by Brett Aquila
I was 21 years old and working at a warehouse outside of Atlanta, GA. I'm originally from Buffalo, NY where I now reside all these years later. But when we were 19, a couple of buddies of mine and I jumped in an old van and drove from Buffalo, NY to Atlanta, GA on a wing and a prayer. We were all about the adventure. Actually, I was all about the adventure and I loved dragging others into my adventures with me, so off we went!
After a couple of really fun years my one buddy and I found ourselves working for $5.50 an hour in a warehouse. We worked a ton of hours and enjoyed it. The people we worked with were great and we partied like rock stars!! We damn sure weren't getting rich, but we were getting by.
One day we got to work and saw a large six wheel rental truck sitting in the parking lot. I asked the boss what was up. He said we had some pallets we had to run into downtown Atlanta (about 10 or 15 miles maybe) and pick up some others and bring em back.
Well, I had never even seen the inside of one of those trucks, let alone drive one. I knew they were automatics and figured I could drive it easy enough. I eagerly volunteered for the task. My boss asked with a skeptical look, have you ever driven a truck like that before? and like any responsible adult looking for an opportunity to try something new I lied my *ss off! I said, "Oh yeah! My aunt moved twice and my grandma moved once and all three times we needed a truck that size and I drove it." He continued with that skeptical look and said he'd talk to the other boss and let me know.
Well, I bugged him repeatedly for the next hour or two and to my absolute delight they said I could do it! I was freakin! This was gonna be a blast! At least I had hoped so. I had never driven anythink like it before, but what the hell... it'll be fun I'm sure! So we loaded up the truck and off I went.
It handled like a big pickup truck. Nothing to it. So I cruised down into the city, found my destination, and made the delivery. Well, before they could reload me it was their lunchtime. So I wandered the city for about 45 minutes, came back, they reloaded me, and off I went back to the warehouse.
By the time I got back there it was almost time to go home for the day. I laughed about it and told my buddy, "Wow, I really got away with one. I didn't even have to do any work today. All I had to do was drive! Immediately a light turned on in my head. What about becoming a truck driver?
I had no experience with trucking and knew nothing about it. I was young and getting by on about $250 a week... those were good times. I also didn't know any truck drivers so I went home that day and called the only trucking company I knew of off the top of my head. I asked, "How much do you make your first year as a driver?" They said about $35,000. Thirty Five Thousand Dollars??? My God I would practically be rich, and I wouldn't have to do any real work!
So I immediately called a private truck driving school and made an appointment. My ma said she would pay for the schooling for me (I gave her a combination of a good sales pitch with some guilt thrown in) and within a month I was in school to become a truck driver... the start of my odyssey.
Good times!
Until next time - here's more resources for ya:
For questions about becoming a truck driver, we highly recommend:
- Our Guide To Becoming A Truck Driver
- Our Trucker's Forum which is full of friendly, helpful people
- Our TruckingTruth Facebook Page
- Our Truck Driving Blogs with almost 300 articles from over a dozen authors
- Our Ask A Driver Page or Brett's Truck Driving Articles
BigRigDriving is for those interested in research, debates, and discussion of topics within the trucking industry
TruckingTruth is dedicated to those considering becoming a truck driver or are new to the trucking industry
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
- By Brett AquilaIf you're considering becoming a truck driver, this is the book for you!
Posted on 26 January 2012
I had never planned on driving a big rig so you can imagine how exciting it was for me to reach the 300,000 mile barrier! Continue reading →
Posted on 29 December 2011
There are a lot of factors that will affect your ability to find job placement in the trucking industry. Not only the obvious ones like employment history, criminal history, and driving record, but also things like your physical health and credit scores. Let's take a look at em.... Continue reading →
Posted on 28 December 2011
While the majority of students have success during their time at CDL training, there are others who come up short in their quest to become a professional truck driver. So, why do they fail? And how can it be prevented? Let's take a look at the four most common mistakes and how to prevent them. Continue reading →
Posted on 21 December 2011
Getting pre-hires is an important step when beginning your truck driving career. They can verify that companies are willing to hire you, and give you numerous choices when it comes to choosing the company you'd like to work for. Here we'll go into detail about what a pre-hire is, and how to go about getting them. Continue reading →
Posted on 15 December 2011
Sleep apnea is the biggest buzz in the trucking industry right now. But is this justified? Or is it yet another money-making scheme for the insurance companies and medical industry? The statistics are fuzzy. Continue reading →
Posted on 13 December 2011
There are a number of advantages to company-sponsored CDL training over private truck driving schools. Here we'll talk a little bit about the differences between the two, and why you may find that company-sponsored training is the better way to go. Continue reading →
Posted on 14 November 2011
I've seen more of this country in just a few short years than most people see in their entire lifetimes. But most things eventually come to an end. In this case, my trucking career has ended as I move on to other things. I'd like to summarize why I left the industry, and where I'm headed now. Continue reading →
Posted on 14 November 2011
Being a CDL instructor or a driver trainer is a very unique experience. I learned more about truck driving over the past 4 weeks than I have in the previous three years combined. It was an amazing learning experience for me. Here are some of the highlights I learned along the way. Continue reading →
Posted on 9 November 2011
After four weeks on the road training my student, it was time to sit back nervously and watch as he attempted to take the CDL exam to get his license. My student and I were extremely nervous, and it didn't go quite as well as we had hoped. Continue reading →
Posted on 25 October 2011
Becoming a solo truck driver is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and I have done some hard things. CDL training will test you in so many ways, and it will go far beyond your ability to drive a truck. Continue reading →