Is There Any Happiness Out There?

What do you want? Trucking is a big industry and unless you figure out what you are looking for you will just wander aimlessly not only in trucking, but in life as well. Set your priorities and then look for a company that comes the closest to meeting those needs and goals. Having been with so many companies in such as short period of time you probably need to tough it out for a while with your current company.

 

There were a hell of lot of things they didn't tell me when I hired on with this outfit.

 

Personaly, I think too many people take this be happy and love your job thing way too far. Sure theres bad things that go along with with driving for a living, but theres also good things. It's a job, work, and as with most things in life you get out of it what you put in to it. I stay in my seat, out of truck stops for the most part, drive, eat, sleep, repete, go home and get my check. I am making pretty good money, not getting rich, but paying my bills. I have had much worst jobs, and really, what are you whineing for, you picked this career, do the job and pay attention to whats good about it instead of wanting everything to be perfect.
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I wouldn't team drive. That just cuts what free time you have in half, stuck in a truck watching TV or whatever while it's rolling. Even a solo driver is limited on what they can do. But you can get out of the truck and walk around at least and do little things.

How you deal with the stressful things makes a world of difference. You get mad and dwell on stuff, there is recourse, and you'll be unhappy. Think about how you handle things. If you accept this is the way it is and handle everything with a calm manner, you will find things go much better.

Instead of getting mad at a dispatcher, do what they ask. Then you will see your relationship grow and you get better treatment and loads. Face it, you can't win an arguement with a dispatcher. They have many ways to make life hell for you. I rather not go that route. That's not saying there is bad dispatchers out there because they are out there. But many work relationships go sour from the drivers actions. It will start out small and get worse. It's up to you which way the relationship goes.

Traffic brings on stress. But no matter what you do or how mad you get, you can't change things. Part of being a professional driver is dealing with everything in a calm collective manner. The same with customers.

I've had a love/hate relationship with trucking until I accepted things and learned to deal with it. Things got so much better and enjoyable. I just have a high school education, but one thing I learned is college teaches people how to deal with problems, differences and debate with a controlled manner. Where as an uneducated person wants to cuss, yell and even fight if that's how they were raised. I just said that to prove there is more than one way to resolve things and what follows.

Why do you think there is such a high turnover rate and all the schools are filled? Maybe 1 in 6 are cut out for trucking. Maybe it ain't for you? You'll find that with any job though. The happiest workers build their career around something they already know they like.

I see a pattern and you got it. If DEF pisses you off, then anything will.

There was a hell of alot of things you didn't ask.

 

Here's another view. I am extremely independent so for me going the owner/operator route was the way to go. My relationship with dispatch is more like a broker to driver. I get to say no, if the load won't fit my needs. There have been times I've done loads to help them even though they weren't necessarily good for me, but they didn't kill me and I knew it would give me leverage if I needed it.

There is an old saw, "How do you know a recruiter is lying? His lips are moving." I have never been told the truth by any company I have ever driven for. That said for this stage of my driving career my current company is the right choice. As my business builds they will no longer be able to provide what I need to continue to grow and expand. When that day comes it will be time to do my research and make the move to a new company.

My point to this is that you have to know who you are and what you want. Once you know that, make sure you are an attractive candidate as a driver. Pay your dues and make yourself valuable. After that start to move patiently towards your goals. This forum is a great place to research companies that might offer what you are looking for, but you will never know until you know what you want.

 

What the man said.

 

I found happiness again when I started trucking....

 

Part of being a professional driver is dealing with everything in a calm collective manner. Very good advice CC.

 

It seems to me that people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be. If they are determined to be unhappy there isn't much anyone can do to change their mind. Happiness comes from within.

 

"Most days I wake up happy for no reason at all"......... however, answer "true" to this question on a psyc-eval and the shrink will say "you're not right in the head"

(i answered true)