The REAL Reason You Hate Your Truck Driving Career! 

Hey there Big Strappers.Thanks for taking the time to watch today's video. What about YOU? Is trucking (in today's industry) WORTH IT FOR YOU? What MAKES it worth it for you? Love to hear from you.

Let's not forget where the receiver tells you you can't shut down on the property at night and makes you park in the slums where you get robbed and murdered for 7 dollars an hour.

Pro tip: don't start your clock until after you do your walk around inspection and everything looks good. That way if anything needs to be fixed, it can be arranged before you start wasting log time. 😆

Unfortunately, trucking isnt worth it to me. i tried for several years and got beat down in the process. Dont get me wrong i will always love grabbing gears, hauling weight and making miles but the industry is unforgiving. Ive lived on the road for six months at a time, ran equipment that was not fit for duty, ran hours that no human should have to, been replaced multiple times by immigrant drivers, been paid less then minimum wage to drive across canada, lied to straight to my face by managers and dispatch, and that's just scratching the surface. I would love to keep driving truck but i just cant. I am further behind in life then before i started trucking. This industry is in desperate need of some changes to driver lifestyle and company expectations. I would gladly keep trucking if i was allowed to have a life as well.

After being in this industry 4 years, I'm 50/50 on saying it's worth coming over the road. Pros: 1.) It took me out of Detroit and allowed me to see the US and Canada while getting paid. 2.) It lifted me out of poverty and allowed me to build my savings and investment accounts. 3.) It made me more assertive and I found myself as a person. Cons: 1.) Society looks down on us for trying to make a honest living. 2.) The horrible work life balance. 3.) The horrible pay and benefits for the hours worked. I had better benefits working warehouse part time than what most trucking companies offer. 4.) Overregulation from DOT and companies safety departments 5.) Lack of proper diet and exercise. 6.) The industry continues to decline overall. 7.) Lack of truck parking 8.) Hurry up and wait 9.) Wage theft 10.) Useless tech in trucks like ELD's and cameras 11.) Constant traffic and construction

That's why you check your truck out before you start your ELD then when everything checks out you start it. Just sit in your truck and let it run for 15 to 30 mins. Whatever you normally do. This way here you avoid that surprise break down without starting your clock. Sure it's not right but sometimes you have to out smart the system.

If it weren't for the fact that I still love the driving part of it, I would have left trucking a long time ago. But there's something about rolling down the highway, seeing new places that keeps me going.

I was getting antagonized just listening to this. Yup... Too many days like the one you just described sent me back in to fixing them, and not driving them anymore. Great video though. Thanks Dave.

What keeps me in the seat now is the fact that if I were to change careers entirely I’d be starting at the bottom and take a dramatic cut in pay for many years before I got back up to this level again. I just cannot afford that loss of income.

I drive locally hauling milk, no ELD stay within my radius. I still make exceptional money. 63k this year, so far. I'm going to be 80-90k by the end of the year. If my truck is broke I simply get in another spare truck. A flat tire? The shop is right at the yard, ask them to change a tire, I'll be back on the road in 20 minutes. What I do ain't that bad

I do my circle check then log into. Wait 10 minutes on on duty then start driving.

Right on Driver that's JUST THE WAY IT IS. Retired 42 yr Driver enjoying my Teamster Pension. Keep up the tell like it is Smart Trucking!

Not everyone has what it takes to be a trucker. The problem is, almost anybody can become a trucker. The bar is set too low, and that's because wages are too low.

What makes trucking, this career, this LIFESTYLE, worth it to me, is even on the worst day, it’s still a great day!!! I’m doing the job I’ve always wanted to do, and I have found I have a knack for solving the problems that arise!!! Sure, it gets irritating when my day is subject to rules but I’ve learned to “color inside those lines” and shoot straight. Are there days, as described, that totally suck?? Yes there are, but I have also found those days are completely subject to perspective…

I got off the road in 1982 and worked local for two union carriers. Yes you do fight traffic and weather some days but you are getting paid for time spent. I retired in 2008 at 59 with a livable modest pension. No regrets for getting off the road.

This is why drivers should start pissing by the warehouse docks and do not drive for any company that pays less than $100k salary on 50hour week. That simple.

I don't go on duty until after I do my walk around, I don't care what anyone says about me doing it that way either. They can all get in line to kiss me rear-end 🤣

I changed careers last year to a crane operator. I still need my CDL in order to drive the crane, but it's not a trucking job. My time is billable and I get paid whether I'm fighting or marching. Good luck out there fellas. The trucking industry needs a revolution!

