Profile For Old School

I had a backhaul recently out of Peru, IL. It was metal decking like they use for commercial building rooftops. The destination seemed odd because they couldn't give me an address. They gave me a pin on Google maps. The destination was in the middle of a wildlife management area in Arkansas. If you put Benzal, AR in Google maps, you'll see where I went.

Apparently they are building a hiking/biking trail through that area. The decking was going to be laid over some abandoned railroad bridge (see it in the background of the photo) then they will pour concrete and use that old railroad bridge for crossing the bayou there.

I almost got stuck on the eight miles of dirt road going in. Here's a picture of me getting unloaded.

Is it as bad as a newbie like myself might think? How do you prepare for such conditions and how much does it slow your progress when it comes to your weekly miles/ pay?

Winter weather is one of those things that rookies find stressful. Mostly, it is the anticipation of it, and wondering just how bad it's going to be. You are already feeling a little anxious about it, and that is understandable by all of us. Your training will not cover everything thoroughly. That is common to all of us in this industry.

Here is my take on winter weather for newbies. Don't panic at the first little bit of snow flurries you see. Remember all the weight you have. Your extra weight provides you some degree of traction. It is easier to drive a fully loaded rig in winter than being stuck with an empty trailer. I approached my first winter with extra caution. Anytime I was experiencing winter weather that had potential for causing hazards, I would always try driving with extreme caution. If the speed limit was sixty, I might try driving at thirty or thirty five with my low beam lights on. I would do this to help get acclimated to just driving during times of snow. Sometimes, just facing your fears will help build your confidence and your skills.

I know experienced drivers who still panic at the first sight of snow. I am not that way. I have driven during some really terrible conditions, but the roads were safe enough and I was heavy enough to navigate them safely. Here's two things to remember. (first)There is plenty of time during the winter when you are not facing hazardous weather. Extreme weather that causes concern is usually intermittent. (second)Most states which will likely experience threatening conditions in winter are well prepared to maintain their roadways. I have been through upstate New York during really threatening weather, but the roads were clear and easily passable. That is just one example. Many of them do an excellent job of keeping their snow plows active and on alert.

Sometimes a snow storm is just dumping too much snow for the road crews to keep up with. I was on a mountain pass out West once when this was occurring. They hadn't posted their signs to chain up yet, and I was feeling my tractor drives give way just slightly every now and then. I simply slowed down to a crawl until I could find a good place to park it. Then I waited for a break in the weather before proceeding. It's really all about common sense and keeping a cool head. Never try to hurry up in a storm to get somewhere. Always slow down to get somewhere.

I can't say that I've ever felt like the winter season adversely affected my pay. This is a big country. Most of the winter the roads are acceptable. There is only going to be an occasional time or two when you feel like you need to park and wait out a storm. Even then, you will usually not sit for more than 12 to 15 hours. Almost like clock work I have noticed that immediately following a bad snow storm comes a radiant day of sunshine to clear it all away.

Take it all in slowly as you are learning. You will find yourself with new skills and confidence. It won't be but a few winters that you go through before you will be handling that rig just like a boss. Never get overconfident. Always give the winter time it's due respect. There is no shame in parking it. No load is worth risking your life, and a "hot load" cools off real quickly in the ditch. When you just don't feel safe, park it, message your dispatcher, and stay put until the weather and roads have cleared some.

In twelve years of driving, I have never put snow chains on my rig. When it is bad enough for me to need chains, it is bad enough for me to park and enjoy a little break. Part of this is because I am seldom out West. That is where chains are often required and needed at times.

Hey JayP, thanks for your kind words!

I'm so glad you found it helpful!

That book is born out of my frustration with all the misleading and discouraging information about trucking found on the internet. Once you realize who it is pumping out all the nonsense, you then know they can't be trusted.

Carry on brother, and stay in touch. There's a host of good drivers here who are more than willing to help you along your journey.

You're getting some great responses to your question of "is it worth it?"

I'm not surprised. This is a great collection of all sorts of truck drivers. Andhe78 is so right about the many different types of trucking jobs there are. He found the perfect niche for himself. So many of the whiners on the internet didn't stick with it like andhe78. You've got to apply yourself to learning how this career works if you want success.

Don't give up easily. Once you've committed to it, endure the initial difficulties. Get yourself into the kind of situation you find rewarding. For one it's local food delivery. For another it's fuel. For still others it's OTR. There's a lot of opportunities out here.

I've seen a lot of YouTube videos of people just being negative about it. I didn't wanna be one of those that simply believed the negative and didn't try giving it a shot.

This is one of the biggest problems in this industry. A lot of people fail at trucking. What do they do? They run to the internet as if they have some sort of "savior complex." They think they are going to spare the world from getting caught up in the slave trade of trucking. They boldly declare the evils of the industry with examples of how badly they were treated.

Remember... These are the people who failed.

Winners don't go to losers for advice!

I wrote a book out of my sincere concern over this problem. I know your money is tight, but if you could get a copy, it would help you greatly. It's available at Amazon. Just go there and type Hit The Road by Dale McClure in the search bar. It should pop right up.

I promise you'll find it helpful in ways you haven't even thought of yet.

at the end of day,my question for you guys is this, is being a trucker worth it? Is it worth the time away from home? Is it worth the pay you take home and the lifestyles you live on your free time?? Do you feel comfortable financially?

That's a great question. Trucking has issues, and I don't know too many truckers who have gone through these inflationary times while receiving pay increases. I'm sure there are some, but it has not been my experience. During these times of inflation, the trucking industry has suffered from "over capacity." Simply put, the trucking business has suffered some very great losses over the past few years. Many companies are struggling just to break even, while a great many other companies have fallen by the wayside, declaring bankruptcy, and closing their doors.

