R and D's big adventure at Knight Transportation. Wait, really? Yes Knight!

Not eligible for rehire, i had a medical emergency that required me to leave the truck at a truck stop and seek medical attention. They considered it abandonment.

 

Wow, that's pretty harsh. It's not as if you had a medical emergency on purpose, lol.

 

They said i didn't communicate with them for a week after. Sorry if i was more worried about the pain in my chest.

 

Sorry to hear that! Steve S any help or? Don't think he was too happy when I left.

 

Hey Ace, you still at Houg? How's things going there? Like that Prostar still?

 

Thankfully, I had to move out of that Prostar when I took some time off in October. When I got back to work, I was put back in a Casacadia.

Interestingly enough, I almost went to Pride specifically because of the thread that RizenPhoenix started before deciding on Houg, I think I'll give them a call.

 

Having got into trucking at 50 yrs of age after working white-collar desk jobs as well as several other blue-collar jobs following aerospace layoffs in the 90's, I have a hard time encouraging new drivers getting into trucking as a life-long career for several reasons:

1) When one is younger, they can handle stress better than when they become older (a proven fact). And OTR can be a very stressful career; such as getting wrong directions over the Qcom and then making a wrong turn per them and ending up on a dead-end residential street and having to back out 2 blocks with cars parked on both sides of the street in the middle of the night with only trailer brake lights to light your path out. I still have some PTSD flashbacks in my dreams of many such experiences (including 4 wheelers spinning out in front of me in my rig and almost hitting them possibly taking out an entire family, as well as seeing the decapitation of a woman and her kids whose car jumped a median and went under another driver's trailer).

2) A very unhealthy lifestyle, with poor sleeping and over-eating unhealthy all-you-can eat buffets, as well as junk food to hold one over until they can get to a decent truck stop. I saw a dramatic improvement in my health and overall disposition within a year after getting off the road.

3) Hard on families, and for many-to-most single drivers, forget having a social life and meeting new friends...also OTR trucking has led to many divorces, as young wives are left to fend for themselves in running a household, etc. As a man & husband, 'we' feel the obligation to be around and protect our families as well as handling all the 'honey do's." And RIGHTLY so!

4) RP has also stated that the average life span of a career OTR driver is 61 yo. If one gets into OTR trucking to bridge finances or get out of debt for a specified period of time, then it is a way to do so---not many jobs with a 1 mo. school and 1 mo. of training can start out paying $40-50K+/yr. But unless one can attain to owning their own rig and scheduling their own loads, which would reduce stress and allow more planned home time, working for large co's will burn a driver out, and with just 1 instance of an accident or poor judgment ending their entire trucking career!

5) All drivers that I have met and talked to at truck stops over my career agree with this statement: "OTR trucking is a love-hate situation." Love driving the big rig, esp on the open road during good weather---but hate the bus. end of dealing with shippers/receivers/dispatchers, as well as going out in bad weather far from home, esp in strange areas at night, again being far from home & family, etc. The loner who lives in their truck is the only one who enjoys that type of a lifestyle!

Not to be just a downer, but as I have said B4 it's OK to go OTR and get that 1-2 yr of experience, but look for that local job that pays less, as you will make more $$ over the long run with a longer and more satisfying career as well as maintaining better eating habits and attitude in general. (btw, I spent 7 yrs OTR, mostly regional, and 3 yrs driving a daycab).

Think about it........

 

Two, I would hope im an exeption to the rule as well.

 

You'd do good at Pride! Ask for Dianne, she's a gem. Tell her Garth Brooks sent ya. Lol. Love their pay per load setup. Also rand McNally built into to driver tech display.
Your in a good spot for them, loads going to Walmart dc there in Cheyenne I was like you on rizens thread about Pride and why I went there. I probably should have stayed, had a brand new Cascadia when I left.

 

Steve Shelin is maybe the biggest prick I ever met. One day i hope they clone him so he can go #### himself