Thinking of getting into trucking? My honest take on the industry.

Hello there! It's been a while since I've posted on the TTR, but I get asked the following question a lot : "I'm thinking of getting my CDL, is it a good idea?" Usually this person is thinking of going OTR for whatever company will take a new driver. And if you are new and reading this, you are probably wondering the same thing. Or you already have your CDL, and you're getting started. Either way, I'll use this thread to say all the things I wish I knew before taking the dive. Basically, I am going to spend the next few moments trying to talk you OUT of entering the trucking industry. Not because I dislike it, but because I think it's important for you to know the bad things that your recruiter isn't going to tell you.

A bit about me. I am NOT the kind of guy that likes being on the road for weeks/months at a time. I want to be home with my family, as I am sure you do. My first job out of trucking school was with TMC Transportation - a company that I can't say enough good things about (check some of my previous posts). After a year, I got a daycab job with Pepsi Midamerica (Check my history for my opinion of that hellhole.) I am now a gasoline hauler for Klemm Tank Lines, where I'll likely retire. I love this place.

So let's get started...

"You are the boss."
I'll start off with one of my favorite things about trucking. YOU are the boss. Not your safety guy, not your log lady, not the CEO of the company, and certainly not your dispatcher. Sure, they can yell at you, and maybe fire you if you fight them too much, but that doesn't change the fact that you are the one that's in control. Don't want to drive through a blizzard at midnight? Don't. Company tells you that you can't idle the truck when it's -20 outside? Fire it up and let them whine. Don't want to run illegal? Park it. Wanna go home? Ask nicely once, maybe twice, then stop asking nicely. Never forget that the person on the other side of your phone spends their days at a desk, and they get to go home every day, usually after an 8 hour shift. They aren't the ones freezing their nards off 1,000 miles away from home. Good companies understand all of this stuff, and you shouldn't have to fight with your company all that much. But if you find this isn't true, there are tons of companies that would love to take you in. Don't be afraid to quit a bad job, your career and maybe even your life could depend on it.

"This is a lifestyle, not a career."
Graduations. Birthdays. Anniversaries. So on, and so forth. You're going to miss a lot of them. And if an emergency happens at home, you are going to be far away. You're going to lose contact with friends and loved one. If you can't stomach this, find a day job. No matter how hard you try and how good your company is, the fact is that you now have a very demanding job that's going to consume a large portion of your waking life.

"Your CDL is your livelihood."
This shouldn't need explaining. If you screw up badly enough, you'll become a leper that only the really cruddy companies will touch. This is mostly because the insurance industry controls the trucking industry. If your CDL has enough stains on it, insurance companies won't cover you. This applies retroactively as well. You can convince a company to overlook a felony conviction, but you can't convince their insurance to overlook a DUI. This is a very unforgiving industry when it comes to stuff like this. So if you were a wild child in your youth, or made some pretty bad blunders when you were getting started, you may want to consider another career. I'm not saying it's impossible to be a great driver and have a great career, but you'll have an uphill battle every step of the way.

"You are just a number."
No matter how wonderful your company is, no matter how much you like your boss, this is a simple fact. Especially with the mega carriers which a new driver will likely be choosing from. You are a driver number attached to a truck and trailer number on your dispatcher's computer.

"It's the driver's fault."
If anything goes wrong, all eyes go on you. If a load is late, guess who the customer is mad at? Nevermind that dispatch gave you the load when it should have shipped out yesterday, the customer never hears that. If your dispatcher ever asks you to do anything questionable, no matter how minor, get it in writing or say "NO." A good example of this is when a customer loaded me about 1,000 pounds heavy, which I noticed at the nearest CAT scale. It only had to go 120 miles, and there was a scale on route. And no, there wasn't a legal workaround. Dispatcher said to run with it, and if I got popped the company would cover the ticket. I asked him to say that in a message over the Qualcomm. A few minutes later, he said to go back and get something taken off. Somehow I doubt the company would have covered me.... One of the most important skills to learn in this industry is how to cover your butt.

"This job is dangerous."
Don't let the 500 pounders and 5 million mile vets convince you otherwise - you can die out here. Roll the truck. Get smacked in an intersection. Stomp the brakes too hard and send your load flying toward the cab (flatbedders know what I'm talking about.) Add in the fact that you're a fairly easy target for robbery. More than any other job, you really are responsible for your own safety. Most of the time, nobody is there to watch your back. Furthermore, if you have serious health concerns, nobody is going to be checking in on you. The local TA is one of my primary accounts, and the manager has received calls from carriers to walk his lot to look for a driver who wasn't responding to phone calls. He dreads these phone calls.

"They are out to get me!"
This may sound like the rant of a crazy person, but it's true in the trucking industry. The DOT, state police, sheriff, and local cops are all literally out to "get" you. They are paid to do so. And some cops have genuine disdain for truckers. I know of one that specifically targets HAZMAT vehicles and looks for reasons to write tickets.

"The law stinks."
There are literally thousands of rules, laws, and regulations for us to follow. All of which are written by politicians and bureaucrats who have only ever seen a truck from the inside of their sedans. Then there are going to be some ignorant company policies that were written up by some desk jockey trying to maximize profits. My all time favorite is companies that punish drivers for idling their trucks too much. Screw you guys, if I'm cold I can't sleep. It's idling.

"Truck stop food is expensive."
In addition to the heart disease you'll get after a while, eating truck stop food will eat up your paycheck faster than a smoking habit. Get one of those mini-fridges and stock it up at a WalMart. It'll pay for itself pretty fast. Plus, it's awesome to have food for when you can't park at a real truck stop. Get one of those little ovens too. They cost about 20 bucks, and I've cooked up some darn good stuff in mine.


Now, don't think I'm here to tell you that "trucking is awful, get out while you still can." That's not at all what I am saying. What I am saying is that this is a cut-throat industry that requires a special kind of person. You have to be independent, smart, and assertive. Think of yourself as a mercenary. Decide what you are willing to do, and for what pay. Then set out and find a job willing to meet those standards.

I hope that you will take some of what I have said to heart, and approach your new career a little better prepared for what is waiting for you on the other side.

*edit*

"Gotta find a place to park."
Every day, at the end of your shift, you have to find a place to park your truck for the night. Sounds easy, right? Well, this will end up being one of the toughest things you'll be doing while out on the road. There is a severe lack of parking spaces in the US. Rest areas are full around 8 or 9 PM. Earlier the closer you get to major cities. The same goes for truck stops. I've had nights where I had to inspect 4 different truck stops before finding a place to park for the night. And when you do find a spot, it'll likely be in the back between two guys parked right on the lines. I've backed my truck into some nasty docks, but nothing is as stressful as trying to blind-side back in between two very shiny O/Os at midnight.

This is a serious, ongoing problem that will bedevil your entire trucking career. I, no joke, planned my days around where I was going to park for the night. "Let's see... I have 2 hours left. It's 9:30PM already. Here in an hour there's a Petro. And in another 45 minutes there's a Pilot, but it's right outside St Louis, so I know the parking situation will be bad." So what do you do? Call it an early night? Or chance getting hosed later on? And what if the Petro is completely full? Now you're sweating bullets hoping the Pilot has a spot.

 

Good point on the parking.... I'll make an edit!