What daily physical activites does your job require of you?

It isn't the daily bending , squatting , moving that OTR will do that will bother you...But , with a bad back it's gonna be the constant sitting for hours , without any exercise that will do you in...Trucking is not a job for someone with back problems already to even consider , but in the end it's your choice...I drove trucks for over 30 years...retired in 2011 from doing it, I wasn't OTR.... I did food service delivery for GSF for 33 years , and that meant I finger-printed 10's of thousands of boxes in that length of time...if you have a bad back now...IMHO , trucking even OTR would only make matters worse for you...that's my take , and it's just an opinion...Good Luck!

 

Best listen to tony the trucker dude. When you have to climb down outta the truck after 7 1/2 hours your legs and back are gonna be stiff.I recommend trucking gig where you dont do heavy lifting or sit for extended periods in a seat.My back hurt a lot when I was OTR. Now that Im local or 3 state radius I feel better mix of seat sitting,walking,moderate to light lifting keeps my back loose and worked out. Recommend local gig and sleep at home on a firm stearns & foster bed.Pulling pallets around for me isnt as bad on my back as bending over a fender of a car for 3 hours.JMO

 

Sometimes i have to juggle stuff such as carry a drink the large 44oz ones out of the truck stop to my truck which is easily an exhausting 7000 centimeters away. Oftentimes on physically strenuous days i have to carry the large 44oz'r in one hand and a hotdog or snack in the other one.
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Its rough man.

 

I'll just answer the question and dispel a misconception you have.

I pull a reefer across 48. My company does not want us moving freight. However there are times we have to oversee and count it going in or out. This usually entails 2-3 hrs standing on a cement floor, usually frozen.

I also am responsible for making sure my load is secure with load locks, which means I have to climb in and out of my trailer. Sliding the tandems also requires me to access the underside of the trailer. Our trailers are equipped with an air release, which makes it easier. Not all companies have this. There may be times when you have to crawl under the trailer for various things, like getting frozen brakes to release. The tree may be other things that I'm not mentioning off the top of my head.

The misconception... 98% no touch doesn't mean your truck will stay moving. You will still have live loads and unloads, times when they can't find you a load, especially on holidays.

 

Ya load bars. Now there is a physically strenuous task! ####### super truckers.

 

You know...it would be nice for you to keep your posts on the thread topic being discussed....not just silly childish comments....the OP asked a legitimate question...try and give legitimate answers please....

 

My legitimate answer is that there is essentially zero physical requirements for OTR trucking. It is my assertion that if the few physical tasks throughout the job are considered enough labor to be worth mentioning then there is a serious problem with the health of the person claiming such things.

 

And you base that on what...a few months of experience , and maybe , just maybe 50,000 or so miles.....your assertion carries no weight...you have no idea of the long term effects of OTR driving...lots of drivers wind-up with terrible back trouble after years of driving , and for the simple reason that they carried a wallet in their back pocket , making ( over-time ) their hips / and spine to be out of adjustment..and that's just 1 simple example....But at least we're on topic now...Thanks.....

that's wind-up..not wing-up...fixed it though....

 

I seen the name of this thread and I thought this had to be a troll or a joke..... but much to my amazement..............