You’re probably asking yourself right now “But the title said he loves being a truck driver. What’s going on??” That’s right! I do love being a truck driver. I’ll take this “job” over office work any day of the week. Why? Because I get to see this beautiful country. I get to meet all sorts of different people from different backgrounds and cultures. I love to drive. I mean, I really love to drive. I enjoy not knowing what’s coming next or where I’ll be just hours from now. I enjoy the challenge of navigating large cities and mountains. I enjoy the relaxation of traveling the plain states and deserts. I love to take in the beauty this country has to offer. I love to turn up the tunes and “escape” into my own world of solitude. I love blogging about my experiences and receiving emails from everyone seeking feedback and advice. I really am enjoying just about every aspect of this job. And I have plans in the works to make you, my readers, even more a part of it.
Like I said in the beginning of this post, it is extremely difficult for me to describe why I’m enjoying this so much. I really wish I could spell it out for those of you looking to enter the industry, but I just can’t. It’s more of a “feeling” being out here than any tangible thing I could describe. I’m beginning to understand what some of these old timers mean when they say “truck driving must be in your blood to succeed.” There is a reason truck driving has a 100% + turnover rate. Not too many people have a truckers blood type. If trucking is in your blood, you enjoy it. If it’s not in your blood, you’ll probably end up like many people who enter this industry – complaining about everything and trying to get out of the industry.
The only thing that’s bothered me being out here is missing friends and family. On those lonely nights I’m driving down a dark road, it’s easy to start thinking about it. “I wonder what my friends are doing right now without me? I wonder if my nieces will forget about me? I wish I could go to the comfort of my parents house and have some good home cookin’. I wonder what I’d be doing right now if I lived a “normal life”? I wonder when I’ll get home?
I’m single and have no kids, which makes things a whole lot easier on me. I can’t imagine having a wife and kids back home. Honestly, if you have a family and decide to be a truck driver, please realize from the start that you’ll miss so much. Birthdays, holidays, baseball games, your childs first steps….there’s an endless amount of things you’ll miss out on. Life goes on, whether you are there or not. Please think long and hard before getting into this if you have a family.
I know what you’re thinking at this point. “TruckerMike, this post seems so negative! Are you sure you’re enjoying it?” My answer is an astounding yes! I’m thrilled that I took the chance and decided to give this a try. It wasn’t an easy decision for me. But I wouldn’t change this for anything right now. I am having a complete blast. I love my job and I love the lifestyle I’m living. My point in writing all of the above negatives is to show that if you’re thinking about getting into this, you’ll have to learn to deal with a drastic change in your life. I have never lived like this in my life. This is not a “normal” life by any stretch of the imagination. Yet it just works for me. My hope is to help you see outside the box. This isn’t just an “office with a view.” It’s a tough lifestyle to live for most and it comes with some great sacrifices. I just want you to be prepared so that it doesn’t come as a total shock to you. All in all, you’ll just have to experience it to truly understand.
I know this post has sort of been all over the board, and I was hoping to have more “positives” mixed into it. This post is honestly the most difficult I’ve written so far. It’s so hard to describe why I am enjoying this so much. The negatives I posted really aren’t negatives to me. They are just aspects of the job / lifestyle. I really, truly love what I’m doing right now. I wouldn’t change this for the world. I love being a truck driver.
Until next time, drive safely!
TruckerMike
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Yes!!! I agreee 100%. The “negatives” you talked about are just that for many drivers. Yet some don’t mind it. Too many people enter trucking because they think its a easy job of JUST DRIVING!! Thats why we do these posts.
As for your example of the office people or anyone who works away from being a full time steering wheel holder—I have told many the same thing you just did. All agreed they would not like that and its wrong for a employer to treat their workers that way. I said “drivers in trucking are treated this way everyday and no one seems to care about that.”
I also do not understand the comments that trucking (or travel for any job) is for single people as they can travel. (meaning we have zero life of friends/church/family and etc…) Trucking/travel is for anyone who wants to to that.
Oh Mike, I could not have said it better. Yestarday was my son’s anniversery. They had a BBQ at there house for about 35 people. It was also a birthday party for two of their kids (my two granddaughters). first time I have ever missed anything like this. I have also missed my birthday and will most likely miss my anniversery.
I completely agree with your job description. I said in one blog this was like camping. I should have said that this was like being married to your job and having a personal 24 hour a day relationship with it. I would never have imagined it to be this way. Keep up the good work.
Mike, I can tell you that your neices have not at all forgotten about you. Mom says that the girls say, “Is Uncle Mike here!” when they see your car parked in Mom/Dad’s garage. And we have a picture of you coming out of a plane on our mini-fridge in the girls’ playroom and Jordyn took it down the other day and carried it around with her for about twenty minutes. Then she put it back very carefully when she was done. She said, “Mama! That’s my Uncle Mike! Oh, I so love him!” in her cute little 2.5 yr old voice!
