Is this really how it is?

i raised 2 kids with an income from trucking. my house, vehicles and the freightliner i own are paid for with my income from trucking. the house isn't huge, but nice. the vehicles are not new, but, newer than most peoples stuff and i have the titles. i take my vacations when i want for as long as i want. i work hard when i work, and my safety and quality of life are extremely important to me. i get along very well with those who i have leased to, and our customers. i don't have much of a problem with anything really, ain't mad at anyone, and accept that most of the problems i have had in my life were from my own making.

i work in an industry that was once considered honorable, but isn't anymore. most of the reason why is exampled here. crybabies, nitwits, social outcasts and other intellectual lightweights are the norm in this industry. this isn't a lifestyle, it's an occupation. it's what each of us decided we want to do for a living. those who have a problem with it are the same who have a problem in any industry. years ago, it was common to hear friendly chat on the c.b., but not anymore. just a few years ago it was common for drivers to sit together and have a conversation at the truck stops. now the "fuel stops" are haunted by those who can't park, so they park on the fuel island, or, assuming they finally can get back into a parking space without hitting something, sit and talk juvenile trash on the c.b. all night instead of sleeping. of course, that is what a playbaby does.

most all of you who were fired deserved it. those of you who will be banished from the industry come the new rules, deserve it. good riddenence to human garbage. you can take your inbred conduct to another industry where you will have the same problems, and blame someone else. you drag your families and those who love you (why i don't know) through the mud as you screw up their lives by being an idiot.

i do what i do. i do it safely and in a timely manner. i try to be decent to those around me, and remember this is my business and i have to run it like one to survive. so far, even in tough times, i have made it.

if you can't cut it, get out. if you have nothing good to say, shut up. if what i do for a living bugs you, remember it's my business to mind and not yours. if you take care of yourself you will find you have your hands full.

there's still a bunch of great people out there, and i'm always glad to see them. say howdy to old u.f.o. as he passes by. i look forward to seeing the rest of you as you ask me if i "want to supersize that". sooner or later, you are outta here.......

 

TaxasNana, Lavendertrucker, UFO and some of the others I've read. I'm not an articulate person and I do appreciate people who are able to express the things I am not able to. I worked ata a job that I hated for the last 10 years and finally wised up and quit. I really like being out here and what I'm doing, even when having to deal with the A holes. I have also met some truly incredible people out here and learned from them. Have seen some amazing sights.
FYI-just got all my tax info. Making a lot less than I did working for the state but oh!!!! am I so much happier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just my 2 cents worth

 

Typical only gets better

 

Pandhandle that is important... Anyone with a full time job spends a good portion of their time at it.. Why spend a good portion of you time doing something you hate...
I have a friend who hates her job, she makes good money at it, however, she spends a lot her money on shoping and other things to make her happy..
Maybe I could work somewhere else and make more money and have a bigger home and newer vehicles... or, I could make fair money at something I enjoy and live with in my means....
They way I see, I have choosen to do this so I am going to be out here.. I might as well do my best, work hard and make the most of it.

The thing too, I don't know if it is just me, but I know that when I am unhappy at work and don't like what I am doing I don't do my best as when I am happy and enjoying it.

I don't enjoy and love everything about it.. I just like to focus on the good and take the trash out often... I make an effort to put the bad behind me and keep the good.

 

I posted this info for another lady at another forum. I think it also can answer your question as well;

Driving a truck is not just a job it is a life style. Forget about celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc.

As a new driver he will have to prove himself and get several years of experience to advance into better paying jobs, better benefits, and better home time. It is the nature of this industry.

Your husband made a decision to enter into a career field which is very demanding and takes many sacrifices (on his part AND yours) to become successful. He will need your support and encouragement to last out here.

As a truckers wife you will have to adapt to the new reality of basically being a single mom. That is what you will be so better get used to it.

That means "you" raise the kids, set up the appointments for doctors, dentists, parent teacher meetings, shopping, cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring, calling the repairman, scheduling the car for service etc.

In turn your husband will live on the road, sleep in a small twin size bed in an area of around 40 to 50 square feet, eat out of a cooler (or pay outrageous prices for food at truck stops), dodge idiot four wheelers every day, watch for cops and DOT officers looking to take money out of his pocket for traffic infractions, log book violations, and equipment violations. He will fight traffic congestion, bad weather of every kind, road work and detours due to accidents. He will be lied to on a regular basis by dispatchers, shippers, and receivers. He will be hustled by pan handlers and prostitutes. All this for 500 to 600 bucks a week to start (could be more, could be less, depending upon miles driven and pay scale). Less than minimum wage if you factor in ALL the time he will be away from home. Factor out his 10 hours of sleep time per day and that pay goes up to minimum wage (yippeee!)

He will do the above and more to try to earn a paycheck and support his family. In the hopes that some where down the line he will be able to trade his experience for a decent local paying job.

As for home time... It depends on where you live, the freight lanes he will be traveling, and the scheduled delivery appointments. Normally he will be gone for 2 to 4 weeks at a time and then have 2 to 4 days off before leaving again.

If you love each other enough and support each other, you can/will survive as a couple and be stronger for it. Otherwise you will simply add another divorce/broken marriage to the statistics. ​

 

Panhandle Flash, thank you for a wonderful post. I'm so glad you love your life now.

 

WOW! That is a great post.
100% true and spot-on the money!

Tragically, it's become nothing more than a minimum-wage service job.
No different than Taco Bell or El Pollo Loco...except that those places won't work you 80-100 hours (for straight-time) and let you sleep in the restaurant.
Sad, trucking was once the ticket to a solid middle-class lifestyle.
No more!

 

Change your attitude Change your life

It's all attitude, it's medically proven a good happy attitude promotes good health, Your good endorphin's rise, stress drops and besides i believe the difficult
things in life are there for Learning, use it how you feel best, help people through your difficuties or not! The key to remember is FREE WILL, you need to choose if it's bad or good, and react to it selfishly or giving. In Tibet it's called the yin & yang...........What mark will you leave and be remembered for after you meet someone. And as a matter of fact it was you Paddington that helped me remember this........ Peace2U