Some Random Thoughts About Life On The Road
Posted by
Farmer Bob on
1 April 2009, 8:45 pmYou can contact
Farmer Bob at farmerbob@truckingtruth.com or by leaving a comment below
Wow, I am just over a third done with my training. I can sorta’ see the light at the end of the tunnel (I hope it’s not an approaching train!).
I was thinking the other day about trucking and how different it is than anything else I have done. Before trucking I used to think about the valuable exotic cargo the trucks were carrying. Of course our second load was empty wooden pallets. Sort of dashed that thought of exotic cargo! Today we have 19,000 pounds of plastic cups, no handles. It is true that if you have it, a truck brought it.
This is a completely different lifestyle. All that I can offer as a suggestion is to be sure you know who you are and keep your prinicples intact. As the saying goes, “if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.” If you want it, you can find it on the road. I am so thankful that I had a good upbringing, my momma, and my wife. It gets lonely on the road. I will be away from home for at least eight weeks. That’s a long time in anybody’s book!
Keep your cell phone charged and get a plan that lets you talk to other cell phones for free. I shudder to think how much I would have spent on per minute charges in the last four weeks. Email is good, but not as handy as a cell phone. Keep in touch with your family and friends. They may not understand everything you do (my wife doesn’t understand why I can’t stop at WalMart for good food) but they do love you and care about you.
It’s raining today here in Connecticut and we are sitting at a truck stop waiting for Monday morning when our load delivers. We are only 45 minutes away, so we’ll most likely leave early in the morning. This means that today is shower and laundry day!
Well, gotta go and get the jeans and socks out of the dryer. Take care and we’ll talk soon. Be safe. As the 70′s song said “keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your …. tail.
Farmer Bob.
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Away from home for 8 weeks??!!!! Guess I was lucky when I was in training. I was home each weekend except for 1 week and I don’t remember why.
Then when I was out on my own, I was gone for a week and then home for my 2 days or almost 2 days. Trucking companies are starting to realize that drivers have a life and are not part of the truck.
Many of my co-workers did chose to stay out for 2 or 3 weeks, but that is not for me. For those who really, really like trucking, I have met a few who did stay out for a couple of months. You just have to find what fits you and work with it.
Hey Farmer Bob, another good article. By the way, my last load was 45,000lbs of Budweiser. Neener, neener, neeeeener.
I am 50 years old and am going to retire from my current job after 26 years of service. I have read every post I can find. Here are my questions: Am I to old? Are there jobs out there in this economy? Is it reasonable to expect solo driving job after the training period is complete?
50 years old is not even close to being too old. The average age of drivers nationwide is somewhere in the low 40′s – so you’d fit in perfectly. Trucking companies actually prefer older to younger drivers because they tend to have more patience, be more cautious, and be easier to work with day to day. So 50 is a perfectly fine age to get started in trucking.
And there are certainly jobs in this economy – no question. Hiring has picked up a good bit in recent months and if your driving and criminal records are quite decent (no need for perfect) and you go through a good training program you should have no problem at all finding work.
Most companies will send you out solo after your training period is complete but each company is different and their policies can change at any time. So when it comes time to apply to companies, simply verify their policies at that time. But the vast majority of companies will send you out solo after your training period is complete.