Hello all,
I am new to the forum and I am hoping to get some decent advice if possible. Thanks to all in advance who get back to me. I am 40 yrs old and up until 2 years ago was happy to call myself a professional truck driver. I drove for 13 years, 2 OTR and the last 11 doin regional/local LTL mainly in NYC and Philly. I worked for Excel, Pitt Ohio, APA and Cowen and gotta say enjoyed my time with all of them for the most part. Have all the safety awards, extra training, and bells and whistles (not trying to boast, just painting my picture so to speak). I decided to walk away a few years ago when a friend of mine offered me a sales job I couldn't refuse (money wise) and I thought it would be a better fit. But I soon found out I am in no way an office kinda guy, especially after being outdoors for so long, lol. The money is great, the hours are way shorter but still, can't say I am anywhere near as happy as I was driving. As the old saying goes "if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life", that was me. I took pride in being good at what I did, loved meeting new people all the time, etc etc.
So, here's my deal. I am recently divorced, I have no mortgage payment, no car payment, no insurance payment, basically nothing but cell phone bill. My kids are grown, and I find myself in a very unique situation, at least I think so. The stress for me before (driving) was that I couldn't make enough money to get ahead, and I had a wife and kids to take care of. Trying to make money and be home to spend time with your family in trucking is a very difficult thing to do as most of you know. Now, I find myself being able to go back over the road, no rush to get home, and pretty much ok making whatever. Granted, I want to do the best I can financially, but what I'm saying is I don't have to kill myself you know?
So, I've decided to get back behind the wheel and get out over the road. One ting that used to drive me nuts is that I would pass all these really cool places but never had time to stop and "sight see". So, and maybe I'm crazy, now I want to try and see if I can balance work and pleasure. Work for a week or two then tell them, for example, when I get to, say, orlando, I want to take 2 days off, rent a hotel and car and go do Disney or whatever.
From a company's standpoint, I think the 2 main benifits of hiring me are:
1) I won't be ######## about home time
2) I have a great work history, no accidents, low risk insurance wise
From my standpoint, I won't have to deal with a company "holding my job over my head" cause financially, I don't really need the job, lol.
(I hope I am making sense of all this)
So, the advice I'm looking for from you guys and gals is, if you were in my position, what company would you recommend me looking into? I would like decent benny's, and a fair wage for a fair days work. A company that treats the drivers with common courtesy and repspect ( A strech I know lol). And a company that has decent trucks considering I'll be living in it. But the most important thing is, and I'm hoping to hear from people that work for the companies they recommend on this one, what company would work with me best with the senarios I've laid out here (work and sightseeing lol)?
Ok, I wrote a novel and I hope to get some good advice. Again, thanks in advance.
Eric
Oldtimer needs advice
Discussion in 'Motor Carrier Questions - The Inside Scoop' started by Bodyinked, May 26, 2011.
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Even as an O/O your pipe dream of sight seeing wont wash.
This is Trucking,its all in or stay at the house kinda deal.
I have a self supportive high over head,I dont dare venture off to Mickey's house for play day.
One slip and its back in debt and a slave to US Commerce.
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First the way i did it was, i worked with my dispacther, he was a kewl guy too work with, i run hard for him and in turn he let me sit if i wanted too see something, you just got too talk too everyboby, i was down in fl, running hard all year, he beeps on quil com no load,this for three days, i call him yup says look boss man, blip your screen too my vac see how much i got saved up 2 weeks, kewl, so i stayed there and wacth the big battle ships shoot off there cannons, it was the 4th july weekend ok put me on two then, then when two weeks was up he had me a nice run from Ga, o i deadhead yup there , no biggee, this allowed him time too search and look, now most would get all mad cause they knew there no loads in fl, never bother me, i seen things i never seen before. but lot's time i would look at my book i keep, i had all the dock times too unload,and how long it took the dock people, if i let em, and if i felt lazy that day, i unloaded most my trls, i check and ask dispacth for a lumper, , then go sightseeing for 12 hours, one time i got out nv, and all places too breakdown , right outsiode of the mustang ranch and im sure ,all truckdrivers know that place, my water pump went south, there nothen in that ghost town, but i got lotta walking in. up down that main street in that ghost town 
Bodyinked Thanks this.
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