Are you sorry you are trucking?

It's not a pissing match at all and I'm not offended and never indicated that I was.

I think the original poster, being a wannabe, wants real info on driving. 'Shushing' someone who has a different point of view doesn't move the ball down the field and doesn't help the original poster get info.

I actually disagree with cj32. I am assuming that he is a city driver, which is not a dead end job at all. I have seen many city drivers work their way up to lead driver, trainer or dispatcher and then on up the ladder from there (if you consider that to be a promotion). I have also seen many city drivers go to school at night or on the weekends or apprentice and learn a trade. IMO, if he/she wants to, there are more opportunities for a city driver to get out from behind the wheel than an OTR driver. Even if cj32 is an LTL linehaul driver, there is still a structure there that can allow a driver to improve themself.

Still, I think that cj32's post will give the original poster good info. It wasn't offensive to anyone (except those who are way too easily offended) and he should not be made to feel like he should apologize to anyone.

During the years that I exclusively drove for a living, it never 'got into my blood' and I never loved it. It was a job and a means to an end, like any other job. It was never a lifestyle. That never stopped me from being a complete professional, accident free and always trying to learn and get better at driving.

There are better jobs and worse jobs than driving. The question is if it is the best job FOR YOU.

 

I enjoy seeing new places.!.Being a Midwesterner, I am enjoying driving around out west, here..I moved to New Mexico 8 months ago..Last week, I got to drive to Wolf Creek, Colorado and Durango, Colorado..Doesn't get much prettier..I would not be able to drive there, if I had to pay for my own gas...I actually was lucky enough to see a wolf, in Wolf Creek.Priceless to me.Love the outdoors.

 

No regrets, the only time I dislike being a driver is when you hear drivers picking at other drivers. The base stations you just consider the source. Trucking has raised my 4 kids put 3 of them threw college, 1 threw poet grad school. Allowed me to make decent money, pay off my house, and set up some good investments for retirement.

 

I just got back into OTR after 20 years of local driving and working for myself. With the economy the way it is I had to get a job, I'm grateful to have this one. I'm still working on my 90 days with the company and doing something new, seems like some days I do everything the longest hardest way it can be done. I know it will get better and I'm starting to find my way in OTR. This 34 hr reset I have 24 hrs of Wifi, thats better than my first reset out on the road, it felt like prison. Things will get better and there must be a reason I'm out here. Thanks this forum and everyone on it, makes understanding things a lot easier.

 

The only thing I'm sorry about is that I didn't get into it earlier.

 

every morning I get up and curse the day I walked into trucking school. I should have never done it.

But, I deal with it. I do my job the the best and safest and most legal way I can. I am just passing time till something better comes along.

I am jumping ship asap. OTR anyway.

 

I started driving a little over six years ago. In that time, I have tried three times to go back to office work. It didn't take me long before I realized WHY I went on the road to begin with! Office politics, same old thing day in and day out... same assinine people to deal with, like the girl who accused me of coughing near her just so she could get sick, and the boss COUNSELED me about it! Ugh! I enjoy my job... not every day, but you have to take the bad with the good. My tag line says it all.

 

No regrets for the most part, but I do miss my wife and children and all my friends at home. And being a solo driver, it can get lonely sometimes. But it does pay the bills and it is something I can do, and do pretty well.

 

I'm sorry I'm not a company driver.