Where do all the drivers go?

Lurchgs:

Best of luck with May. Let us know how it all works out. The main thing with those lift gates is keeping your battery connections good.

 

I intend to - you betcha. There's a guy already posting on his experience, I should be contributing to that thread. I may also simply do a blog..

Thanks again all for the lift-gate info. Never even occurred to me that they might be electric. Been too used to hydraulic. Duh!

 

Sounds like we were chasing each other around Sitka and Kodiak. Logged out of Sitka. Those old Russian Orthodox churches with the onion domes were beautiful. I was in Kodiak in the 60's. Things were booming with the military there as it was the pre-missle-worried about bombers era. We used to tie up outside of Kodiak and if I remember right it was at a Coast Guard facility. The road ran from town out there along the coast, lots of hills and curves. I was hitch-hiking back out there one night when I got picked up by a wife (driving) and a drunken husband. She seemed inexperienced and he kept putting his foot on her throttle foot and pressing down which terrified her and me. Even in my drunken stupor I could see this was not a good deal. I asked them to let me off and I started to walk. Awhile later emergency vehicles started going by with lights and sirens on. Further down the road I came across their car burning at the bottom of a cliff. They were both killed.

I always wanted to join the Coast Guard. I tried to join the Army with my cousins and volunteered for Nam. They wouldn't have me. Said I was a physical wreck and hopeless addict and alcoholic. I didn't think they had to get personal about it. I think I would have done OK in the Coast Guard but maybe I would have just found different ways to make the same mistakes again.

 

they weren't the last to do that, either. IIRC, about once every two years, somebody wants to play superman on that corner.

I knew going in that I was not interested in walking around in other parts of the globe, getting shot at by every 37th person. And I 'm too tall to fly - and. as it turns out, perfect color vision is important to most of what I wanted to do back then. Oh well. Signed up for the CG while in Chicago visiting a friend. There were 4 specialties open (same as would have been in any other service...) Cook. Yeoman (Clerk), Storekeeper (Quartermaster) and Radioman. I'm not a secretary (ugly legs), have a hell of a time with budgets (wife has the checkbook), can NOT cook (even now), and I love things that have pretty lights and make noise.

Spent most of my almost 10 years active duty in Alaska floating around in blackhulls (one shore station) - and getting shot at by irate fishermen.

Met my wife in "A" school.. was quite happy until detailer (assignment officer) started screwing with us. He didn't believe my threat that I'd leave the service if we didn't get the postings the regs said we were supposed to.

Saw stuff I think I can safely say that nobody on this forum has seen, did things, too. (yeah, I'm sure most of y'all can say the same thing back at me. But this is MY story). Met some incredible people.

I knew when I left that I was going to regret it, but the detailer really left me no choice. Either I got out or the wifeoid did - and it was easier for me to find an outside job than it was for her.

(Oh, I am too young for the 60s. Too young for most of the 70s too - joined in 1979)

I recall one time in boot camp, Cape May, NJ. They had 80 tons of pot to destroy. Wind was to seaward, so the order was given to burn it. Wind shifted and this huge blue-gray cloud of pot smoke settled in over the town of Cape May. And the base. Made for an interesting weekend, because they couldn't put the fire out.

 

I guess it all comes down to what you want and how bad you want it. You can get the job you want if you'll put up with the b.s. long enough to get it. new drivers want to spend less than a year otr and go home and get that local "dream job". sorry,don't work like that most of the time. there are too many drivers out there that have "paid their dues" looking for that job. and who do you think the "man" is going to hire? I doubt it's the newbie that may not even have a winter under his wheels. Plan on doing your time in the seat, then 2-3- years down the road when you have a general idea which end is up and you get in the left side of the truck EVERYTIME, then you can start looking around for your "dream job" and have something to offer.

 

Well when i get my Class A, i expect to be used like a rented donkey in Mexico-im so usted to this after 10 years in the landscape construction field, usually working 12-14 hour days, never getting thanked, low pay and bosses that have the slightest clue as to what they are doing-kinda what i think the industry is going to be like-im as prepared as i can be, read alot on here and do your research and you should be good, but dont expect it to be easy, you can just stop when "you" feel like it, work till the job or hours are out

 

Your remarks made me laugh........

Teaching also has an astronomical turn-over rate (over 50% leave in first 5 years and by year 10 over 80% do not renew their credentials)............

Now...... what would you say to someone who spent 10 years as a landlord, 10 years as a teacher, and now thinks driving a truck might be a good idea???

 

hey! I'm one of those teachers! I want out!

 

.............with only 15 more posts to go

 

As has been said, its all the stary-eyed people who think truck driving is so glamerous due to what theyve heard or seen. They get into it and find out its not what they thought so they jump ship. Its really no different than any other occupation in this aspect. Then, there are those who truely enjoy it, but for other reasons, have to quit. Being away from your home and family is tough and I think that accounts for a big percentage of driver turnover...not just the "people looking for greener pastures". Id say most people end up going back to their 9-5 day job. For someone who has been doing this for a while, Id guess that would be a hard pill to swallow. Ive only been driving for 6 months and already cant imagine going back to a 9-5 job like I did before.