Complainers...

There is a lot of freedom in this job. You don't have a boss breathing down your neck. You don't "punch in, work, eat lunch and work more and punch out". You get to go to places others only dream about. It is, however, something you need to have a passion for doing. You can't just decide one day, " well all of my other options are off the table, so I'll try trucking". If you learn to love it, great. If not, you're going to be miserable. Not everybody is cut out for this. There are bad days out here, no doubt. But the good always outweighs the bad for me. I just left Cali, love going there, love the people and the things I get to see. In Arizona now, stopping for just a sec for a bathroom break, but driving through the mountainous southwest is beautiful. This isn't your everyday 9-5. I get to listen to howard all day, then some really loud metal. Get to see this beautiful country we call home, try new foods and meet new people. Nobody tells me I don't have time for a smoke, etc. I've got the life. I love driving and all the challenges that come with it. And a lot of the guys on here who've been driving for years would agree. There is nothing like seeing the world from that windshield.

 

I'm sorry, but I can't agree with the 'freedom' aspect of the job, and I've been driving for almost 17 years. Your dispatcher is watching you, and the customer is also watching you. They may not be communicating with you on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean they aren't watching.

You 'punch in' every time you put yourself on line 3 and/or 4, and time starts ticking away. You better find a place to park before that time runs out.

Yes, I do agree about traveling. But, all you're going to see is warehouses and truck stops. Unless you're a multi-millionaire, it's not a vacation. After a while, every city looks the same and every highway looks the same.

 

Sadly, it has changed over the last decade or so. I see the point of not being behind a desk....I couldn't stand it, and I've tried it. But OTR isn't what it was even in the 90s.

 

Nope. OTR has changed alot over the years. It's one of the most highly regulated industries you can get into with more laws than I care to shake a stick at.

 

You're in control of someone else's investment of almost $200,000. You have thousands of dollars of someone else's product in that trailer. I'd be real suspicious of a company or shipper that didnt watch you. I've been driving 11 years, same company for 5 1/2 years, same customers. The only time I even hear from someone is if I'm late, therefore I don't hear from anyone.

 

OK, so now we're basically in agreeance with eachother. That's out of the way. I guess I should have elaborated further in my point. The sense of 'freedom' is a false illusion, when the reality of the matter is that you are being watched.

 

No. I don't agree. Any time you're an employee anywhere you will have some sort of supervision. There's no way around that. There is freedom out here you can't get anywhere else.

 

Maybe the freedom of not being confined in one space all day? Is that what you're referring to?

 

If its that bad why are you still doing it again?

 

Great post.

Your buddy needs someone to hold his hand and tuck him in at night.

When I got back in a truck, I had to put my time in with a bottom feeder like everyone else. In my case it was Swift. 60 people showed up for orientation and a 3rd of them were sent home. Had to ride with a trainer. In the Swift universe, thats one of those blue shirt idiots. Everywhere on the walls in a Swift terminal, you see a picture of a wrecked truck and some message about safety. And everyone on the CB tells Swift jokes.
So, you have to work for a company that slaughtered a 3rd of the class right off the bat, ride with an idiot with a blue shirt, look at pictures of mangled Swift trucks all the time, and everywhere you go, people make fun of you because your truck says Swift on it.

STEP1: The Truck
While I was in the idiot's truck, I overheard other Swift flatbed drivers talking about trucks. Most drivers preferred the Volvos because of the sleepers. One driver said that he got one of those Columbias with dual stacks on it and how great the truck pulls. The rest of the drivers didint care that the Columbia would run circles around the Volvo, they wanted a bigger sleeper. "Hmmmm, now thats what I want to hear. Since most drivers want a Volvo, theres a good chance that I can get a 2 stack Columbia."

Had to take a final tiedown test before they issued me a truck. I walked the lot and saw TWO 2 stack Columbias with headache racks. Wrote down the truck numbers. Was introduced to someone in management and I told him which truck I wanted. Got it! The management looked surprised when I started dancing with joy.

The truck actually pulled great. It is absolutely amazing the difference that a strong performing truck makes in trucking.

STEP 2: The Network

At that time, Swift only had 150 flatbedders. Most of us ran the triangle between SouthCarolina, northern Indiana and Laredo, Texas. If you got stuck in Laredo over the weekend, the flatbedders would break out the grills. We had good times, and I made some good friends. When I quit, I stayed in contact with the Network and eventually took part of them with me.

Step 3: Reaching the Goal
The goal way back when I started with Swift was to get back where I was before I retired from trucking. So, when I got the chance to step up into a company that does what I want to do, I took it. Unfortunately, there were alot more skaters, but fortunately there were more skaters. Made a name for myself as a driver. Made $79900 my first full year back on the road as a company driver (not bad for a rookie, eh?). Bought THE truck, then built her to the specs I wanted. Holy Moly! Got to pulling the loads I wanted to pull and met good drivers from other companies in the same field. The Network is huuuuuuge now. Still working on the goal. but so far enjoying the journey.

Step 4: Reward Yourself
Lots of drivers are more concerned with the size of the sleeper than how a truck performs. Why be concerned with the size of the sleeper? The only thing I do in a truck is drive and sleep. When I drive, I drive. No stopping for lunch and something to drink (I will grab a sandwich and 1 liter water BEFORE I start). When I stop for the day, I am stopping somewheres where I can eat with a fork. If I sit for more than 24 hours, I am going to a motel. If I sit for the weekend, I will find a concert, live band, sportscar race, drag race, truck and tractor pull, bike race, movie...whatever

Sometimes, it's hard to be positive when you hear so many drivers complaining. I figure, if I drove a POS truck, didnt have a network of friends and fellow drivers, and didn't make money, I would complain too. But whats the use of complaining? if you are unwilling to invest in yourself, why should anyone else invest in you?