Stay Home or Drive!

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Not really an opinion.

But I couldn't do it. I would need a nap about 1 pm, and that job would be gone LOL

However, I could struggle through it. Especially if I was faced with a 2-3 day per week unpaid vacation to a truck stop located 500 miles away from home.

 

Lets make this simple. Take a job wear you get to be at home every nite and get time off every week. OR spend thousands of dollars for a job you may get get. Doesn't sound like a hard decision. Take the 12.5 an hr and be happy. There are thousands of people who already have CDL's who can't get hired. Why would you want to join them?

 

I've read numerous times on these threads that driving OTR is a way of life, well I absolutely agree. But when it comes down to making money or being involved with a way of life, money always seems to win out. I have had my CDL A license since before it was called a CDL. My first OTR job was with CR England back in 1985 when they were phasing out there cab-over Macks and had only 650 trucks. I left them in 1998 with over 1.7 million miles of safe driving without even a scratch or ticket on my record. I truly enjoyed every moment of "The way of life" for every one of those miles. I got out of OTR and kept my CDL current with haz-mat endorsement ever since. I even got my TWIC card last month just for poops and giggles. For the last 11 years I have been running my own business that has nothing to do with trucking, I own a company that contracts with major cable companies that goes out and picks up cable/modem equipment from people that don't pay. Is it frustrating? Yes it is, am I able to be home every night? You bet I am. I recently have thought about the idea of getting back into "The way of life" again and even went as far as contacting some of the bigger trucking mills, I mean companies. For what I've been told, they don't need me for various reasons, no recent experience, live in the wrong part of the country, I need to be with a trainer for x amount of miles, and basically the 1.7 million miles don't mean a thing. So I have decided to forget about getting back into "The way of life" and continue running my business and enjoying "My way of life". I realized that I have responsibilities not only to my family, but to the 10 drivers I have working for me. They are all extremely happy at their job and enjoy the compensation and home time they have, I even have 2 ex freight haulers working for me. A typical week for a route driver goes something like this:

Tuesday- P/U route book w/ approx. 200 stops
Wednesday-Saturday do route
Monday drop off boxes to my warehouse
200 stops
125 boxes p/u'd
x 11.00 per box
1375.00 earnings
Home every night
1 Check call per day
Company supplied PT Cruiser with CD player
Company supplied GPS instead of CB
I supply group health insurance.

The pluses:

I'm sure you can figure it out

The negatives

I miss "The way of life"

End result is, these trucking companies have changed so much for the bad that they deserve everything they are getting. You get what you pay for. I realize that some people don't have any choices and thats why they run to these companies for employment, I just wish and pray that drivers who are working for these truck driver mills realize theres a better way.
Thanks for letting me rant, God Bless you all, I for one respect each and everyone of you for what you do!

 

It's not just "a way of life" it's in your blood or it's not. If you have it in your blood then no other job will do. No matter how much they pay. I love driving and as long as I can do that and make enough money to keep food on the table and a roof over my head I will drive.

 

Come on you've got to be a little more specific. $12.50 an hour to be a cooling sponge boy in a cat house might be ok. It all depends what you'll be doing. If you get up in the morning and hate going to work then it's time for a change. If you're just looking for pay then $12.50 is better than most trucking jobs if you count your hours and time away from home.

 

at 30 cents a mile, thats 1666 miles a week. some companies are having hell giving drivers that!! plus food for two households, unless you are single, no kids, no mortgage. there is a lot of variations.

 

Off topic, but dang, thats a lot of boxes! Does nobody mail those things back in??? Another negative is having to drive a PT Cruiser! LOL!

 

The big rigs they get to drive is in direct coralation to the miles thet drive......approx. 2400 miles......per month!