Doesn't at Least ONE Trucker Enjoy Their Career? Stop Whining!

I can appreciate your stance, and it was well put, but I'm going to disagree a little bit.

I don't try to discourage the starry eyed newbs. You were one, and so was I. We were probably both kids who wanted the truckers to honk the horns as we sat there slobbering all over the back window of Dad's wagon.

Trucking still needs bright, articulate people. If you discourage all of those, in a few years, all we are gonna have left is the 300 lb. slobs in crap stained sweatpants taking 27 minutes to park in a truck-stop while traffic backs up on the Interstate.

I agree 100% on your rip-off racket stance. Any company that offers you the glamorous career with enough cash down should be boycotted. Schools need to be accredited, and probably run by seasoned professionals who give you an education, not a slip of paper to turn you loose with 80,000 lbs. and not a clue with how to handle it.

My company puts us up and pays per-diem if we are overnight. For the time being, we are running team if a run is close to the 14 hour threshold, and that is more for equipment utilization.

We allowed it. It's that lack of unity in this business that is our biggest flaw. We spend more time fighting internally as a profession - the few strikes that I have seen go down over the years have very little impact because not everyone is on the same page.

We allowed it, letting Joe Bottom Feeder Company run us for crap wages.

We allowed it every time we cut someone's else's rate to steal their business.

My current company isn't doing it cheaper than our predecessor. We're just doing it better, and the customer appreciates the level of service we provide. It's coming back around - you get what you pay for.

First adjective in Merriam-Webster is snobbish.

Nothing wrong with being good at what you do. I wouldn't steer the potential bright candidates away from this industry - maybe some young, bright fresh faces would define this industry. We need skilled young people out here, or it's just going to be a complete idiot fest when all the old timers get out.

 

All good, factual points. I expect a lot of fuel price spikes in the future that will send driver pay and job quality down even further than it already is.

LOL!!!

Very funny but it does raise a serious issue.

All you young 6 month super truckers who think you´re going to sit behind the wheel of a truck, chain smoking cigarettes, 40 pounds overweight and gaining without having a problem sooner rather than later...wheww. You´re never going to make it.

Stock your fridge up with fruits, veggies, eat vegetarian most days. Stay out of the truck stops for food. Drop the trailer and bobtail to a supermarket to resupply if needed. You´ll save money anyways. Get an hour exercise every day. Difficult for sure but you have to make the effort. Pushups, jumping jacks, walk/run the parking lots etc.

Don´t worry what anyone else says or thinks. You take care of yourself out there. This is a high risk occupation.

 

Won't take 6 mos...if he lasts that long.

 

Beyond just thanks! Dittos..megadittos. The gent that started this discussion asserted that we whine. Now, I never have had lemon wine, but I have always tried to make lemonade when handed lemons. Now, that could be hard lemonade or lemon rinds on a martini, but I digress. Point is that in life you run your best, but understand it ain't perfect. Truth is I come to these pages to read what I experience everyday, but you folks either affirm what I believe or give a new approach to the insanity (or just a lack of common sense, mostly). Both of which bring great relief and humor into the situation. I only cry when I laugh and you all make me cry.

 

The crazy few days are actually the rule rather than the exception. The dream job is drop/hook where you merely transport and drop a trailer. Find another trailer empty or full and transport to another location and repeat as necessary (just like shampoo).
Anyone have that position available? I KNOW you would have an endless supply of applicants.
Come on in the water is warm. I will agree that it is better than 70 hours/wk in any environment where your efforts are unappreciated, but...outside of less memo, meetings and a fixed cubicle...don't expect anyone to kiss your butt and give you a pat on the back for a job well done.

 

I always wondered what happened to Woodey Woodpecker. I hated that haaaat ta hata whatever. You performed a service to mankind. Thank you.

 

Just remember to keep leaning to the right

 

What the old timers don't realize is that the world is changing in EVERY field. They just can't handle the new generation of the industry. Basically they need to wise up, or move over for the next genesis of willing and able truckers who don't live in the shadow of days long gone by....

 

Snif Sniff SniffSNIFFF I smell a troll here.

 

Your wording is off good sir.

"Wise up" For starters they are the ones the "new generation" of truckers needs to pay attention to. Percentage wise, the fatalitys because of the TRUCK DRIVERS actions are going UP not down, if the 'new genesis' (Wrong usage, but ill let it go) was correct and the 'old timers' were wrong, it would be going down, and that is even concidering truck numbers inflation. What this 'new generation' cant handle is the fact they have no clue what they are doing out there, the basic manners of the road, and the long lost tradition of helping your fellow man, both on and off the road. And that applies to everyone, not just truckers.

As for "Willing and able" .... well I could go off for a long long time on that. Drive down the highway good sir, take a good, long, hard look at MOST of your truckers that are sub thirty five years old, how they drive, the condition of their gear if they are a l/o or o/o then you go take a look at the rigs of old hats like southern pride, and other folk around here that I would listen to long before I would drop a dime and call my trainer after my CDL is in hand.

I promise you good sir, you will weep.

And before you go thinking im just defending old hats for some personal reason. I don't come from truckers, I dont come from rednecks (lets face it, thats where alot of truckers come from!) and I dont come from the industry in ANY way, my family are mostly general labor.

What I do come from is a household where we were taught to respect those worthy of it, and light up anyone that was showing disrespect to women, or those worthy of respect.

</ends rant>