Comments By Freightdog (Shaun)

Crazy story, dude! Thanks for taking the time to share it...

I thought this was a pretty decent article about the correlation between driver shortages and compensation.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/upshot/the-trucking-industry-needs-more-drivers-it-should-try-paying-more.html?_r=1&referrer=

After some you tubing and internet research, I'm thinking Schneider but go to Sage or Lake Cumberland for school. Do you have any advice? Does Schneider give you the regular miles when you go solo?

I drove solo with Schneider National for 4 months before being recalled to the job I'd been laid off from. I was averaging 2300-2500 miles a week. I'd say that's pretty typical for most of the large carriers, especially just out of the gate as a rookie. I was at the point where I was starting to be assigned some longer runs and was developing a rapport with my DBL and getting more miles when I got the recall to my previous/primary career so I don't think consistent miles are a problem over there from what I saw. Best of luck!

Best of luck to you Max! You can add one more to the list of people starting next week. I am headed to Ellenwood Ga tomorrow to hopefully begin a great career with Roehl. :)

O man! Congrats. I was so close to working for Roehl until this came along. but trust me if this dosnt work out my application will be into Roehl the next day.

Man, that's awesome...congrats! Looking forward to reading your updates as you're able to post them.

Well the solitude is one of the attractive aspects for me. I've just always been the only child loner type. And this thing about working off the clock, i don't really understand how that kindof stuff works. I'd love more info. As far as "working free" goes, i really could care less. I've approached this with the understanding that i'll be working pretty much all day every day for weekly earnings as opposed to getting paid for every minute of work done like hourly jobs.

Also while i've got this thread open, how feasible is it to stay on the road nonstop. I have literally no interest in coming back to a home point, if anything i'd rather take off days in random cities i've never been in.

It's very feasible, if that's what you want to do. You can literally put your stuff in storage, change your permanent address to a relatives place, and stay out on the road for as long as you want to.

Just be sure to take some time to yourself out there. It is pretty easy to get in the habit of 'go, go, go' all the time and start feeling kind of rundown. Get out of the truck everyday and get in a walk and get the blood flowing, take some downtime for a few days if you get somewhere that looks interesting, and take in some sights. You've got to take care of "you" while you're out there, in addition to taking care of the load and equipment.

Good luck with your new adventure!

Shaun

No-no, HM, you are out, Man. Out the door! Hahaaa!

Freightdog! Where ya been, Dude? Sea-air-land ... a regular shipping SEAL/madman.

-mountain girl

I'm still around, just lurking mostly. I've been flying domestic cargo hub turns, which is a Monday through Friday fly all night/sleep all day kind of deal, so not too much down time during the week.

Talked to a buddy of mine from CDL school the other day. He's over at Old Dominion doing line haul team driving. Very, very interested in what he had to say. Going to try and talk to my local terminal manager over there once I get back home in mid August and see if I can get a foot in the door. Don't know if it will do any good with only three months solo experience under my belt, but I'm sure not going to tell myself 'no'. I'll knock on the door and see what they have to say...

It is so cool that so many truckers are either currently in/ working on/ or have been in aviation. We should start a truckers flying club.

Both industries attract the same type of people, mainly: independent, driven, slightly Type A, self - starting, inquisitive (etc) types who basically never grew up and like playing with big toys. :-P

Seriously, though, having been a professional pilot my entire working life (minus a layoff this past winter when I finally got to try out my second career choice of driving a big rig) I'd say that many truckers would make good pilots and vice versa since they share so many of the same personality traits and skillsets.

Cool pics, by the way!

Shaun ATP B777 B737 CL65, CFI/CFII CDL (A), (T) Twin, (X) HAZMAT and Tank

(Next will be a US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master's License whenever time and money allow...that way I can move people and cargo by land, air, and sea!)

Thanks for the kind words. I want to leave yesterday, but I just can't bring myself to leave my team without trying to smooth the transition with everything going on right now.

I can't tell the real story here. I'll try to give you an analogy that might help you understand.

Good analogy, and unfortunately all too familiar across a variety of industries in this day and age. Hope your last 4-6 weeks passes by quickly and painlessly.

I agree. Once trucking gets in your blood you can't really and truly do anything else without thinking about driving a truck again. Why else would I still be out here after 16 years?

It's a tough lifestyle. It's lonely. Stressful. Full of highs and lows. It can be mind numbing on those long loads across country..... And then things seem like it's all been worth it.........

When you make new friends....... What a bully he was. He wanted my food so we had a staring contest for an hour.

Or you come across countless views like this and better ones down the roads....

I have seen place I said "wow" out loud cause they were so breath taking.

Exactly right, Guy. I'd just gotten used to the lifestyle when I got my recall notice to return to my flying job and went back just because "that's what I was 'supposed' to do", but I'm damn sure missing it. It was the most challenging, fun, lonely, ever-changing, gratifying, exhilarating, high/low, frustrating, can't get enough of, experience of my life and I'm ready to go back. It's going to take a couple of months to get ready for, but I'll be sure to keep everyone here at TT up to date once I make my return. In the meantime, thanks for the pics...

Thanks, Daniel. I'll be following along with great interest.

I fully expected that once I'd been laid off from flying and had the chance to give driving a try that it'd be something that I'd "get out of my system" and then go back to my nicely laid out flying career and never look back. That hasn't been the case. I've missed driving a truck ever since I came off the road in February (much more so than I ever missed flying when I was laid off, frankly) and these days find myself just wanting to get back behind the wheel more than ever. I'm pretty much just trying to put things in order financially and otherwise to make that happen.

Anyway, thanks for the response and for the detailed breakdown when/if you are able to do so.

Shaun

Once it gets in your blood its there forever, plaguing your mind and calling you back. You've been stricken.

Indeed. :-)