Consider yourself Warned about trucking!

OTR trucking is indeed a life style;

You sleep in a truck.
You wake up on the job.
You have to document every moment of your time while in the truck in your logbook or else you get ticketed and lose money. Either from the cop that discovered your error or from the safety guy at your company who takes away your compliance bonus for the month.
The truck moves all over the country while that office or warehouse "job" is stationary.
Want a shower? Better pack your bag of toiletries and change of clothes into a duffel bag and then schlep it to the truckstop and wait in line for a shower.
Hungry while on the road? Better hit the next truckstop or fast food place with truck parking available. Dont get caught parking at a strip mall to go to a normal restaraunt cause your truck may be booted or worse yet towed away.

You fella's that claim it isn't a lifestyle are delusional to say the least.

 

Did you fall for this???

[ame]http://youtu.be/gJebl7m0jH4[/ame]

 

I have to say bro, I understand what your getting at.

But for me, trucking is my life. Its affected my family and my life in many ways. I eat, sleep, and breathe trucking. It's all I talk about when Im home. It's all I think. I just got home from 32 days on the road. It was a long trip. 32 days with no 34 hour reset. Working every day. It was exhausting but I got used to it. I will say, to you it may be a job. To me it is a lifestyle. And all i have to say is-

I. LOVE. THIS. LIFE.

It seems the OP didn't research what they were getting into

 

This is the main diference between OTR trucking and local driving.

OTR trucking doesnt permit a driver to see his family, friends, neighbors, or relatives every day.

OTR trucking doesn't permit a driver to even drink an alcoholic beverage after his/her shift due to regs requiring a driver be in attendance of the vehicle AND able to move it in case of an emergency.

The fact is as an OTR driver your entire life revolves around that truck until you park it at the company terminal and get in your personal vehicle to drive home.

Local drivers have a "job." They punch a time clock and go home daily. There is a BIG difference between the 2.

 

One reason I chose the Company I'm with is because I'd get to take the truck home, I don't park it at my house anymore because of my backing accident lol. Anyway, I park it near by at my sisters house. When I'm home I clean up my truck since I have access to things that I don't have access to while on the road unless I go through a terminal. I like to vacuum my truck and clean it inside and out.

A lot of guys say "I don't want to take my work home with me". I do, i take pride in my work. That's why I consider OTR a lifestyle, for the reasons you stated.

 

Trucking isn't for sissies... now with that said, I tell people to go sit in a bathroom, no talking with anyone unless its on a phone, you cannot go take a shower except either in the beginning of your break. You can look out the window, but you can't go visit with your neighbor, you cannot visit with your children or the wife either... No TV's, no video games.... just a radio. Oh and no reading a book either, remember your supposed to be driving.

See how long you can handle this seclusion from society.

 

Thats pushing it a bit....

 

I kinda like the idea of taking 100 sleeper cabs to Washington DC and setting them up on the National Mall. Have every politician sit in that box for up to 11 hours per day, then sleep in that box for 10 hours per night and do this for several days. Only allowing them out of the box for bathroom breaks in a porta potty.

Feed them fast food from McDonalds, SubWay, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Pizza hut (the typical fair at Travel centers today) every day.

No APU on the sleeper cab and no idling permitted.

Do these things and I bet politicians would think twice about these BS anti idle laws and HOS regs.

Heck use this idea for aspiring wannabe drivers as well and I bet we wind up with a true driver shortage.

 

>>>>you will be talked down to and disrespected by 90% of the people you deal with, including your fm, shippers, receivers, forklift operators, to the mechanic that works on your truck and even by the guard at the little guard houses where you check in.

I totally disagree with this...I find LESS than 1% of those you mention talking down to me...If you're a slob or just a prick/biatche, then you get what you deserve, but other than that, I disagree with your assessment...

 

I agree with walstib, I don't get disrespected by the people you mentioned. Most of the time you get what you hand out, so if 90% of these people disrespected you must be treating them poorly also. Most people treat me well, however there are always the bad ones, but i would say the percentage is probably in the 5-10% range, not 90%. Just my opinion.