snitched on for wearing a white T shirt instead of a red uniform shirt.

I got snitched on a lot. I don't mind. "Driver Refuses to Unload", etc.

It's the most snitching industry on earth. Well, except for the driver, who is supposed to suffer in silence.

Learned that in the Navy. "Never Again Volunteer Yourself".

Or you might have liked Taft Hartley, which exempted truckers from the Wage-Hour laws.

However, it IS getting better. It's due to the attrition rate in the companies, and a few drivers that raise cain. These are the drivers that I like, the ones that will stand up for themselves.

 

That rotating sleep schedule is the hardest thing to deal with. But as far as being appreciated, your effort and energy, well, I do not think people are so nice, especially when it comes down to money.

At Dick Simon's terminal I once saw photos of deceased drivers. They had a nice saying on them.. "He will always be remembered for his smile..." etc.

BUT...
Each plaque had the SAME thing written on it. It's like a little plastic jesus you get.

 

Carroll--I know nothing about you so please don't see this as a personal attack, BUT...if everyone in the US thought like you we would be well on our way to a European style economy. We think the world is coming to an end with 10% unemployment, but their economies are used to 10-20% unemployment. If you need a pat on the back, or a plaque under you picture for doing your job, I guess that's you. I know that lower taxes and smaller government lead to more prosperity for all. I am sure you are ready to launch into a diatribe about how the little guy gets left behind. The thing is your wrong. No one wins with Socialism. You have to go out and do the work to get paid. If you think you are entitled to something, you are WRONG. The Bill of Rights...that's it. On a side note, I really believe everyone should have healthcare. I just don't feel I should have to pay for it.

 

I'm a complete rookie driver, after 5 years in the Marine's I couldn't get any job that would support me and my family. I came to trucking knowing its a hard and often under paid profession. So far I am just happy to have a job. When I looked at getting my companies insurance plan i realized i couldn't afford it. I could only only afford to cover my son which costs me $70/week.

 

Eh sorry. I apologize for that. I also enjoy the freedom away from people.. from dispatch. That I really enjoyed.

Right now I am ill. I have had another hernia develop ..a big one above my navel. I had to have a operation a couple years ago.

This is why I am so mad at the last company. Boy they would NOT let me off the road. They acted like I was this robot driver or something. Arm twisting.. I kept telling them I was getting sick.. kept telling them. I was forcing my bowel to move..straining hard.

I kept trying to TELL them. I have often had this experience with OTR companies. Ya have to QUIT.. to get off of the road!

The dispatcher I had was the worst in my experience. It was a personality type of deal. They had haircut police, black socks police. (They want you to wear black socks). Paid good though.

I've driven for some good ones though. Old JB Hunt's flat floor was the finest truck I ever drove. They treated you good back then. That local job, and they are there.. there are some good local jobs.

I am ill now.. sick.. I don't know if it is my intestine or some bug or what. When I left, man.. I stayed in bed for like a week. I have very little energy. I don't even want to go outside.