Ride Along On The Road With Old School

When it's time for a vacation I'll go out and have a blast. But when it's time to work I show up with my hard hat on ready to give it everything I've got. If you're not ready to dig in and work hard I'll be more than happy to step up and take your place.

I think this website does a great job of setting the expectations regarding the comittment needed to be succesfull in this career.

Hey guys and gals I'm bringing this little adventure to an end. I hope you found it interesting and hopefully informative. I tried to illustrate how you can both enjoy various things while out here living this lifestyle, and how you can keep those wheels turning enough to make some decent money. I find this career very rewarding. It is one of the few remaining careers where you are still pretty much in control of your own destiny. Nobody gets rich driving truck, but you can't just measure this job in dollars and cents. It has too many other things going for it that make it worthwhile. I love closing out my day sitting alone watching a nice sunset...

Or being unexpectedly surprised by a beautiful rainbow after you've spent a hard day of driving through the pouring rain...

The pleasure it gave me to have my girls along with me on the various trips I've shared with them, and the obvious enjoyment they were getting from experiencing what my life is like out here on the road. Of course they know that I am full of intriguing stories of life on the road, but when they get to experience it with me it makes it twice the reward for me.

I finished this week having accomplished 3,891 miles - that's a little salty on e-logs! I want you to know how tightly my time was managed. When I shut down I had exactly one minute left on my seventy hour clock. I never had to cheat my logs, but I did incorporate strategies like sleeping at receivers and shippers so that I could get loaded or unloaded while I had myself on the sleeper berth line.

I got my friend, and fellow Trucking Truth member Paul, safely delivered over to Atlanta, Georgia this week - that was fun having him along for the ride. He's a great friend, and a guy who really "gets it" when it comes to making this career work for you. He and I run our trucks differently which goes to show you that you don't have to follow anyone's established method to be successful at this. Paul stays at the top of the food chain in our little fleet, and he pretty much gets his choice of loads also. My dispatcher once sent me a message stating that if he had a board full of "Dales" (my real name) and "Pauls" his life would be so much easier.

In closing let me say that I enjoyed taking those of you who followed along on this "ride along." I hope you found it helpful in your understanding of this career choice you've made. I enjoyed doing it, and I always enjoy helping out here in the forum.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this! Thank you!

Even though I was not there during the ride boy did I just feel like I was sitting in that truck with you

Haha! Yeah there's not a lot happening in Delhi, Louisiana.

Were you close to New Orleans? Theres always a lot happenin in Da Big Easy!

Anytime you can get something done a day early like this you are just setting yourself up to be ready for another load. We speak a lot in here about how the pay on this job is performance based. I'm trying to share with you my methods and the reasons behind them so that you can see the way to success in this career. Staying ahead of the game, and having a dispatcher that understands that you are going to do what it takes to stay ahead will definitely help you stay at the top of the food chain. Don't even concern yourself with whether your company can "give you enough miles" - you just get out there and consistently prove to them that you will do what ever it takes to keep things moving along faster than the average drivers and you will have all the miles you can handle

OS I am enjoying this thread SO much and trying to soak up every little bit of info about trip planning that I can.

I want to turn miles and make a good paycheck and push myself to be better and better. And make time to explore a little along the way.

I love the photo of you and your daughter from Silver Dollar City! OK-now back to reading!

Just came across. And it was a cool Post. Not too many other professions where bringing your kiddo or family member to work would be as cool as this.