It's a miracle Americans eat at all because every truck will go through what you just explained

Quit driving 6 months ago. Best thing that ever happened to me! Never again in my life will I drive a truck.

I hear ya. Those days do happen. When stuff like that happens, I usually take a deep breath, maybe screem while I'm sitting in the bunk by myself and then remember that this was only a bad day and try to remember why I decided to drive trucks. Yeah, a lot of times it's a pain but I really love what I do and I try not to let bad stuff takes me down.

It's true that when you divide by the hours you put in, you might only make $7 or less sometimes. But what job, paying let's say $8 an hour, is going to ever give you 100 hours a week. And even if they did, that'd be 90% work. Not watching this video and making comments while getting unloaded at the dock like I am right now. The main thing is experience in my opinion. Check a trailer and refuse it or tell them they've gotta change a tire or 2 before you take it. If they have another available trailer, maybe they can just move the load to that one. It's a delay, but much faster than changing tires. If this happens a whole lot or they don't care and tell you to take it or go home, that's when you find a better carrier for sure. Also, I always stop a love's because they have a shop and tires. If I see a flat in the morning or some other problem, I take right to them and start my 2 hour sleeper and when they're done, pay with the same account I use for fuel. Love's will accept it. Also, I always run at night so there's little traffic and there's always parking at the love's at 5 am. And no potato chips stale or otherwise! Hahaha. I've got cabinets full of food and an instapot! Be prepared! Work smart! If you really hate trucking, well, should have stayed in school and been a doctor or a lawyer I guess. But you might hate those jobs too! Forgot to say why I love it. 1 No boss, at least not here in the truck. 2 I enjoy the planning and the logistics, having a day like you described means I've done something wrong, at least partially. 3 I still love driving. Have since I was 15.

That feeling at the bottom of the hill in the middle of a snowstorm when you pele your fingers off the steering wheel.

Safety sensors! My tractor slammed on the brakes when a car cut me off (autobraking). The drives locked up because it was raining and I almost knifed the truck. A driver would have never slammed on the brakes under the circumstances, but the automation did and it almost wrecked the truck.

We've all had those worse case scenario days (and even sometimes worse) and we'll all have another eventually. But it isn't always like that. Imo that first year on the job as an OTR trucker separates the chaff from the wheat. I had mine over 2 decades ago and there is NOTHING else that I'd rather be doing. And I've tried the local gigs, mostly at the behest of family and loved ones and it simply wasn't and is not my bag. Too many reasons to not do local to even list here. So my comment is that the first year as a solo OTR driver is what separates those who belong out here and those who do not. Stay safe everyone!!

I started chuckling because I've had those days not quite to that degree but pretty close

I'm not a trucker, but I respect the truckers. Whenever I see a truck trying to leave an area or make a difficult turn, I will do my best to stop the traffic in the lane I'm in and give them the room to get out or make the turn. May not sound like a big deal to some, but perhaps my little act of kindness gave him/her a small break to a rough day.

I have alot of those days but the feeling i get in my rig now is the same joy i got when climbing into my dads rig when i was a child. I know trucking is headed down hill but im gonna ride till i can 😁

I've been doing this for 28 years. At first, and for about 20 years...the pay wasn't that great, but finally experienced truckers are in high demand. To all those starting or with a couple years under the belt....stay with it. Ask the right questions in interviews and get what fits you the best. As an experienced local driver, I am making $85,000 for 55 hours 5 days per week, off Sat and Sun., and home every night. Its out there folks, have your calculator in one hand and your highlighted crucial conversations manual in the other and start shopping and comparing. Trucking is hard work, and is rewarding once you master your skills! Be Safe.

I love trucking, but ELD, Traffic, shipping and receiving (waiting time), dump dispatch, four wheeler cut you off all day long, Dot rules, and too many more reasons to hate this job

Too many stories like this led me to not choosing a full time OTR gig. I went into heavy/overdimentional transport and lowbedding. There are a lot of long days and heavy physical outdoor work, but man, it's mentally rewarding.

I’m about one year into this thang, so yeah a green pea. I really appreciate guys like you, always willing to teach newbies!!! Everyday I try to better than the day before, with informative info and wisdom from ol’timers like you really helps!!!! Thank you Sir!!

The problem I ran into with a lot of carriers was that I was a mechanic before I started driving truck and every time the truck broke, they expected me to fix it. When I told them I get paid to drive it , not fix it , they told me I had a bad attitude. I didn't think so!

