If a person becomes a trucker full time hows does the job work easy question

It's early but this definitely has strong potential for TOTY.

 

Shhhhh if one less driver do it, the world would be a better place

 

Full time is not able to accurately describe trucking. I debated responding to this thread and decided that here is what's what.

There is a time coming where trucks will automatically keep distance from cars in front and maintain lane. With you, the human sitting there watching but doing nothing. Railroads have now ready a Positive Train Control that can be remotely run like a trainset by dispatch 2000 miles away if necessary. Trucks don't have that just yet.

You can google Freightliner Inspiration at Donner online and there you will see the latest in testing. The mirriors are not outside but actually cameras putting a video image on small screens in each of your A pillars inside your cab. No more 20 dollar west coast mirriors. Think thousands of dollars.

Back to full time. You are married to that truck. Your truck is your mistress. Your Dispatch is god. Nothing else matters. You do what they tell you to do, no matter how tired, sick, hurt, pissed off (Even better, tell em off and curse at them and you lost your job right there on your own to get back home, potentially 2000 miles away.)

You will not be getting NYC to LA runs as a brand new driver. You will be running 1000 mile hauls most likely kept in a region of the USA to build up your experience.

Bathrooms can be purchased as a chemical toilet and placed into the sleeper for humans and that creates a RV home for purposes of camping out when the Law comes round and wonder why you are sitting 4 days waiting for your trailer to load with meat.

Better yet don't be stupid and sit 4 days, get dispatch to put you to work hauling something else. If the wheels aint rolling, you aint gonna get paid.

Find a company that pays you the moment your 5th wheel hooks on a load. THAT is the best. You also need to commit to delivering that load on time. As in not being 5 minutes late. I wont tell you that recievers will kick you out for being 15 minutes late and tell you to come back tomorrow or later in the week with a new appt as a penalty.

If you cannot stay awake 11 hours and 500 plus miles in all sorts of weather, day, night, traffic, mountain, plains etc. Don't do this work. You can expect to be up 16 to 24 hours when not driving. You might have to unload 48,000 pounds at a 100 pounds per box in a few hours while being told to hurry up. If you cannot lift that much then trucking is not for you. You can expect to be dispatch to grab a load to get after you unloaded half the night.

Meals? Don't count on it. Sometimes that vending machine with it's week old bags of something is all you got. For health reasons it's always best to have your own quality food stored in the truck. And fluids. Several cases of quality bottled water plus a dozen keopatate anti diareha fluids.

Money above all else, have a thousand dollars in savings ready to go. Don't be stupid leaving it somewhere where it can be stolen. Your paycheck will not always be there or worse you will incur debt to the company and they WILL. ABSOLUTELY give you a blank paycheck of 0.00 dollars. Your rent, mortgage, bills etc is not their problem. You borrowed the comcheck, they get their money back first. Your problems be ######.

Keep your paper work or in this case electronic logs active up to the minute. Imagine that DOT is riding in your right hand seat. (And they may just well be) If you are caught with substandard or no papers up to date you are going to be punished and fined. If you do drugs or drink (Even mouthwash in the morning) you might be arrested. And there you are.

Everything about trucking is a culture. You will either enjoy it or live a living hell. Your choice.

Sleep? Forget it. Ask again next week.

 

Held it all the way across Nebraska once because I could not find a tree. Then on the next trip I figured the corn field would do just fine. Could not find a corn cob with my name on it so I just picked one.... LOL

 

April Fools Day was at the beginning of the month.........

Please tell me that you are serious...????

 

OMG funny thread....

I cherish outdoor bathroom visits out in nature somewhere...
I dred public bathrooms...Especially truckstop bathrooms...

Actually made a thread last time I hit pilot for the bathroom
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...e-ten-guys-i-flooded-at-pilot-eloy-az.291764/

 

Mom's doing his laundry right now, then making him lunch. God I hope she remembers to cut the crust off....

 

Surely you can't be serious? Yes, I am serious and don't call me Shirley!