Is Trucking that bad.....

I think like someone else mentioned in another topic, it is human nature to complain about your job. I complain about my programming job about how it is stressful not knowing how much money I will make, and how technology keeps advancing I am not sure if I will be able to learn a whole new programming language every two months as if I am in college forever.

However I do not mention that the pay is good when it does come in, and I have a lot of freedom. I want to do trucking so that I can have a more stable check (if I do the work I know a check will be coming) to add to my programming business income. My business is self sufficient and makes money even if I do not do anything. I thought this was temporary but it seems to make money on its own for over four years now. You guys have no idea how much money a site can make if you put content that people want and not just some social site profile like Facebook and Youtube. In fact two days ago someone sent me $1000 to place his little link on one of my web pages for three months. You guys can do the same but no one knows about how easy it is. It is a great supplement income but not a full time one.

So I want to have another job to pay off my mortgage and save money. I do not mind a challenge, and I like when I "earn" the money through hard work since then people cut you more slack when they know you are working hard (people as in friends and family). When they see you sit back and relaxing they call you lazy, so I like to work hard so they can tell others I work hard and to give me my space and cater to me a bit.

 

Very well put DirtyBob!

 

I agree with you completely. Still, there ARE things to be learned from these negative threads. Someone in the OP's position can read them and think about whether or not he could live with the problems that are described there. Let's face it, so many of these companies are so much alike. Particularly the ones that do training.

 

Much truth told here. Trucking definitely not you run of the mill job. A lot of the results you get are based on what you put into it. Attitude is everything. For me, after 3 decades at this, I have never had it so well, nor had the net income that I have now. And that is in a bad economy. But like many others, it took working for a lousy outfit here and there, and "paying my dues", as it were. Some may long for the "good 'ol days" of trucking, but not me! Who wants to stand in line at the truckstop waiting to use the pay phone, for one? Not me! Not to mention the hassle of a breakdown in -20F weather and no such thing as a Qualcomm or cell phone. Trucking is easier now than it has ever been. Just the complainers continue. Some would complain if you gave them the fanciest truck, paid them $100K a year, provided a melon breasted cheerleader to ride with them, and only made them drive 1 day a week. Some of us appreciate the difficulties in trucking in days gone by, and know that yesterday wasn't always that good, and tomorrow is not as bad as it seems.

 

OP I would say yes there definitely is a lot of complaining and like people have said every company has negative aspects. There is no such thing as a perfect company and even the best ones have like a 70% turnover rate (meaning out of 100 drivers, 70 will be gone within the year)

But if it were that awful, we wouldn't be out here doing it

There are definitely headaches, with dispatch/mileage/routing/backing/customers/DOT, etc. but the majority of the time it's boredom as you drive down the highway (especially in OTR)

I saw a quote one time it said something like "OTR is 5% headaches and 95% boredom"

 

Mate have you ever listened to a session in congress? these drivers are all just practicing to be elected to congress.

 

The trucking industry looks much better to those just joining it. Especially coming from being unemployed.

A lot of bitterness is from the perspective of those that saw much MUCH better days. Better pay, better miles, better hours to drive and be home, better fellow drivers on the road with them. The four wheelers were always bad though... I am assuming.

Mikeeee

 

Not to mention that a lot of folks have "selective memory" about the "good old days!"