I'm 62, and haven't been involved in the trucking industry for about 20 years. I drove OTR for about a decade (mid 80's to mid 90's) mostly with one mega-carrier, driving about 2 million miles before giving it up and going back to university and getting my engineering degree. Then, for 2 years, worked inside a different trucking company as an all-night breakdown agent for a smaller national carrier. My experience was initially coast-to-coast, but later I began specializing in cross-border loads into Canada, and even later going mostly to the province of Quebec.
I'm sure a lot of my knowledge of the industry is obsolete; I started when we drove 300 hp cabovers with a road-ranger tranny and drove extra hours by keeping 2 sets of log books. Things were different then...
Any place for a former trucker here?
Discussion in 'The Welcome Wagon' started by Ex-Trucker Alex, Jan 7, 2023.
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Crude Truckin', Sirscrapntruckalot, booley and 10 others Thank this.
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Several of us got our start in trucks like you describe.
Here's how I started, with Midwestern Distribution.
Midwestern Distribution truck photos - Bing
Crude Truckin', Sirscrapntruckalot, booley and 6 others Thank this. -
Sure there’s room. Welcome!
Sirscrapntruckalot, booley, Coffey and 2 others Thank this. -
I would say that probably 50% of the people here are former / retired drivers. There's always room for one more. Welcome
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I would respectfully submit....that if you have an engineering degree....you will probably adapt to the industry's many changes better than most others....
Brace yourself....it's a different world, now.....I guess to a degree (no pun intended) you've already seen that.
Are you trying to come back as a driver....or something else?
You sound like (if you adapt to the industry's changes) you'd be a "shoe-in".....
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You probably remember the all night trucking show, which advertised:
WWL New Orleans & the Road Gang. "Drivers, let's talk about Melton Truck Lines, home of the Running Rabbit."
does anyone remember all night truckers radioOct 15, 2013 · My favorite advertisement on that station was "Melton Truck Lines, home of the Running Rabbit"
WWL "Road Gang" radio show creator Charlie Douglas …Nov 29, 2011 · Charlie Douglas, the radio announcer whose 'Road Gang' radio show on WWL invented a genre of overnight programming for truck drivers nationwide -
As a young driver (22 with 4 years in the industry), what was working for a mega carrier like back then? I see a decent amount of 2+ million miler Werner drivers. Nowadays, I’d venture to guess maybe 1 in 1000 would even consider that sort of tenure with a mega carrier.
I wasn’t sure if the age of technology and having 1000s of jobs at our finger tips is the difference now, or if treatment/pay at megas was more competitive back thenbooley, LtlAnonymous and Coffey Thank this. -
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Knowledge is power. I for one welcome yours.
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