I'm going with Swift!!!

Not all of us.

 

Welcome back ORG! I kind of put you on the hook for a book a couple posts back. Wedge seems to kind of support it. I know others would. That'd apply to both you and Chris.

BTW...many years ago I read from cover to cover a book titled, "How to Succeed in Big Time Trucking". International's Transtar and White's Road Commander were fairly high quality tractors back then. I drove them both.

BUT...your (and Chris') story is up to the minute, and we're all looking forward to your posts.

Be safe!

 

Wow! Amazing. I just happened to chance upon the first ORG thread and have been hooked, had to read it all. What courage and decisiveness. You are an inspiration, keep up the posts as able. If you get tired of trucking you could always write screen-plays or novels. I suspect you could do anything you put your mind to. Great job!

 

Hey ORG welcome back! and just so you know Oldnewbie is just JEALOUS cuz we missed you MORE than HIM!! LOL!!

Glad you finally on on the road and have your truck. Can't wait to hear your next chapter!

 

Both of you fellas, ORG and Oldnew, are a real ray of sunshine on this forum. You both have so much to offer in the way of information for the newbie/wannabe that it is frustrating when you are gone for a while. But there are some, (a few) of us who realize that there actually IS life outside of the forum.

In any case, I hope that both of you will continue to post your "sagas" and keep us informed. Even us older hands who have, for the most part, BTDT enjoy reading about your adventures and experiences.

 

WOW!!! ORG you are one of few. Your post are great and detailed like a novel. Maybe writing a book isn't so far fetched for you. Ever give it a thought? Well I am also 33yrs old and have recently graduated driving school with my class-A. I start my orientation in about 2 weeks with USA Truck. I have given brief detail of my experience, but you WOW!! I am not literate enough or patient enough to write like you. Although I would love to have your touch and patience to type my experience like you do. What take you 10 minutes to type would take me 2 hours, lol. Oh-well, just wanted to say THANK YOU and CONGRATS on the career you have been sharing with us and look forward to reading more. You have become this superstar kind of figure for us new driver trainees on what to look forward to in our future. GREAT JOB!!!

 

OpenRoadGuy,

Wow, I finally finished all 98 pages (62+36) after a week and what a story this is. It was like reading a good mystery novel waiting to see the plot unfold on the next pages. Your story is so much like mine at the beginning in that I absolutely hate my high paying job and want to trade it so badly for a Big Truck Trucking (Thanks AfterShock, this is how I'll always refer to it for now on) way of life. My problem is that my company is holding me hostage with their retirement plan and can't walk for several more years.

You seem to have a good grasp of storytelling and capturing the whole story. Have you ever thought of documenting this story in a book? Perhaps a beginners guide to Big Truck Truckin, the first year? Before I found this Blog I actually went looking for such a book but had little luck. I bet you could easily solicit some really good guest writers here. Just a thought. I hope you do plan on keeping the post going for at least the first 6 months because you have developed quite a following and newbies all over are reading this in preparation of their own careers. I can't wait to start for most of the reasons you did.

I've made two deductions while reading all this. There are people who really want to be a Big Truck Trucker so they can sleep in their trucks for weeks at a time, eat truck stop food, not know where you'll be waking up tomorrow, etc... And there are those that have been forced into trucking for one reason or another that will always hate trucking for the same reasons others love it. It's your typical "the grass is always greener" kind of story. Many out there would have gladly traded places with OpenRoadGuy in his old career and would have handed him the keys to their truck in the process. What some hate about trucking he hated about his office and I'm on board with him.

One question I desperately need answered: $250 for a lumper to unload a freekin truck are you out of your mind! Is this profession controlled by the Mafia? My math has always been a little off but I figure based on what you wrote a lumper could make over $1,000 daily just unloading trucks. Based on a 6 day work week that's over $300k per year. Do these people wear suits and ties and look like Wall Street crooks? Do they buy you a lobster dinner before they f*** you? Thought I'd ask.

 

I paid $500 for a load of water melons to be unloaded !!!!!!

And that was 10 years ago !!!

 

Is there a school for lumpers. I am wasting my time trying to drive the freakin truck!!

 

Are you out of your bleeping mind? Open the doors, put it in super low low and pop the clutch.