Toughest part of the Job ?

I would trade this job for an office job in a second if the office job paid me the same and gave me the benefits and pension I have now. Been driving sence I was 21 for 13 years now and I dont know anything else. Wish I could go back 13 years. I would change what I chose to do for a living.

 

My biggest headache...shippers and receivers that take forever,and of course the occasional bout with the dispatcher,ive never been a ### kisser,so if the company screws up bad,you better believe they hear it from me,when it comes to money,i dont eat nothing.....every company out there is hiring...keep your driving record clean,csa,and nolate deliveries and they'l kiss yoursl

 

Ive thought of that trucker....started in 83 drove for the same company for 16 years ,hooking up the air hoses one day to a preloaded trailer and a drain i was standing on colapsed and i fell in.after back surgery came back 6 months later to find they were closing down.took a 10 year hiates from trucking and im back in a truck,it is something you can always do,thats one good thing,met the wife to on the road so alls good

 

Trucking isn't that tough anymore. There are companies out here that will hold your hand and practically do your job for you. They'll tell you where to run, where to fuel, hell a load will change trucks 5 times at some companies, and those aren't counting the ones where you pick it up to put on the train. They'll send you little safety messages to remind you not to kill anyone and the travel plazas will make sure you get your French fries and cheeseburgers. If you're a real moron you'll job hop from mega to mega because the GALL of them to send you somewhere you don't want. And don't worry, when you get to Donner and they have chain law up and you haven't bothered to learn how or just say "WAAAA,I don't chain!" CHP will be happy to sit you at Truckee and wait for a tow truck and you'll get a nice fine. Trucking isn't hard anymore. The babies have made sure of it.

 

I am crying for marmonman. He wont cry. He is like Conan the Barbarian. So I cry for him.

 

LMAO !! That's funny right there I don't care who you are !!!

 

Hands down, no contest, being away from my daughter...it kills me.....everything else mentioned, I can deal with..

 

Having to work with lazy drivers.

 

Anxiety. You learn how to manage it. It can come in many different ways and forms. Tough route, hard dock, backing, parking, weather conditions etc. You will get nervous at times, heck, we all do. Anyone that says they don't is either a liar or a brain dead idiot. And in a way, that's good to an extent. It heightens your awareness to a degree. Getting over anxious however, is never a good thing. If you get anxious easily, stay away from caffeine, Red Bulls and anything else "Energy" wise. Getting some form of exercise each day helps out as well, whether it's going for a jog and even just getting out and walking, once you park the truck. Get proper rest as well and eat a proper diet. Easier said than done, but I'm sayin it anyway.

Sleep issues. Learn to adjust. It's all about time management, what you can control and having a plan b or c for what you can't control. The ability to keep your cab comfortable is a biggy. 105 degree weather temps in a truck w/o A/C is not conducive to a decent rest. Use your curtains always, especially if you wind up on a reverse schedule of driving at night sometimes and having to sleep during the daytime. The more comfortable you can make your sleep area, the better. Decent pillows, mattress, bedding etc. And once you take your 10, do what you gotta do and don't lolligag inside the TS and blow your sleep time. Try to get the same amount each and every time. And if for some reason, if you are driving, you feel yourself too tired to drive, pull over and get off the road. Don't try to be a hero and power through it. You may get lucky once, then again, the odds are against you. When you've seen as many over turned vehicles in the median or off the shoulder and in the woods as I and many others have, with a blanket or tarp over the cab, you'll know what I'm talking about.

No social life. Well, this is a part of the job no one can prepare you for, especially if you're young and never been away from home, or you're a newly wed or even if you've been married for sometime or have a girl friend you've never had an extended absence or been away from for any period of time. This is one of the realities that when it kicks in, on you, the other half, or both, everything goes sideways and so much for a driving job. Just getting homesick for some drivers will separate them from the road. If you do have a relationship, it needs to be on solid ground, without any issues that already exist. Emotionally, financially etc. If there are pre existing issues, they will not get better, only worse, as distance multiplies bad things in a big way. It takes a special person to hang in their while you're away. And the same goes for you. You're trying to make a living for whatever reason. Debts, roof over someone's head, yours or your families, food on the table, pay the bills. Managing finances and distance from home will be your greatest challenges here. Tossing in the towel over something at the time, may wind up being a minor issue rather than a major one. Keep your head in the game, maintain a positive outlook on things and learn to get through it.

