Soooo, you want to own a truck

Ya know my trailer was in the shop for a month solid getting a man door and new tarping system. Normally these things take 5 to 7 days. Due to the manufacturer sending 1st the wrong bows (too short to span trailer) then the tarp it self was sewn crooked henceforth wouldn't work but my tarp installer is great and figured that out Won't get that money back but hey it coulda been worse. $7750.00 later

 

What happened ?

$350 sounds like not enough for a certified competent welding shop

 

There's a certain satisfaction that comes with making a buck with your own truck that can't be replicated driving somebody else's. Driving somebody else's, it's just a job. It's the safer idea and often the more steady source of income. That might be a wiser idea for guys in certain situations...men do what they must to take care of the people that depend on them, but living the dream doesn't usually involve anything about how much your company/boss pays you every week or how good the health insurance or retirement plan is. That's the stuff they have to bribe you with to keep you pounding that alarm clock 5 days a week and NOT living the dream.

 

I had to telling myself stuff like that in bad times just to keep pushing on. Not everybody working a job for somebody is miserable with it and has to be bribed. I actually enjoy what I do again and steady work is good for a person. I could never keep myself in steady, good paying work with my own truck. There were good times and there were bad I just couldn't keep it steady.

 

I've had jobs I've somewhat enjoyed too for awhile for one reason or another, but eventually I would get bored with the monotony and routine and having to play it bossman's way. (Hey, it's his rodeo and I respect that). I wont disagree trying to make a living with your own truck is not the easy way to do it and it ain't for everybody. Many try it out for awhile and decide it isn't worth it. Personal decision. They say you'll never work so hard for free in your life until you try going into business for yourself. It's true, because the only person that really cares about whether you succeed or fail is you.

 

Shouldn't the kid's insurance being footing the bill on this?

 

I did it on my own for 13 years. Going into debt to sustain it just didn't seem wise. I could have, and maybe managed to hang in there until another turnaround. But too much aggravation made it easier to walk away from. High costs on everything constantly rising, while rates are flat or sinking. Fellow drivers with no self respect and absolute disrespect towards their brother drivers. That seems to be the majority compared to when I got into it almost 25 years ago. That #### gets old. As far as "playing it the boss man's way" the only thing my boss expects of me is to get the job done and not run over anybody or anything in the process. I enjoy my new job and all the drivers and other people I work with. I was reading a thread on here earlier about some numb-nuts parked in front of the fuel island for a half hour or more with total disregard to his fellow drivers. I've been to a truck stop 2 times in the past 6 months. If I never stop at one again I won't ever miss it. I can tell you there's nobody ever on our yard eating their lunch and taking a 30 minute break on the fuel island.