First week OTR

Glad your happy and loving it. I'm on the other end of the spectrum and after 18 years getting ready to hang up the keys and call it good. If you love it now you would have definitely loved it back in the day when it was a lot different from now. Back then you were the knights of the highway ready to lend a helping hand now we are the scum of the earth. But knowbody to blame but the foreigners coming to the USA passing in bottles capping in bags and tossing in the truck stops all over the place. Don't get me wrong people or scumbags born and raised in the USA do it too but I see more foreigners do it and not give a crap. Pulling off the road and pissing along side the road for all to see. Im not racist at all I just hate people that come to the USA and make us all look bad. Nothing worse than waking up in the morning doing your pre trip and the smell of 105 degree piss soaked pavement.
Like I said I wish you the best and so glad you love it and I hope you have a long fun career driving semi. But you would have loved it so much more if you would have been able to start 18 to 25 years ago when we were respected. You work hard drive safe you will love all that you get to see. And lastly they sell NO LOT LIZARD signs in some of the truck stops. Do yourself a favore buy one and hang it in your driver side window every night in hopes the lot lizards don't come knocking on your door at 1am
Best of luck to you.

 

Do as you please, but...........6 months is not even close to having a clue to what goes on out here. 2-3 years is a much better plan. As an employee you have access to Medical, Dental, Disability, 401K, etc. These Companies don't lease you on so YOU MAKE MORE MONEY..........they do it so THEY MAKE MORE MONEY. Be very careful. Good luck

 

There are some good lease programs, it's just that it's so much easier to find and get into bad ones.

 

Sounds good. Don't park at the fuel pumps except to fuel. After fueling pull forward. Good luck to you. Practice backing everytime you stop at a truckstop.

 

What company are you working for if you do not mind me asking?

 

Glad to hear you’re doing well.

Just remember 1 phrase when something stupid happens like taking a wrong turn into a truck stop, etc

“If that’s the worst thing that happens today, it’s a good day”

 

Don't do it! You can read all of the horror stories in here. For starters, your focus for at least a couple of years is to learn all about the industry. That takes a couple of years. You'll think you know everything in 6 months. Trust me. You won't!

Additionally, the majority of the people that do these FLEECE purchases fail miserably. Why? First, they're not designed for you to be successful. They're designed to shift the cost of operating the truck from the company to you. I'll tell you this. If you can't afford to go buy a truck, then you can't afford to go lease a truck. If you can't immediately put $5k-$10k in an escrow account, then you'll be one breakdown from going into a hole you can't dig yourself out of. And, don't think for one minute it won't happen to you. These plastic POS trucks they're offering on lease are junk. Why do you think these companies get rid of them after 2 or 3 years?

If you want to become an owner operator, work hard and keep yourself motivated to save the money necessary to BUY a truck and have a stash of cash for maintenance and repairs. You'll be in a much better position to be successful.

 

Good to see that things are starting out well.
Trucking is what YOU make of it. One thing to learn is, there’s a difference a positive and negative attitude. Trucking is full of both.

a few words that you need to know;
STOP, THINK and NO, these go along with please and thank you, there are more, these are good ones to start.

Trucking requires you to THINK. About everything you do. From route and trip plan, where to stop for fuel, food. How the trailer needs to be loaded. What time will you be where, stop for a break before this city or after. Get the idea. Think about it a moment. Look at what you did this last week.

So you get into something and your just not sure.
STOP! Do it safely and out of the way. Regroup take a moment and breathe. Think about it a moment. Get your perspective and focus back.

NO! this one is simple. If it seems wrong, is questionable or just plain does not work. Then use the word. Don’t go crazy with it, use it appropriately. It will have more impact.

A free one. STRESS. Thats a killer in more ways than one. It’s going to take you a while to get passed it. Think it’s not going to happen, got it all under control.
Think again. Seen it in brand new and seasoned drivers alike. It happens to every one.