Wondering if I should pursue trucking

Well a lot of it is driving and I think if you that's something that you enjoy you should look into it.

Myself, if I had to go into an office everyday and look at the same people every day and drive to the same place every day and sit in the same cubicle everyday I think it would be like sitting at the clock watching every second Tick. That would drive me out of my mind.

If you are anything like that look into it.

Really nowadays trucks mostly have automatic transmissions and sensors that go off like bells and buzzers and warning lights if anything is wrong anywhere so you really don't need a lot of mechanical ability.

You still need to learn how to check your oil and antifreeze and make sure your belts and hoses are in one piece but really aside for that there's probably not much more you need to know.

Whatever questions that you have ask away and I'm sure everyone here on this site will be happy to help you.

 

You are correct. But one thing, we deliver everywhere, and we are not always sure where we are driving. Lets be honest here. Our schedule doesn't always allow for perfect parking conditions. We dont always know if we are driving into a safe neighborhood and when we arrive late at night, will local truck stops have available parking? Next to major cities, definitely not.

Like I said yesterday, it depends on your driving. My partner will drive all day doing pick ups, then I have to drive overnight to get us to the next city to do more pickups the next day. So when I arrive, there's usually no parking so guess what I have to do? Park next to my first pick up for the next day, in a crowded urban area. That's the job. I have experience parking in less than desirable areas.

But yes I am sure the OP will learn and plan her trips to always have the best parking available. My advise is for the few times it wont work out.

If I refused all situations I was put in an unsafe area I wouldn't have a job. And I learned those areas aren't as unsafe as I thought as long as you treat people with respect. It's just a numbers game. Yes there is always a chance. But respect people in poor neighboods a little bit more. They aren't all bad.

If you have to park in a large city for whatever reason, take the precautions, have your protection, close your curtains, park against something solid. Just dont let it control your life. That's my opinion.

 

From my experience dispatchers aren't going to really be able to tell you much of anything. They will expect that you can figure it out as the CDL holder and pro driver. They don't have a CDL, you do. It's on you.

We have some apps we use on our phone to help us find some well-known places in a pinch. But those advertised places are full after like 7 or 8PM mostly. You will want to try to park there most of the time because they have trucker amenities and you can get a shower.

You can find a lot of parking if you get off the freeway and look around. For example the Walmarts close to the freeway will probably be "truck proof" but if you drive away from the freeway, like 7 miles, you can probably drive right in, and park next to another fellow trucker. You can go in the morning and get ur paper towels, and whatever you need.

You will learn over time what you can do and get away with. Right now with COVID doing what's doing parking is easier because parking lots are empty in general and parking there no one will say anything. Gyms are another go to spot, like Planet Fitness.

 

Excercising does sound good on paper. But after 10 hours of driving, it's harder than it sounds. You just want to park the truck and pass out. That's why I like my job because it forces me to get some exercise.

But even if you do not have to load your truck yourself, you might not want to just fall right asleep, even if you are safely parked in a rural area, dangers are always lurking about!



You might want to stay awake and make sure people can get parked around you without remodling your equipment for free.

 

There is nothing wrong with Swift. I went to their school in Phoenix, AZ. Had great training. Worked for them for almost 2 years. 99.999% of people that like to bash Swift have never worked for them or trained with them. There are crappy reviews for every trucking company on the planet. Do your own homework. Good luck