They are VERY excited that Uncle Mike drives a big truck “like Mack”, the Mack Truck in the movie CARS! About 2 or 3 times a week as we’re driving around the girls try to look for “Mack” because “Uncle Mike drives Mack!” We were on the “fast road” (as YOU used to call it when you were little)…aka,I-94…and they kept saying, “Is THAT Uncle Mike’s truck??” as we passed them! Trust me…. your neices are so in love with their Uncle Mike there’s no WAY they could forget about you!
And, I hated that you were out on the road during your birthday, but hey…as we get older, who wants to celebrate birthdays anymore! HA HA!
We will see you when you get home!! DEFINITELY!!
LOVE YOU!
Your FAVORITE Sister
Lisa
Hey there. I am looking into possibly starting a career as a truck driver. I’ve read your post above, and many other stories like it, talked to friends that drive etc…
I am wondering if you recommend any particular trucking company to start with? C.R. England has a program for starters, as do other companies, but the pay seems very low. CR England told me about $400 a week…but that’s basically for 12-15 hours of work per day from what I understand.
Is that typical for a beginner, or is CR England just not paying well?
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Hope your still enjoying the “job”!!
Thanks,
Jon
Hi Jon.
I think the best companies to start out at overall are the larger dry-van companies – Swift, Schneider, Werner, US Xpress, etc. The larger refrigerated companies would come next – CR England, Prime, Central Refrigerated, etc.
Pay for a student first coming out of school that is going out on the road with a trainer is pretty low everywhere you go, but it doesn’t last long at most places – usually a month or so. But no matter where you go you can probably expect to make about $35k your first year, and probably $45k-$50k your second year, and you will stay in the $50k range or so after that. It depends on how hard you want to run, how good your dispatcher/load planner are, and how the economy is doing, amongst other things. But I wouldn’t be concerned with the training pay – it doesn’t last long, and the training you’re getting on the road with an experienced driver is priceless.
Also, please never think about regional or over-the-road trucking the way you would an hourly job. It’s not – it’s a lifestyle. I’ve heard tons of drivers complaining that if you calculate an hourly wage from the hours you’re putting in, you’re making about $10/hour as a driver – and it’s not worth it. Well, for a long time I lived in my truck, had almost no bills, and was making $45k-$55k per year. I was able to set aside about $1500/month in my savings account. Try doing that with a $10/hr job! So trucking is a lifestyle and you can expect to make $35k your first year, and about $45k-50k your second year, and a slow increase after that. But the hours are very long and the lifestyle is not for everyone. But if you’re cut out for it, trucking is a very rewarding career with an amazing lifestyle.
Every decision we make in life is a compromise – and trucking is no different. There’s a lot of give and take when it comes to what you get out of it, and what you give up to do it.
Hi Jon, and thanks for reading! Brett has some good advice there. I agree with just about everything he’s said. For the most part, “starter” companies are all about the same. It really just depends on what you’re looking for. Some companies will give you more hometime, but you might see less of the country. Some companies might pay a little less, but get you more miles. Some companies might have real nice trucks, but won’t let you go over 62mph. Some companies are large and give you great benefits, but you might simply be a number to them. Smaller companies are a bit more personal, but that doesn’t come without sacrafice either. My point being, just do as much research as you can, and find the company that makes you most comfortable. You’ll find a ton of complaints about any larger company out there. Most people simply aren’t suited for the OTR lifestyle, and they take their anger out on the company they work or worked for. Once you get at least 1 year in OTR with a “starter” company, you’ll have a whole new world open up to you (local jobs, regional positions, jobs that get you home every week, tanker, flatbed, etc.). Just tough it out that first year.
As for starting off with dry van, that’s also good advice. I personally started with a reefer company. I’m glad I did, since reefer is a bit less prone to economic fluctuations (people always have to eat). My miles have been good, but we’re in full produce season right now. Come this fall, I’ll probably be sitting quite a bit. The downside to reefer is dealing with grocery warehouses. These grocery warehouses have a very bad reputation with truck drivers, and for good reason. There is a lot of sitting and waiting, refused loads, and just overall aggrivation dealing with them. If you go with a dry van company, most of your freight will probably be drop and hook (drop a full trailer, pick up an empty) where as I rarely get a drop and hook load. I usually have to wait for them to load or unload the trailer. I wouldn’t say driving reefer is harder than dry van, just more aggrivating due to the customers we serve.
Anyway, good luck to you, and feel free to comment again with follow up questions or feel free to email me as well. Good luck!!
Mike
What can you tell us about ghost trucks who are off the grid?
Is it true truckers have a lover for every state they drive to?
Don’t most drivers WISH????
Unfortunately the ladies don’t tend to come running when they hear there’s a truck driver around the way they might if it was Brad Pitt or something 