Well despite the odds, I have manage to last at least one year as a truck driver. A little background on me, single male, no kids, 4 year university degree from southern California. I never planned on trucking nor was I forced into it due to the economy (father owns a small trucking company, he wanted me to get into the industry so I could take over one day).
This year went by fast but it also seemed to drag on, if that makes any sense at all lol. The hardest thing I found out about this job is the isolation. I am home weekly but when I'm out on the road I feel like I am cut out from the outside world, I'm off the grid, it's like you are no longer alive almost, you are in you're own little world and I'm not sure what the long term psychological damage that can do.
I thought I had the advantage because I am not married and don't have kids, but it's almost impossible to maintain a relationship, a guy my age should be hitting the bar after work with my buddies and meeting girls, not spending time in the back of my truck in some s-hole truck stop. I have always been independent, but you don't know what loneliness is until you become a truck driver.
I don't even know if I can say I'm a "real" otr driver, I do the same run every week, New Mex, Az and back to CA, I don't even use a gps any more since it's the same places I go every week.
For the amount of money I make, yes my job is stupid easy, I get paid about $26 an hour to listen to the radio and talk on my cell phone. Except for the loneliness the hardest part of the job is making sure I wake up on time.
As I always state to newbies, DON'T settle for an bottom feeder mega company, that is being lazy and not only will you get crap pay, you will get so burned out and bitter, you probably won't last a year, thats why the bottom feeders have OVER a 100 percent turnover. They have no desire to retain you, they know you will quit, they want you to quit. Think about it in the real world, would you apply or even want to work for a company who will bring you on fully knowing you will not succeed, it baffles me each time.
My biggest pay check to date was $1900 after taxes and health insurance (biweekly) my smallest check was $1480 (I took two days off).
Basically my two main points for all rookies getting in this industry- it is extremely lonely, VERY hard on family life if you have one, everyone I went to truck driving school that I kept in contact with all quit, most of them didn't even last the 6 month mark.
Don't settle for a bottom feeder, you want to make money right, then put in the work and apply to those smaller companies. Trust me it's sad, talking to the guys I went to school with, especially those with kids, talking to them weekly I could hear the frustration an desperation in their voice, it's almost like watching someone die slowly of cancer until eventually they tell me they quit.
What are my future goals? My company has a few local gigs so hopefully I'll get one of those in the next year or two, if not I'll probably transfer to the sales dept or some office position in my company or find another company to drive local.
lastly, remember slow is fast.
I hit my one year mark, what I have learned so far...
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by duckdiver, Nov 3, 2012.
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AfterShock, Bumpy, ladyfire and 11 others Thank this.
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When you reach my age you may wonder: How can some days go by soooo ####### slow..And yet the years go by so fast?WideSkyND, T...Street, jbatmick and 3 others Thank this. -
Bumpy you hit that one on the nail head !
T...Street Thanks this. -
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congrats. some people like the solitude, some don't. I used to be a factory dept manager. don't think I could do it now. don't play well with others.lol
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What I learned in 18 months with PAM were that except for a few of the MANY dispatchers I had no one in that company really gave a pint of warm piss about me.
Isolation in and of itself wasn't much of a problem with Facebook and Texting. And I had a laptop and plenty of movies along for the ride.
But things like getting hung out to dry in a yard surrounded by electrified fencing near Detroit for 3 freakin days did not help my Psychy all that much.
Some of the places I had to put a 53 foot trailer were a real hoot too..... -
Good on you duckdiver for sucking it up and letting folks know that smaller companies need drivers as well. -
Good post. I agree, most guys I started with bailed on trucking within a few months due to time away from home and family. It can be a lonesome career. Once you are making top money, you are stuck in the job because of your mortgage payment size, car payments, bills, etc.
I've been truckin OTR over the last 20+ years. I always liked to drive, business ownership, new adventures, seeing new places. I drove the first yr. for a small fleet owner, since then I've always owned the truck, later, the trailer too. Been an independent carrier since 2005.
I still like it, and hate it at times. Yesterday, the weather was nice, the winds died down some. I drove out of Amarillo headed for Tucson. Dropped down 54 at Santa Rosa to Las Cruces like I've done for last 20 yrs, one of my favorite routes, headed for the house. A beautiful ride on the two lane, a long day spent thinking, enjoying the scenery and solitude. I still think about not being home every night and having a 'normal' life, but I still enjoy trucking.
I always advise newbie guys to go to college if they can. But there is still good money to be made in trucking.Bumpy Thanks this. -
I don't know what to say. This guy is getting paid pretty good. Home every week. No family or kids crying about daddy being home. Wow you have it pretty easy compared to a lot of us. I came into loving the fact of solitude and not having to see the same ol stuff day after day. I think some people just don't like this little thing called work. So can we really blame it on the industry. Yes it gets lonely. Yes the money sucks. Yes the respect sucks. But somebody has to do it. I have been told by many companies. They wish all their drivers were like me. I getter done. I do it safely and at the end of the day. Its a pleasure to not have had any incidents or accidents. To open the doors and see the product in the same position it was in when it was loaded. I can't remember the last time I put on load locks. In this industry you have to tap yourself on the back because nobody else will. People who don't like work will not be happy in any industry. To much time being taken from hanging with your boys at the bar. Or playing the ps3. Bah humbug
allniter Thanks this. -
For me, one of the biggest benefits is the solitude. I love to communicate with people via the written word but face to face, I tend to perturb many people. Much easier on me to be alone.
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