OTR: Long hours, little hometime, DOT hassles. But, I LOVE IT! Why do YOU do it?

Here's some of the reasons I love this job:

1. ...[Pulled over off an Interstate for one reason, or another. Truck after truck hailing me on the CB, "Hey, Columbia! You alright?" "Freightliner! Need some help?" Drivers who don't know me from Adam, yet ready to stop at the drop of a hat to lend assistance;
2. ...Late at night, in a poorly lit truck stop, Having trouble backing in a slot. Out of nowhere, drivers offering to spot you while you get 'er done.
3. A newbie trying to back up to the dock; yet not to save his/her life can he get it done. Sneering, insults, or put-downs? Not a one! Why? Well, we've all been there! Who can't remember the gut-wrenching frustration of a truck that just won't do what you want it to! Drivers, without hesitation, offering to help. Not offers to do it for them; rather offers to climb up on the running board and coach them through it and offering encouragement as they do!
4. Need directions? "Heck, follow me, I'll take you there!"
5. "Driver, CB not working? Let me take a look at her."
6. Stuck in the snow without a clue as to how you're going to get those chains on? We'll get it done!

I could go on and on like this; and so could we all. Who among us hasn't experienced the above? This is what it's about! Sometimes it's just a wave from another driver; or, blinking headlights at night to let you know you're clear to come over after passing. Why do I blink my lights? It's certainly not because I think you need help. I'm just saying, "I got your back!" I know that I try never to pass a truck without looking it over so I can let the driver know in the event something needs attending to.

Brotherhood of the road? Geez, that sounds corny! But, it does give me a warm feeling inside and makes up for many of the lost hours loading without detention pay! The trucker stereotype is one of an uneducated misfit. A rebel (Outlaw trucker). Nor are we often smooth talking movers and shakers; well-versed on world politics. We're often rough-around the edges, with no time for the niceties, of polite conversation. And then, some are just downright cranky old coots. But, without reservation, I have to say that I am proud to be counted among you So, keep the shiny side up and I'll see ya' down the road!

 

Over the years I've had a number of jobs: Typesetter for San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury/News; heavy equipment mechanic; paralegal, and a few others. No of them do I miss. But, in Sept. 2000, I overturned a tanker down South. So, for a few years I just couldn't drive. Let me tell you, every time I saw a long hauler I just had such a gut-wrenching empty feeling. I just wanted back on the road! It's no bed of roses and there's no shortage of 'dirty hole-in-the-wall truck stops', Almost everyday there's cause to think, "This is bulls**t, I have to get out of this crap!" But, I can't! That what the thread is about, "What is there about OTR that just won't leave me alone!" I'm hooked. And, yeah, there are many jobs like the tanker hauling OP. It's those jobs that keep us going: The eternal search for the 'Right Job'.

 

I hear ya'! There's a lot of positives for local driving. Whenever you go from local to OTR, it's a step down in terms of benefits and pay when you view it in terms of hours worked. Still, when running local I long to get back out on the road, but when running OTR, I don't miss local work. A lot of it is due to my being single with no children or attachments that I can't do without. You make a lot of good points on behalf of local driving and I'm sure none of us think any the less of local drivers. They just have differing priorities.