So, You Finally Did It.....

A year later I was still excited about the job.
Several years later I was still excited to get to a few states I had never been before.
Biggest dream breaker? Rude/inconsiderate truck drivers at truck stops.
Would I do it all again? Most likely.

 

Been at it since April 2011. The way a lot of shippers/receivers treat drivers makes my dinky fall straight into the dirt, but I've also noticed that drivers have a part in the decline of relations.

If I had a real truck, not a 300hp 60 mph truck, I would be happy.

Actually, I'm currently unemployed. Trying to find another driving job, but not willing to go OTR ever again. I got tired of all the BS from dispatch. "sorry, nothing coming out of there" "sorry, no trailers within 300 miles of you" "sorry, we screwed up the appointment time, so you have to sit for over 12 hours to wait for a door".

I spent far too much time sitting on my dupa. I checked my stubs and tax forms this week. I grossed just over 19,000 in 2012 and about 9,400 in 2011 (May-December).

Meanwhile, a friend of mine works for Marten. He got a truck with less than 10,000 miles on it when he started (June 1st, 2012). He called me less than two weeks ago, bragging that he just rolled the odometer to 200,000. Not bad, but why didn't I get some miles? Who knows? Some of us do well, some of us don't.

I do miss driving big trucks. I don't miss being away from home 3-10 weeks straight at a time.

 

I drove in the seventies and eighties
then commercially fished the atlantic
until 2010
so I have never lived a normal at home life anyway
the trucks are nicer the people are ruder
the wife rides along a lot so I see her more then ever
and siruis radio cell phones and lap tops make me feel less isolated
I don't miss the standing in line for the phone at the TS to call in

 

80% don't make it to the one year mark.

 

I feel like I was born 20-30 years too late. If time travel were possible, one of the many things I'd do is go back and visit every decade of trucking.

Today's lack of class and respect (It's around, but not like it should be) saddens me. Anytime I've radioed or stopped for another trucker (I'll stop with my personal vehicle, because I keep a radio and plenty of water on hand) they always seem surprised and tell me they've been ignored for quite a while before I stopped by.

Of course... with all the DOT BS and the huge lack of safe havens, I'm starting to understand why so many drivers have become selfish. I don't condone it, but I understand.

 

2nd go around for me been back at it about 16 months, things have changed quit a bit. But trucks are better than my 1st go around namely no more 238 Detroits or 290 cumins and power steering and a/c
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Truck driving was never my dream job.Schooling was paid for by my employer so thought why not,im up for challenges.I have more then a yrs exp.Not much has changed in this yr.But concider what I know now an didnt know back when I started,I would not do this all over.

 

tramsam pete i had forgotten about the long lines for the phone one time i had to wait while some driver said good bye to his dog.

 

Yep. After 1 year, after 5 years and hopefully after 20 years.

Yes.

Figured I'd know it all by now.

I get a do over?

 

Here is the deal, On some days... I'd like to throw the keys to the boss or DOT or whoever and just walk away. On some other days, I say to myself, "They actually pay me for this"?... It's like everything there will be ups and downs. But mostly I enjoy what I do, and I'm home almost every night(I haul fuel). And the pay is pretty good.

Would I do it again? Yes, the good days make up for the bad days... and there are more good days than bad days.... but one tends to remember the bad for some reason.