Why truck

Well, after 20 years of living in the close confines of the military, having to put up with so many other people and their issues, I happen to enjoy greatly being out on my own. I work best with minimal supervision, always have. I need a little bit of information about what I need to do, and I can handle the rest. I can literally go for weeks at a time without having contact with my boss, surviving on the occasional phone call. I enjoy getting out and seeing my country, spending my days in different places. I get to see sunrises and sunsets, views and vistas that the average person never sees, and I have time to think about my own things and issues.

I am comfortable with my own company, yet able to smile and greet strangers along the way. For someone without a college education, I bring home about 63,000 per year, not including the military pension I also draw, which boots my annual income up into the upper 70's range. I do work that puts a smile on my face a high percentage of the time, and I have a camraderie with other workers in my profession that guys on the factory floor will never have. I spend more nights at home in my own bed than I do sleeping in the truck, but if i need to, i know i can pull over and sleep when I am tired and no one will complain about the hours I keep.

I like it as a way to make a living, it fills my need to travel, my need to be mechanical, and fills my long past childhood visions. It's like anything else in life, it's what you make of it. Put little in, and you will get very little back. Put in a lot, and you get more out of it than what you put in. It works for me, and I am in it for the long haul.

(Note: many of the stories that you read here or elsewhere are tales of things gone wrong. Those are more interesting and discussable than things that go right. For each tale I tell on here of a load that went awry along the way, ther are probably 50 loads here I say nothing because they weren't worth commenting on. We concentrate on the negative to some extent, but that's just human nature. We tell each other of the bad, and learn from it. But it makes things look worse than they really and truly are.)

 

Well I'm waiting to get hooked up with a trainer now...so take that for what its worth. I've been a Jack of all Trades for a long time now (36 years old). I've hedged my way into being a computer operator, network specialist, machine repair, delivery driver, fork list operator, security guard, had a spell in the Army in the infantry. My last job had me shacked into an office and I hated. But it paid reasonably well for someone who held no computer certifications or formal training. It paid so well that I would have had to take a pay cut to get on with one of the local plants.

I had another option to possibly pursue a training program with GE Nuclear to clean up Nuclear plants at shutdown (fun fun). I also had an option to become a heavy equipment operator.

The thing though is that I've pretty much burned my bridges coming into the trucking industry. For me there just doesn't feel like another option (X-ray Technician?). Is that bad? I intend to do this with as much enthusiasm and passion as I can muster. In my travels I have enjoyed the travel. I like problem solving, over coming obstacles, and I like to think I enjoy being mechanically inclined. I love sports like orienteering and thus really love reading maps and working on trip planning...I may even get a topographical atlas.

I believe in doing a good job, in researching things, and in asking questions.

 

Geeze Burky!

You took the words right outta my keyboard, Mister B. :smt024

And you're correct when you mention that our WORST experiences make our BEST Star Spangled Road Stories.

They may not seem funny at the time, but when we reflect, it can bring a smile to our, and other's faces. And often does.

No doubt about it, Big truck drivin' gets into your blood and even a transfusion won't cure the call of the road.

Thanx Burky!
For saving me all that typing to say what you already did.
I appreciate that.
Yes I do.

 

Burky, that was a real nice post really uplifting.

 

That's true.

 

Burk - one of the best posts that I've ever read on this forum. Well said.

 

You REALLY can not look at it and try to add up all the hours you are gone. Basicly you drive 11 hours you're better to just think of it that way.

Trucking is a job which does not readily lend it' skills to many other occupations so many driver o feel traped. It's this or nothing