Tag Archives: life on the road

Losing Weight As A Truck Driver

Losing weight as a truck driver is a very difficult thing. Actually, what I should say is gaining weight as a truck driver is very easy! But after putting on some weight initially, I took off and now I’m in the best shape of my life – without exercise! It was really a pretty simple plan – here’s how I did it. Continue reading

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, Trucker Health | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My 2010 Salary – Finishing Up My Second Year Behind The Wheel

It’s hard to find accurate information about truck driver’s salaries so I’m sharing my salary information for my second year on the road so people that are considering becoming a truck driver will have a realistic expectation of what they can make out here. Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Current State of the Trucking Industry | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

When Will I Know If Trucking Was The Right Career Choice?

Truck driving is one of the most unique jobs and lifestyles you’ll find anywhere. It’s also one of the most demanding, and trucking certainly isn’t for everyone. Everyone faces tough challenges and almost everyone questions whether or not becoming a truck driver was the right thing to do. How do you know when you’ve seen enough? When do you throw in the towel and say “Wow, this isn’t for me!” Read on and we’ll help you understand what you’re facing and when enough is enough.
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Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Current State of the Trucking Industry, First Solo Months On The Road, On The Road In Training, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mama Said They’ll Be Days Like This

During the two hours spent awaiting the arrival of the tow truck, I once again questioned whether I was cut out for this. For all I knew, this would mark the end of my brief trucking career. I had, however, learned another hard lesson. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Career Help, Tips, Advice, First Solo Months On The Road, Great Stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Keeping Your Head Screwed On Straight In A Crisis

I learned two things from a recent misadventure: first, that being safe out here requires being careful and being lucky and, second, that I needed to keep my head screwed on straight in a time of crisis. I had made the wrong initial decision, but I had gotten lucky—next time, I might not. Continue reading

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Fighting Through The Challenges Of Life On The Road

After loading up some drywall that had to be tarped on a rainy day in a muddy mess of a parking lot I began to question whether or not becoming a truck driving was a mistake. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, First Solo Months On The Road, Great Stories, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bad Directions, The Wrong Entrance, and A Coon Dog Cemetery

The first delivery of my first full solo week was to Simpsonville, South Carolina. This one, thankfully, went very smoothly; the directions were accurate, it was easy to get to, and they had me unloaded quickly. This trend, however, would prove to be of the one-in-a-row variety and I came across some odd sitings! Continue reading

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, First Solo Months On The Road, Great Stories, Stories of the Road, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Questions and Answers for a Truck Driver

Recently, I was contacted by an individual who is interested in becoming a truck driver. He asked me several questions about the trucking industry and about my job. I thought they were excellent questions and decided it would be great to share on my blog for any of you interested in becoming a truck driver. I hope this helps answer some of the questions you might have! Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

On The Road In Training With Ringo Part 2

The first couple of weeks on the road driving flatbed were hard, because my body was not conditioned to this pace, this type of work, or these long hours. I lost most of the feeling in the tips of my fingers, and I had aches in places where I would have sworn I didn’t have muscles. Continue reading

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On The Road In Training With Ringo

My first time out on the road in training I had a patient, entertaining, and unique character for a trainer – Ringo – an imposing, grizzly bear of a man with a beard like Dan Haggerty. His patience and entertaining stories made for a very unique experience. Since we were running southeast regional, we would get to go home on weekends, but the “trucker’s weekend” was not something I’d been prepared for. Continue reading

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My First Year as a Truck Driver

Wow, it’s hard to believe, but I’ve been at my current employer for 1 year as of today. I began Truck Driving School in January of 2009, completed that in February of 2009, and was hired on in March of 2009. This post will simply serve as some observations that I’ve made as my first year of a truck driver. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Current State of the Trucking Industry, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Not Much Help For The Drivers

The Qualcomm system at most companies have directions to customers listed, but a lot of the time the directions are wrong. Unfortunately, even when dispatchers and customers know the directions are wrong nobody seems to care enough to do anything about it. Here’s an example of the mess it can cause. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Cathy and Steve's Story, Great Stories, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Truck Driving Down Donner Pass

Until recently, I had never actually been on Donner’s Pass in California. Donners Pass is usually touted as one of the more dangerous areas for truck drivers and is the site of many fatal accidents. It’s quite an experience! I had the pleasure of going through it at night. I would have liked to take it during the day so I could see some of the scenery around me, but I’m sure I’ll get that chance in the future. I was still able to make some key observations though… Continue reading

Posted in Great Stories, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Is Trucking In Your Blood?

Would you drive a truck if the trucking company you worked for only paid you enough to cover your bills at home and your meals, but nothing more after that? For me the answer would be yes. I love driving and I would do it for free. Trucking is in my blood. Do you love driving a truck? Really love it? If so, then trucking is in your blood. To me, there is a difference between liking your job and loving it. Liking your job means you enjoy going to work, you enjoy the people you work with, you enjoy doing your job. Loving your job means you would do it for free! For me, trucking fits the bill. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A New Era For The Knights Of The Road

In the past, truckers were known as “Knights of the Road”. Those days are long forgotten, though, and through time the truckers and their rigs have lost their knightly reputation. Truckers are no longer depicted in a positive light and the situation looks like it may be getting worse for a number of reasons, including our own (lack of) pride and personal discipline, attitude, driving skills, and factors outside of our control including the media, more dangers on the highway, and recent waves of terrorism. Is there anything we can do to improve our reputations? Oh indeed there is plenty we can do. Continue reading

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Current State of the Trucking Industry, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments