Really on the fence here.

Yes I can take a leave of absence. I discussed this with my manager yesterday and he said the max he can get me is one month, and even that is pushing it, as things are so slow, if you take to long, they more or less will just say don't bother coming back.

The reason I do not try right now, is just that, things are so slow. I used to run 4 nights a week and then weekends, on a normal basis. Now, I run maybe 1 night trip every 2-3 weeks, and weekends is just city work, spotting trailers, loading, unloading, all that fun stuff.

As much as I would love to just say to heck with it and go, I am trying to make the best decision for myself right now, that will help me when things pick back up again. As much as I would love to leave right now and go pound the pavement, I would end up sitting more than driving, I make more money right now just doing this, it isn't what I want, but right now maybe it's the best option.

 

I appreciate all of the help everybody.

I am currently looking at 2 trucks at the local KW dealer right now. Yes, I know it is insane to think about buying right now. I am trying to find a home for the truck, if I can find a place to run it, I will go through with it.

Now I know this sounds like a crazy thing to do but, I am single with no debt. I always said I was either going to truck or have a life haha, and so I just feel like, since I have no life and all I do is work, I might as well have something to call my own, and something to stand back and look at and tell people, yes, that's MY truck.

I want to be payed fair and OTR is the opposite, but at the same time, I think I could do better then most people in the respect that, I don't have any debt, and, I do not have to send any money home to a family. Also, I love this, when the days go good, I love trucking to death, the freedom and every choice I make, is just that, a choice that I make, not some manager telling me his choice.

On the day of my death, I will remember the people I met, the places I went, and the things I saw, and my truck, I won't remember how many digits were on my paycheque, or how many miles I actually was paid for in my career. This doesn't mean I am willing to get totally screwed over, but those who know this life, know exactly what I mean.

 

So to bring this thread back a little bit, I have a general question that is on everyone's mind I am sure.

Will things EVER get better in this Industry? Will we EVER be paid fairly, or even close to fairly in this Industry?

I have spent the last 2 weeks doing a hard self evaluation, and I honestly cannot come up with anything else I would rather do. I love driving trucks, I do, but the new regulations and bad pay is seriously overpowering the love I have for going down the road in a truck.

When I try to think of what I might do if I did not drive, I cannot come up with a single thing, nothing! However, I want to make good money in my career too. My father has been driving for 26 years, and has no retirement plan of any kind, and I fear he will have to work until his death, and I do not want this for myself, yet I do not want to give up the road.