I miss the road sometimes ladies and gents...

You sum it up nicely. Nothing beats a beautiful sunrise esp in the mountains....

I’m done being away from home myself, next week. Got a local gig hauling propane/LNG home every night. I’m curious to see how I do having to commute everyday to work and no more sleeper etc....

 

Yeah, all those days are gone, not just trucking. The country has certainly changed. I think half the enjoyment in anything is the company we keep. Notice NASCAR races are not even half full. One stops going, then his friend, then his friend. Soon the whole group is gone.

 

Miss the omfg moments, like getting on 550 Colorado. Miss the challenge of finishing the #### route

Miss cursing at the g #### water loads going up 70 to the top of the Rocky Mountains and then the nerve wracking heart racing engine brake 8% decline afterwards.

Miss shutting down & waking up in the dessert on I 10 near Indio & complete silence and no nagging wife.

Miss seeing ufos and weird stuff on the road.
Miss seeing shooting stars
Miss taking a break in Vegas and smiling because I paid NOTHING to get there.

Miss paying my bills in FULL and taking charge of my financial issues.

Miss arguing with dispatch
Miss those nights where the breeze is just perfect where u don’t need a/c
Don’t miss being near Laredo after hearing swift drivers were kidnapped and wanting to get the F out if there.
Miss learning about this country
Miss saying “how in the hell do people live here in x state”

Miss watching swift drivers destroying equipment
Miss shutting down at a casino and winning money
Miss being able to say “I want to take 3 days off in Los Angeles” and go to the beach

Miss arguing with my driver buddies about how dumb billy riggers can be
I miss being on the road

 

When I first started driving in 2001, I saw so many places I had only flown over. I got to New Mexico and just pulled off onto an exit ramp and got out. Incredible beauty.

 

Man the first time I went to that Ford plant in Louisville it was an 1100 PM delivery.

What a place.

Dude at the guard shack is like "Purple Docks!"
I just started laughing going "Sir I have not a clue."
"Just keep going back. Almost until you can't go anymore. "

I found it. It was a tough squeeze too. WTF dark. Yard dogs and other guys zooming all over the place. I'm going "Jesus take pity on thy servant. "

Found my way out lol.

 

Now Whites in VA was a great stop. Im not much of a social person, but everyone there strangers all have been more than gracious what with the food and the occasional game there. Thta's probably why I enjoyed that stop so much.

 

Kinda like the huge Walmart dc outside of Dallas

It’s like the dc has a dc in the dc

 

I was sent all over. My dispatchers (idiots) didn't know that on the shipping labels there is a 3 letter thing stamped that tells the color. Blu, brn , grn, etc. I drove all over looking for blue, in places a truck shouldn't be in. Got to where the guard said go and they looked at the label (after I docked) and said you are at the wrong color and drew me a map. Deeper into Ford until I found blue. I looked up, and after all that saw it had its own entrance 500 feet from the street. Live and learn.

 

I guess it's cool to miss it when you've got other things to fall back on in life. Tired of the truck? Head to the office or other type of job that pays equally well.

Then there's those that only miss it due to it being the highest money they ever made. After whatever accident they got into put them into the poorhouse and they're never heard from again due to the 20-30 hours max/week they get from the fast-food or convenience store thing they're having to do now.

As for me, I don't miss the big road one bit. Prefer to travel that one in my personal or rental vehicle and not have to worry about the extra, 40'-50' feet of metal behind me.

But like one of the other posters on here, local and regional has their own share of stories to stack against the long haulers.

 

Same here. I miss the office view. I miss not having co-workers. I miss not having a boss looking over my shoulder.

***BUT***

I don't miss having to put my shoes and coat on to go pee. I don't miss not getting home on the day I asked to get home. I don't miss having no life.

Every decision comes with a trade off and with any gain there comes a loss. I don't regret my years OTR, but I'm happy to be on a different career path now.