Been a Helluva Ride.............

I hope you have a GOOD LIFE as well, and lets hope this New Year brings GOOD changes for all of us.

 

Nope, you are now part of the lower class in America. You hold a CDL, for what it's worth.

 

So much for the driver shortage, eh?

 

Hey Papa T

I am sure everyone reading understands your negativity. I hope other wannabe's will take a serious look before they sink their hard earned money into obtaining their CDL. Maybe things will be better a year from now, economists think the economy will be better by the 4th quarter of 2009 but until then every company is getting worse and worse. I get a daily message of what my company is cutting back on and every driver I talk to is spending more time sitting than ever. There just is no freight anywhere right now with no sign of hope in the near future. There is nothing companies can do about it right now. As you and everyone else is well aware of, if the wheels aren't turning, you're not earning. I have my wife riding shotgun, if not for that fact all of this sitting time would have had me looking for a rope and a tall tree.........
YES, it is THAT BAD. The few guys you read about on here that are getting 3000+ miles a week.....don't base your future on those posts. It makes for good reading but, IF their are honest about their number of miles it is only because they are logging all their time at shippers and consignees and everywhere else for that matter, on line 1, which is illegal. Sooner or later they will get theirs, for now enjoy the posts, they make for nice reading. I understand your frustration, everyone here does....it is just unfortunate that when someone posts that they religiously get 3000+ miles, they don't explain what tricks they use to beat the system. Anyways, hang in there, sorry you spent hard earned money on an industry thats in the toilet right now. I'd be out looking for anything else I could get, take care of yourself, (and any applicable family) and check back with trucking maybe in the summer time. BOL to you,
mt1

 

Not that I'm sure I'd recommend it but did you check out Transam? Long wait on trucks and other things but still might be worth your while.
Good luck in your job hunting.

 

Not every company requires you to sit under loads.

Some do drop and hook, at both ends. And terminal locations are within a mile of the interstate.

3 loads a week between terminals equals less than 8 hours on line 4

And SOME companies actually allow their trucks to do the speed limit in every state.

3000 miles is only 60 hours driving at 50 mph.

But the majority of what you say is true. It just doesn't apply to everyone.