Does anyone have ANYTHING positive?

Well said.

 

Banditsbb, I don't see where he was making fun of anyone. I read his comment as explaining the economics of the for hire trucking industry. There is no shortage of or need for more drivers in trucking. If there were wages and benefits would be improving not declining as they have for the last 20 years.

Driving a truck as part of your job in the power industry has nothing to do with trucking. Two completely different industries that happen to use a similar tool (the truck) to do different jobs.

I don't doubt being a lineman is tough job, but I'm sure you were paid for every one of those 18-30 hours in your above example, probably with overtime. Truckload carriers expect their drivers to work that much time for FREE every week. They get away with it because of the constant influx of new drivers coming into the industry that see that shiny truck going down the interstate and think what great job that must be.

Think about it for a second. Unemployment is at its highest level in several decades, no one is hiring, except trucking companies.

 

You will see very few positive posts from Rerun he evidently hates life. I'm with you. By the way there are only two ex-marines (Lee Harvey Oswald and that idiot who shot all those kids in Texas back in the 80's) the rest of us are former marines Semper Fi

 

Where else can you have an office view that constantly changes and not have to see your boss' ugly mug every day.

Trucking can be great or it can really suck, it's all what you make of it and remember you have to start at the bottom but it's only up from there. Keep a positive attitude, roll with the punches and eventually you will have the experience and time under your belt that you can find the perfect driving job that suits you.

Good luck and remember the glass IS half full!

 

Heres someone that will survive in the industry, BTW thanks for your years of service for our freedom. One question though, Why did you leave your previous job which I figure you had to be making a good amount of change ?

 

Food Hauler,

Your statement about how bad the economy is, is the point I was trying to make. Alot of people are thinking of making career changes in this economy. That's why they come to forums like this to try to get as much info as possible. For some it may not be the way to go,for others it may be a good fit. Before you make a decision you want to weigh all the pros and cons. What better way to do that then to speak to the men and women that do this for a living. As to someone explaining "the economics of the hire trucking industry". You can do that without telling someone that they have their tail wrapped between their legs. Again no disrespect meant to the post and your points are well taken.


Diesel Dave,

It wasn't my Idea to leave. I mostly worked on overhead lines but also had to work on underground lines at times. One day I had to repair a underground cable that a contractor hit with his backhoe. While I was making my splice another lineman accidently removed my grounds and energized the cable I was working on. It pretty much blew me out of the pit ( to this day my friends call me sparky). I went thru some surgeries and they put some metal rods in my spine. After that the company kind of forced me to take disability.Linework is a very physical job and they felt I was past my prime. So I stayed home and the wifey went back to work. Now our two boys are off to college (community college) so were looking into husband and wife team driving. Something we can do together. And yes I made very good money. A matter of fact any young man that wants a career that's exciting and a little on the dangerous side and pays well. Overhead lineman may be a job to look into. Also if your wondering if I can drive since being hurt. I'm actually in better shape now then I was before I got juiced. Work out at the gym everyday. Just got my benchpress up to 275lbs. I just can't stand being stuck at home.

Also if there are any husband and wife teams out there we would love to hear about your experiences. Who knows,if we choose this maybe we'll met some of you on the road.

P.S
Sorry for any grammer mistakes. IT's been a long time since I was in school.

Again thanks for all the info
Banditsbb

 

Banditsbb -- PM for ya

 

It's like the military. You start at the bottom and work up. Except in trucking there's a ton of reasons that can derail you so you end up in a crummy job making peanuts. You got to do what others are not doing. It's up to you to find out what works for you in your area.

I've said all along never trust a school or a recruiter for your future. All they care about is filling up the class to get paid. Most ,not all, schools are there for one reason and that's to get you your CDL. They care less what happens after you leave their door.

IMHO, it's better to get your training at a community college so you're not obligated to a company to pay off your school. Or a good school that you can pay out of your pocket. I've also said it's best to have 6 months of income stashed away to help while you search for a job. Those jobs are out there, it's just getting harder to find them. That also means your record has to be spotless so another does not go before you. Just remember that the majority are falling for the false livelihood that some of these companies project. If it's your money you should demand the best. If it's their money then you have to take what they give you. It's really a no-brainer

 

This is true in every job...

 

True, but not all careers have such a high flux of people searching for the same job.