Truckin !

[alsant]

I see there are quite a few guys that drive a truck for a living on here.

Can I get some pro`s and con`s of driving for a living from you guys ? Thanks Guys!!!!

 

[1967coronet440]

I don’t drive myself but my old man has been driving for 30 years, I work in intermodal. From being around the industry best thing I can tell you is get your own truck and stay out of rail yards. Being in IL it’s very hard to have your own truck as everything is very expensive there as far as getting lic plates DOT#’s etc. Best route would be get your own rig and sign on as a owner operator with a company that will provide you with Their DOT #’s and IFTA

 

[69a100]

In high school I thought that would be a cool way to see America. Instead I wound up spending the next 28+ years flying around the world for the USAF.

 

[PP1RT]

The DOT wants to put you out of business. The railroad wants to put you out of business. The government wants to put you out of business. Regulations keep getting tighter. You are at the bottom of the food chain. Nobody cares if you get loaded or unloaded but raise all kinds of hell if you are late. Paperwork,electronic logs,regulations have taken all the fun out of trucking. If i could just get in and drive the truck it would be fun again. All the other stuff sucks now.

20 years and well over 2 million miles so far....

 

[kiwigtx]

The DOT wants to put you out of business. The railroad wants to put you out of business. The government wants to put you out of business. Regulations keep getting tighter. You are at the bottom of the food chain. Nobody cares if you get loaded or unloaded but raise all kinds of hell if you are late. Paperwork,electronic logs,regulations have taken all the fun out of trucking. If i could just get in and drive the truck it would be fun again. All the other stuff sucks now.

20 years and well over 2 million miles so far....

Sounds like the good old days have long gone....

 

[69a100]

Sounds like the good old days have long gone....

That made me think of this flashback!

 

[Bb70charger500]

@Ironbuilt

 

[Bb70charger500]

Your away from home alot ! Witch could be a good thing !
Your on the highway alot with a bunch of non driving mother f-er's . Your truck brakes down you make no money but the bills keep coming! Trucks arnt cheap to fix ! You have to deal with alot of stupid people to load you and unload you!


You do get to travel and see the usa!
Pay is decent!
Away from family!
You don't have to get dressed to go to work!

 

[Ranger16]

Just one more industry that deregulation has taken a toll on.

 

[Ironbuilt]

I grew up around trucks, they're in my blood. My family owns 7 garbage and recycling companies in North Jersey. My father (RIP) owned a truck repair business, mostly fixing the families garbage trucks. So naturally, when I came of working age, I got in the trucking business. I started turning wrenches in my early teens and worked on trucks until my Dad passed in 2000. Got into the Ironworkers union from there. When I moved to NC in early 2015, I found myself looking for work, with not much success. So I went back to what I have always known, Trunking. I hired on with a reputable flatbed company and started out at $60,000 a year. Did the company thing for about 2 years when I bought my first truck. A plain Jane Freightliner. I am now on my 3rd truck, and fully committed to trucking. It has it's ups and downs.
As an owner operator, the money is great, but it comes with a lot of responsibilities and a lot of headaches.
E-Logs have strangled the industry, although I can say that I have become pretty adept at working my clock to my advantage. High fuel prices definitely hurt your bottom line.
Like @1967coronet440 said, the best route, especially a newbie, is to buy a truck and lease on to a reputable company. Use their DOT & MC numbers, haul their freight and let them deal with all of the paperwork. I am leased on to P&S Transportation, the same company that I drove for as a company driver. They treat me well and they have plenty of freight in the lanes that I want to run.
If you're serious about going the Owner-Op route, it's very important to buy a quality truck with a warranty. As @Bb70charger500 said, trucks ain't cheap to fix and you don't get paid for down time.
I usually run from Sun-Fri, home every weekend. I found that I can generate plenty of revenue and still have my weekends. I don't ever want to live in my truck, that is no life. So you have to find your own balance. And yes, I deal with A@@hole drivers ALL DAY LONG!!
But it beats sitting in a cubicle staring at the computer screen all day long.
This is my office...

 

[miller]

Times sure have changed, from when I drove. Contractor for FFE, several years in the 70s.
Wouldn't even consider it these days...some drivers today, not worth a flip. Ones that when I drove, we'd be telling 'em to PARK it, until ya get things straight. LOL.
Brother-in-law has been driving for an oil company for many years. Rules and regulations...can't even drink coffee, and drive at the same time! Man o man. Watched every second behind the wheel.

More power to ya!

 

[Roger63]

Stay away from box trailers of any kind,the money is at best average. Go specialized and get your own truck. I have been a o/o for 25 years I haul boats and do pretty good. But you have to like being alone. There are lots of things you will need to learn other than driving. The paperwork is daunting sometimes,but worth it. If you have any questions pm me.

 

[1967coronet]

I cant speak for todays trucking jobs though most adds I see look as if the company driver pay has came up to a decent level.
I drove otr for several years some as a owner some as a company driver.
My 2 cents is get on to flat bed or food grade tank, your mood will be better at the end of the week.
Good luck.

 

[Basket case]

Dad drove trucks for over 30 years. Loved it for a long time. Drove freight box over the road. Then coal bucket for most of it. Drove 5-6 days a week, had to work on the truck Saturday or Sunday. Didn't get paid for the days he worked on the truck.
Any overload fines were on the driver. If the truck was broke, no work, no pay. If the Teamsters (his boss was non union) went on strike, it wasn't safe to be on the road in any kind of truck. If the coal mines, or power plant went on strike, no work no pay. They got caught in a blizzard in '77 because his boss was too thick headed to stop.
He owned his own truck the last five years he drove.He said the best part was if he got up and the roads were bad, he'd go back to bed.
My Uncle drove for 30 years, owned his own most of the time. Hauled mostly oversized equipment, bridge girders, etc. He loved it. Winter time he might not work for a month. Construction season, he was hardly home. Bad thing about being an Owner Operator, it's all on you. Tires, overhauls,taxes,etc are very expensive. If the truck is broke, no work, no pay. The best money is over the road. But there are just too many idiots on the road anymore...in and out of the trucks. Drivers that can't speak or read English.
Be OK for a young single guy for a few years...make some money, see the country, then get out.