Why do most new drivers quit?

Just from my experience, my first training job was $300 a week and I quit because I couldn't afford to support my wife and daughter off that for the 3 month trainee program. I then went to pride and got a creepy trainer at $700 a week and that lasted a month until I got a class b job driving a concrete mixer. Then the whole "you only have class b experience so we can't hire you for a class A job" came into play. I finally moved into the oil field where I was able to get class A experience again just to find out that companies like old dominion don't accept that experience. I just had an interview with reddaway and was offered a position so it really just comes down to persistence and how much drive you have. If you want it bad enough you can get it without going otr. I have always been resourceful and been successful.

 

I have a B.A. in Asian and Religious Studies and left university to become a security guard. Then I moved into warehouse/delivery driving and fell in love with driving for a living. Now I drive a real truck and while I appreciate the education I got, I see it mostly as a waste.

 

I have most of a D.D. and a few years besides. I don't regret a nickel, but I also never went into debt for it. I worked full time and went to school part-time. Education is NEVER a waste. Over-ppaying for it an ending up with a useless degree some idiot told you was going to turn into a job, IS.

 

Here is an idea that may weed out people who think they want to go truck driving OTR, going to a company sponsored school. Will never happen but. but what the hell I will throw it out there.

Have all of the students live in a truck instead of a dorm while in training so they can see what it is going to be like 7 days a week while out on the road.

Just throwing out there......

 

That's not a bad idea.
Have the students out with a trainer for a couple weeks to start, maybe two, before sticking them on increasingly longer rotations. Those that are able to do it continue on to solo status and what not.

 

IMO, mostly something else, there are many that has never wanted to drive a truck, just the only thing they can find, so! Once they find something else, they jump ship, but that's my opinion, this may differ from fact, never know

 

There at least one company that does in house training and will give you a week in a truck to decide whether it's for you or not. You can walk away within that week and owe them nothing. A week isn't that long, 3 or 4 would be realistic, albeit impractical.

 

I'm reading a fascinating article written by a 30 something who was provided income from maturing CD's and other financial instruments from her grandparents and parents. Instead of investing that money and protecting its future earnings she spent the quarterly "income" and now she's broke and waking up to the fact that she will actually have to "sell out" (work) to survive.

A particularly cogent quote: "I failed to recognize that I was able to avoid selling out because someone else was paying for my delusions."

From my experience as a trainer even 60 somethings suffer from similar delusions of their worth, and how much effort they "have to" put forth for X amount of income.

Living in a delusional state can be debilitating. It doesn't matter if your delusions are brought on by a spoiled upbringing, believing the ######## from advertising (life is all about shopping and eating crap to make you happy), or believing the lies that come out of politicians mouths.

Delusions are delusions.

 

In the past year I've worked for three commercial freight hauling companies. And they all claimed to be unsatisfied with the work I did for them. I know this because it was brought up every time I applied for another job. When I'm out of work I have nowhere to go. I'm forced to live on the streets,It something I wish I didn't have to do. Truck driving is the only thing that makes me feel like I'm worth anything,so the last thing I wanted to do was to lose my job, but there is only so much I can do to show them I'm willing to work with them. After all I'm only human even though companies make verbal and written commitments to their customer there's still risk and sacrifices made by the driver.

 

What I want as a driver and many drivers may agree with me is money. Weather it be in miles, percentage of the load, or cents per mile. A lot of companies that I have worked for have interpreted this with little regard for the Driver, and the equipment they send out on the road.