New want to get my own truck

Fixed!

It will probably happen, but not in any meaningful way that will affect any of us. It could be an issue for your great Grandkids or great-great grandkids if they become truckers...

 

My humble opinion, for what it is worth, if you can afford to, go buy nice boat or a nice motor home and go see stuff and do stuff. Driving a truck, all you will see is the billboards to the cool stuff. All you will do is haul other peoples stuff past those neat places you would like to stop and see.

 

Funny thing is last Saturday I saw one of the driverless trucks in Arizona around Tucson, it was headed towards the I10 to enter.

It was interesting as I don’t recall seeing anyone in the seat.

I was concentrating on making the turn and looking around to make sure I don’t hit anything.

 

With six months as a driver, I’d say you have to much to learn before even considering buying your on truck. It takes an unusual personality to stick with this type of work. For every driver that makes it five years there’s probably 100 that decide this ain’t for Them. Also, no matter how much you love your wife, or her you, being together in the confines of a truck for weeks at a time will take a toll. Not to mention, the number one thing to being successful as an O/O is learning what are dead areas for freight and which are good. I’d recommend a company job for a couple years, preferably one that allows your wife to ride along. And while your deciding if this is really what you want, you’ll be learning which lanes will make money, and which ones to stay away from. About 25 years ago, I started carrying a Rolodex in the truck. I divided it geographically. Whenever I found a shipper that paid fair money, and didn’t jerk me around, before I left I’d get a business card, and put it in there, then if I was looking at a good paying load going to bugtussle Ar. I’d look in my Rolodex and see if I had someone I’d hauled for near there. A quick phone call or two, and I’d get a reload lined up, and not have to worry about getting stuck somewhere, or deadheading hundreds of miles. Little things like that can make or break you.

 

With six months as a driver, I’d say you have to much to learn before even considering buying your on truck. It takes an unusual personality to stick with this type of work. For every driver that makes it five years there’s probably 100 that decide this ain’t for Them. Also, no matter how much you love your wife, or her you, being together in the confines of a truck for weeks at a time will take a toll. Not to mention, the number one thing to being successful as an O/O is learning what are dead areas for freight and which are good. I’d recommend a company job for a couple years, preferably one that allows your wife to ride along.

 

Odd, even the cars has to have a driver sitting in the seat, I am sure it would also be a requirement for a truck.
I did know a driver once that would hook bungees to the wheel and get in the sleeper to put his lunch in the microwave, he passed a lady dot sitting in the median once and she chased him down. lol

 

Not saying there wasn’t one but I didn’t notice it at all, could have been he was sitting way back. But I know it was a white truck with green markings, I noticed the sensors on the front and all over the front fascia.

As for the bungees, I heard someone doing it on the grapevine off the I5 southbound.

He was actually looking for something.

God I love truckers.


Edited.

It looked like this but not as much green markings on it.

 

I am also retired from one long career and I've got six months in too...and the one thing I know I am not going to do with my current level of (in)experience is risk my savings, my current pension, my home, my relatively comfortable and stable financial position by risking it on being an owner operator.

I see the RETURN window at our terminals and there is always at least one guy or gal there walking away from a lease and one smart long term O/O buying that six month old truck to add to his own fleet.

Not me brother, not until I had at least five years of education in this business before I made the leap.