Over The Road...

I would never do this with kids at home. I currently have a "local" job 4 hours away from home. So I only get home on weekends.

OTR was fun for a while when my wife rode along.

 

I have never driven OTR, but my dad did for close to 50 years! He would still be doing it if it were not for his health. He was O/O for all that time and I personally never heard him complain a single time about it. He dropped out of college specifically to buy a truck and pursue it. In the old days trucking was more about a brotherhood then it is now. Trucking began to change a lot during the 80's and 90's into more of the mega carriers and steering wheel holder industry it is today. I can remember going with him for weeks at a time when I was a kid and overall truck stops were pretty kid friendly then. Hell, that's when drivers sat on a barstool next to each other and had dinner and would spend half the night helping a complete stranger work on his truck or get his reefer unit going again. It's a far cry from that today and I think the atmosphere along with the attitudes of other drivers make it such a hard time out on the road now. Nobody has any respect or sympathy and it makes for a lonely ride when your away from familiar faces for days or weeks at a time. I think everyone has to give it a try to find out if its meant to be for them. No amount of reading can prepare someone for the experiences out there.

 

over the road is alright, it's really what you make of it. the parking situation in certain areas makes the job more stressful. i think a good regional job that has you home on the weekends and maybe a night or two during the week or a good paying local job that isn't running you 70 hours is best.

 

I've said it before numerous times in this forum, but since this thread is here, I'll repeat it.

I am currently a local driver and have been for most of my trucking career. The only reason I'm local though is because my wife likes (wants) me home every night. That being said, I've done both, and for me personally, the stress level is much higher in a local gig. Trying to get done what they want in a 14 hour day, in the northeast, can be a real bite. I've gotten back to the plant with not much more than seconds to spare on either my 14 or 11 numerous times. Then you have the commute to and from the job, which, depending on how far you live from your reporting location can add an hour or two to your day.

When you get home, many nights you have just enough time to get a shower and eat dinner before you have to go to bed for the next day's festivities. Other than sleeping in your own bed and having your own bathroom down the hall, the quality of life from Monday through Friday often times isn't much better than a guy who's out on the road. In my case, I usually have to go to bed right when my wife gets home from work so we see each other long enough for me to give her a kiss and say goodnight.

Everyone's needs, wants, and likes are different, but if I weren't married, or if my wife was more open to me being away for the week, I'd go back to a regional, home weekend gig in a heartbeat!

 

Luckily, I don't live that far from work and I just bicycle it in as much as possible.
Still, that doesn't stop the fact that it seems like most of our lives are spent stuck behind some kind of wheel. Especially if you're unfortunate enough to be living some place where it's at least 5-10 hour drive from all the things you want to do for fun.

Nothing spells misery like getting off of your driving job, just to hop into another vehicle and drive nearly the same amount of hours again, unpaid this time.

That said, I'm still sticking to local and daycab, I'm just aiming for a location that isn't too far out in the boonies and I'm not surrounded by retirees all over the place.
It's like a reverse version of the plot of that "Greybeard" novel.

 

For me personally, I never really adjusted to the life of an "OTR" driver. I spent about nineteen months with my first company - flatbed, found a local tanker position willing to hire me with <2 years experience, and should be starting next week.

I am new to trucking, spent 25+ years in construction, home every single day, I had a lot of freedom and flexibility with my schedule. When I went OTR, and out for three weeks at a time mind you, I just couldn't do it.

It wasn't for me for a long-term position, but I knew I had to do it for at least as long as I did so I can talk to someone locally about hiring me.

 

I have no friends anymore ,I missed numerous weddings, funerals , fishing, hunting,no retirement,no other life,been doing 38 years ,if I could go back to a younger self ,I would lock some sense into myself why give up a good life for life on the road ,with people drive like teenagers everywhere, your treated like 3rd class lump of shot by revievets,shippers and especially brokers. Where everyone thinks they own you for 14 hours a day .
Truck stops use to beg for your business fuel attenants,wash your windows check your oil,check your tired and give you a free meal with fill up.
Now they don't even want you around after you fuel these are not truck stops there travel centers for the 4 wheelers.
Most driver hang there heads down looking at the ground because they are ashame of what they become.
There are a lot of homeless drivers no bills ,no house,no cars, no family ,they live in there trucks 24x7x365.
Food on the roads is expensive, bad for you and served to you like pigs in a trough.
Truck drivers have been married several times ,why would a woman marry a man that's never home to cuddle with to scratch that itch why would a rational man give up sex to be on the road?
So as a company driver making around $40,000 a year your taxes are $10,000 your expense if you do not smoke is around $14 000 a year that's leaves $16,000 for 70 hour weeks ÷ 52 = $307.69 ÷ 70 =$4.39 a hour and we all know most make more but some make less and we all know that 70 hours is a mystical beast with most working more and elogs working less..
And less not forget that when states need money they use truck drivers as there atm machine. Just look at Rhode Island tolling trucks only
And led not forget shops charging $110 to $150 per hour to change parts that they do not know if they fix the problem or not.
Oh yes to see the country from sea to shiny sea from the super slab of asphalt concrete.to see the purple.mountain majesty, the see the amber waves of grain, to see the snowy mountain tops and the fertile valley below.
It's a good day to be a trucker no nagging wife no chores to do till dark, no kids with there hands out for money , n o body looking over your shoulder ( in cab cameras) .just you your truck your satellite radio, and cell phone, solitude what more could you ask for living in a box smaller that a jail cell working for less than min wage and very little humane contact . Grow up get a real job make more money, live a normal life .

 

Hmmmm

 

I spent over 2 years OTR and I had a generally positive experience and I don't regret it at all. But doing it your entire career is a different animal.

I do think OTR driving is a dying breed and this might be the last generation. The first thing to be automated is going to be the 600+ mile stretches of open road that's the OTR bread and butter. Everyone will be local/delivery drivers in the intermediate future.

 

The very first sentence is the only thing I have heard you say that I believe.,Not one thing you describe as being a company driver fits with my life it's as if your living in some alternate universe.