How many regret getting into trucking?

Not really regret, more like a rude awakening to the inner workings of the trade that you just learn to deal with and work around.

You find out things like the lack of compassion from the companies, dispatch, law enforcement, shippers, and customers expressed towards the drivers.

For some reason everyone thinks we're all rich out here driving these trucks, and they feel they have the right to charge us up the rear for anything and everything they can.

You find out the true meaning to being "On Your Own" and learn to just figure sheit out yourself, nobody wants to help you.

Being modest is no longer a choice. You must be modest and take the blame for everything, because everything is YOUR fault. Even the kid falling down on his bike as you drive by, that's all your fault.

Sleep is a privilege, and you learn to function with very little. A half hour to an hour is sufficient enough most of the time. Naps become a valued commodity.

Don't expect to have enough money to spit on for the first year, or even two until you can find a respectable company to drive for who pays a decent wage.

And home time isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be, just don't be a pushover, demand what you want and you'll get it, you show a little weakness and everyone will try to walk all over you. You just have to understand that you do have authority. The companies really don't care how much time you take off, the only one it affects is yourself, the more time you take off, the longer you have no paycheck coming in, or sometimes negative.

You're your own boss, you tell yourself how much time you want to take off and when, how hard you want to work, and how long. Your financial situation determines a lot of this however, and you're inner drive to make a change and make your life better.

 

Will you be explaining, or are you just going to leave me hanging ?

 

[QUOTE="Hang - Man";4103964]Will you be explaining, or are you just going to leave me hanging ?[/QUOTE]

Imagination is so much better than reality.

 

Trucking is just like a wife. ...she gone be good to you sometime and sometimes you gone wonder why did I marry this ####h....so I dont reget it....only bad part about it is....m 25 I have a 11 year old daughter and a 7 year old son...and I missed out on a lot of stuff when they were growing up

 

^first kid at 14? ####, sir.

No regrets because I enjoy my job more than I dislike it.
After I find the "best" company for me, I'll retire in 30 years, at age 57~... 👌

 

Lol I know right

 

Impurestcrowd you asked a loaded question answered by a stacked deck of drivers.
The drivers that can answer your question are long gone from this forum.
Although i will get a chuckle if a 40 year veteran gets on here and says they hated every second of trucking.
Trygg post is probably accurate on what to expect.
My take is like this --
Expect to be hit in the face with a OTR trucking lifestyle reality brick, from that point one of two things will happen ... you will either run hard and far or you will wipe the blood off, realize the brick made an improvement and join the ranks of those that posted above.
I like that you have a plan. FYI: you could probably be driving something like a cement truck locally within a month.
OFF topic: Has anyone heard from that poster silversurfer recently, he spent months asking questions and gathering information. he was employed by a flatbed company (McElroy or Melton????) -- started training and disappeared.

 

Most of the people who regret Trucking have long gone. Only ones who will be here commenting will those who hung in there.

 

[QUOTE="Hang - Man";4104038]Impurestcrowd you asked a loaded question answered by a stacked deck of drivers.
The drivers that can answer your question are long gone from this forum.
Although i will get a chuckle if a 40 year veteran gets on here and says they hated every second of trucking.
Trygg post is probably accurate on what to expect.
My take is like this --
Expect to be hit in the face with a OTR trucking lifestyle reality brick, from that point one of two things will happen ... you will either run hard and far or you will wipe the blood off, realize the brick made an improvement and join the ranks of those that posted above.
I like that you have a plan. FYI: you could probably be driving something like a cement truck locally within a month.
OFF topic: Has anyone heard from that poster silversurfer recently, he spent months asking questions and gathering information. he was employed by a flatbed company (McElroy or Melton????) -- started training and disappeared.[/QUOTE]



this was the best post in here (lots of good ones but this one is king) i did alot of research even though i wanted to do it since i was a little kid. working at a cold storage place i had the opertunity to network and gather opions. all of this didnt prepare me for what actuly laid ahead. that first brick is a dosey but its worth it. and if not youll be the next swift hitting low bridge picture. in the end there is 3 kinds of people in this idustry the ones that suceed (many have to work hard at it dont get me wrong) the ones that leave after the first trip with their trainer and the ones that would like to leave and SHOULD leave but are stuck in some lease program.

we love trucking thats why we only get 2 hrs sleep on our 10 were to busy posting about it

 

It's paid my bills and then some. You can't ship my job to China and no robot can do it yet. I love it.