Howdy folks!

I'm a newbie here. I have experience driving a hazmat tanker under a B license. I've also driven a tow truck and some other straight trucks. I thought I had it made working for a family owned biz -- until they brought in a spoiled party boy son so they could babysit. He got my job and I got unenjoyment. I managed to get the house, cars, and yard in good repair, cleaned and straightend all I could. I went on a few nowhere interviews. Finally I went down to a local place called Truck Drivers Institute. I met with the owner several times. Real nice guy named George. To make a long story short I got the state to pay for the school and I start Monday. I am excited about becoming a tractor trailer driver and hope to make a decent living at it. I have been paying on a piece of land in North Carolina for a while. I hope to pay it off soon and build a humble cabin on it. I live in Central Florida but I don't want to hang around and watch them cut the last tree down. I love to ride my motorcycle and western NC is moto heaven. I have never been west of Alabama so I'm as green as I can be. I want to drive all over this beautiful country of ours and have adventures and stories to tell.
I stumbled on this site while killin a little time on a rainy day. It looks like a great site and I hope to learn a lot and avoid some of the pitfalls that are waiting out there.

Craneman

 

Thanks Teddy,

There is so much information -- an hour seems like ten minutes here. It will take me a while to be able to navigate.

Happy Trails

 

You are correct sir! The property is about an hour west of Ashville. Near Cherokee -- which is the start/end of the BRP. It is also near the Great Smokies -- the Dragon, Cherahala Skyway and all sorts of twisties. Nice weather, nice folks -- nice nature. I plan on working my ### off for the next five years or so, get some good experience and then look for something local and dedicated to that location.
I tell you what is a little unnerving... they have these "breakaway truck" lanes with big sand ramps incase a truck comes down the mountain with no brakes.

 

I have looked at a truckload of posts from a slew of different people. The one thing that sticks out to me is -- if you have a bad attitude you can get what you expect: a raw deal. If you keep your chin up, do your best, put in the time, be honest with yourself... you are joining a huge family that is willing to help with lots of advise. I don't really believe in luck. But karma that's another story. I'm sure I will run into situations that test my mettle. There will be ups and downs and extreme loneliness at times (that's what I look forward to least). All in all, I believe that trucking is a respectable trade that requires skill and smarts, some of which can't be learned in a classroom. I'm looking forward to getting out there and becoming one of the best and feeding my family steak once in a while.