For me in Europe it's the lifestyle that trucking brings with itself, and seeing a lot of things/ places that you may never see again

Having been there, got it done to me, about the time I reach for the stale potato chips, the receiver comes to the truck and says " you can't park here overnight, it's company policy, you will have to leave".....I ❤ trucking....don't you?

Thank you so much for these videos. They are very helpful and very informative.

I've definitely have had my share of days just like that... Trucking to me is worth it for a few reasons...1, I'm a leased owner operator with my own trailer and I look for my own freight, 2, I grew up around long nose old school trucks, and 3, I actually have hauled the freight that I've used in my daily life... So I like being part of that important chain of freight hauling that keeps this country moving...

Smart trucking. Love your videos, good advise and good motivation. My grand father, step father, uncle and brother all drive truck. Dec 2020 I started Hardhead Trucking (hotshot), bought my first rig (2004 kodiak c6500 c7 cat) tugging a 48’ step deck. Put a lot of work into it to make it an otr rig. After the 3rd load the motor came apart. $14k for a new motor or $7k for a new rig. So I got a single screw 94’ Freightliner from California. After a break down on the way home (alternator), I put several weeks worth of love and a pile of money in it to make it road worthy. Now I’m an oversized hotshot. Loads to big for 1tons, and why bother size for full sized rigs. Good market. I left Tuesday for my first short run 607miles$1,500 with three loads lined up after. Dropped off Wednesday, got a call 45 minutes before my second load, it has been pushed to Friday morning pickup. Meaning 2nd,3rd&4th loads fell off. Dispatch sends a rate confirmation for another load about 2 hours from where I was located. Deadheaded and fought 4 hours with Seattle rush hour, got backed up to loading dock. Shipper doesn’t like my oak deck, says he wanted aluminum (8,000#). After a round and round with the pencil neck, he refuses to load. ….Call dispatch @ 1530 Friday afternoon, he says there’s nothing till Monday…… 1 load for 6 days……. Drinking coffee, polishing my rolling project and smoking cigars ain’t a bad way to spend the weekend. I whole heartedly believe that attitude makes or breaks an owner operator. Every life style comes with its challenges but there is no reward for those who risk nothing. Embrace the suck, drink water and drive on. Thanks for listening to my rant. If you’d like to watch my journey, I started a FB page to document the shenanigans. “Freight Shakers”. Keep the wisdom, traditions and “old trucker stories” coming.

Hello I’ve watched your program for sometime now I just want to say thank you very much for all that you’ve shared with me reminded me and you’ve been reading my mail the things I’ve been going through you’ve been a very big inspiration and help to me thank you very much and don’t stop what you’re doing thank you very much thank you

As a young owner operator it's worth it to me for the freedom to make my own choices and choose my own schedule and drive the truck I want to drive and of course the money. Take the good with the bad and keep on steppin. My only fear is being pushed out of the industry against my will and having to work some BS 9-5 job that I hate.

It’s a strange feeling but when I’m out on the road I frequently get aggravated about delays like what you just mentioned but when I’m at home I want to be driving. Your right though This career isn’t for everyone. Another carrier isn’t always the solution either. You’ll face similar problems no matter where you work. This equipment breaks down. That don’t exactly bother me to much what does is poor communication from dispatch.

Dave Great video .But I must say after 47 years of doing this it's not completely about the money .when I fire up that big yellow motor it's still a rush.its a great Day to be alive.

I hate those weeks where I divide my Paycheck by hours put in and find I am making less than minimum wage sometimes. I could have made more flipping patties at MacDonald's. One driver, I knew when I worked a dock was making so little he gave it up to work on a road crew.

I love driving and seeing new places; not only the sights around America but the pickup and drop off are cool to see. I am a nomad at heart, so drifting into new places, pleases me. The other thing I love about trucking, is not having someone micro managing you all day. I have a good reputation with my company to the point that my dispatcher gives me my loads and leaves me alone, because he knows he doesn't have to worry about me or the load getting done. The last thing I can think of other than pay is getting behind the wheel of a long nose conventional and jamming the gears of an 18 speed. There are some bad things about trucking but I don't know what else I would do, that provides the same amount of enjoyment and freedom.

