wannabe trucker vent

first, if its one issue after another in your college life, what makes you think you will not have issues in your trucking life..??

you "really ant to do this".....i ask "WHY"...??

do you really think driving a truck is a walk in the park....??

do you really think you will not have issues driving a truck..??

do you really think an employee will put up with your issues...?

how are young people treated by companies...?? like sheet, what would you think..??

there are people here on this board right now that cannot hack being a truck driver, and you claim you have been here for a few months, haven't you read any of thier posts...????

i think you go the wrong idea about trucking. trucking is NOT an escape when everything else attacks you and you wanna bail out. i feel that by your posting and how you say it, you cannot handle stress, pressure, time deadlines....and you think you'll make a good truckers...??

you had better think again.....

 

You dont know til you try it....IMO, it has to be better than a fast food joint. Good luck, pay attention, and really give it your all, no time to half@$$ it and squeak by. This is you handling 80,000 lbs for long hours and miles every day with thousands around you not paying attention, that's your job.

Not going to be easy, but if it's something you want to do to better yourself and your life, who am I to stop you? Again, good luck!

 

If you decide on Trucking for a living, you will learn how to shift and back. That's what the school is all about. Then you'll be with a trainer for some time. Just pray you get a good one. In my opinion backing a large trailer is way less complicated that backing a small one or a short one. More dangers, but less complicated in maneuvering. Shifting will come to you. It's all in engine speed, road speed and timing. It's really not that complicated. Many before you has learned and many after you will too. I see negative comments on here about trucking everywhere. Granted, there are negative parts of trucking. There are also positives. Those who tend to constantly point out the negative are just negative people to begin with. I wonder why in the world are they in the buisiness if it's so #### bad. There are good days and bad days no matter what career you are in. So, don't absorb all the negativity, keep your eyes open, learn, be safe and courteous. Be aware of your surroundings and be aware there are negative aspects of trucking. Just don't let negativity be the driving force in life reguarles what path you choose to take.

 

Like Rerun said, I wouldn't look to trucking as an escape because it is most likely going to compound any of your current problems. Yes you can make money and if you are good at it have a pretty decent career. School will teach you what you need to know in order for you to go with your over the road trainer. Once you choose your company then you will go with their trainer for a couple months. Keep in mind that some people are naturals and others are not. Some need more practice than others and some just never get it. It really isn't rocket science. I think you will find that if you ask other newbies the driving part is the easiest part. The lifestyle will be the toughest part of it. Ask yourself, can you be away from mom's basement for a month at a time? Can you drive all day long (or all night long) 11-14hr days/nights and then climb in the back of the truck, sleep, and do it all over again the next day? Do you like camping? Public restrooms? Are you good at handling stress? Trucking can be very stressful and at the end of the day you don't get to go home and have a beer! You also need to be able to balance a health lifestyle while you are out there. You drive for 11 hrs and are tired and just want to get some greasy food and go to bed after sitting all day and doing nothing. It's tough to make good inexpensive food choices and get 45-1hr of exercise everyday. On the bright side if this sounds like something that you maybe interested in and can handle the stuff I mentioned then you can make decent money and it can really be an enjoyable career. You don't have a boss hanging over shoulder while you are working (though some people need this) your fridays are the same as your sundays because you work everyday yet it really doesn't seem like work. At least to me anyways. When I was a carpenter I worked all week looking forward to Friday and dreaded the hell out of Sunday night! When you are trucking it really doesn't matter what day of the week it is. Maybe once every couple of months you can get a hotel room and treat yourself to a night of cable tv and private shower! You can also take your time off while you are out on the road. If you are in a place you like or want to be and take some time off then go for it!

Hope this helps, I recommend keep researching and doing your homework and this site is excellent for that. Good luck to you!

 

Well said sir!

 

You beat me to this Rerun. It is the first thing that came to mind when I read the OP.

To the OP, why don't you give yourself a couple of years. It isn't likely that any trucking company will hire you under 22 anyway.

Of course, if you want to work construction, or hauling aggregate, you might be able to get on younger than that.

 

True, it may be easier to get on driving a dump truck of some sort. Not only that, but its probably the best way to break in to the world of trucking. At least when you're completely new to the stress factor of driving a rig by yourself and everything that comes with it, you get to go home and sleep in your own bed at night. It probably wouldn't be such a culture shock, rather than driving 600+ miles per day, knowing the home sweet home you are used to is just a few weeks/months away!

 

well I CERTAINLY AIN'T NO NEGATIVE PERSON.....THAT I AM POSITIVE ABOUT....!!!

 

####....he even scared the SHEET OUTTA ME....!!!

"grasshopper learnt well"...."take the pebble from my palm grasshopper".....