We should park our units

I've said it on here before and I will again. I've been around trucking all my life so far. ASE master tech, Heavy wrecker driver. At 32 or so I wanted to buy a truck. Makes me 4 generation Owner op in family. I had a chance to work with the old man. And no daddy did not buy my a truck. He did help me in ways I could never thank him. Now it was me wrenching on them and him helping. I bought a 13k truck, worked on it almost everyday after work, and weekends. Almost divorced. I was making money but spent every penny. 2nd year looking up till my wife had a massive blood clot and almost died. Broke again, we were in ICU for 3 weeks. Back to work again doing well new customer and running hard. Lost head gasket on a Detroit and liners were low. Didn't have much but I took another loan from bank for 31k and rebuilt it. Did not skimp on anything. Well bad Detroit parts, short story, over hauled 3 time under warranty before they put a reman in. Got back to work and engine was doing good but work was slow. Money was not great. My partnership me, my dad, and a non related partner was going to hell. 2016 my father a 49 year owner op and a 48 year motorcycle rider was in a bad accident on a trip we were on. 4 weeks ICU before he passed. Back to work finally and my fathers customers asked if I could handle their needs because they needed a guy like dad. Now he had worked on and off for them since 1970 or 71. I said of course. That's what you do for that kind of company. Well my partner let me know that we no longer gonna haul that freight! That was the last moment of the partnership. Filed for operating authority. Missed busy season, was still welcome for the next year. Hit the load boards and stayed afloat. One year later I made it back to busy season. I not gonna brag about money. I just kept mortgage paid and lights on. But I didn't go any further in debit. That's a good year. Now notice none of this was planned. This is life. I'm still here, so is the Mrs, and are new baby girl. Hope she wants nothing to due with trucks! But it would make her the 5th generation!

 

Driving home in a rain storm a hour from the house I got a call I didn't recognize. Only trama unit in the Phoenix Arizona area...... We have your parents in here...motorcycle accident... Both have brain bleeds. Multiple surgeries and almost losing dad had to hire a medivac plane plane to get them back up here. Any idea how much that costs. Wasn't a option.... They had no idea how to fix mom's leg. Long story short I was off three months taking care of my parents.

Things happen...can you survive something like that. You have to put business first. Was I concerned.... Nope because my business accounts were set up for catastrophe. Is writing out a 30k check gonna put your house in foreclosure... Are you willing to eat beans and rice to make sure your still in business tomorrow.

Am I willing to park my truck because you don't know how to run your business. Nope...but if it helps you out mines parked now...by choice. I don't work on it in the cold....but I'll be working this weekend when I get it's fixed because that's what you do when your in business for yourself.

 

Exactly!!!!! because you are a true O/O. no one has to tell you when , where , times, rates or loads to haul. you do what is good for you , for your family, for your business and for other drivers on the road. unfortunately there is people here that don't have any idea of being 100% independent o/o. If you don't see what a confirmation looks like.....you are not an O/O. period!!!!

 

Hell they were scraping the bottom of the barrell back then. Lets not make it seem like the drivers of the past were better then the drivers of today. Only different i see today then back then is driver are more socially ackward but hell everybody is socially ackward with the phones to there face. Its just the way the world is right now.

 

I think i might give my cdl up to become an instructor. Going around the country doing seminars for drivers teaching them about preplanning and time management, i could make an killin.

 

A company tried to hie me as an instructor in late 90's.

$7 hr

That's probly the whole problem? I find it hard to believe you can get rich being a instructor even today?

 

Trucking is a very low paying, long hours thankless job all across the board. Good paying trucking jobs where people are paid well with benefits and treated like humans are scarce and always have been. That's why younger guys and millenials wisely choose other kinds of work. Easier money is made elsewhere without near the sacrifices.

 

I don't have to think about it... I can just remember it... I ran 11,047 miles in December, on elogs mind you... But I was home for 10 days I think... I already have more than that many miles in January and there are still 6 days left. Yeah there are better paying driving jobs out there but in my home town I make more than probably 80% of the population does, and my bank account has never been fatter.

 

Sounds like you work harder than you have to. Work smart, not hard. Less miles, more money. It's difficult to grasp I know because everyone in this industry is brainwashed into working harder and more for less and less. Not everyone can break those chains. Though maybe it is better for those of us that have that you don't.

 

My father always says. Everything good in trucking always comes to an end. Pretty true, rates have went down in intrastate Kentucky. Then again not as much moving at the moment.