Some Of The Biggest Misconceptions About Becoming A Truck Driver

Best advice ?? "When you leave here ( school) you will have the BARE minimum knowledge that the state says you need to be granted a CDL" I have been at this about 2 months driving on an on-call basis locally 3 to 500 mile daily trips. Now have better than 10,000 miles and probably over 100 D&H and I learn and hit situations every trip I have no clue as to the issue. Luckily I have 3 really good friends hauling same product with same trailers and tractors that I can call and ask advice. Without their input (virtually every trip) I would be pretty well in the crapper. My one friend says "I've been at this 18 years and almost every round I discover or learn something new" Stop and think about that statement "rookies". As a rookie you need to retain mentally or write down tips... info... rules... regulations....general knowledge etc. This deal (driving) is not easy mentally and physically it can be demanding too. That said, I am enjoying myself and I like the challenge plus learning a new trade at an older age 60+ Way plus btw.

Awesome stuff everyone! I'm going to start putting the article together now. If there are anymore last minute thoughts throw em on here. The article goes up in a few hours.

If you're in it for the money, then you're in it for the wrong reason!

Guess I'm boned. So what's the right reason?

Ok the article is up!

Drivers Share Their Biggest Misconceptions And Surprises About A Career In Trucking

Sno-boy you missed the deadline by a short time but I may go back and add that in.

andhe78, we're all in it to make money, but you also have to be the type that's cut out for the job, otherwise the money won't be worth it. The failure rate or dropout rate for new drivers coming into this industry is super high. It's stressful, it's life-consuming to a large degree, and it takes an incredible amount of ambition and nerve. If you don't have the personality and life goals that fit with a job that has such high demands you're going to find the money isn't worth it. It pays decent, but it takes time to work your way up by learning your trade and developing a great reputation and relationship with the office personnel. Not many people are willing to meet the demands of this job and the lifestyle that comes with it.

Andhe78, here's a few reasons NOT to think about the money. True, you'll make a decent living, but:

You are paid by the mile, and not true real miles you're wheels turn, but a different system. As the saying goes, "If your ain't turnin', you ain't earnin'.

There's the possibility of layover and detention pay (they both mean the same thing: you have to wait. "Detention" it not a punishment like in high school.)

Because of the pay system, it's really hard to compare paychecks of a week driving a truck to a week on a factory line (hourly pay).

If your worked 8 hour days, 5 days a week on an OTR truck, you won't make money. Your trucking business doesn't go by 9-5.

On the other hand, you're responsible for your own stuff. And you can see America, from the heights of the Rockies to the open sea on the Carolina Barrier Islands. You get paid to see this. You can't beat that

Wasn't paying attention to the fact it was for an article. I just thought it was a new thread. I try and talk to the younger crowd 20 to 40 that if you're not making a good living, take look at being a CDL professional. Schooling initially is short and tuition (in relationship to other post high school training) is extremely reasonable. It is a fun and rewarding profession if you apply yourself to being prompt, courteous and professional. The living can be quite nice if you decide to earn your CDL. Is it for everybody?? absolutely not, but show me a trade/profession that is. Biggest thing I tell the young crowd "if you're into even tiniest amounts of the so called no harm to anybody "recreational drugs" forget CDL as a career. You will get caught and you will be done in this industry if not for your lifetime, for many years. Wait until you out grow that part of your life or quit cold turkey and I mean QUIT. Sadly, I feel at that point I lose many listeners interest.

Ok the article is up!

Drivers Share Their Biggest Misconceptions And Surprises About A Career In Trucking

Sno-boy you missed the deadline by a short time but I may go back and add that in.

andhe78, we're all in it to make money, but you also have to be the type that's cut out for the job, otherwise the money won't be worth it. The failure rate or dropout rate for new drivers coming into this industry is super high. It's stressful, it's life-consuming to a large degree, and it takes an incredible amount of ambition and nerve. If you don't have the personality and life goals that fit with a job that has such high demands you're going to find the money isn't worth it. It pays decent, but it takes time to work your way up by learning your trade and developing a great reputation and relationship with the office personnel. Not many people are willing to meet the demands of this job and the lifestyle that comes with it.