Is Trucking for me? What are the hours really like?

@TruckBucket Be prepared to run at all hours no matter which segment of the industry you choose. Sure, some companies have runs with "regular" schedules but something always comes up to alter the consistency. Remember, turning down loads means turning down money and we'd hate to see you come back on here in a year complaining about how your income sucks.

That being said, there's opportunity out there. Read these forums and heed some advice from the knowledgeable folks on here, it won't take long to figure out who they are.

 

Ahahahaha you'll definitely make it as a truck driver. Lesson number one learned already. Don't take #### from people that have the pole stuck up there so far they've forgotten about it.

 

It all depends on how much money you want to make. Less hours less money, simple as that. A week in my shoes goes like this. Wake up at 5:30 am and get some coffee. Start driving with a goal of 700 to 800 miles. At 5pm start looking for open scales, because by then I'm out of hours. If I have a open scale in my path then maybe go around it. If I can't then pull over and use Google maps to shrink drive time. That might get me just enough extra time to go across the scale legally. If I make my 700 to 800 mile goal I have had a good day. Then find a place to park, not a easy task if your out east. Repet the next day and so on.

If I have at least 3500 miles by Saturday afternoon then I had a good week. I will have net $1000. Reset at home for 34 or at the truck stop away from home. Start all over on Monday. There's a lot more BS involved but that's basically the process. That's just straight driving, if you add a pickup or drop then add 1 to 4 hours to your day.

 

Lol that's cute.

I work, at most 50 hours a week, am home Friday, Saturday, Sunday and one day during the week and I gross the same if not more than MOST similarly experienced (3 years) OTR and regional drivers.

Like anything in life you can make this job work for YOU or you can be a slave to a company who treats you like a number.

I chose the former and have ended up at a company I plan on spending a long time at.

unloader

 

Just be thankful you have that job because they are few and far between.

 

Men and (a few) women trucked for decades without those creature comforts.

 

Eh, you either want to be a driver or you don't. From a work schedule standpoint it requires patience and flexibility, that's a fact jack. You won't really know until you go out and try it. You might be better suited to local work like at an LTL barn where you're home every night and work a more or less set schedule, but you'll have a better perspective of the industry if you go do a year on year road and see what driving a sleeper cab is like.

 

Yeah, right. The truck you gonna get as your first in NOT going to have TV! Or any other entertainment system, unless you consider playing with engine shutdown system (idle optimizer to save your company's money, while you fry in 100 degree weather) an entertainment. It may have a fridge but sure it ain't gonna work. Twin size mattress will be worn out by your fat predecessor, and so on. It is as bad as he described, but as long as people are still happy being slaves theres nothing wrong with it.

 

Thats true. Everything out here you can learn after a few months but being able to get over and deal with BS is the most important thing you need. Without that, you'd just end up having a hard time cooperating with whatever company your at and you might as well quit & go home.

 

Some companies trucks come from the factory with refrigerator, direct tv, apu. All the drivers get those amenities.