experienced trucker question

I never knew that after getting my chauffeurs license back in 1977 that I would come out here for the next 34 years and have to fight the civil war everyday. I thought it ended back in the 1800's sometime.

 

There are some very disturbed individuals driving trucks, including and not limited to serial killers. Yes. Not to say that there are not predators who primarily prey on truckers. But I have met some unmedicated characters that truly scared me. Not CB race riot chatter, but real live people, destroying the attitudes of shipping clerks, talking loud about how they have beaten people in order to get their way or pathological lying that even a first month rookie would know was bull. I was a very sociable person going in. On the backside, I keep to myself and pray that crazy talking to the hot dog roller machine doesn't start talking to me!

 

The only thing I can add is that I wish someone would have told me to look at my paycheck at the end of the week and decide if that was enough to keep me doing this. In the beginning I would crunch the numbers and would be pissed about all of the "free" work they were getting by skimming off the top. If the end of the week number is good don't sweat the little things.

 

Negative advice. Thought better of it. Deleted.

 

What's so bad about reefer? I just signed up with a reefer company that I'm supposed to start working for in a couple of weeks. What kind of advice can you give me? Thanks in advance.

 

Just my experience alone, you sit and sit and sit some more, and the S/R are some of the rudest in the industry! But just bc they take their sweet time , don't expect them to respect HOS and move the delivery appt!!

 

Anyone who tells you that does not have enough experience in the industry or is just plain ignorant. I personally would not monkey with flat bed stuff even if the pay was doubled. Some guys live for it, hats off to them.

The thing with reefers, your load and unload times will be longer generally, and the dealing wit stupidity and BS of grocery warehouses...

But go to a place like Phoenix, or Las Vegas and unload, and at least you will get a reload...maybe not always quickly but quicker than a dry van or flatbed driver ever will. A lot of the guys you see sitting at truck stops in places like that have been there for days and days.

Every type of freight has advantages and disadvantages...It's all about finding you niche...FWIW Specialized Heavy Haul/over dimensional is where the real money is still at today.

 

Well, the guys that I signed up with, DTS out of Denver, offer guaranteed pay of at least 500 miles/day on every day I'm out except for the first day. Is detention the only problem with reefer?

 

I see your point, it gets to some people worse than others, I've learned to tolerate it for the most part.

But don't tell me that tankers, belly dump, flat beds and dry vans never get screwed at a shipper or receiver.

 

I hated it due to what I posted above n yes detention wil cut into any profit! But if u r a comp driver you may be okay..