I went into Trucking to get away from the office politics and dealing with several managers that can’t agree on anything. You were really just a number to them and could be replaced easily enough with the next guy. Even having a bad day, I still enjoy being a truck driver and enjoy the freedom and views. I enjoy meeting several truck drivers and chatting with them along with working with the customers. I’m on a regional route so I only deal with DCS, Suppliers and occasionally a store delivery but I enjoy what I do and would hate to go back to a office job. I have the option to stay out 2-4 weeks at a time and have my home time accordingly, I also work with my FM and get the loads on time or early delivery. Communication is key and this company is very good on it, I’m also used to be a hard worker so I will run the loads everyday and get close to maxing out the clock daily to get the loads where they need to be. Being prepared will save you butt, always have supplies in truck and plan out the day, yes stuff will happen but good planning can also save you as well.

Excellent video, thanks for posting it. The best solution for anyone today is to not even attempt to drive a truck. I know what you are saying i been there done that for 20 years. Now I am retired now, regretting for those 20 years of driving, being exploited extorted and insulted intellectually on each and every day, and treated like I was a criminal after all the risks I took for those corporate impostors.

27 yrs here. You hit the nail on the head on this one brother.

That's was almost my exact day yesterday minus the scale house. I'm still sitting until 1800 to make my delivery as I couldn't make yesterday. I'm definitely on the younger side at 22 but I'm pushing 2 years OTR experience. The longs days suck and being gone but coming home to the wife and kids running out the door to meet me at the truck makes it worth it.

It seems to me a lot of this can be solved with being better prepared. I keep real meals on the truck, a small toolbox to fix minor problems, and a guitar to strum away those truck drivers blues. You take the good with the bad some days, any day in the saddle is better than going back to digging ditches!

This. Idea reminds me of a mechanic’s saying - This 20 minute repair is one broken bolt away from a 3 day ordeal........ Great video Dave - Thank you! Tom - Guilford, CT

Awesome video driver! This video is 100% truth! GP has amazing equipment as well.

So many great points made in sequence of any given day otr. The way I looked at my career as low income housing. The latter part of my career focus on being in nature. Not driving to live just getting enough hours in and trying to enjoy my time apart. This year I’ve been “Taking time off”. I’ve been seeing a lot of pay raises and getting phone calls. Sitting back if and when the time is right to come back on the road.

I just love the view out my office window. Especially at dawn or dusk.

I solved a problem like that by finishing 5year schooling to become a refrigeration tech. make 6 digits always being home. everywhere I go I'm greeted with a smile. trucking is my horrible nightmare now.

Gp Transco responses to reviews are awesomely brutal. Dang.

Great video Dave!!

Post trip inspection might have spotted that tire and slack adjusters And planning would have saved half the process Love your baby truck and she will love you back.

Is there a 'Canadian GP Transco'? It's been difficult finding a carrier that doesn't have rude, arrogant, lying, incompetent dispatchers or carrier that isn't running a bullshit mileage scam.

I surrendered my Class A CDL last month, was out of work for a while and the system really punishes you when you try to reestablish yourself. Goodbye trucking and good ridance

Dave you have described plenty of my days 😩. They’re good days, but boi when it goes wrong..

I love what I do and stand my grounds and let the elog run after me and not me running according to the elogs .. plus I have a good owner operator I work for .. I get 30% off the top I see all the dispatch sheet cuz I dispatch myself ..and like I say I am truly my own boss .. we have our good and bad days just like anything else jn life ..

I’ve never got the red light at the scales. Keep your dashboard clean and scale your load at a truck stop before rolling.

I’m about to start my CDL-A training (That I paid for out of my own pocket) next Monday and you’ve got me wanting to get my money back.

Dave that is a real conundrum to be in I don’t know how to answer that or what I would do it’s frustrating & mind boggling perhaps a career change might be the most logical solution but then you have to look at your age health & educational background and other skills you may or may not possess

Ive had those days but i dont get worked up because its out of my control. Those days i check my dispatcher's attitude because that i have control over😂. The goal of owning my own truck is what makes it worth it for us to keep going. This week we are at Ohio Truck Sales Sandusky, OH...getting our truck!!!!

A fabulous recruiting video 🤣🤣🤣😂. Truth!

This happened to me last week. Rescheduling was no problem since they understood the problem{s}. Stand up for yourself and explain clearly what's going on, if a dispatcher or broker forces you in any way, you have to report them to the FMCSA. And see what happens, totally cooperative.

Spot on, this job is the most stressful job I’ve had. It’s the easiest hardest job you’ll ever do! The reason I’m still doing creeping up on 3 years is I love the freedom and not having a boss!

