Comments By Mike L.

Sounds like you need to chat with YOUR dm...those night and weekend dispatchers are horrid...

Exactly, have a chat with them and tell them you just did them a favor. a FAVOR. haha I like to make things straight so they don't treat me like there dog. I'm not saying that it's a "who's the boss" situation but to let them know that we're human and not delivery robots.

I guess it depends on what company you work for but waiting for a truck does happen. That was a rough start for you but it'll work out.

The worst for me when I first started was the sleep situation. Sometimes a delivery needs to be made at 3am and you stopped driving for the day at 4pm the day before. That time will end up being your 10 hours off and you'll need to sleep. It's just the nature of the beast.

As for diet, you can pick up a little power cooler that runs on the cigarette adapter in the truck. It's a great way to keep sandwich meats and a few other things to keep you eating well. Not all food needs cooling, there's always good dried food as well. Some people don't like canned foods but it's an option.

To be completely honest, you have to going into trucking with a flexible attitude especially in the first year or you will not last. I watched a few guys throw it away after getting upset and hot headed over every little thing that didn't go their way. It's a tough gig but it's an adventurous career.

Well I dont have back problems but sitting for a long time in a truck makes my butt hurt. The air ride cushioning the bounces seems to keep my back from hurting though so that should make you feel a bit better.

Why will you have to wait until April? most companies will start you off with usually 2-4 class spots a month once you're 21.

To my knowledge you have to be 21 to be an interstate truck driver by federal law. I've heard that if you drive locally or in state you can be 18 but don't quote me on that. It's tough getting a local job without experience and by local I really mean in state. Literal local is going to be extremely hard.

As the old saying goes "it's not what you know but who you know" would be what you need in this situation. Then again "in the right place at the right time" can also deliver for you.

Most of the time they say just bring essentials because you're going into a trainers truck which is really THEIR living space. Yours will be rather limited depending on the trainer. Most trainer trucks are leases and usually come with a refrigerator (if the trainer leaves room for some stuff for you). They'll only have a microwave if the trainer put one in him/her self.

As far as 34 in a hotel? If Knight is like the rest of the companies than no hotel for you unless you pay for it. However, the truck isn't supposed to stay sitting so if you run out of time, odds are your trainer won't. It's possible that you both run out but unless you're on a dedicated route, it probably won't happen. Trucks have beds for this reason so motels/hotels shouldn't be necessary.

I do like my Droid phone mostly because of satellite photos on the go (but i dont mean while driving). A great thing about smart phones is you get a phone AND mobile tetherable internet which goes a long way with keeping in touch and keeping your sanity. It just depends on how much of a net junkie you are. Some drivers get hot spots which is a device that works just like a smart phone for internet but without the smart phone. Kind of a waste to me since you get both and it costs rouhgly the same plus you get the portability.

As far as needs? GPS saved my butt many times but satellite photos combined with GPS made all the difference. I rarely had to go into a new location without knowing exactly which way I could take my truck and what to expect for surface streets. A Thomas guide only goes so far but will still get you there.

A lot of "old timey" drivers will say there's no point in them and all you need is a cell phone but they just don't have the experience with technology.

I met a guy who ran Walmart dedicated with England and he says they run him hard but the money is there. Running hard can take its toll but getting a familiar route is also rather nice. I guess it depends on where in the US you are but dedicated is a good thing. Waiting around, not home and not making money is the worst.