changing jobs beware

I started at 1am, and worked to 3pm this afternoon, now getting ready to cook dinner for the family.. Today was good because I make around $367 and delivered 7 loads, then picked up a preload for in the morning.. And ya I know what you mean about job hopping lots of companies frown on that, especially since the job market is soft, and plenty of people are looking.. I started with my current company back in march of 07 and still there..

 

DD5 that's good good money for 14 hours. what kind of job are you working?

 

I haul powder cement to out plants. Since I got off the out side jobs, I'm doing better. For instance I finished the week (Friday-Thursday) delivering 22 loads, and goss pay $1,132, the last 13 loads or roughly $700 was done in the last 2 days... Of course it will start to decline wants the colder wheather sets in..

 

I've thought mor ethen once about getting into the dry pneumatic trailers. Are you compleately local?

 

Yup, the most I have traveled was 100 miles both ways.. We do have OTR drivers who do Oklahoma, Kansas, LA, and they don't make as much as we do.. The only down side is whether.. If it rains and I don't work for a week, I still get $560 before taxes, sucks, but still getting paid.. When the sky is clear, and the customers are hopping, we make pretty good money.. There are some times I make no more than $700 gross, but it all depends on where you going and how many loads you haul for the day..

 

The first year on the road is an adjustment period in reality. Learning the basics, that lays your foundation. Companies are similar but some have vast differences in their operations so get your first year behind and you will learn the things you're only wondering about/hearing about here. Best of luck and drive safe.

 

Amen brother, I was a well surveyor out of Houston for 1.5 years, I remember a 28 hour job which included about 10+ hr's of driving. I worked in the Woodville area several times as well. I tried my hand at dir drilling with 16hr training shifts, but a breakup at home sent me packing to Cali. I'm hoping trucking will seem easy in comparison..

 

oilfield work all sucks... for some reason every job in the oilfield works for days on end without breaks then you get a few days off. I don't like working like that, especially when you'r driving a truck down the road after about 40 hours of working.
I'm in the process of getting out and getting back into the reefer biz.

 

Sympathy I dont think anyone is looking for sympathy, but I bet you wouldnt work one week for what most drivers get paid out here. I have worked many a long week but the difference in the past is I sent a wad of greenbacks home to mama...not this chicken scratch were working for today. I got a buddy who works the rigs, he makes an unbelievable buck...so if I made your money hell Id work those shifts too. Be safe and keep it pumpin.

 

How many days off do you get in-between, though? Typically jobs with extremely long shifts give you more time off.

It's not that working one or even three or four, 12-hour shifts is hard; it's that working six or seven every week is a pain, particularly if you're only getting paid peanuts.

I'll be the first to admit that Dry-Van OTR trucking isn't as physically taxing as a lot of other jobs; on some days, it can feel downright leisurely. I'll also admit that as truckers go, I'm still in my proverbial diapers.

But the job can wear on you, all things considered. It's a marathon instead of a sprint.

A friend of mine used to work 18-20 hour shifts at a factory three or four days a week, and the pay/bennies were very good. I can honestly say I'd take that arrangement without a second thought, these days.

I'd be interested to hear more about your job. If nothing else, I'm sure you have some great stories. Unfortunately I don't live anywhere near any oil fields (to my knowledge), but it'd be neat to know more.