New pumpkin driver

Hey!

Thanks for asking. I just got my iPhone tethered to my laptop. That's the main reason I haven't been updating this.

I am presently helping out on the Wal-Mart dedicated acct. out of Olney, IL. It's a good gig. I go between 300-400 mi/day and do 2-4 stops with either a box or a reefer. They paid deadhead miles. The short-haul premiums and multi-stop pay really help. And, you know where your mt's are, where you'll scale, park, shower, etc.

Overall, trucking has been good. Of course, some days suck like nobody's business but some days are great. I've been to Canada, hauled hazmat, hauled reefers, been thru a lot of different cities including Chicago at rush hour on Friday afternoon and NYC over the GWB, and seen a lot of different things. My backing has gotten good. I haven't hit anything. No tickets. No DOT problems (twice had to deal with them) and yeah I have been late a few times but oh freaking well. My best week was 3100 miles. I had a 2800, 2700. My worst was a scant 1500. The biggest problem I still face is irregular sleep schedules. It sux! Switch me from day to night and back in two weeks?? I can't do that. I stay out 2-3 weeks at a time which is ... ok but after two weeks, it gets a bit old. I think I've logged about 35k miles thus far. My foot barely touches the clutch now lol. What else... just in the middle of my 10-hr break so I just get back in the bunk for a while. Thanks for the interest and I will post more frequent updates.

Proud Punkin Pilot!!!

J

 

Update time: I'm home for the day. I gotta say that 5 months in (and two weeks from my 4cpm raise), I struggle mightily with this job. I don't think it's SCNN. I think it's trucking. I am a decent driver, but not great yet. I got my rig stuck recently, requiring a winch-out, and now (even with no ticket, no police report and no damage to people, property or equipment) I have a "preventable accident". Okay, so I got turned around and made an attempt to get back going the right way in the wrong spot. Oops. That aside, I find this job very thankless and tiring. Olney was ok. OTR is ok. I don't derive much intrinsic gratification from any of it. I don't care that I only go 60 mph. I don't care much if it rains. I go through Chicago, New York and through the mountains just ... like, deal with it. No big deal, really. I meet jerks on the road, at truck stops, at shippers and consignees; you know, I busted my hump to get this load here right when you wanted it, and now I'm handing you $215 to unload me and no one cares. I feel what I do doesn't have much impact on the world. I feel like people barely tolerate my presence. I definitely feel other drivers' contempt at the pumpkin. It becomes a real drag. I am seriously considering going to Edwardsville and just cleaning out my truck and turning in the keys today. What was I thinking, getting my "precious" X,T-endorsed CDL and deciding to be a driver? Was it so I can work insane hours, make not a lot of money, never see anyone and get no thanks from anyone? Was it to be an object of ridicule? I don't know. I am seriously wondering today... any thoughts are seriously appreciated...