When is Enough, Enough?

we have some young moron's where i work that you see jumping out of the cab before the parking brakes even apply. they will learn the hard way, including jumping off the dock to save 10 seconds. They WILL learn.

 

I think you said a "mouthfull" - I am new to trucking - but certainly no spring chicken. After 30 years - my job was superfluous - so I am starting a new career. Actually it is nice to be excited about work again.

With social security and 401k's in the toilet - we should probably expect to work a while longer - sorry to hear about your aches - and I do know how that feels.

 

Going to run about 9 more myself......Cali/CARB gave my '09 a "Useful Life" of ten years....I don't plan on buying another new rig just to make some bureaucrats happy....

 

I spent 15 years working on commercial fishing trawlers. Im 29 years old and my body has taken a beating. I have been driving for 1 year now and can say that trucking has very similar potentials for injury as working at sea. Twisted and broken ankles, wrenched backs, falling out of and onto things, broken hands and fingers... these are some of the injuries i sustained over the years at sea. so far trucking i have...severely twisted my ankle, slipped and fallen getting out of my truck, hurt my back climbing down the ladder of a tanker trailer, skinned many knuckles and hurt my pride a few times!! Trucking is full of hiden dangers and i definately understand how it would affect your body over many years of driving. Trucking is a great job but it needs to be treated with the respect it deserves cos it aint no cake walk and anybody doing it into there later years has my respect.

 

Well I just got some news from an ER doc that I didn't want to hear...

I went to the ER Thursday because I was having some problems this week with nausea and, after I got home from my Florida run, I was getting dizzy spells. I finally decided to see what was up...

I figured it was due to some heat exhaustion... the a/c isn't working right now in my Pete and it was 97F on Tuesday when I sat for five hours getting my spuds loaded. I drank plenty of water and iced myself down but it was still a little hot.

So the Doc has some tests done including a CT scan of my noggin... I won't say what the problem is but I will see a neurologist in a few weeks to get a second opinion.

The lifespan of an OTR trucker is 62... guess how old I am?

 

Ah hell, you don't need your whole brain anyway.

 

Im just glad they found the problem--so hopefully they can get you squared away--thoughts and prayers are with you--Good Luck!

 

I've been in the trucking industry for 34 years, 31 years driving. Pulling flatbeds most of those years and it has taken a toll on me. My hands are always in pain. Kind of like what computer users get..carpal syndrome. When your hand is gripping the steering wheel all those years, it has a negative effect. I haven't seen a doctor yet but I suspect that I'm getting arthritis in both hands. Other than that and a bad back, I'm in pretty good shape. You have to be if your pulling a flatbed. Lifting 150 lb. tarps, lugging chains, climbing up and down on loads, etc. That's not counting how many falls from the trailer I've had and other little accidents.
I used to be able to leap up on a flatbed. Now a days, I climb...at a slow pace. Not because I can't anymore, because I realize I'm not 20 years old and need to preserve this body of mine because I have no intention of doing anything else for a living. The only way I get out of trucking is by death or I hit the lottery.

 

Years ago I bought a folding aluminum ladder made to hook into the rub rails on a flatbed... my son laughed at me saying I was a worn out old man.

Last week he asked me if I still had that ladder! He's 39 now... been hauling fats, steps and RGN's since he was 18. Time is catching up with him.

It will be his belated birthday present.