I need advice from an old pro

Relax and take a deep breath. It is what you make it. Many new drivers have not considered the implications of becoming an otr driver. It is really a lifestyle and not just a job. I will give you some idea of what it is really like out here and see if you think its a good fit for you.

First you will be alone 99% of the time. You will have access to others via the cb, the cell phone, and maybe at the lunch counter at the diner you stopped to eat at (if you have time to actually sit down that is).

The load comes first. Meaning you will schedule all other activities around that. Your showering, your eating, your sleeping, etc.

You may have to go without a shower for a couple of days if your running hot loads back to back. Be sure to use extra deodorant so as not to offend the customers. Wearing a hat may be a good idea so you dont scare women and children with the wild man from Borneo look.

The more careful you are with managing your time the greater the likelihood of being given extra runs which will equate to more money in your pocket.

Telling an employer I won't do this or I won't do that will probably give you a quick end to working for that company.

If you like the idea of a union organization then you may be able to get on as a dock worker and work your way into a driving job. They may even sponsor you and pay for your driving education as in sending you through school on their dime.

As for pay it is much better now a days. When I started driving in 1992 the highest paying otr outfit was JB Hunt. they offered .21 cpm and held back .01 cpm as an incentive to stay for a year. If you stayed they gave you a check for .01 cpm times all your paid miles for the year. Other companies were offering .18 cpm and some were even lower.

Today new hires can get .25 to .30 cpm to start. That took me and other drivers many years to get that much per mile.

The trucks of today are fantastic compared to what was offered 15 and 20 years ago. Stronger engines, satellite communications, air ride suspension, cab, and seats, larger bunks, softer mattresses, better seats, laptop computers with air cards, apu's, a/c for the cab and the bunk area, cell phones with no roaming or long distance charges, satellite radio as well as am/fm/ casette, and cd players. Many trucks even have refrigerators, microwaves, tv's, coffe pots, sandwich makers, toaster ovens, and more.

This is the only job I know of where you can go to school for a month, go out with a trainer for another month, and then start making 35 to 40 grand a year. Other jobs that have that kind of pay (and benefits) require several years of additional schooling and/or training and several years to get to higher payscales.

Some folks are cut out for this lifestyle and others are not. If you are a loner, love to travel, are a good time manager, have a desire to make a decent living with benefits, and do not need a boss looking over your shoulder every minute to keep you motivated to continue working then you just might have what it takes to become a trucker.

 

BlueEyes, I'm not "old", nor am I a "pro", but I did do the trucking thing long enough to learn how the industry operates, at least from the company schmuck standpoint. I advise you to do a search of Latenea's posts here. If I'm not spelling the name right, simply put as asterisk after 'lat'. Lat knows how to set you on a course to get a union job when you're a new 'kid'. And from what I've read of his posts, you won't have to be a dock hand for a year before getting the keys to the truck, either.

He'll probably come here and give you some advice in this very thread in a day or two. He could be that "old pro" you're looking for.

You don't have to settle for the likes of SwiftQuit, JobHunt, or C.Our. England Help Wanted Advertisement when you're green.

 

Trucking is something that takes getting used to. But once you do, you're pretty much hooked for life.

It's not all doom and gloom. But, it seems like it a lot of times when you speak to other drivers.

Keep your BS filters set on high, and ask lots of questions that make YOU and the recruiter uncomfortable. You'll be better off for it.

Since you have no CDL, they can't DAC you for asking the tough questions LOL

 

I started driving in 1977. They didn't even know what a school was. I paid my 12 dollars for my chauffers liscense, which is what you had in those days. I lied to get my first job. Told them I have been driving truck in the military. Never been in a truck, except when I hitchhiked from Ft Ord to Ft Benning. It was easy in those days, with a uniform.
The first direction I went, was backwards. My advise hun is if you want a company that will treat you halfway right, no lies, pay for the schooling you need, and run you half right. Call Schnieder. A friend of mine did several years ago when he did a career change. He is still there and loves it.
No company out here is gonna give you everything you want, all of them will piss you off from time to time. No load is perfect, no run is the best. Get your feet in the door, then make your way into a union company if you can. If you can't get into a union company later, think about wal_mart. They have some happy drivers, and pay good too.
Take care and lots of luck.

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