Writing a book for people considering becoming truck drivers

miss elvee · May 20, 2015

You may want to include a section on teaming. Just my 2 cents.

Dark_Majesty_06 · May 20, 2015

TripleSix said: ↑

Bad. Everyone quit reading after your opening sentence. Most here think that OTR is for the losers in society. And a flatbedder too? Flatbedders are gluttons for punishment. See they want a job where they are not forced to drive in in climate weather, or beyond a few hours a day between 9 and 5, and get paid a wage that they can live on REGARDLESS of how many miles they do not drive. In other words, they wouldn't want to hear what you have to say. You are the antichrist. IMO, that's not a bad thing.

You hear people say that trucking is a lifestyle...what does that mean? Well, the truck drivers that people see are those fat, effeminate guys walking around with a Bluetooth headset and sweatpants on, and so they think, "You mean, they expect me to gain 100 lbs, be limp wristed and walk around with a goofy looking pair of headphones on my head?" Worse thing is, these effeminate fat guys are always crying.

Someone posted a video of a Florida ScaleMaster. And in the video, this old time ScaleMaster talked about his job and what they, the DOT are trying to accomplish. It was an excellent video that actually put the DOT in good light.

You see drivers doing their video blogs all over the web, and honestly, I think they suck. You only see what the general public sees...yes, that effeminate Fatguy behind the wheel crying about the lack of respect. Yeah, crying always helps. They're people look as if the toughest thing they do each day is wipe their arse, and they're talking about a lifestyle? And they want respect? Too funny! Running down the road in a white semi, pulling a white van talking about a lifestyle.

"What the attraction with Peterbilt?"

Well, even kids can see the difference between a 379 and a Beancounter spec'd bottom of the line condo sleepered POS fleet truck. It's like a 60's muscle car com paired to a Prius. Don't care what you do to a Prius, it will NEVER be cool. Those crying fatguys will tell you that cool don't mean a thing, but then again, they do walk around in public with wifebeaters and sweatpants crying about their lot in life.

So if you really want to do something unique, don't do what's already been done by the limp wristed tearjerker fatguys, take a different approach. They show the CDL mills, the bottomfeeder slaughterhouse, the POS truck that blocks up the lanes.
Show the things you like. Show why you decided to go OTR flatbed. Show a day in the life of an OTR flatbedder. Ever noticed that the vast majority of flatbedders Actually prefer OTR?

"You mean they are doing exactly what they want to do?"

Now that's Life with Style.

I would like to see something on flatbeds. Start to finish. From CDL school to owner OP. Doesn't have to be flatbed. Tanker yankers, cow pimps, car haulers...they're doing what they want to do.
Click to expand...

You done crying yet?

Ridgeline · May 23, 2015

Look it sounds like a great idea but it is a little sliver of reality in this trucking world, mainly because there is soooooo much about it and it would take volumes to cover just the basics to get it right. You can write a novel of life on the road, realistically that is not one with murders, lot lizards and all of that and it may be a better read.

ac120 · May 23, 2015

Ridgeline makes a good point. Unless you write something that is truly different and unique, there's not much point in the effort. There's already a lot out there written by drivers; I suggest finding it and reading it; that way, as Hemingway said, you'll know who to beat. Still, i don't want to discourage you. BOL (that's not sarcasm).

Dr_Fandango44 · May 25, 2015

McCauley said: ↑

I'm an OTR flatbed driver and I'm also a writer. I have a few e-books published, mostly all fiction, but I thought I might try to make a book describing what to expect in this career for a person considering it. There's some e-books already existing that cover this subject but they are mostly all garbage, written by people with no industry experience who are just trying to sell copies. I think I could make something valuable and beneficial to people wanting to jump into this.

So I'm trying to outline the book and I wanted to share the table of contents I've come up with and ask if any of you think anything should be added, subtracted or changed.

