my situation

I would be hard pressed to leave an employer after 5 years,...

You know how things work there,.....In my opinion if you like it there and are happy stick with them,...

Someday longevity and seniority may mean something,...

 

i really dont think people are going to be watching the video of you on a truck lol. i think it has more to do if you're in an accident but i could be wrong.

 

Stick with it...sounds like a pretty decent outfit as far as HOS goes. Plus you are already in it for 5 years. You've earned your respect around there already. No chance I would leave something I am happy with to go to the bottom of the food chain with no guarantee of being content.

 

I'd say go for it. You're already working there. It doesn't sound like they're trying to screw you. You're already familiar with how things work around there. It sounds better than any trucking company training school that will lock you into running for them for almost nothing for two years and charge you 7 grand if you leave. Sounds like the work is pretty steady where you are.

Add to that the fact that you already know and get along with the guy that'll be doing the training, and it sounds pretty good.

It sounds like you'd be driving for pretty much a private fleet. The guys I know who do that generally like it. There may be opportunities for you there. You have five years there already and the job market ain't real choice right now. Again, I'd say do it. It sure sounds like they plan on training you to advance within their company. That's better than one of the huge training companies that just have a training new drivers to take advantage of lower paid new drivers.

I wouldn't worry about the cameras. I have one in mine that I put there. I own the truck and I put the camera in there to back ME up in case of an accident and to get video of some of the crazy stuff I see.

 

One of the problems with live haul is the plant screaming for trucks all the time. They get all fired up if production gets behind. Costs a lot of money with downtime or empty shackles. A lot of these barns are out in the sticks with tight curvey roads. Lot of trucks flip because the driver is trying to get the birds in. Birds will bunch up on one side of the cages making the truck likely to tip in curves. Livehaul is the highest paid, but has a lot of stress with it. Around here a driver starts in the hatchery then after a year can go to the feed mill and then later on to live haul.

 

I would stay where I was at. If they offer training, your happy, and you already have five years in why start again at the bottom of the barrel at another company where you're just another number?

 

Since you are being a lumper/helper I suppose you already know about the following:

A trucker was following a chicken hauler through the highway scales. Suddenly the passenger side door opens on the chicken truck and a guy jumps out and runs down the length of the trailer, beating on it with a heavy stick.

After they clear the scales our driver follows the chicken hauler into a nearby truckstop. "What the heck was that all about back on the scales?" he asks the CH. "Oh', replies the CH, 'Old CH trick. Beat on the trailer and ya figure at least 1/3 of em will be airborn when ya hit the platform so it keeps the weight down". Our driver stares open-mouthed at CH. "Hey", says CH, "6 years I been doing this and never got an overweight ticket.".