Silly things you thought before you were a trucker

I thought backing looked easy until I had to do it!

My hubby says he thought one would get rewarded for hard work. He also thought you would have to beg for off time, not beg for work.

 

Silly things you thought before you were a trucker

That it would be a breeze driving through CHICAGO.

 

Are you disappointed?
If so, spend a few nights, or daze, in West Memphis, Arkansas or
Texarkana, Arkansas.
Let me know if "Blondie" is still walkin' the parkin' lots in West Memphis, --- a lot.

Or, ...........

Try the rest areas south of Guthrie, Oklahoma and north of Edmond, Oklahoma.
There are University of Oklahoma and Langston University co-eds
workin' their way through university via Big truck bunks who sell their
services there.
I'm not sure what their major was, but it was a major effort on my
part to say "NO" to three of them --- all at ONE time.
Imagine THAT!

Not the typical weather wrinkled, hard workin', has-been lot lizard either.
NopE!
They were young and foxy.
The kind y'all could take home to meet'cher mom ---
as long as y'all didn't mention how you REALLY met them.
I doubt most moms would cotton to that.

As for the silly things I thought before I begat my Big truck truckin' career,
I reckon that'd be listening to friends who told, and had me convinced, that I wouldn't like Big truck truckin'.
Thanx, or NO thanx to them, I didn't start truckin' sooner.
How silly is that?

After I started drivin' Big trucks, I'd have to listen to THEM complain about the jobs THEY had,
and hated every minute they spent doin' what they suggested I do.
Go figure.

I guess what goes around, comes around.
And I got paid to go around the U.S. of A., from sea to shining sea, and all across the fruited plain
while they sat in a little cubicle in an office with no windows, with pictures tacked to their cork walls of places
they'd day dream of seein', someday,
while I was seein' those places in real time, just on the other side of my windshield,
EVERY day.

I made sure I sent them ALL postcards so they could tack them on their wall to wall walls,
just to remind them that when I decided NOT to take their advice,
I was able to actually enjoy goin' to "work" everyday.
And, down near the bottom of my personal message on the back of said postcards, I'd always include
Wish you were here.
But, truth be knowned, I really wanted to write,
GLAD you're not here.

To add salt to the wound, whenever I gathered in their presence, I made sure to gloat about how much
I enjoyed what they figured I wouldn't.
And they can't.
Revenge ---
Sweet
Sweet
Revenge.

Proof positive that I'm a baaadd man ------->
And a well paid baaadd man at that --- hangin' 'round the
Hawaiian Tropics Girls, .............
Talkin' about the icing on my triple chocolate cake,
with whipped cream on top,
while they drowned their multiple sorrows in another
mug of adult beverage, and went back to work hung-over.
Bottoms UP!
While I was on top of the world,
gettin' high on life instead of tryin' to find an escape from MY
reality.
REALLY!
It's twue!
It's twue!

 

Aftershock,

Nice job my friend! I am currently hearing the negative stuff from numerous friends, but getting lots of support from others (including my wife). I am out to prove the naysayers wrong. It's all in your 'tude, and you have a great one.

Kevin

 

So, you're tellin' us that ChiTown, also known as
The Windy City
is merely a misnomer?

Thank yew, amigo!

"Negative stuff" is easily canceled out by a positive attitude, often to the dismay of the naysayers.
What they can't seem to understand makes them wanna cry,
and causes me to laugh, --- usually under my breath.
Sure wouldn't want to rile up a negative 'tude.
Never know if or when they'll go off, and I'd have to introduce Mr. Face to Mr. Fist.
AfterAll (no relationship to AfterSHOCK), I AM a baaadd man ------->

Not much is sweeter than doin' that.

I try my best to maintain a good 'tude, Kevin.
It sure makes life easier to handle.
I keep reminding myself that he who laughs last,
laughs best.
Proving being last ain't necessarily a bad thang.
Actually, last can also be best.
And I always go for the best whenever I can afford it.

Thangs that make other folks scream and holler and turn red in the face, with the veins in their neck buldgin' out, ..........
Just cause me to chuckle, or laugh, as I tell myself,
there but for the grace of God,
go what I mighta been.
Or, sunthin' like that.

Easy does it usually does it best.
And laughter is the best medicine ---
especially when it's the generic brand.

OH, and that laughter includes laughin' AT and/or WITH
myself.
NObody makes me laugh at them more than I can, and do,
laugh at myself. :smt005
And often do.

 

I thought you could back a set of pups. hell....i've just now got to where i can back a dolly while it's attached to my lead trailer.
I couldn't imagine doing anything else...I love what i do and make pretty good money to listen to the XM at night.

 

four things:

1) I really thought I'd drive for 11 hours and have the rest of the day off, meaning 13 hours to do what ever I wanted...

I didn't understand at the time that no matter how long you worked; 11, 14, or just 6 hours, your next duty started in 10 hours... lol I also, along these lines, thought the weekend off meant: done friday, seeya monday morning... lol

2) I thought I would make a killing cuz I can knock out 700 miles a day easily. I didn't know it would take 2-3 hours to load and 2-3 hours to unload and that this adds up to 4-6 hours a day of not being paid.

3) I thought if the average guy is pulling in 52.5k I should make that easily... not realizing they mean average and not median income.

some are married to the ride and make 70k while others have a semblence of a life and make 35k.

average 52.5k
median 42k

4) We pay for layovers (like hell you do) and we pay for delays... (sorta)

transport america, which was actually fairly good... paid $16 per hour after 2 hours of waiting.

if you are stuck for 2 1/2 hours you get paid $8 dollars... or
$8 / 2 1/2 = 3.20 per hour for your time. heck even mcdonald's is paying $7 and there were a few days I should have stayed home and worked the fry machine... lol or worse... the customer consistently takes 1hour and 55 minutes to do their thing and you get squat !!!

 

geez...some of you guys should really look into the LTL side of the business. my company's linehaul drivers make between $55,000 and $75,000 working 5 nights a week. paid drops, delay pay at $20/hr after 30 minutes, paid breakdown after 30 minutes. i know it's not for everyone....but it seems like a better gig to me than a true OTR job.

 

I always thought that I wouldn't be driving a truck.
I also thought that I wouldn't be working on them.
I also thought that I couldn't wait to get started working a real job instead of going to school. I thought school was hard and that the teachers wanted to much out of me. I now realize that I had it way to easy.
I have learned that some people expect to have things handed to them instead of working for the things that are not really deserved, but instead a privelige.
I also thought that it would be fun to drive a truck like my uncle who has a rocky marriage, well it kind of is at times.

 

I was running a jackhammer and tarring basements, while going to school at night....
-I thought how hard can it be to get paid to drive and not get dirty.....

-Then I drove in some crazy places (though kinda fun), found out that not getting to dirty isn't so great if your not getting a shower either, and THEN found out..."I don't get to go to bed tonight." Ha!.......still the coolest job I've ever had.