New to OTR and I sort of hate it

I never liked having to budget hours only to either run out and do a reset away from home in a dirt lot in West bofoo, or only work 9 hours in a 7day week to not run out. Always thought the guarantee pay route worked out better for companies than individual driver. I've got a house and kids at home that I'm paying for, might as well try to enjoy what I'm paying for

 

Ya you ain't kidding

 

About what??

 

Modern hostile workplace and trying to distance from society

 

My company does not want us to do resets. They have really great planners that run us on recaps. It is forced dispatch.

 

Got a 5 or 10 year plan? Just meditate on that and do what you gotta do. Let nothing stand in the way; even if it's trucking. With no plan (compass pointing north) circumstances will dictate the direction you will go. Most jobs are love and hate. Love will often take you off your decided path and hate must often be endured to stay on it. Keep the dream alive!

 

Nope! No plan! I tried planning my life many years ago by choosing a manufacturing carreer. The rich ruined that by offshoring. Had another career in there as well that fell apart with the rest of the economy. I just have some short term financial goals now and choose to be happy when I start everyday.

 

The trick to that... No regulation says you have to be sleeping while in the sleeper birth only that you can drive I'll or fatigued... So what I use to do was keep curtain open and watch from the bunk.... Perfectly legal you just have to physically be I the sleeper birth portion of the truck

 

Yes, it gets easier. Riding in a trainer's truck is often the hardest part of your first year. You are essentially living on somebody's schedule in his truck following is way for most things. For me, as soon as I could setup my truck for me I felt much better. I liked having my own food and being able to cook it. I hate truck stop food. Your first trip solo will probably be pretty stressful, then each trip will be less stressful because you've proven you are capable to make the decisions. Your first time in each BIG city might be stressful, but each one is a little less stressful because they are so similar. Just decide no matter what you will stay with it until you are solo. You can do it.

 

I feel compelled to respond here because you remind me a lot of myself, when I was training. I trained with roehl, and while I loved the company, my trainer was absolute garbage. But by the time i worked up the nerve to request a different trainer, I was too close to the end so I was stuck with him. That a- hole would do the same as yours with backing, he would just stand there and give me stupid hand signals instead of actually teaching me anything. Then would just yell and curse at me when I didn't get it right. What a miserable time that was. How some of these dirtbags can become trainers is beyond me.

But like others have said, once you get the keys to your own truck, man that is a great feeling. My first truck was an old freightliner Columbia. It was a former trainer truck, so it was used and abused. But I LOVED that thing. Had some great memories and saw a lot of stuff in that old shaker.

My advice to you is just like others have said, stick it out with prime since you already have your foot in the door there. But please, do not get back in that trainer's truck. Get yourself a decent trainer and that will help. Stick it out a year, or at least six months. Get into a dedicated account if possible. Once you get that time in, tons of opportunities will open up and you will be glad you did it.

I am now driving a day cab for a small-ish company. I get paid by the hour, home every night and all weekend. Life is good. I hope it works out for you.