So..... is it over?

Started driving in summer of 07 after both my wife and I were laid off from corporate jobs, mine from a Jr Exec position. Always wanted to drive truck or at least give it a shot. I did. I loved it, although I ran into some bad companies.

I'm deployed to Okinawa, Japan right now (USMCR) and will be here at least until spring of next year or until my 44 year old joints give up completely. I have a small Health Insurance Brokerage at home (just me, my license, and my appointments with carriers). Good money, but gets old after a while, I tend to daydream about being back on the road a lot.

Obviously, with a wife and kid to support, it's probably not in my best interest to get back into a truck anytime soon, and I knew I wouldn't get "rich" coming into the game, but at least be able to support my family and myself while cruising down the road with a big grin.

Is it really over now? Is it that bad that 20 year drivers are handing in the keys? Is everyone sitting for days waiting on loads now? Obviously, no freight means SOMEone isn't going to get to eat that week.

What say you? That bad now?

 

What's up devil dog?

As the country goes as does trucking up and down..

Stay safe out there in OkI Japan...

Come home safe ...

 

Not over... just on hiatus!

Some say work hard and you'll be rewarded. Others say don't work hard, work smart. Right now people gotta work hard smartly

 

Agreed. So, those who are HARDLY WORKING, should get with the program? haha!!



Actually, I guess I should have qualified my question by specifying "Company Drivers", since they dont really have much control over the amount of freight they get. Think this whole situation will result in another "driver shortage" (not self-inflicted by carriers like the last one) because of the amount of co drivers bailing from the biz to avoid starvation and eviction?

 

i have been running 2500-3000 miles a week since the first of the year. NOT indicatave of the industry as a whole though. you are in a good area for the Co. i work for to get a regional, home weekly gig

 

My husband has been doing the same thing. So it is not all gloom and doom out there.

 

Actually, I haven't read too many posts where co drivers are bailing. Laid off, getting fired over petty stuff due to the economy, yes. But as far as the conscious choice to bail, seems to be all O/O's.

 

Thats awesome!! What type of freight do you haul? Same question to you leannamarie.

 

That's a bunch of Crop! Work Hard! Yeah right.

Would you like to run the north and south, back to back non stop for 4 weeks straight? And only receive 500 bucks for the whole month?

Would you like to run the east to west coast for 900 dollars, when it takes that much for fuel?

Company and Owner Operators are both sitting. Waiting on Loads. Freight is cheap and loads aren't moving as quickly.

Yet as a company drivers, you have no worries.,,, as long as you're not sitting too long. They don't have to worry about , fuel, maintenence, truck payments and repairs.
Out of All the Years in the Trucking Industry, I have Never seen Freight this cheap. The rates have dropped 50%.!!
Yet, what I can't understand is, why does FedEx get to raise their rates?

Hey Jarhed,,, Good Luck Over there! I give you my best Wishes for You.
You May be Better Off right where you're at.
Once a Marine, Always a Marine!

 

He hauls a reefer, but only about half the freight he hauls ends up being refrigerated. He is a company driver. It would be great to be an O/O, but there is no way that I am willing to make that leap right now.