I already mentioned that I serve on a dedicated account. One problem with that is that the company has to re-negotiate the contract each year. You can imagine what that is like during these times. The customer wants a better deal and my employer wants more money. Of course they both do this dance of give and take because one of them wants to keep the good service while the other wants to keep up the cash flow. Driver wages are stuck - neither side wants to give a penny more. So, we've kept the same wage for years now.

There's always the issue of how you choose to live while on the road. It is expensive to eat out all the time. Even fast food has gotten to where you can easily spend 15 to 20 dollars per meal if you aren't careful. This is a lifestyle more than it is a job. You have got to learn how to spend your time and money in a way that works for you financially. I know drivers who are broke all the time. They live off of cash advances and then cuss their employer when they see how low their paychecks are. Duhhh... you already spent the money last week. That's why your paycheck keeps shrinking so much. You have to be your own master out here and make sure you are being responsible with your expenses.

There is another thing that trips up a lot of new drivers. That is just understanding how this career works. I'm grateful for Heavy C and Bobcat Bob chiming in here. They offer a much different perspective because their jobs are different from most of us. It is easy for an OTR driver to increase or decrease their pay by the way they operate their truck. I work with about fifteen other drivers. We all make the same wage - it is determined by our contract with our dedicated customer. At the end of the year, I will come out with my pay being more like the Linehaul drivers at an LTL company. Many of the other drivers will be looking at 50 to 60 thousand per year. That disparity lies in the knowledge and skills to get more done than the average driver. That is the key to success out here. You've got to want to be the best, and you've got to be able to execute a plan that assures that.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Today I finished a multi-stop flatbed load a full day earlier than my company expected me too. They had my stops scheduled out so that I would arrive at my final (consignee) Wednesday morning at 0800. I looked everything over before I left with the load and sent my operations manager a message letting them know I would be empty Tuesday morning at 0800. They sent this back, "Okay, but that seems extremely aggressive. We aren't going to change your dispatch - just keep us updated."

Now, they already know that I will almost always do what I say. This time they didn't think it possible. I did it, and they were surprised, but the whole point is this... We get paid for how much we accomplish. I personally contacted my customers and moved my appointment times ahead so that I could get done quicker. I also drove almost all night during one point just to make it all happen like I wanted. This kind of efficiency allows me to move more loads than the average driver - resulting in much better results by the end of the year. All that planning, and aggressive approach to the job, earns me more income.

That's why the question you pose is difficult to answer. You will eventually answer it for yourself. For me, this job is definitely worth it. I make good money, and live frugally enough that I can invest literally half of my trucking income. Whether this career is worth pursuing or not will never be determined by which trucking company you work for. How you operate and conduct yourself out here will always be paramount. It pays to be diligent.

"Dedicated" is another term that causes confusion. I am a dedicated driver. I'm dedicated to servicing a particular customer. That customer is a manufacturer of aluminum extrusions. I generally deliver anywhere east of the Rockies with an occasional (maybe twice a year) run out West.

I still operate like an OTR driver. I may be in Minnesota one week and then Miami, FL the next. I never know. It just depends on where their product is going.

There are usually around fifteen of our drivers dedicated to this same plant. We go where our dispatcher needs us. That is the most typical way trucking companies operate.

Seniority will generally help if you want to pick and choose where you run. I'm in a fortunate situation that allows me to pick my loads. That isn't very common, and almost unheard of for the first two or three years of driving.

You've got great questions. We are always willing to help, so feel free to ask more.

Are your boys living with you? Do you just have them for weekends? Give us a little more info.

Trucking jobs are very demanding. They often have crazy schedules with many unexpected interruptions. Almost all trucking jobs involve long working hours. For the most part, this is not an ideal job for people raising children.

how do you guys manage a home/work balance with younger children?

In my opinion, there is no such thing as "home/work balance" in trucking. This job requires a serious commitment. That's why most truck drivers are up in years. They don't have as much reason to be home. I do not reccomend this career to young parents. I have 11 grandchildren who I would love to see more often. Unfortunately, retiring from trucking is the only way I'm going to make that happen.

what is a regional lane? And what's the difference between being a regional driver and an OTR one??

Okay, trucking terminologies are confusing. Of course when you say regional, you think that means a certain region, and it does. But... what is that region? A man with small children, like yourself, may think a regional position would allow them to be home nightly, or maybe several nights a week. That's not really the case.

Some companies offer what they call a Western Eleven region. That's 11 Western States. That's a sizeable region. I'm a regional driver who seldom goes West of the Rockies. That's an even larger region. Even though I'm regional, I'm only home once a month for a few days.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but we need more information to really be helpful to you. I just don't see this as a good career path for someone who has charge of young children. You'd need a local job at best, and those are pretty tough to find as a rookie. Local jobs can be just as demanding. They still involve long hours and crazy schedules.

Okay, let's try something...

Tell me why you felt the need to be "completely honest" with this "Western Van Division Director" by telling him you didn't like him.

I'm very open and honest, but I can't even imagine saying that to anyone unless there was already a great deal of friction going on between us.

This is one of those times where I miss Paul Harvey.

Jeff, the only advice I can give is this... If you honestly believe you got fired for having a bad attitude, you will absolutely have a difficult time finding another trucking job.

Your description of everything is screaming... "There is more to the story." If you can't see through your "complete honesty," and realize what was really happening, you'll probably not resolve this.

Paul Harvey always gave us "the rest of the story." If you could figure that part out, and share it with us, we might be able to help.