more wannabe truckers

Once again we have some people looking to get into trucking. Be sure you know what you are getting into before you get into a truck. From the outside looking in it seems to be easy. It is in some ways but for the most part it isn't. If you are married and have kids plan on missing out on alot of things.You will be gone for weeks at a time as a newbie. With school and training you won't see your family and friends for weeks at a time. Luckily my wife and I didn't have kids. I didn't miss out on watching them grow up. Things did get strained between my wife and I during the first couple of years. I was gone between 2 weeks and 2 months at a time. Relationships are mighty hard over a phone line. Many fights were over my not being home for family functions and my wife wasn't used to that. Expect to be on the road for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and anything else that may come up. If married I hope your spouce will be able to handle all the work around the house. Someone needs to cut grass,pay bills,do the banking, cooking,house cleaning. If something breaks they need to know what to do. You won't be making much money for quite awhile so calling someone in to fix something is out of the question. Unless your significant other has a good paying job of course.
Do you like going out and party or just hang out with friends? Well that won't happen too often any more! When you do get home you will have 48 hrs if your lucky and then it's back into the truck. Companies that say you get 2 days at home after so many days out actually mean 48 hrs. If you have to leave your truck at a terminal and travel any distance to get home,your travel time home and back is part of the 48 hrs. I worked for a company that estimated what time I should hit the terminal and that is when my 48 hrs would begin. If you hit heavy traffic or delayed for any reason ,that shortens your home time even more. I would have to travel through Chicago alot on the way home.Friday afternoons during the summer or bad weather during the winter can make a normal hour and a half trip last as much as 8 hrs. Guess what? your 48 hrs is now down to about 40 hrs! Makes for good home time doesn't it? Dispatch won't care about the slow downs. They will generally have your next load planned and it's too late to change it on Friday. You will be expected to be back into your truck and headed down the road in time to make the delivery appointment. Most companies want you to leave early enough so that you have plenty of hours to work with after you deliver. In other words don't plan on running all night and then take yoyr break after you deliver your load. Once again they will have a load planned on you that needs to be picked up and down the road.
I'm not trying to scare anyone off. I just want to make sure you realize what your in for. I used to do over the road but now I just do regional. I left out on Sunday afternoon and will be home late tonite(Friday). I will have just over 3500 miles for the week.
Sitting in a truck going down the road looks like such an easy job. Alot of people don't realize what else we have to do. The driver is responsible for how much is on the trailer. Pieces, weight,condition and securement is a part of the drivers job at pickup. Then at the other end you might have to unload the trailer or hire a lumper to do it for you. Even if the customer unloads it you are still responsible for the piece count and condition. If there is any damage you need to make some phone calls to let your company know and call the shipper as well. They will need to know what was damaged, how much was damaged and sometimes will ask how it got damaged. Remember,you signed the bills at the shipper stating the product was in good condition. Many times the customer will not except the damaged freight and will put it back in the trailer. Now you need to find out what to do with it before you can pickup your next load.It may be as simple as putting into a dumpster or you will vave to wait will your company and the shipper decides to do with it. You may have to try to take it along and hope there is enough room for your next load or stop at some LTL company to drop it off before you can make yor next pickup.
So be sure you really want to do this before you decide.

Category Posted: General