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New Driver Reality Check

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by lonewolf4ad, Jan 30, 2009.

  1. Jan 30, 2009 #1
    lonewolf4ad

    lonewolf4ad Road Train Member

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    For those out there who are considering jumping into driving let me ask you a couple of questions that you need to ask of yourself.

    (1) What is it you really expect to get out of driving?
    (a) See the Country with all of the beautiful scenery it has to offer?
    (b) Make lots of money and live a debt free lifestyle?
    (c) get the hell away from that crazy spouse and kids?

    Now that those have been asked let me give a little insight from the new driver perspective ( I give this advice after only 3 weeks of experience as well as listening to other drivers talk about their experiences when they were new.

    Drivers wanting to see the country let me tell you some of the beautiful scenery I have passed by so far. I have ran primarily west coast for 3 weeks between Los Angelos, CA and Portland, OR. I have passed through some beautiful mountain passes, and down beside the ocean. The problem with this scenery is that in the primary places for beautiful views you have to focus entirely on the road because the scenery can cause a sudden end to your driving career.

    Drivers speak about grossing 40-50 a year however the numbers for that would require (at 30 cents a mile) running 10 hours a day(180), 6 days a week (1080), 4 weeks out of the month (4320), 12 months a year (51840). I am not telling anyone that these numbers are IMPOSSIBLE, however they are improbable.

    Finally, I can't speak as to the conditions of your relationships, but the time away from family can be stressful. While you're within your initial time is the worst as you have to learn to live with a driver finisher with most companies. This could mean up to 6 weeks trapped in a space smaller than a prisoner has to live in with a personality which may be completely different from yours.

    All of this isn't to scare a new or potential driver, it is just a touch of reality for anyone who thinks this is all a bed of roses.
     
    lonewolf4ad, Jan 30, 2009
    lonewolf4ad, Jan 30, 2009
    #1
    rookietrucker, PharmPhail and Lilbit Thank this.
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  3. Jan 30, 2009 #2
    madbunny

    madbunny Medium Load Member

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    Side note on this....beautiful scenery....what happens if your running nights....not much on the scenery. Strange ... bright lights and darkness doesn't have appeal to many. :biggrin_25512:
     
    madbunny, Jan 30, 2009
    madbunny, Jan 30, 2009
    #2
  4. Jan 30, 2009 #3
    Lilbit

    Lilbit Road Train Member

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    Very good post.:yes2557:
     
    Lilbit, Jan 30, 2009
    Lilbit, Jan 30, 2009
    #3
  5. Jan 30, 2009 #4
    lonewolf4ad

    lonewolf4ad Road Train Member

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    Agreed Mad, I was just going with the basic assumption that you run 6am till 4 or 5pm. Following which you will always get your mandatory 10 hour break before driving again and you will always have drop and hooks without ever wasting time bumping a dock and unloading.
     
    lonewolf4ad, Jan 30, 2009
    lonewolf4ad, Jan 30, 2009
    #4
  7. Jan 30, 2009 #5
    CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

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    And unless keep your windows and windshield clean all the time, it can make a beautiful landscape look like a toilet bowl.

    And about getting home to see your family, or anything else you might need to do, with freight slow right now that's another problem. It makes it much more difficult to get a load going home when there's not many loads out there to choose from in the first place.
     
    CommDriver, Jan 30, 2009
    CommDriver, Jan 30, 2009
    #5
  8. Jan 30, 2009 #6
    centuryclass

    centuryclass Bobtail Member

    2
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    Jan 30, 2009
    riverside, ca
    0
    I just started into trucking, and I'll tell you, I feel that its ruined my life so far. My husband and I both signed up for this and I havent seen him in over a month. Here's the really bad part.... I left a great job making $15 an hour plus full benefits all paid for, paid vacation, personal days off and trainning new city bus operators in the company all at 23 years of age.......and I left it for working for CRST.........need I say more.
     
    centuryclass, Jan 30, 2009
    centuryclass, Jan 30, 2009
    #6
  9. Jan 30, 2009 #7
    Toast321

    Toast321 Bobtail Member

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    Dec 9, 2008
    Merrill, WI
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    I dont wanna be the guy the disagrees with no experience in the field at all. As a new soon to be driver seeing the landscape is just one of the things i was excited about. The first time i thought about becoming a truck driver was when i was in the navy. I had new orders to washington state and i was living in the southern tip of georgia at the time. I had the opertunity to drive from georgia to washington. This was one of the most exciting things i have done in my life. As a kid growing up I had never seen anything outside of wisconsin, and on that drive i was able to see mountains, big citys, deserts, more mountains, desert mountians, mountains with beautiful trees. Let me tell you i was enjoying life on the road... just cruising and listening to the radio. I knew i would not have a problem doing this for a living. As for someones comment about living in a confined space for weeks... ha ha i was on a submarine for god's sake! I guess my hopes for being a driver are in the driving itself. I love to do it and im excited to get started.
     
    Toast321, Jan 30, 2009
    Toast321, Jan 30, 2009
    #7
  10. Jan 30, 2009 #8
    CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

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    Dec 9, 2006
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    I'm sorry to hear that. I quit college way back when that was paid for, housing and all. Good Lord, what a mistake that was.
     
    CommDriver, Jan 30, 2009
    CommDriver, Jan 30, 2009
    #8
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