Trucking for me has become a lifestyle that I plan on living. I love the thought of cruising through the states and watching the seasons go by as my bank account grows as well as my investment portfolio. I love the thought of camping in a different state almost every single day. Trucking has changed my life and me as a person for the better, so I owe my life to trucking.

As long as I'm in a long nose Pett I got a smile on my face. There's no feeling like it.

My 3406E is a dinosaur in today’s diesel motors, but it keeps me on paper logs and keeps my schedule flexible and still safe.

My #1 reason I love trucking is getting to shift gears, I get so excited to sit down and start going up and down the gear range while traveling down a back country road, my next favorite part is listening to that sweet rumble of the Diesel engine, hear the turbo spooling up, the jakes barking down the hills, I love the challenge of backing into these stupid places that a tractor trailer never should be, I love working with all my customers, the comradery with most the other local and even some OTR drivers. some days you will get 4-5 of us local drivers and dump truck drivers where we all know each other and start blasting off the air horn at each other. I enjoy being a local P/D driver a lot, there really is nothing like a group of old school type drivers, I may only be a few years into my driving career at 28 years old but I pay attention to the old guys and get advice from them, help each other out when you can and have a passion to be a good driver, I have earned the respect of the older crowd in my local area and very happy to have them as my work family!

Finding the right carrier with the right lanes, right equipment, right pay. And one that you can tolerate the BS they throw at you cuz nowhere is perfect.

I added three mods for realism to ATS: realistic fines, economy, and traffic. Now I have a negative balance by several tens of thousands of dollars. Would I do trucking for real? Hell no.

Dammit, this video just stressed me the hell out!! I'm right there with you about the rolling road blocks and the ridiculously stupid "safety sensors" on the new trucks. Any amount of city driving with this sensors makes a guy want to pull his hair out!

Hahaha loved the intro!!!! Thank you!!!

The traveling and being able to experience different cultures of the country is the probably coolest part about it. You're pretty much a paid tourist.

Trucking is worth it to me as I'm third gen truck driver in my family, I've been around trucks all my life, was almost born in one, I enjoy the sights, sounds of the job. I don't wish to DO anything else and if I'm not happy where I am, I'll simply search for something else. I believe in the brotherhood, and strive to do MY part in servicing this great nation as a professional driver, just as I want it.

My company will sometimes send us questionnaires and announcements in witch we are encouraged to reply to. One time they where thinking about adding traffic alerts to the com-units we all have in our truck for logs, turn by turn moving-map directions and load info. I replied back, "part of my job is dealing with traffic as it comes to me, traffic is so fluid that these alerts will likely become more of an additional annoyance than something to help us".

Woke up,did pretrip and found nothing this morning as we speak,get to my pick up and hook up and get to the driveway exit and the truck no longer goes any gear higher than 2nd,now waiting for a tow

Great vid there Dave. As I do oil field [ tanker ] some of the things you mentioned don't happen to me, like not getting paid for break downs, that would be the day. However, their is one thing that is becoming maddening, drive you up the wall, MICRO MANNAGING. In this industry its bad, really bad, depending on who your hauling for. It seems the bigger the oil and gas company , the more micro managing there is. Not so much with some of the smaller ones, but the big guys, oh yea, its bad. I have said this before on your comment section. Its at the point where its down right disrespectful, getting treated like your 10 years old. And guess who is doing this micro managing? People who have never, ever run a truck, let alone a tanker. They wouldn't even be able to start the truck, forget about backing it up to the fence. These people really do think they know it all, everything is black and white, period. To them there is no such thing as a gray area, and we all know there are lots of gray areas, but not to them. driver 200 km away could have a incident, but for some reason we all get painted with the same brush. If I was not going to retire in a few years, I would get out of this tanker, It has gotten that bad with most of the big guys. For anyone reading this from one of the big oil and gas company's, Hire people who have actually run a tanker, people who have done this kind of work, you just might be surprised at the results. With the rates as low as they are now, if I were younger, I would not get into this. But after 30 years, I will finish it off. There are still some very good days, really good, so long as I stay away from the big guys.

I often drive a non/CDL 26 foot refer international at the food bank I volunteer at. I honestly like the idea of city trucking over otr as hours on the highway kinda bores me. I’d rather be local and be able to listen to a local station and drive around my city

It was my dream as a kid and I’m glad I get to live it. This career nor any career is perfect. Flat tires, DOT inspections, late arrivals, bad weather, heavy traffic, cranky dispatch, it just comes with the turf. Either accept it or leave it.

i like how you think Dave, i did OTR for 8 years straight and now i started working for Walmart Canada local day cab, paid hourly, all kinda benefits you could think about BUT i dont feel like a trucker anymore.

