Daily Driver Shortage

It was kind of cool driving down in the lower 48 temporary other than the pay. Saw a lot of nice looking country and many crazy parking situations that I've never experienced before.
We don't even have truck stops up here to speak of getting sent into Ontario California at the TA truck stop. much respect for anybody who can deal with that on a daily basis especially at the wages they pay down there.

 

Trust me, you’re not missing much from that TA down in Ontario. If you are, they’re doing a whole bunch of construction around the area. Half of the freeways are all torn up! LOL

 

Immigrant fruit picker lol.
That's exactly how I feel.

I live in the country.
I've got not one, or two, but three local jobs
Within 1 mile of my house.
I could walk to work, if I worked at any of them.

15 bucks an hour top pay.
That's 18 wheelers not box trucks.
And your lucky if you get 40 hours in a week.

That's 3 to 5 hundred a week pay.
I'm not doing it.
I make 3 to 4 times that amount per week
On the road.

I'd have to work 2 1/2 years there for 1 years pay
Where I'm at.
And I'd still have to put up with all the dot
Rules and regulations.
Not a chance.

They just opened a new hobby lobby store
15 minutes away from my house.
Starting pay 15.50 an hour full time.
For everybody.

That's a better job than all the local driving
In the area.
Same money, no responsibilities.

 

You say if you took one of those three jobs locally you could walk to work? hell for what they're paying you would almost have to walk to work you couldn't afford a car. Lol.
That sounds pretty horrible.
if you don't mind me asking what state do you live in? Just wondering why the wages are that bad.

 

Times are changing on just about every employment front.
I just turned 55 and started trucking in 1987 and it's been a hard fought battle to get to where I am now .
Kids are paid for .
Toys and vehicles paid for .
2 years left on a truck note that i will pay off early ...truck immaculate and ship shape .
The next generation is taking over for better or worse and i dont have to bust my arse anymore .
Seems like yesterday i was the newbie lol.
Enjoy life cause it goes by quick!

 

I'm in East Texas.
Close too Shreveport Louisiana.
The whole area is littered with these garbage
Local driving jobs.

When most people in the area make 8 to 12
Bucks an hour.
They think you should be thankful for the 15
Their giving you.

Not me.
When I'm done with the road I'm gonna
Be like everyone else where I live.
Get up in the morning,
Smoke a big fat one on my way to my
12 bucks an hour retail job stocking shelves
8 hours a day.

They pay me enough on the road to stay
On the straight and narrow path.
But I'm not giving everything up for 15 bucks an hour.

By the way, I work out of dallas.
180 miles from home.
But that's irrelevant for a OTR Driver.

We got local drivers at our dallas terminal.
Pay 17 bucks an hour.
And that's in a big city.

 

There is a few local crappy jobs here to.
Some of the heating oil companies only pay like $22 an hour for drivers.
that may sound good but everything's a lot more expensive up here so it ends up being a crappy local job.

I think the worst local job I ever seen up here they were looking for a class b CDL for a straight truck a lumber yard for local deliveries was advertising at $17 an hour.

Just to compare economies, I think McDonald's up here starts out at $11 an hour.

Living up here is pretty harsh environment but the money's good. We don't have any local sales tax or state sales tax or state income tax. the cops are a lot more easier going than they are down south and so are the DOT. There's only a few scale houses in the state and at least half the time they're closed.

Plus our HOS up here is 15/5

 

Lots of get you're hands dirty ...requires sacrifice industries are having trouble attracting new blood .
I discouraged my 21 yr old son away from trucking and he will soon be a journeyman electrician and will be able to write his own ticket .
I dont have any regrets but I'm glad he chose a different path than I did .

 

I had a electrician at my house couple
Weeks ago.
Took him 2 hours, cost me 500 bucks.

He does plumbing also.
Starts his helper at 15 an hour.
Says he got more work that he can handle.
Says he can't find any young people to train.
They don't want to dig holes and climb ladders
And get dirty for a living.

The payoff is huge if they stick it out.