If You Were My Son.... Or Daughter...

I am a 56 year old man with 19 years as a truck driver... but more importantly many years struggling through life... much of it... my lack of a vision of what I wanted to do with my life... in the early years of my life. I would bet if you're reading this you might be able to relate... I figured out a while back that the young people that I see become really successful early in life knew what they wanted to do very early in life and worked hard and followed their dreams....
Then there's the rest of us... trust me... there's a whole lot more of us. We kind of figured driving a truck CAN make good money... you can... and you don't have to be a scholar... but most truck drivers I have met or been around have a whole different kind of smarts. If I can make one request... if you want to respond to what I write here... Please... do me and yourself a favor... if you are smart enough to be on the computer reading this... then your smart enough to spell words correctly... you open a new tab and put the word in how you think it's spelled and it will show you the correct spelling... I do it all the time and I'm a pretty smart dude... but I can't know everything.... and I proofread what I write so when I'm done... before I hit enter... what I wanted to say is actually here.
If I can do that... so can you. That is what I will ask of you... I want to start a running thread for you young guys and gals... I want to help you not to fall into the traps of what recruiters... some training programs... and "I heard this"... will mislead you. I will tell you the truth... My opinion... my beliefs... and to the best of my knowledge.
Each day I'll try to post something to help you be successful... and more importantly things to consider when you look at a job and your situation.
I will bring in some other drivers who I feel give good, sound advice... so you can consider either different viewpoints or advice... remember I told you I don't know everything. I just went through an orientation for a new job over the past week... and I listened and spoke to a number of different drivers, and learned more things about the pitfalls and pluses.

If you'd like to join my class... I will try to answer any questions that you might have... but if they belong on a different thread.. please ask there... there are many options on this forum.
My help here will not be about specific companies... or about drug tests... or I don't know...? I want to try to help and forthcoming anywhere else you understand why you're even here... things you should think about.... first and foremost... your family situation...what's not only important to you, but what is important to your wife... your girlfriend... are you just trying to have a good paying job... and still have regular (I prefer daily) time with your family.

I don't believe that being on the road for a week or two at a time is productive or necessary to make a decent income... this won't work for everybody.
I'm going to copy and paste.... after this post what I wrote to another driver... this will be an example of what I'm looking to accomplish... to help you...

I will try to help as I would my own son or daughter.... it won't always be perfect... but something to hopefully answer questions of a kind of personal nature, just remember... nobody knows who you are... so be honest... because if you can't be honest with those who don't know your identity... how can you be honest anywhere else...

If this interests you grab a seat... read the next post... Please ask thoughtful questions..... and Welcome... ^raVen^

 

Airgas is my goal here in New England for the money.... I'm just now going back to groceries... I think you need to assess a few things to figure out where you belong... what your goals are... why you're a truck driver... is it a job to make money, such as myself... or do you look at it, as a lifestyle... I believe the romanticism of being a footloose and fancy free road warrior is that of a bygone era... those things have been put to rest by technology... an extreme focus on safety... an economy that has so changed because if you think about.... and look at how it's relative to manufacturing that is so minimal as to how it used to be.
I am going to start a new thread... that I definitely welcome everybody's input. but for you jrsy... here... look around you.... forget the romanticism of the road... you say your girl loves the sunshine state.. cool... ya know what... if you are that thoughtful of your woman to not look outside of florida because that's where she wants to be... that tells me you love her and will work around her... then... man... your concern should be spending every moment you can around her... meaning not wasting your short time on earth working for $$$ that aren't there... don't waste your life chasing a dream (if it's to be a road warrior) that dream is a dying... or actually dream that no longer exists. I would point you to a recent post on the million milers thread... like alot of things that used to exist... they are no more. 'nuff said there.
Pick a job that you can drive a big truck... make a reasonable paycheck... and cherish your relationships, and live them and enjoy them... I'm assuming you're kinda a young guy... a good woman... and the experience of having kids and a young family....? PRICELESS... Search out my thread that I'm going to start tonight... I'm going to give my honest opinion from a guy that spent many younger years searching... with all kinds of issues... now I'm sidetracking.. jersy.. if it's about the income... to keep your family comfortable.. then look at what people need...
I'll leave you with this thought... No matter... hear me .. NO MATTER WHERE THE ECONOMY GOES... PEOPLE HAVE TO EAT!!! HEAR ME young man... everyday grocery stores have to be resupplied... the economy can be in the toilet... everything can come to an abrupt halt... no more flat screens.. no more ipads... no more washing machines... even no more mail.. no more___ you fill in the blank... but I believe the last drivers to fall will be the guys and gals who supply those grocery store shelves... because we have to eat... it will be the last desperate move.
You can make at least $1000 a week... be home everyday... try to enjoy those you love, and they that love you... don't go through life stuck on a job... you might love your job... but does it love you...? NO... that little lady that loves the sunshine state... who's waiting... while you're willing to call Florida home... personally too #### hot for me... don't waste the precious short time you have chasing a life that doesn't exist... That's all I have to offer my friend...

 

Thanx to all... of course it's not a perfect world... and everyone usually manages to find their way... groceries for instance was just an example of what I know that keeps steady work irregardless of the economy... I know there are others... How many times in your life did you say " Dang, wish I knew that before" or "dang, why didn't I think of that" etc... I did grocery for 4.5 years... then 14 years of other up and down... now in an even worse economy... I'm headed back to food... for the reason of stability, as I see it. I want to sleep in my own bed... I want to see my wife... I'm fortunate enough to have a wife that even if I only see for a few minutes each day... that hug reenergizes something in me.. to move forward... I'm not weak... she's not weak... but it's a renewal that we've shared for 25 years... I know some people get along better the less they see of each other... different strokes for different folks... I just got back last nite from being gone for a week and still haven't seen her because she's over taking care of a friend's 86 year old mom... while he's away for the weekend. I'll see her in a little bit.
My original point was to one driver that seemed to me... wasn't making any money... and was out there pounding the pavement for it. I know everybody can't do one certain kind of job.... there's too many of us... and not enough of them.

 

Where are you out of muledriver...? Aberdeen..? I'll have long island and NYC... not the most excited but it certainly is challenging... and you sure better know how to jockey a trailer.