In nine months I drove 75K miles, mostly Eastern USA OTR. In this time the Planners who offer or assign the loads would give short loads that I would decline one after another. Requesting loads that would work with my HOS (Hours of Service). It came to my attention that my acceptance rate was 21% and no other complaints only complements of my stats were excellent. I was told by management freight is low numerous times. Okay if it as such why hire new drivers..I am OTR. I was out for three months straight committed to driving up to 650 miles/day if traffic and weather permitted. I rarely took breaks. It was hard to drive with this intensity but I did it. I think the company or any company should be ultra aware of their drivers who are sacrificing this much effort for the business.
Initially I thought truck driving would be easy. After schooling and getting mentorship training I realized quickly there is much more to trucking than meets the eyes. There is so much I never learned in CDL school that it shocks me. I quickly learned in two weeks I was with my mentor. I knew nothing about tandems and how to slide them much less how the load should be adjusted based on the weight distributed in the trailer. I know now of course. There was so many ways to have to learn to back a trailer and I didn't always love this aspect of trucking.
I also cannot believe how poorly our country is in regards to parking a semi-truck. How there are too few rest stops as you travel along the Southern Border of Mississippi. I had to force myself to cry so I could stay away. For it is illegal to park on the side of the roadway unless its an emergency. How the truck GPS would fail me on several occasions. The GPS did not warn me of a bridge closure and I drove down the road to see it was closed. I had to call Police to help me light up the road at night on Thanksgiving Day and back up hill around corners on a narrow road for two miles. It was extremely exhausting and I was thankful that the Police did not give me a ticket!
Or when the GPS did not inform me ahead of time that a bridge was closed in North Carolina to cause me not have good GPS directions even from Google a car GPS. I followed another Semi in hopes he had better assistance from his own GPS. It was a scary route where the road was steep and winding and his brakes on the trailer were smoking. I broke into tears because I was thankful for he was guiding me without knowing it out of this mess.
There is a lot to trucking so much more than words can display. I knew these Planners were unaware of the sacrifice of a trucker, even if they say. “Thanks” and they did but not all Planners are good at Planning. There are many who will bully you. Many who gossip to say not to help. I left my job because of these tiny load offerings. I felt really sad that day but I also feel really happy to be back home in my own bed. Launder clothes in my own washer and dryer. To shower in my own home. To eat as I like.
At times, maybe I could have said, “I love trucking.” but not always. I drove on 2 feet of snow passed all truckers from NJ to WV to deliver a load on black ice in the receivers parking lot. What I accomplished was great for me because I know I can do it now after nine months. However to others in the company its all invisible.
I left last week because of poor planners at the company I was hired at. I complained and nothing was done. So be it. They lose. I have the experience and I can drive a semi-truck safely!
Doing your very best if for you not your company!
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by CatesCube, Mar 31, 2025.
Page 1 of 2
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
-
-
FullMetalJacket, bryan21384, snowlauncher and 1 other person Thank this. -
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 1 of 2