Am I Expected To Not Plan or Schedule ANYTHING At Home

A lot of getting home depends on where you live. I live in Iowa, where I80 and I35 are busy freight lanes. I've been driving for almost 3 years, and have been home when I asked on every occasion but one, when I was one day late. I am usually home a day earlier than I want to be, which isn't good either. I know where you live is a big factor.

 

2,000 miles from home and heading in the opposite direction you call home and 1 of the kids yells to his Mother " SOME GUY ON THE PHONE wants to talk to you ".

Thats when you decide if it is time to find something with better HOME TIME.

 

That's funny. If that happened to you I'm sure it wasn't as funny then as it is now.

 

It was an EYE OPENER at the time , today its

 

I bet so Flatbed. It's never easy being away from home for extended periods of time.

 

Got to do what you got to do to get a start in this biz. Its paid off over the years but I do not envy anyone starting out in it today.

 

This job is going to have its hardships, plain and simple. Nobody was forced into this industry - please spare me the sob stories of "I had no other choice", because it's ########.
You're going to have to prioritize. What's important to you? Yeah, you're not going to make every single event - that's life. But better than what you're getting, that is possible.
The first step is going to be paying your dues. Get some miles under you, get your experience, do it well - options increase a lot.
Then figure out WHAT it is you need to be doing. For example, if you live somewhere where flatbed freight isn't particularly abundant, then pulling a flatbed may not be the most sound decision for what you're seeking. Don't plan a week ahead - plan much further than that.
And the biggest thing which I haven't seen put out here yet - GET OFF YOUR ### AND LOOK. If I remember correctly, your first post mentioned something like you've been with your current company for over a year? So you're at a point where finding someone else to work for is a very real possibility, unless you've done something to get your driving record all jacked up, which opens up a whole new can of worms for you.
Maybe I should've posted this before I said anything else in this thread, but I have a feeling you're actually your own worst enemy here. Have you even considered working elsewhere? Because I'm inclined to think you just expect something to fall onto your lap. And it simply doesn't work that way, either in this industry, or in life in general. If you're not putting anything into the effort to find something better for you, quit complaining when it doesn't. If this company is constantly doing this to you, why the hell hasn't it occurred to you to move on?

 

I am glad you posted this thread and I hope that all newbies read it. This is a perfect example of recruiters painting a pretty picture for newbies and embellishing on home time. This folks is the reality of trucking! Yes you will miss funerals, births, holidays, lunar landings etc.... That's just part of the lifestyle. Unless you have a photon beam that can beam you up and put you where you want to be then you will just have to play by the rules. I am sorry that you went into trucking thinking otherwise. I think that is the big problem in trucking, lack of knowledge as to what people should expect. Its sad that the only people giving the knowledge are the ones being paid to recruit.

 

Sorta explains the high rate of turnover doesn't it. Jumping in with both feet, eyes wide shut.

 

There are some recruiters who may leave out some details about the company or the job. There are also some who are honest and forthright. It is easy to blame a recruiter for an individual making a bad decision. I wonder if sometimes it could be more of a person hearing what they want to hear or perhaps not knowing what questions to ask. We need to take a little responsibility for our decisions. It surely can't be all the recruiters fault. I find it difficult to believe that all recruiters lie or mislead potential recruits just to make a sale. It is really to the benefit of the recruiter to have a satisfied sale. If a driver is happy with his decision then he is much more likely to tell others and give out referrals. Take some responsibility for checking a company out. Talk to some of their drivers or owner operators. Current drivers are more likely to give you an honest appraisal of what a company is all about. Former drivers are more likely to have an axe to grind to give an unbiased opinion.