WSE - from my point of view

O's O,

I know that financially it makes no sense. Mentally, it made a lot of sense. 15 years of another, although higher paid thankless job, was taking its toll on me. The stress of accounting is incredible and no one is ever happy with the answer.

I hear people discuss here the stress associated with driving and at first, I didn't really see it. After last week...I know exactly what you and others are talking about. I just wish my stress was attributable to too many miles and too few hours. unfortunately, most of my stress is self-imposed based on my rookie status.

I began thinking this past weekend exactly the same way. I will be interviewing on Friday and if they offer the position to me...I'll very likely take it. Financially, I'd be crazy not to.

I have so much respect for what you guys do out here now. I have always had respect because I have an uncle who has been OTR for more than 40 years but not to the level I have now.

If not, I will stick this out...I'd really like to get the full 6 months in just so I could come back with at least 6 mo experience should I have the need or desire to do so.

 

You know, JR OTR, I really don't mind your scolding but I think it's a bit harsh. I'm new and nobody likes or intends to make mistakes...they just happen. I particularly hate mistakes because I am a perfectionist that's why I am a freaking accountant. Believe me, I know the story as I have lived it. You are the one who is jumping to a lot of conclusions...I would recommend a little less coffee and maybe a few more cigarettes in an effort to chill out a bit.

The overweight load during my training period was not my call and my trainer has an awesome record of more than 5 years. It was a very unusual situation in which the shipper refused to take weight off the trailer. In that case, I think we were about 400 lbs over and with two drivers, all our gear and an APU, he felt that the scale attendee would probably not write him up but he wasn't willing to take the chance. That is why we went around a couple of scales.

In my case, I was in a small town in NY with no obvious certified scale and since the weight (according to the BOL which I know can't be trusted) was less than other loads I have hauled, I decided to head to my 1st fuel stop to scale the load, thinking that if I had to do anything it would be adjust my tandems/5th wheel. If I had had any idea that I was 3000 over, I would not have moved the trailer off the property of the shipper. There was no way I was going to turn that load around more than 100 miles away especially with 1 foot of snow on top (yes, even after driving 100 miles). The only reasonable option I felt I had was to avoid scales. You think I enjoyed any of this? You make sound as though I seek to violate rules and roll the dice on a daily basis.

Like I said, if I stick it out, I aspire to be a Super Trucker like you. You probably have that stupid echo on your CB too, don't you? That is the stupidist thing I have experienced out here.

Let's see, let's do something to my CB or mike or both to make me 3 times more difficult to understand.

That, like ridiculously loud Jake brake noise, is nothing but drivers swinging their peckers...and in my opinion, juvenile and ridiculous.

 

Thanks for your kind words and support. I truly appreciate it.

 

mixed...hard to say. Good in some ways, not so in others. We'll see. Lot's of competition out here these days.

But thanks for asking.