1. Reasons to consider this career
2. Different options for training
3. Life with a trainer
4. Life as a new solo driver
5. Different industry segments
6. Leveraging your experience for better jobs
7. Finding local and dedicated work as a rookie
8. An assortment of truck driver tips and tricks

Good? Bad? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Instead of a book, why not set up a BLOG. Blogging is a big deal these days. I'm looking to get out of trucking
and into another field. I'm exploring internet marketing, as a marketing aid, so I can set up a website and direct web traffic to my site. I'll be offering a service that a ton of people will want.
Blogging is an option too.
Do some research on blogging. Do a Google search on the best internet marketers and I'm sure you can get the ideas. Blogging will have a lot more mileage than just a book. No pun intended.
It should be an option. An idea you should explore. It's definitely possible that you could create an income from it too. Check out guys like Pat Flynn. Yanick Silver, David Risley, are just a few.
Good luck.
Good luck.

jammer910Z · Jun 7, 2015

TripleSix said: ↑

Bad. Everyone quit reading after your opening sentence. Most here think that OTR is for the losers in society. And a flatbedder too? Flatbedders are gluttons for punishment. See they want a job where they are not forced to drive in in climate weather, or beyond a few hours a day between 9 and 5, and get paid a wage that they can live on REGARDLESS of how many miles they do not drive. In other words, they wouldn't want to hear what you have to say. You are the antichrist. IMO, that's not a bad thing.

You hear people say that trucking is a lifestyle...what does that mean? Well, the truck drivers that people see are those fat, effeminate guys walking around with a Bluetooth headset and sweatpants on, and so they think, "You mean, they expect me to gain 100 lbs, be limp wristed and walk around with a goofy looking pair of headphones on my head?" Worse thing is, these effeminate fat guys are always crying.

Someone posted a video of a Florida ScaleMaster. And in the video, this old time ScaleMaster talked about his job and what they, the DOT are trying to accomplish. It was an excellent video that actually put the DOT in good light.

You see drivers doing their video blogs all over the web, and honestly, I think they suck. You only see what the general public sees...yes, that effeminate Fatguy behind the wheel crying about the lack of respect. Yeah, crying always helps. They're people look as if the toughest thing they do each day is wipe their arse, and they're talking about a lifestyle? And they want respect? Too funny! Running down the road in a white semi, pulling a white van talking about a lifestyle.

"What the attraction with Peterbilt?"

Well, even kids can see the difference between a 379 and a Beancounter spec'd bottom of the line condo sleepered POS fleet truck. It's like a 60's muscle car com paired to a Prius. Don't care what you do to a Prius, it will NEVER be cool. Those crying fatguys will tell you that cool don't mean a thing, but then again, they do walk around in public with wifebeaters and sweatpants crying about their lot in life.

So if you really want to do something unique, don't do what's already been done by the limp wristed tearjerker fatguys, take a different approach. They show the CDL mills, the bottomfeeder slaughterhouse, the POS truck that blocks up the lanes.
Show the things you like. Show why you decided to go OTR flatbed. Show a day in the life of an OTR flatbedder. Ever noticed that the vast majority of flatbedders Actually prefer OTR?

"You mean they are doing exactly what they want to do?"

Now that's Life with Style.

I would like to see something on flatbeds. Start to finish. From CDL school to owner OP. Doesn't have to be flatbed. Tanker yankers, cow pimps, car haulers...they're doing what they want to do.
Click to expand...

Guffaw! Preach on it !!

@Iadvertisedwithmyname · Jun 8, 2015

I would jazz it up with some of the sites you come across, such as the scenic areas on I-70 in Utah, Chief Yellow Horse on I-40 in AZ. Quarsite AZ in the winter. Or talk about different truck stops, like Jubitz in Portland, and stuff like that.

McCauley · Jun 8, 2015

@Iadvertisedwithmyname said: ↑

I would jazz it up with some of the sites you come across, such as the scenic areas on I-70 in Utah, Chief Yellow Horse on I-40 in AZ. Quarsite AZ in the winter. Or talk about different truck stops, like Jubitz in Portland, and stuff like that.
Click to expand...

Nope, that's not my angle. I'm not looking to fluff the industry.

And also my book is underway and will be available to everyone on this website for free in the initial release for criticism and suggestions.

My book is about trying to help a person thinking about getting into this industry get into it as painlessly as possible.

When I decided I needed to write this I was sitting in the drivers lounge at a Freightliner. A guy in there was telling me he was driving for .25 CPM for a nice mega in Salt Lake City and he got home once every six weeks to see his family.

I realized that much of the new truck driving work force is so uninformed of the realities of this industry that it allows the big carriers to get in quick, cheap labor.

I just feel bad for people, to be honest. I want to help them on how to properly make a big life choice into this industry.

There are many ways to get into this industry, many ways to do it, many different segments. If I can write something to help some guy to not go to SLC to make .25, it is worth it. If I have an ability to write and can make this world a better place at all, it is worth it.

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