I liken OTR trucking to a love, hate relationship. There are the good days and the not-so-good days. I like the challenge of it, the work. I flatbed. The financial stability of it. The only thing that really gets under my skin at times is when I have to deal with above-normal traffic all day long. That's when I really miss my old local job of hauling lumber in the backcountry of Kansas and Oklahoma.

I like how in the video pic on youtube, he's standing next to his rig giving the finger to the Peterbilt logo on the side of the hood. Haha

So glad I have the same linehaul run in a day cab each night. Paid by the hour too.

Remember the last easy day was yesterday! I am glad I worked for a local used truck and trailer dealer. Paid by the hour for chasing equipt. all over the US. Had a Company-owned truck. Started back in the '70 when logbooks were the way and retired just the ELDs were Mandatory.

If you start your clock you can just change your log to sleeper or off duty . I also account for all of this but dispatch doesn't

Just here to say THANK YOU to all the truckers out there 👐

The thing is, it doesn't always go like that. In fact most of the time it is get up, get going, stop for lunch and fuel, stop at night for supper and more fuel, then hit the hay. Running down the road when the traffic is light, the weather is dry, and there are interesting things to look at makes the bad part seem worth putting up with. The right carrier is very important, and driving a company truck takes a lot of the worry out of it. If you are driving your own truck or a lease you have a lot more work to do, from checking air in tires once a week, to logging your fuel costs and other costs. You are right that this isn't a job for everyone, but I had a lot of good days behind the wheel.

Because at the end of the day, I still enjoy what I do. I get to see lots of new places and new people. And I get to drive this shiny big rig. Just like any other job I've ever had, during days that I just want to quit. When those days out number the good days, I'll hang up my keys.

What makes trucking worth it for me. The key is finding a quality company to work for I worked for 3 years at schneider and figured out that mega carriers are not the solution. Made the move to usher transport Inc out of Louisville kentucky and as an owner operator I could not be happier, just bought my second truck 2 months ago my driver is making more than he ever thought he could. And next month I'll be looking for truck number 3. Family owned companies is definitely where it's at

That pretty well sums it up.

I used to work in the factories and warehouses around home before I got my license. I hated starting a new job, busting my ass to develop some kind of reputation as the go-to guy, pushing for advancements, accidentally stepping on someone's toes or making a superior feel threatened for his job, getting canned for stupid shit, then wash rinse repeat. Getting my license broke that cycle for me, and I make significantly more money. I've since moved on from OTR to a local gig (hauling gas), so I'm home every day (which is nice). However, I do miss getting to see parts of the country I'd otherwise have no business in.

I pull end dumps I'm currently on the side of the road having lost all my coolant, and on my last load to. I find it quite ironic given the date.

We all have those bad days at any point, so it is important to keep that "pesimism" in mind all the time expecting the worst scenarios and anticipating them, I know you can't never predict everything but here's a few tips: Get a Dash Cam, Get a CB radio, get a road atlas and Plan your trip ahead of time, write the directions and stick with them (use the GPS for visual help) don't use more than one GPS, get a cooler, a microwave, water and groceries, try to avoid junk food whenever possible and keep your truck clean. Whenever possible talk to other drivers, there's is always something important to learn from others. If you know how the things work you'll see better results in money and attitude. Stay Safe.

After 14 years 12 of them think these exact thoughts I got out. I love the road and I love ending my day walking into the truck stops I just love the feeling I get I can't explain it. But I went home worked local blaaaaa then in a shop for a year. Back out here now and as happy as a lark . I am with a small carrier 4 trucks strong plus they are a broker as well. Pay is great work is easy 1600 - 1800 miles tops often less yet still pulling down solid checks 1$ to 1.80 a mile short hauls short days but I sure enjoy it.

I only hate my trucking career when I get chronic diarrhea from IBS. Or when my employer keeps me in areas with heavy traffic for weeks on end doing 250 mile hops... open road, no daily deliveries, long hauls, and I'm golden doing 4000 miles on average in 8 days with one day off to keep time on the clock.

I like being a shipping and receiving fella at a small co. An I’ve herd the stories from drivers of construction, traffic, etc. an hearing the frustration. An usually ends up being a 10 min. Chat after unloading\ loading.