Is There a Future in Trucking

Hey Gunflint,

Are you the same Gunflint as the one on FishingMN???

 

My name on FM is Wallabee...pretty stupid name. Part is for Walleye, can't remember how or why the last part. I saw your post to Northlander, I'll never mention that I saw it or you here. Good luck, I'm lurking here too thinking about trucking. I have a CDL A for many years, but no recent driving experience. Gotta take my son to hockey, see ya.

 

Otr will never go away no matter how much a barrell of crude is.
those individuals and corporations that charge what their suppose to will be around those that don't won't.

 

I know I saw a TON of a large Maritime company's cans on a railway car the other day. Seeing more and more of it as time goes on. Drivers are talking about it more, too.

I can see it taking some off the work off the truckers but not a heck of a whole lot. If the railroad WANTED to do it, it could but it can't be bothered. If you have one can that has to be somewhere at a certain time and they don't have a train scheduled then, too bad for you and they can afford to say that and continue to do so. That's where truckers come in - and also for local delivery and such.

I doubt trains will ever replace truckers but they could put a small dent in it - which won't do very much, if anything at all, IMHO

 

One thing you should factor-in on wether trucking is right for you is your age. If you take a moment to gauge the age break down of truckers, you'll observe a few drivers in their late 20s, some in their 30s, but it begins to peak at 40s, then gradually comes down again. The trucking industry likes to use term "trucker's who retire from trucking." This is a polite way of describing drivers who can't pass their DOT medical exam to renew their CDL.

Much as death and taxes are unavoidable, so too can we not deny the bodys process of deterioration as we grow older. As we age, we truckers must one day face the reality of aging. We will develop health issues that will disqualify us from continuing to drive a truck. You are entering this profession at a late stage in your life. You must consider the possibility that you will develop a health issue in a few short years after you secure your CDL and begin driving OTR.

 

Even with age or the body not being able to keep up many find a way to keep driving. I got to cons the other day and was going to bed down for 10 and unload in the morning. There were a lot of bulk tankers coming in to load and one of them came up to my truck and said hey maverick I used to drive for you guys. I worked for you for 10 years. He said I still would be there, but fell off a lumber load and got busted up bad. Now he is a tanker yanker. Nice fellow. We talked a good while. The maverick brotherhood was still in him and I could tell he still wanted to be in the mav circle.

I also used to drive local and one of our drivers was in his 80's. So many stay in a truck after the OTR venture ends.

 

I too don't think that Railroads will take over the frieght. Here in Taos County we have no Railroads and in Montague, CA where I grew up they have pretty much stopped running the Trains on the line.

 

I think the biggest threat to truckers...will be the imigration issue with Mexican Drivers.

Mexican Drivers...in the USA....driving for 25% of what we drive for. Sad...very Sad.

We can't let this happen....

 

The Pilot Program has no bearing on the Mexican drivers ability to immigrate.