What drives you new drivers to trucking?

Did anybody tell ll these hallucinating guys you need to pass a drug test to get hired ?
Your boss may not be in your truck breathing down your back but you're a puppet and they pull the strings . You play their game . They really mean "It's my way or the highway " but the highway is in a greyhound .
Eat when you are hungry ? Haven't read much here have you ? Better have a Snickers in your pocket . Read a little about HOS and the 14 hour rule .
Honest industry ? Haven't you read all the Arrows threads ?
You guys don't have a clue .

 

walmart and my parents drove me to trucking.

 

I've always wanted to do this. Not sure why. I've always enjoyed driving. I'm sure I'll enjoy the challenges associated with this job.

I decided to finally take the leap after sitting stagnant for too long. No real jobs here. I could have went to school for some other trade, but I decided to do something I think I will enjoy instead of slogging through the day for a paycheck.

 

Don't be discouraged about the posts on how bad trucking is. Yes there are plenty of companies out there that will take advantage of drivers and pay very little but there are some that pay very well and have good benefits. I have been at my company for 11 yrs. now and I made $62000+ last year. I average 45 hrs. a week and I sleep in my bed every night.

The biggest thing is keeping a good driving and work record. I have 21 yrs. and no tickets and 1 not-at-fault accident, so it can be done.

 

3 million some odd truck drivers, wonder how many like what they do? Read majority of comments , seems like everybody has a gripe.

 

And the ones whose wives start nagging about unpaid bills . 8 weeks with a trainer then 3 or 4 weeks at a time on the road . . Ah , the freedom and peace of the road .

 

I'm not a newbie, far from it. My Dad did 43 years with local 959 in Alaska,retired, moved to Oregon and bought a cabover Freightliner and put it to work for Interstate Dist. had heart problems and couldn't drive anymore. I've had three jobs since I got out of High School, two of them involved trucks and steering wheels, it's all I know. I guess I must have done something nasty to my bosses Post toastie's cause I just got put in a 96 cabover Freightliner! (really, I asked her to be put in it!) Leave for Arizona and texas on Saturday. see ya out there. should be easy to spot!

 

I never intended to be a trucker. I worked in a small dispatch office for a lumber yard. When it was bought out I stayed and started delivering molding and windows to new homes under construction in a flatbed pickup truck. Then moved up to hauling cornice packages in a 6 wheel flatbed dumptruck. Then moved up to a 10 wheel flatbed dump hauling framing packages. Then moved to hauling hot rock in a traditional dump. Seems I worked my way up to the big rigs. It wasn't a dream job or anything like that. It kind of found me and it's been great for me

 

Like you, I come from a long line of drivers. I used to ride in Dad's truck all the time when I was a kid. I have wanted to do this as long as I can remember. It'll be a little while before I can start though since the wife wants me to finish 10 more years in the Coast Guard and retire before I start. Maybe by then the CSA 2010 effects will be known, repaired and the pay will be there...lol I'm being hopeful. I'm actually looking at getting a Class B and driving dumps part time when I'm off here if I can.

Ron