What's the hardest part about trucking?

Where have to delivered that receivers bang on your door?lol.Every place ive delivered to and pick up know better and knock softly.

 

I feel many people have notunderstood the question..hardest part about trucking? I dont feel its tight backing,hard shifting trucks for a rookie,screwed up fuelstops,being treated like an animal at times, not eating right ,isolation, driving on snow or ice covered roads, being lost in downtown pittsburgh or NYC...I could go on for ever...the hardest part is looking at my 18 year old daughter and my wife that I have missed 99% of everything with them..I started driving in 89 yes Im home weekends and I am fortunate enough to have landed a good union job that allows me 5 weeks vacation a year but even with that I have missed out on their lives ..not seeing my daughter take her first steps, watching her throw the winning point in her pee wee basketball game not being there for them or the rest of my family and freinds...do I regret not being there? yes..do I love my job ?yes..have I made the right move to become a driver way back when?? like I said I am very fortunate to have a good paying job with great benifits..starting out you will be like I was a crap job with very low pay..took me 11 years to get a good job...so what Im getting at is If your not ready to isolate yourself from the world as you know it for maybe most of your life trucking may not be for you...money is not everything and thats a hard lesson to learn and understand before it may be too late...I do not hate my job or my career path I chose but its not for everybody...so this is my opinion of the hardest part of being a trucker..anybody can learn to back up and shift gears, not everybody can miss their families life while theyre running up and down the road...just the thoughts of a grumpy tanker yanker..

 

Thought i was the only one noticed that

 

Don't listen to anyone that says you don't drive a real truck, or you have no idea. We all started out as trainees somewhere. Keep at it!

 

try watkins and shepard trucking out of sayreville medium company

 

You ain't no grumpy tanker yanker. You're a daddy and a husband that loves his family. And in my book that's one hell of a man in today's society. And I know what you mean. Left to pick up my truck when I bought it 2 days turned into 5 missed my fiancee and my son the whole time. Ran 2 books, and only made 4 stops in 1200 miles 1 for fuel, 1 for food, 1 for a coke icee that they didn't have for my fiancee, and 1 to redo my last 2 days of my log in illinois. Wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done in my life and driving on 36 in kansas was the worst leg nothing to look at but the white line and 16.5 hours of driving was stating to catch up to me. But I was wide eyed and bushy tailed when I seen that sign that said Nebraska state line and happier than a pig in mud when I rolled up to my fiances house and seen her waiting outside. You're right money isn't everything and in the end if you don't have your family you have nothing.

 

Hearthooves you're absolutely right. Ignore these truckstop cowboys. Choosing a company is a huge deal as it will determine your life for years. And sorting them out good lord ive been driving nearly 10 years and I still havent found my perfect fit.

 

I am glad that I waited till my 4th and last child graduated Prior to me going over the road. Now that they are out of the house, My wife gets to go with me quite often and we enjoy our peace and tranquility away from it all.

 

hearthooves ....

you live in new jersey and dont have class "A" cdl, here is what my advise to you would be ...

Call NFI, they are in vineland new jersey , ask them for a list of the trucking schools they work with. Once you get through that school, they will hire you and you will go with a trainer for approx 8 weeks. then you will be solo...

BUT HERE IS THE GOOD PART ----

If you get hired on to one of their local accounts, you wont be living in teh truck with the trainer, you will show up for your job everyday just like a normal local trucking job and your trainer is with you to the end of your day and then you go home.

Check out careerbuilder and search for NFI in your area and see what you could be grossing, its just about right on the money that they tell you what you will gross, but just starting out, i think it is 500 a week gross until you are done with your trainer... i worked for nfi the last 2 yrs and they treated me very well... my circumstances have changed recently and i had to leave nfi and i will tell you , if my circumstances didnt change, i would still be there.. i would have not had a problem staying there until i retired ...

if you have any questions about nfi shoot me a private message and i will tell you anything you need to know about nfi .... for anyone else, they do have local jobs nationwide that are scattered around .. if you check it out on careerbulder and have questions feel free to ask ...

and NO , i am NOT a recruiter for them ... i have been driving for almost 17 yrs and have been a memeber of this forum for the last 5 1/2 yrs .....