Dangerous Drivers. Use the SMITH system. Make all your adjustments prior to moving the truck. Hood mirrors, west coast mirrors, seat adjustment, fluids handy to stay hydrated, whatever. Keep the areas you need for visibility clean. Stay focused and alert while you're doing your job. Learn to identify the signs and indications of those potential hazards and separate yourself from them. Example: Rental Box Vans in the summer time....like Penske's, U-Hauls, etc. Summer is when these things are all over the place because it's usually when everyone chooses to move. Most of these people it seems, all think they're now commercial drivers in a big rig going down the road, when in fact the largest thing they have ever driven is Prius. Most of them have no idea how to react properly to a hazardous situation, let alone drive them with a modicum of experience. If you wind up in a governed truck, avoid "Turtle races" with another governed truck. It only invites trouble. Finally, if you see another driver, unable to maintain a lane, or the ones that swoop in front of you, put some distance between you and them. There's more....a lot more. Do what you've been taught, keep safety in mind and realize this is another aspect to driving you learn more and more about each and every day. Whatever you do, don't become one yourself. Never get lulled into a sense of complacency or a false sense of security either. Expect the unexpected and plan for it.

Keeping the log. Log it as you drive it. Whether it's an EOBR or paper, keep up with it. Forgetting to annotate it and keep up with it, will have yourself scratching your head later on down the road, asking yourself when you're playing catch up, why are you now almost out of hours when you forgot to log off duty for a lunch break, or if you're on paper, what the name of the place was you stopped at, what time it was when you did stop and for how long. Keep up with it and it will keep you out of trouble, should you get pulled over or in for a Level 1.

Drug Testing. If you are on a prescription med, get it cleared. Your safety department and the doctor knows what you can have in your system and still drive safely and effectively and those that will side line you. As for other drugs, of the street variety, self explanatory. As for alcohol, save the consumption for your home time and don't push it right on up until you're DM expects you to be back under dispatch. Use common sense. Only time and nothing else gets it out of your system. If you have a "Self Control" problem, then you needn't read on any further and find another career, such as a rubber room tester.......

DAC. Do you your job and don't worry about it. If you do what you're suppose to do, your DAC will be fine. Number one ding ding that is bad juju for DAC's / PSP's is truck abandoment. It's not the worst, but it's one of the most common occurrences that will come back to bite you in the butt. Another is failure on a drug screen or a refusal. Not to mention, accidents and multiple violations, moving or inspections. Differences between them - DAC reports can be opinionated in some of the fields. Such as reason for leaving, work history etc. The government supplies the PSP info (Violations, inspection history, vehicle type, accident history) while the DAC info is provided by the past employer. DAC records can go back 10 years while PSP info can go back 5 years. You can access either report and should you have the need somewhere down the road, can challenge what is contained in either. Keep your DM / FM / Dispatch informed. Bad news unlike wine, does not grow better with age. If something negative happens, let your DM know about it as soon as possible. Make you deliveries on time, do your pre trips and if you get a chance, meet face to face with your DM. It always helps to put a face together with a voice and can pay good dividends later on. Avoid giving anyone any ammo for the negative should you decide to leave one company and try to get on with another one. Certain annotations can be the kiss of death when it comes to employment anywhere else. Don't be "That guy."

Once you get out there, if something isn't going right or doesn't feel right, don't lose your mind. Gather yourself up, collect yourself and think positive. If need be, ask for help. Revert back to your training. We've all been there.

For the uninitiated, there is the first time perception of being a driver and all that this lifestyle entails. You know what I'm talking about. Wow, man what a life. Truck goes up and down the roads all over the country. It can't be that hard. That's what I'm gonna do one day.

And then, there's this. Reality. When it hits you, no one can say exactly when. But when it does, that's when you begin to understand perception vs reality. There's what YOU thought you'd be doing and then, what you are actually doing. The way it should be and the way it is. It's just the way grown up things are done in a grown up world. You either have the sack to hang in there and make the most of it or fall by the wayside and decide this isn't for me. No harm, no foul. Just know this. It ain't all that's it's cracked up to be. You will have your good days and then there will be the bad ones you'd rather forget. Stay focused, concentrate on the positive and drive safely.

10% of life is what happens to you each day. The other 90, depends how you choose to react to it.

Good luck out there.

 

wait until they get older and your threatening to move to get away from them

OMG the pet peeve of the day
summertime campers
PU hauling a 5th wheel camper towing a small trailer with them little tires
all over the road hammer down
look less safe then Fed EX on 80 in Feb.......................sigh