Author Archives: TruckerMike

About TruckerMike

TruckerMike embarked on a career in trucking late in 2008 after deciding that life in a cubicle might not be where it's at. He's been trucking since early 2009 and is TruckingTruth's most popular blogger. You can find more at .

Truck Driving and Mother Nature’s Fury

Last week we had a trip from Illinois out to California. I did get the first taste of what mother nature can do to a big rig. We had a light load of plastic bottles and only had about 14,000 pounds “in the box” for this trip. Well, I soon found out that a light load plus high winds equals a nasty situation! Continue reading

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Truck Driving with a High Value Load

So the other night, we get a phone call to pick up a “High Value Load” from a pharmaceutical company. I don’t want to spell out the details of what’s involved carrying these loads for obvious reasons, but it’s a pain in the butt! Continue reading

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Truck Driver Training Adventures in the Smokey Mountains!

Greetings from the beautiful Smokey Mountains in PA! It’s a beautiful sight out here. But the trip was a bit interesting – and even a bit terrifying at times! Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Observations From a Rookie Truck Driver

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a week since I got hooked up with my trainer. This has probably been the quickest week of my life! I just wanted to share a few observations that I’ve made of the industry as a rookie driver. First of all, to make it in this industry, you can’t be….. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

My First Day and Night at a Truck Stop

So, this will be my life moving forward. When I’m not driving, chances are I’ll be at a truck stop somewhere. Here is my first experience, and one I probably won’t ever forget. Not because something extremely dramatic happened, but … Continue reading

Posted in On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

My First Load Driving a Big Truck

Finished up orientation on Friday and by Saturday morning, I already had a trainer waiting for me at the terminal. How cool is that!? I met up with him at 8am and had breakfast. I was glad to see that he was a really nice guy. I’ll be sharing a truck with him for about 15 weeks (longer training program than most companies), so I hope our personalities don’t clash. But so far, we’ve been getting along great. We’re finally gonna get rollin! Continue reading

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Trucking Company Orientation – Day 3

Ahhh, finally the last day of orientation. Some of the things today were really interesting, some were so boring they were unbearable. But the company has some interesting open-door policies and the info was important. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Trucking Company Orientation | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Trucking Company Orientation – Day Two

Today was a much better day than yesterday. Instead of just paperwork, we had some real-world stuff. First I had to take a quick driving test. This is nothing like the CDL road test. It’s just to prove to them that you aren’t completely crazy and know the basics of shifting. These trucks are awesome! Continue reading

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Trucking Company Orientation – Day One

Today was a very hectic day. I started orientation with the trucking company I was hired on with. It was far from being “memorable”, but there are a few things you should know…. Continue reading

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My First Truck Driving Job: The Trip to Trucking Orientation

This was quite an experience! The trucking company I got hired on with gave me a confirmation number to take a Greyhound Bus about 500 miles to their main truck terminal. This is where orientation would be held. Since my last orientation … Continue reading

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Students Searching for Trucking Jobs After CDL Training During a Recession

Wow! Finding a job as a truck driver was much more difficult than I expected. Granted, this is mainly due to the economy as a whole. Normally, trucking  jobs are everywhere. But times are tough and things aren’t the way they usually are. While attending truck driving school to obtain my CDL license, I applied to a ton of companies. I ended up receiving about 3 pre-hires from the job applications that I submitted to various trucking companies. So, I thought I was in good shape. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Current State of the Trucking Industry | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

After My Graduation – Final Thoughts and Advice For Those Considering Truck Driving School

Wow, I can’t believe my CDL training is over. It seems like just yesterday I was so anxious to get started. Now here I am with a CDL driver’s license in my pocket as I write this. They actually trust … Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Passing The CDL Test, Week 5 | 3 Comments

CDL Test Day – What It Was Like Taking (and passing!) the CDL Test

Wow, the day has finally arrived! We are scheduled to take our CDL road test today! We got about 2 inches of snow last night which is not a big deal around here, but I was still a bit concerned … Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Week 5 | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

CDL Training – Our Training Truck Breakdown!

The last week and a half, we have been doing nothing but preparing for the CDL exam. By the way, we now have a free online CDL practice test. Basically, we’ve been rotating between the yard skills test and the … Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Week 5 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

CDL Training – Hopefully Taking The CDL Test This Week

Last week was pretty busy for me. But things are starting to get a bit repetitive at truck driving school. We’re mostly alternating all day between backing up in the yard and driving truck out on the road. My road skills are becoming quite refined and I’m starting to feel very comfortable driving trucks now. I know I still have a ton to learn and I’m looking forward to getting on with a trucking company and going out on the road with a trainer. I’m sure I’ll be overwhelmed once I’m out there. Continue reading

Posted in Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 4 | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments