Trucking is a first class lifestyle

this is a rare sight to see! a photo of a swift truck not laid over in the ditch.....

 

Great post & great attitude. You are they kind of guy that would find something else that makes you happy, if trucking ever lost it's charm.

We are only on this spinning planet for a short time. I have to scratch my head when I hear of people staying for years at a job they hate.

You are obviously enjoying yourself - it's hard to believe people here are trying to bring you down.

 

Gawwwlleeeee that there sure was some clever comment. Original. I can laugh at the best Swift jokes with the rest but please let's try to be a little bit clever in our slams. I like a good chuckle but we gotta use our heads a little bit if we're going to be humorous otherwise it just comes out as tired and played out.

Ok, now back to the thread. Apologies OP...

I'll say this. There are times I lose the appreciation for this job and usually it's those mundane days of just driving interstate bored to tears. But let me tell you about first class lifestyle (for me). I spent the good portion of the other night looking up from my sleeping bag on a slab of rock at a moonless sky so full of stars I couldn't believe it. I could see the Milky Way clearly and it was positively quiet other than the very rare truck or car that passed below. I was about 20 miles south of Moab, UT at a little scenic pullout by "Miller's Arch". That night was so peaceful it was like a mental reset.

The catch is that I was getting paid to go through here. I wasn't on vacation where I"m paying for the fuel and a hotel room. I didn't have to hike there. I parked my work vehicle, grabbed my sleeping bag and got out. Then I drove off the next day - getting paid.

First class all the way...

 

I do what I like and I like what I do. Yeah, it's got its ups and downs, but I'm happy taking home $70k+ without having any better than a high school diploma (and barely managed that). I know people who are many thousands upside down on student loans, only to make $30k a year. Couple that with the inevitable mortgage, car loans, kids and everything else and my job doesn't look that bad, despite the steaming BS that we all have to put up with out here.

Think I'll keep on driving for a while.

 

Amen to that!

 

I love a good success story. And, you did it ALL yourself. You, sir, have my deepest respect.

 

Not only are they recruiting people just out of prison, now, apparently also the state hospitals.

Wait 10-20 more years. See how you like it, then?

 

If you hate it why still do it?

 

Man, I'm with you brother. I'm 53 and feel like I wasted most of my life working in an office. Been doing it for over 2 years and it still doesn't seem like a real job to me. But, on the other hand, it doesn't crush my world when someone is unkind to me or someone blocks me on the fuel island. Every day is an adventure, and every day I go to bed and wake up reasonably happy. Better than going to work every day in an office knowing it was going to be bad, you just didn't know for sure how bad.

 

I'm still a newbie, but enjoying it so far. I was never really a fit in the college environment, I had few friends in high school, I took a variety of odd jobs that I hated. Now I'm finally somewhere I can say I really enjoy being. At least for now, we'll see how I'm liking it in a few months.

Personally, I've found that shower wise the truck stops attached to large casinos have the best showers, but pilot is nice because my company fuels there so one accumulates shower credit quickly for pilot...