Day by day adventures of a new solo OTR driver

Hey diesel, no offense bro but do you keep lube on your truck so it doesn't hurt when Schneider ##### you?

The impression I get from you is that you're a level headed dude. Might be time to lease or buy a truck. I have no doubt you could make it work. Also, if you're out 4-5 weeks at a time how come you don't do 48 states? Lots of miles out west. In my 3 months as a pumpkin my average load was 1100 miles. I rarely left I-5 too.

 

400 mile load done, headed to the house for 6 days. Those 6 weeks flew by!.

 

I'm back at home too... interestingly worked out that I had a load that headed up close to home, DBL didn't remember if I had asked for hometime and called and asked me about it, and since it was close and I had been out for 3 weeks just decided to see if I could come home after delivering today, so I did. Gonna get in touch with the DBL in a few days to get the contact info for the Choice contact at Charlotte, and will look into that more over my home time. In the meantime, glad to have a break from the crap of the past 2 weeks, if I was having good runs I would have stayed out longer, but after 2 weeks of getting absolutely shafted, screw it, I'll take my time off.

 

Enjoy your home time...

 

Go for it! Think you will like it much better over here on choice!

Best of luck!

 

this has been quite a read..i really like how diesel has goods bads and still keeps an amazingly positive attitude...you sir even at 6 months are a very professional driver and very commendable...

 

The loads out to CA are very low paying. Most folks don't take the loads out west. We tried for three weeks before we could find a load back to Phoenix.

 

I'm looking for a load to get me home , getting homesick

 

@ OP- DieselFuelOnly

After 6 months, are you making a decent paycheck, yet? $500-600 isn't terrible money at 23 years old. I was earning $200-300 at your age and didn't know I wasn't rich. Additionally, Ive become convinced that you're made for OTR trucking. But, is the money getting better?
I've read this thread from the beginning. It seems like drivers with anywhere from 0-30 years experience are throwing you some serious respect.
I'm an accountant and considering/pretending I could be a flatbed driver. Flatbed money sounds like it could pay off my debt within 3 or 4 years vs. the 20 year student loan repayment program I'm currently enrolled in.
Like you, I'm not married and don't have kids.
If you had an accounting degree paying approx. $38,500 per year would you still want to be OTR?
Do you have a long-term goal or plan that's going to pay you ####loads more?
I'm asking because the beginning of this thread sounded like you were scared ########, also. Within 5-6 months you sound like you've become a confident and safe driver.
I hate being an accountant because my co-workers hate what I'm trying to do.(I tell their boss when they are costing the company more than they're providing revenues).
In your opinion, as a rookie driver, does your company view you as a revenue stream/profit center? I'm not a source of revenue as an accountant.

If you respond, thanks. If not, I've enjoyed reading all 36 pages of this thread. Hope you make a ton of money soon, if you aren't already.

Also, I think it's awesome that you reported the accident/damage at your own home. That would be a seriously ethical dilemma for me.

Have you been contacted by other companies yet? I might be able to refer you to somebody that will truly respect your honesty and pay you well for it.

EDIT: What's that first song on your "GW Bridge video?" The guitar work is awesome. Additionally, slow down. Looks like you covered 180+ miles in 5 minutes. That's gotta be dangerous.

 

Wow, great job hanging in there.