Double post, my bad. :roll:

 

yes, that is priceless! first thing i tell a recruiter, dispatcher, or a broker is don't lie to me, because i won't lie to you. first time you do(on purpose) will be the last! i have no need to lie. like you said no one is perfect. i just do my job and i never get bothered by the aforementioned.

 

Welcome to the wild wild world of trucking, where North America is now your office.

In a perfect world, we would all be home in our own beds every night.

If you are lucky enough to land a job with a carrier that has dedicated routes, and you live in the right area, getting home is a piece of cake. But, if you are just starting out, and not in one of these high traffic areas, odds are that you will be gone for at least two weeks or more.

I stay out for 10 days to 2 weeks, not because I like to, but because that is the most productive amount of time to make some serious money. I will normally work my 10-14 days and take a week off, getting my reset in some sh-t hole truck stop as you implied.

You sound like you are new to this line of work, and not everyone is cut out to do this stuff. This is another world out here as far as joe six pack is concerned. We work long hours, some make money, and others just survive. I've done the survival part, now I am looking at the semi-retirement part at the ripe old age of 42.:wink:

You know what, trucking is much like being in the military. You do the impossible with what you have, put up with the bs, and hope everything works out in the end. There are no promises of success, you get what you put into it. Then one day you reach a point that you realize that you know enough to turn the tables towards your favor.

It all boils down to character. Either you have it, or you don't.

 

Wild, if we had more guys out here with that attitude, allot of things would be much different. I can only imagine what the big guys go through on a daily basis. I know what I put up with, and don't get me wrong, I made mistakes too, but I cannot imagine what it would be like with hundreds, if not thousands of drivers.

Face it, trucking is more than just a job for the majority of people out here, it is a true sacrifice. This ain't your regular job, by a long shot. It really does take character, and a strong sense of resolve. Like I said above, it is just like being in the military, it takes discipline. Something that is severely lacking in our fast food society.

 

yessiree!! (19-D in the 2/3 A.C.R. E-Trp,1st Plt and proud)

 

Well, I've been driving off and on since I was 13 or 14 (44 now), but upgraded to a Class A a couple of months ago. I don't really want to go OTR, but my wife can no longer work and the bills don't get any smaller. So, I gotta do what it takes. My wife and kids are going to suffer the most. If I can get a couple of years of OTR under my belt something a bit more regional should come along.

Seems like the biggest issue with OTR is home time. You'd think companies would be able to come up with a solution if they wanted to keep drivers.

 

Emerlin, where do you live?

 

US Navy Corpsman here, 84-88, slice dice and puree!

 

sorry for the temporary hijack, but i shoulda went in when i graduated back in 89. instead i joined in 2002 at 30 years old. got out end of 04. still miss it, but love trucking more.

 

I miss it myself, and seriously considered going back after 9/11. But it would have wiped me out financially to make such a move at that time.

But, I will tell you this, that short time in the service pretty much shaped my character to what it is today. I am far from perfect, but I look at things in a much different light. And it sure is allot like trucking. I guess that is why there are so many Vets out here driving, some of us just got to continue the adventure! :wink: