Drove in the 90s - May come back

If you go OTR your log book is still going to probably give you nightmares, except this time instead of tearing out a sheet and drawing up a new one, a computer is going to calculate it for you. And any time spent on line 3 can't be edited or changed. I run regional now and I don't even think about my log book, but I bet the OTR guys still struggle with that #### 14 hour clock on load/unload days.

If you go work for a super mega there is a good chance you are going to have a driver facing camera in your cab. No I'm not joking. Your truck will probably be governed at 62-65 and GPS's are all the rage these days.

Even if you hadn't let your CDL drop, most companies these days won't hire without recent experience in the prior three years. So even if if you had your CDL still you would still have to take a refresher course and god forbid go out with an OTR trainer.

Truck stop internet blows. When I was OTR I used verizon and had impeccable service (never left the freeway really). Today I tolerate sprint for unlimited data (I just run south texas) but for more regional work in rural areas ATT can't be beat. But I wouldn't rely on truck stop internet with the exception of Pilot/Flying J FREE inside the building internet.

Best of luck to you.

unloader

 

Trucking sure ain't what it used to be. Instead of telling you when/where to pick up and when/where you were expected to deliver and sending you on your way to get the job done, they will send you the route to follow, a "fuel solution" including where to stop and how many gallons to pump, not to mention there are no more check calls because they know where you are and how many hours you have available through that electronic logging gizmo. As has been mentioned, driver-facing cameras are the new "it" thing among the megas, so you constantly run the risk of having a video sent to your company if you aren't doing EXACTLY everything right when something (pothole, etc...) triggers the stupid thing. States are all broke looking for money, and they're looking to collect. There have been some regulatory changes...gone are the 15 WORKING hours, and in its place a 14 hour window in which all driving must be completed prior to its end. You also need 10 hours off instead of only 8...but you can drive 11, although I wouldn't recommend doing that because if you do and can't find parking, that electronic log will rat you out for going over your hours. Not to mention the "drivers"...so caught up in their own phone or satellite radio or whatever it is they are doing that their CB is off and they probably won't even look at you or wave as you go by. Many of the companies you'll likely start at are governed around the same speeds...and no courtesy is shown at all. "It's all about me" seems to be the attitude these days, as that 64 1/4 mph truck attempts to pass the 64 mph truck...for 10 miles...then all hell breaks loose once they finally sort it out and the knuckleheads are turned loose.

If you're doing well not driving a truck, you might just keep doing well not driving a truck. I'm seriously considering hanging it up myself if I can figure out what else I'd like to do and see a sustainable path to profitability doing so. Until then, this is what I know, so I keep after it.

Good luck to you, whatever you do.