Enjoying these threads.

“Starting a reefer”, I seriously laughed out loud!
If or when I get my CDL and become a driver I’d use Instagram. It’s a better platform. It’s better in that I can only do clips of 60 seconds which should limit my exposure to looking like a complete idiot. Probably not.

When I was a kid my Dad had a friend who drove trucks and he had a surfboard rack on his rig and would stop and Surf. I’ve surfed all over the place. I’d love to get wet and catch a few on Lake Superior. It gets fun there from the videos I’ve seen.

 

Bottom line. Driving is the easy part.

 

So what are new drivers supposed to do to make it “better for you all”

 

Thanks Ridgeline.

I'm not sure why I feel like I need to defend myself. Starting working when I as 9 with a paper route. Haven't stopped since. Just took two weeks off, and that was my first vacation in 7 years. I commonly work 70-80 per week herding cats, retailers, international distributors and artistic types. My phone rings from 5am till midnight most days. I get what feels like 200 emails a day. If my phone goes dead or I go dark I end up with an avalanche of communication to respond to. Everyone treats my inbox/VM/text like its my to do list i.e they left me a message so I have to do it.

Seriously, 4 hours driving in between calls/dispatcher/customers/gas stations/weigh stations etc...sounds like a dream. I mean dang...when i get time to think my brain actually starts working again. LOL

I appreciate the hard nosed answers. People ask me for a work/job all the time, often wanting to do what I do. It's rose colored glasses. They have no idea that the actual job they see is like 5% of what I do, and that 5% is the fun part. The other 95% is just straight up grind it out and complete the tasks.

In retrospect I think most jobs are like that. My analogy is that I've been punched in the right arm for the last 30 years. I think it would be a nice change of pace to punched in the left. At least it would be different.

 

I live in SoCal. I've been a local driver for 20 years here. Once you get the experience you can get a local job that will take you home every night or every other night if you want. If you're already settled in Santa Barbara getting a local job should be easy. Heavy said that trucking is a way of life, that's true if you choose to do otr. Local driving is more a regular job. You clock in, drive around, then you clock out. Repeat. Since you're from SoCal you should already be used to the traffic.

Ever since weed was legal here in Cali I've found myself in situations where the smoke was overwhelming. I simply walk away from it. As others have said, drugs test are taken seriously in this business. California drivers are not exempt.

I never wanted to be a trucker. I never had the passion to be a trucker. But when all is said and done, I love coming to work and staring out the windshield and seeing the coasts, the deserts, the mountains, and the short skirts in the summertime, and most of all, the paycheck. I honestly can't believe they pay me to do this.

Good luck.

 

Thanks. Man I was a skate shoe sales rep traveling between SD an LA after the Northridge quake. This is pre-satellite radio. I had 5-6 hour commutes to go 100 miles. Fell in love with KNX 1070. Their traffic updates were awesome (pre navigation days). They used to play old time radio shows like the "Shadow". Dang loved those.

May I ask who you work for? Message me if you like.

 

Yeah, I used to listen to KNX for traffic but now there's an app for that. lol. I mostly listen to KFI, I'm usually on the road by 6 pm and Conway is pretty entertaining.

I work for a private fleet. That's a non-trucking company that has their own drivers to deliver their goods. ie, Vons, Albertson, Arco, In-n-Out, et al. Here in SoCal, you can hook up with those outfits easily as long as you keep your nose clean. My employer has very strict social media policy so I'm going to stay anonymous for as long as I can. ; )

 

Totally understand. Thanks again.

 

Truck driving is regulated by Federal regulations & they prohibit pot. No drug test will detect dope after 6 months. I would wait out the 6 months if you can be certain you'll never use again. You will be tested by school, employers, randomly, and after some accidents.

Nobody is much interested in debating the issue except dope activists. Certainly I don't care about hearing someone's Declaration of Stoner Philosophy. Use or don't use, but no use in trucking. No exceptions.

 

If you've only used once, will not use again, and you are past any detection keep your mouth shut. You are an application. You either have checked the box as drug user or not avdrug user. They have no discretion & no interest in your story.