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New driver with a quick rant

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by gone4truck, Jun 13, 2021.

Page 1 of 6
  1. Jun 13, 2021 #1
    gone4truck

    gone4truck Bobtail Member

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    Jun 13, 2021
    0
    Hey all, straight to the point. New driver, 2 months of exp. driving for a mega carrier. Confused as to what is considered a normal part of trucking, and what is borderline exploitation.

    I'm a regional dedicated driver here in Texas running between 300 to 450 miles a day with --generally-- 2 to 3 stops per day. Between traffic, loading/unloading, shipper/receiver shenanigans, and just-in-time appointments, most of my days end up being 12-14 hours long. Often I have to park at the customer at the end of my day to take my 10hr so I go days without taking a shower.

    It seems to me like I'm always rushing to make my next appointments and it is stressing me the f*** out. If I had at least 30-45 minutes per day of actual off-duty time (not sitting on a dock being loaded/unloaded) I could take an actual break and get away from the truck, shower, eat at a table, etc. I'm driving 3-4 hours at a time, stopping for 5 minutes to stretch my legs and use the restroom, and then rolling again for another 3-4 hours. Repeat.

    All for $800 a week take-home pay. I'm looking the GTFO of this job and find something local in the DFW area that pays betters and I get to sleep home every night.
     
    gone4truck, Jun 13, 2021
    gone4truck, Jun 13, 2021
    #1
    tscottme, austinmike, Canadianhauler21 and 7 others Thank this.
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  3. Jun 13, 2021 #2
    roundhouse

    roundhouse Road Train Member

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    @Chinatown
    Will give you some advice shortly.

    sounds like you might want to start sniffing around for another company but you need your six months minimum experience before you do that I think .
     
    roundhouse, Jun 13, 2021
    roundhouse, Jun 13, 2021
    #2
    slow.rider, VA CDL Holder, gone4truck and 2 others Thank this.
  4. Jun 13, 2021 #3
    Dockbumper

    Dockbumper Road Train Member

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    Apr 29, 2020
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    Hey......you are a rookie. You have to give things time to settle in. Over time you will become more efficient. The first year is tough out here. Settle in and get your experience with your first carrier for at least a year. Keep in mind.......lots of rookies complain about a LACK of miles and sitting for a couple of days waiting for a load. Also, keep food and water on your truck at all times and don't plan on a shower every day. Welcome to the Trucking business!
     
    Dockbumper, Jun 13, 2021
    Dockbumper, Jun 13, 2021
    #3
    Canadianhauler21, HaglerFan, slow.rider and 5 others Thank this.
  5. Jun 13, 2021 #4
    Dockbumper

    Dockbumper Road Train Member

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    BTW.....You are not being EXPLOITED!! You have a 70 hour clock every week, you are expected to use it up. This is not an 8-5 40 hour per week job. Trucking runs 24/7/365. I would assume you knew this before jumping in?
     
    Dockbumper, Jun 13, 2021
    Dockbumper, Jun 13, 2021
    #4
    Canadianhauler21, HaglerFan, slow.rider and 7 others Thank this.
  7. Jun 13, 2021 #5
    otterinthewater

    otterinthewater Road Train Member

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    May 10, 2018
    Santa Barbara, Ca
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    The 1st year is tough trying to learn everything. I did my first year at Western Express and I know how you feel. Having a life is kinda in the back seat. The important thing is get your 1st year done and see what better opportunities open up. Just finish the year. Learn all you can and then move to a carrier that’s up the food chain. Don’t quit or job hop, one year a meat grinder mega ( I think) looks good on your resume.
     
    otterinthewater, Jun 13, 2021
    otterinthewater, Jun 13, 2021
    #5
    Canadianhauler21, dunchues, slow.rider and 4 others Thank this.
  8. Jun 13, 2021 #6
    REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

    12,644
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    Feb 15, 2014
    California.
    0
    The OP's "rant" should be required reading for anyone wanting to get into trucking. Especially the middle aged people looking for a career change.
    Every job in trucking isn't as bad as the OP says but plenty of them are. His post was a realistic view into what trucking can really be like.
     
    REO6205, Jun 13, 2021
    REO6205, Jun 13, 2021
    #6
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  9. Jun 13, 2021 #7
    Kyle G.

    Kyle G. Road Train Member

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    Eastern Iowa
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    I got sucked into a very similar regional gig when I was a rookie with Roehl years ago. I had the exact same problem, always racing to the next stop, no time to take a shower or grab a meal. I lasted about a week on that account before I went back to regular OTR.

    I stayed with Roehl for my entire first year and eventually made my way into a dedicated account that was a thousand times better, not local but still off weekends, that was pretty decent.

    If you drive for a mega then you might be able to find a different dedicated account that better suits your needs. But they don’t always advertise these accounts, sometimes you have to call a recruiter and ask around.
     
    Kyle G., Jun 13, 2021
    Kyle G., Jun 13, 2021
    #7
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  10. Jun 13, 2021 #8
    AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Canuckistan
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    Sounds like a raw deal to me. You're not even making minimum wage.

    This whole "pay-your-dues" thing is horse#### IMO. You're working way too hard for #### pay.
     
    AModelCat, Jun 13, 2021
    AModelCat, Jun 13, 2021
    #8
    spindrift, jcrack08, Mototom and 16 others Thank this.
  11. Jun 13, 2021 #9
    Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Henderson, NV & Orient
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    Chinatown, Jun 13, 2021
    Chinatown, Jun 13, 2021
    #9
    gone4truck Thanks this.
  12. Jun 13, 2021 #10
    GoneButNotForgotten

    GoneButNotForgotten Heavy Load Member

    870
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    Dec 30, 2009
    Roxboro, N.C.
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    Is that $800.00 your gross amount, or what you are receiving after taxes and any other deductions?
     
    GoneButNotForgotten, Jun 13, 2021
    GoneButNotForgotten, Jun 13, 2021
    #10
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