Ya gotcher ears on?

[Pat Kelly]

I am in the process of getting my CDL (Commercial Drivers License). I've noticed some others in here alluding to driving OTR (Over The Road).
I'd like to hear comments about your expeience and experiences driving truck. What do/did you like about it? What didn't you like?
Answering in here or PM would be greatly appreciated.

[STEPPENWOLF]

Well I haven't driven in years,things have changed.I thought this was the best job in the world when I started. Delivered food products to prisons and mental instutions for 6 or 7 years in OH,IN,IL and MI.Learned a lot,don't go to jail. Then did tankers,lots of crazy chemicals,don't like glowing in the dark and moved on to hospital supllies for about 8 years.Really enjoyed the steady hospital run thru WVA and VA and south eastern KY,love that part of the country,some hard driving,well worth it,small towns,no interstates,backward people,abjact poverty,but what an experience for me.
Since 9/11 I think driving a truck would usck,my friend can't even have asprin in his truck with out the DOT giving him grief over it.
But I will tell ya it is one of my most enjoyable experiencies in my life,rough at times but I would not trade that first Million miles,accident free,for anything..........your first 100,000 you will be the best driver ever and then ya get a little lazy...typical.
Drive safe and try to be a little bit legal:-)

[Dsxs11]

I came off the road in 2004 and I would never ever ever never ever go back. Hard life and it's getting harder to make money.

[trbig]

Lets just say... it'll give you ANOTHER reaon to hate cagers! lol.


Tod

[olebiker]

Originally posted by Dsxs11
I came off the road in 2004 and I would never ever ever never ever go back. Hard life and it's getting harder to make money.

Yep! Ever

[Pat Kelly]

Thanks guys.
The schools and companys all paint a rosey picture. The negatives is what I'd like to be prepared for.
I haven't travelled much. Might as well get paid to do it.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Pat,

Have you watched Ice Road Truckers?? They seem to make good money over a short period of time!
T.C.

[Pat Kelly]

I don't like the cold. Yes, I've been watching it and talked about some of the stuff on there with the instructors at school.
In particular were the guy hooked the trailer and drove 40' to the scale where he got a ticket for being overweight. We believe that was drama for the camera.
Still, I like making money but that's not for me. I imagine I'll have to pay my dues long-haul for awhile before I can bargin for work closer to home.
I've been the one taking care of the kids while the wife has gone to the police academy, emt school, and got her contractors license. Now it's my turn. She's going to realize one of two things:
-How much I really ddo around here or,
-What a lazy-butt I really am.
In the summer I do plan on using the rider programs and taking the kids with me (one at a time of course).

[TADracer]

I dont drive but I take delivery of materials from all sorts of OTR drivers. Plenty of companies make their independents use GPS tracking systems if they drive under contract. Some drivers like it because they say the GPS lets the companies know where you are and what you are doing so it pushes them along and they make more loads and more $. But, some have also told me that it is really taxing on the mind getting emails and cell phone calls if you are behind schedule a bit.

Still, I think most everyone wishes they could drive a truck at least once in their life.

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by TADracer
IStill, I think most everyone wishes they could drive a truck at least once in their life.

Yep, at least once.. but after 26 years, the warm, fuzzy feeling starts to fade a bit.

Pat, I've never driven long haul, I mean the kind of life where you leave Sunday nite, and get back home Friday nite, 3 weeks later. My running, both in a motorcoach(14 years) and a tractor-trailer(12 years) has at most, been only overnite away from home. If I had to do the long haul stuff, I think I would have found another line of work.

That is the biggest problem most people seem to have with the job, the time away from home and the time spent staring at mile after mile of asphalt and talking to yourself. There's a country song that was popular a few decades back, something about "that endless black ribbon" and some days, it NEVER ends.
And you meet the biggest @$$holes sometimes.. both the shipper and the reciever at the other end will treat you like $h!t. Not sure why, but I think it's because they hate their jobs and you're the only one they can take it out on. And, of course, a lot of the warehouses and factories you will have to deal with are NOT in the best part of town.

Good luck with your new vocation. Some people really love it, others don't. I run local p&d here, some highway, but never overnight anymore.

Something you might want to consider is driving a motorcoach or tourbus. During my 14 years driving bus, some of the best times I had was with a group of seniors on a tour somewhere. Just a thought..

Brian

[Dsxs11]

Pre 9/11 it was a great job. Pre kids it was a great job. After kids you miss a birthday here an anniversary there an occasional function at school. Then the kids are 12 and 6 and you wonder where the hell you were exactly. Your wife learns to do a lot of things oil changes putting out fires sitting in the dark etc. You leave Sunday and your back Sunday 6 weeks later and your not putting any miles on your car so it's almost new but rotting from the inside out. You could slip through the border and do Canada runs with ease pre 9/11 now it's a sit and wait even with a CanPass. The thing I always hated was in Michigan your allowed 12 points before a suspension. Well if I'm driving 100 times the miles of the average person I still get 12 points and most truck offenses are 4 points min and big fines. When they tell you that you will make however many thousand a week. Just do the math, Just remember you have to drive about 2400 miles to make a grand at .42 cents a mile. Before I got out I ran a 24 foot straight truck and did expedite freight and made more money then I ever did long haul. Hard life and from friends in the business it's getting harder with the cost of fuel insurance and the cost of your personal life.

[panshovel]

I havent drove a truck for many years now but I will agree with everyone else. It is at best a very lonely life and everyone seems to treat you like sh#t. I would advise anyone that was heading this way to first try dumps or small straight jobs and to stay realitively close to home( this also leads to jobs in your area that maybe more condusive to your lifestyle). I made more money in 70's and early 80's than most are making now, but if you are young and just want the experience, then go for it.
Life is a journey(did I see this here)
Later
Dave

[xsivebiker]

I don't drive [OTR], but I know this to be a FACT: Lock your doors while at an over-night truck stop [any truck stop actually] and BEWARE of the Lot Lizards!! They WILL come a knockin' at your door!
Greg
'80 XS1100-G
'87 GL1200-I
'93 KLX650-C

[DeanR]

Interesting thread Pat. Have wondered and thought about this a lot myself. Around here a LOT of people have either retired from or lost their jobs at Kodak later in life and some have found their way to trucking. When my dept. at the hospital closed after many years, I started looking at my options.

[kf4anm]

I was born to be a trucker. I have 2 uncles that were in the industry. I love semis and talking the cb jive, but the whole idea of crappin in a truck stop put the kibosh on the whole career dream for me. details, details