For the most part, my complaints are very few and far between. The experience went better than I could have ever imagined. I expected a few bumps along the way. But with that said, I’m definitely ready to move on. I’ll miss the good times and the laughs I had with my trainer, I’ll miss crossing the entire country in all but 3 days. I’ll miss having some company with me when I went to grab a bite to eat, or the times we were able to spend some time in places like Reno, and many other things I’ll miss. Yet, I feel so ready to be out there on my own. I’ll get to write the rules. I get to decide when I run and when I sit. I get to decide when I shower or eat. I get to decide how fast to run. I don’t have to worry about waking somebody up. I can sleep in a truck that isn’t moving all the time. I can crank up the tunes whenever I want. And best of all, I get some privacy again!!
Orientation For A Company Driver
I’m currently sitting here at my company terminal waiting for orientation to start. Since my trainer was a lease operator, I have to go through a company driver orientation. Things are a bit different on the company side in terms of paperwork, what routes we can take, where we can fuel, rules with company trucks, etc. Once that’s over, I should get assigned my truck. I’ve already met my new dispatcher, and he said I should be off on my first solo run in 2 days.
What A Truck Means To A Driver
Yesterday, I took a walk through the lot with trucks sitting, waiting for company drivers. So many beautiful trucks. Some brand spankin’ new, some older. It’s going to be luck of the draw for what truck I get. But it’ll either be a Freightliner Cascadia, Freightliner Century, or Peterbilt 387. I dont’ really care which one it is, as my company keeps their trucks in very good condition and all 3 of those trucks are nice. But it was a strange feeling walking around and looking at those trucks, knowing I’ll be in one of them within a few days. Which one will it be? Which one will be my new home? What will we go through together? Where will she bring me? What will we see? How long will we be together?
It might sound dumb, but I think I speak for most OTR truck drivers when I say a certain bond is formed with the truck. Since we drive our trucks at least 8 hours per day, we learn everything about it. We know when the truck is having a bad day. We learn what the truck does in certain situations. We know how to sense when something is wrong with the truck. We know when a screw comes loose or a bolt is missing. We know how to hit the fuel just right before that hill. We know that a certain gear needs some special attention, and maybe a certain technique. The truck almost becomes a part of us. The truck is not only our workplace, but it is also our home. I plan to take very good care of my truck, even if it really belongs to the company I work for. During the time I have it, I’ll act as if it’s mine. Which one could it be???
Until next time, drive safely.
TruckerMike
About Author 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
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Most Recent By TruckerMike
Yes, training is over and it does bring some sadness because that is what you are used to. It is your comfort zone now. And you have to leave that and start all over with a diffferent comfort zone.
You should toot your own horn as drivers do go thru a lot to get to this point and you need to celebrate this moment! You are now a PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER!!! Said with pride, not the other way that the public thinks of us.
It will be a whole new experiance for you now being alone and driving without pedal to the metal all the time. You can now use the radio any way you want and listen to anything you want.
Whatever truck you get assigned too, I know it will be in great hands and get the best of care. Congrats Mike on achieving this goal and reaching for more in the new adventures that await you.
TruckerMike –
As a young teenager, you prepared for getting your Amateur Radio License with a purpose of reaching out to others, and for communication adventures in weather watching and storm chasing… While working on getting your Private Pilot’s License in high school you were dedicated, studied hard, and accomplished something that relatively very few in this world can do… Fly airplanes! Then, while college was something that you knew was right for you to succeed at, the post-college office job didn’t bring you the freedom and enjoyment that you hoped for in a career, and you knew that you needed a change.
However, I have never seen you put so much research, planning, and commitment into anything like you have for becoming a “Professional Truck Driver.” The excitement that you have for your new career is what everyone should strive for in his or her life and work. We only live once in this life, so work should be something enjoyable, and bring pride and fulfillment. You may end up driving a truck your entire life, or it may lead to other opportunities that are unforeseen at this time. But, whatever you do in life, I’m content that you’ll bring fulfillment for your life and the lives of those around you.
As you portrayed in your article, many can claim to be a truck driver, but it’s the “Professionalism in truck driving” that you are personally striving for. You have said OTR truck driving is not a job; it’s a life style. Well, it looks like you have prepared yourself and set the appropriate attitude to excel with excellence in life, and to your new profession. Through your example, and other drivers like you, you can bring a new image for OTR truck drivers and represent a new breed for, The Professional Truck Driver.
As you take your SOLO RUN in your very own company truck… my CONGRATULATIONS are with you in a big way. What an adventure that your on!
–TruckerMikeDad–
TruckerMike,
I concur with TruckerMikeDad’s (well said!) entry. I want to thank you for sharing this adventure with us.
-ike
I am thinking of going to trucking school. I have spent a lot of money and time trying other careers, ( pilot, lawenforcement), and in the end i wasted my time and money. I am almost broke , I want to know if i pay for this training that i will have a job . Can someone tell me what the likelihood of getting hired would be???, I mean do some (competent) people get the cdl and then find that they cant get a job?, assuming that i am a competent driver/employee, am i assured a job?, pretty sure?, no chance in hell?, etc… there is a local small school here in vegas, will i be able to find a job after, or do i have to go to a larger company that trains there own.? Of course all the recruiters are saying that there is always work, i just want to here it from a non recruiter.
Every new job you have to pay your dues, I accept this fact. I just want to know bottom line if this is a fairly for sure job with paychecks and benefits, i feel like i am spending my whole life training for jobs that dont pay the bills. I have spent over 65,000 on flight training, only to find out that there is no way in hell of getting hired ANYWHERE. And then i went through pure hell while going to a police academy which didnt net me a job. I dont need to get rich, i just want a job. I am not afraid to work hard, i just want to get paid for my effort. Any info would really be appreciated,
Hey Ron.
If your driving record is decent – for instance, no DUI’s, no reckless driving, no more than 3 tickets in the past 3 years, etc – and your criminal record is clean, and you go to a reputable CDL school, then yes, there are over-the-road jobs available in the industry for sure. It’s hard finding local work straight out of school, though. You’ll most likely have to work over-the-road (meaning home every 2-3 weeks) for about a year before you’ll have much luck finding a local job.
You can get “pre-hired” before you begin schooling, which means you apply at trucking companies and they confirm that you will qualify for employement after you graduate from an approved school. A pre-hire is not always a guarantee that you’ll be hired immediately by that company, but rather an assurance that if they have positions available when you graduate, they will likely hire you. Getting pre-hires before you begin your schooling will go a long way towards easing your mind that the committment to CDL training will be worth the trouble.
We have a great group of articles about choosing the right truck driving school here:
Choosing a truck driving school
Read them all – especially the one by TruckerMike. Also, we have a section for trucking companies that offer CDL training with a lot of information here:
Trucking companies with CDL training
That will give you a lot of information to help get you going in the right direction.
Lastly, look through our Trucker’s forum and ask all the questions you like!
Thanks everyone for the great feedback. Everything has been going great so far and I’m really enjoying being on my own out here.
And Ron, I agree with everything Brett said. There are jobs out here, but you have to do your research and take the right steps. Feel free to email me personally if you’d like any advice.