Last week was National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. It certainly was nice to feel appreciated for a week. The list of sacrifices that drivers make can go on and on for days. Most of the sacrifices can’t be explained in words, they simply have to be experienced to truly be understood.

Sometimes you’re put in a position as a driver where you just can’t win. One day I was leaving the shipper with a heavy load and was pulled over to see if my weight was legal. Problem was, I never got a chance to weight it myself - they nailed me on the way to the scale. What is a driver supposed to do?

The number of Federal Rules and Regulations for truck drivers and trucking companies has continuously increased over the years, along with stricter enforcement both on and off the highways. A recent announcement by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration shows that there will be even greater scrutiny just around the corner.

Recently I heard a story of a truck driving student who was on the road with a trainer and discovered that the trainer was smoking pot in the truck while the student was driving. How did the student handle this? Did it backfire on him? There are some things that everyone needs to understand about the realities of life in the trucking industry.

Finances on the road can be tough when first getting started, but hopefully this will provide you with a little insight on how to stay out of trouble.

Let me start out by saying I entered trucking in 2001 because I needed a job. A job that paid a livable wage. So I entered as a warm body that companies put in the drivers seat. My pleas for an office duty/inside job were not being heard. At first this new driving thing was not too bad, but soon the newness and “fun” wears off.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 6 months already. I’ve completed training, and have been on my own now for a couple months. So, I thought I’d share a few of my initial impressions of my early truck driving career, having experienced it for 6 months now.

Sometimes it can be very difficult dealing with dispatch, and especially the load planners that are behind the dispatchers. I’ve been with my husband now on a few trips and I’ve seen some of the crap that he has to go through when dealing with certain people. I’m telling’ ya……..I guess all I can say is “WOW”.

So the big question these days for most visitors to our site is, “Will I find a job in trucking in today’s economy?” The answer, right now, is a resounding “yes”, but how long will that last? Let’s take a look at a couple of factors that will influence hiring in the trucking industry in the coming months.

I first went to driving school in 1995. I went from a business enviornment right to the road. I was in real estate for many years, but I am, at heart, a truck driver though, and even though I have helped get many people into their own homes, driving is what I truly enjoyed. Like many drivers, I only came off the road to try and save a failing marriage.

Truck drivers, to me, deserve more because I’m watching them make it all happen by transporting freight from one point to another every day. So with that, please know that I’m praying for every one of you, and wanting the best for all of you because to me…YOU’RE ALL WORTH MORE!!!

The American public sees more and more women behind the wheel of a big rig and they must surely think this is a new thing for the women to branch out of the traditional boundaries set for women. Actually women have been branching out for many years–longer than you may think, too.

In the movie classic “Wizard of Oz” the good witch Glenda tells Dorothy to click the heels of her red shoes together three times and say “There’s no place like home”. The movie ends with Dorothy waking up in her bed surrounded by worried family members…well, my training time is over, and I’m going home.

Unemployement offices may be encouraging people to look outside of trucking. Why? Truck driving jobs are available, but many trucking companies have been able to be more selective in this slower economy than they have in the past.

I remember hearing truck driver’s talk about the comrodary amongst themselves. It seems like years ago. Oh yeah, it was! How they used to wave when passing by. Some still do, but the young “bucks” (newbie’s) haven’t gotten the teachings from the “old timers” that have been around the block a few times.