Profile For Brett Aquila

Starting salaries were normally in the $40k - $45k range up to a few years ago, but they have come up over the past few years. I'd say a new driver can expect to make $45k - $50k their first year these days if they're willing to hustle. We've had many drivers gross well over $50k their rookie year in recent years, some beyond that.

I'd say if you're willing to hustle you can count on $45,000 or beyond your first year at most carriers.

I can't believe Brett has allowed this broken bottle fight to continue for two weeks.

I really haven't been watching it, to be honest. I'm in the process of moving the website over to a new server, implementing a completely new design, building a new video course that will be available in the coming months, and many more things along with trying to enjoy the holidays with my family so I wasn't watching closely.

I've put the topic into moderation, so from now on any comments on this topic will be manually approved.

People seem to have lost some of the basic human skills. They do not use manners, can not answer someone with respect or courtesy and have no interest in someone elses feelings.

I remember how enlightened I was to human nature when I first started trucking. You would listen to the CB and you'd hear the nastiest, most vile filth imaginable. Then you'd walk into the truck stop and people are holding doors for you, smiling and saying hello, and having friendly conversations all over the place.

I learned that speaking with someone face-to-face is radically different for many people than it is speaking semi-anonymously through the CB or social media in today's world.

In all my years of trucking, 15 total, I never saw a fist-fight. I was never in an altercation with another driver, or even close. Even the debates we would have occasionally in the truck stops or terminals were civil toward each other, though select phrases were often aimed at the character and policies of politicians!

Unfortunately, nowadays they raise children to believe:

1) They're the center of the universe

2) Nothing is more important than their feelings.

3) No one has the right to say or do anything that upsets, offends, or excludes you in any way

So it's gonna be a treat communicating with the younger folks!

Brett please stop this thread so newbies can learn about the trucking industry not political issues

I don't do politics myself, but it's a discussion relevant to trucking and done respectfully. I try to make sure the subject lines for each topic are pretty informative so people can find the discussions they're interested in and skip the ones they're not.

Also, don't underestimate the people we have here and the contributions they can make on various subjects. We've had every conceivable type of professional in here; doctors, lawyers, computer programmers, pilots, teachers, engineers, and a million others. Sometimes the most unexpected insights come from out of the blue when someone with special knowledge of the subject chimes in.

Also, keep in mind that we're a community of people, many of which have been here for a number of years. They come here to both socialize with friends and help new drivers get started in the industry. I do want to keep most of the conversations relevant to trucking, but once in a while it's nice to throw in a conversation that allows our folks to discuss topics that may not be 100% relevant to trucking with people they've come to know and appreciate.

Well, our noble friend Old School is getting ready to go for another eye surgery tomorrow, but bless his heart he sent us a few articles to publish, and this is the first.

Now you guys and gals know Old School puts out great stuff, and this is another classic. His articles always contain actionable lessons we can use and stories from his own experience.

Most of us fall into one of two categories; those who bounce along the bottom, and those who continually take their lives to greater heights. Old School works hard to help people get off the bottom and propel them to greater heights. This article is another great example of that:

Mediocrity Reaps No Rewards

Enjoy!

I've emailed Old School recently, and he's written two articles for us. We will publish one today, one early next week.

He goes in for surgery tomorrow, Friday, Nov 19th, so we won't be hearing from him for a bit.

No one knows what the future holds for Old School, but we wish him the best and we're praying for this to go well. We hope to see him stay a regular around here for years to come!

I'm in the pre hire process, Werner, SWIFT, Schneider, Melton, May, Covenant, and Western Express

Back in April, you applied through our app. You could re-apply now if you like.

To be honest, the companies we work with are not companies you'd want to miss an opportunity with. They really are the elite. Go here to check it out and learn more:

Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

I would say the markets, the economy, is what drives this business more than elected officials.

Exactly.

Folks, trucks will keep rolling regardless of the circumstances. The question is, who will get those miles if the economy slows?

Keep something in mind. There's always plenty of room for the best. If things slow down, it's the low-performing driver that will suffer the most. The top-performing drivers will continue to run hard and make great money.

As always, get out there and show them you're highly motivated, safe, reliable, and productive. If you can do that, you'll always make a great living in this industry regardless of circumstances.

Heartbreaking!

I've been speaking with Old School through email and I'm hoping to convince him to use voice recordings that I can transcribe to write articles for us! That was he doesn't have to look at the computer screen. I don't care what it takes. We need to get the wisdom out of that man's head and into the lives of incoming drivers who so desperately need it!

I may be wrong but would definitely have to fight them on it. We get done for the weekend and truck goes into sleeper berth but I go home. So no one is in the sleeper berth and what I do or where I sleep is none of the DOT's business as long as not doing anything illegal

If your logbook shows you doing something different from what you were doing, then you've done something illegal. So it is their business if you log what you're doing illegally. It would not be any of their business if you were doing things legally, so don't invite trouble.

....AND, THE ARTICLE IS GONE. 404/not found. How quaint; how convenient~!

There was a typo in the address for the article. It's working now:

Top Auto Express hit with historic $412M jury verdict in crash lawsuit

Hey Chris.

I train under a professional coach full time for alpine climbing and have been for about 2 1/2 years. I've always been an athlete.

Over the years I did some research on nutrition and one time decided I had better look into this vegetarian thing, as much as I'd rather not. It turns out what I discovered was the polar opposite - the carnivore diet - which means eating animal products only like meat, eggs, and dairy.

Back in the day, they used to say that carbs fueled us, red meat and fat killed us. They could not have been more wrong about red meat and fat. We desperately need both and plenty of it.

A couple of years ago I switched to a mostly carnivore diet, cut out almost all carbs, and never looked back. I've never been more fit, lean, or energetic in my life, and I just turned 49.

It takes about a month to switch over to a carnivore diet and get off carbs. If you cut the carbs out too quickly, your energy will crash and you won't be able to get your head off the pillow. You must let your body slowly evolve away from burning carbs and over to burning fat.

I know it sounds insane to say, "Eat a ton of red meat and no vegetables" because we were told the opposite for decades. But I've done it for quite some time and it was Dr. Shawn Baker that turned me onto it:

Dr Shawn Baker - Carnivore Diet

Get off the carbs and a long list of problems will disappear: hunger cravings, volatile blood-sugar levels, bloating, volatile energy levels, allergies, weight gain, mood swings, and more.

If I sway from my routine and start packing in carbs for a few days I come unglued. I feel bloated, my energy levels spike and drop, and I get food cravings like mad. Once I get back to my carnivore diet I feel utterly fantastic.

As far as exercise, I used to carry a couple of dumbbells with me and I went running a lot. At the time I had never heard of those exercise bands, but that's what I would use today instead of dumbbells. I also do a lot of yoga, which I believe is critically important for our health.

Slowly get away from carbs and focus on eggs, meat, and dairy and after a few weeks, you'll feel better than you ever have. Some people like the Paleo diet, which I believe is low carb but has veggies. That would be great as well.

Do a little walking in the hills or running on flat ground, get some exercise bands, eat a lot of red meat, get away from the carbs, and you'll feel better than ever.

I know Schneider has had only one week of training with a mentor for quite a long time, so it must work for them. I'd love to get Trans Am's take on their approach. Maybe I'll try to get them on the line and see what they say.

I want to see drivers coming out of private schools go out with a trainer, at least for a week or two. After getting my CDL I went on the road with a mentor for two weeks, then I went solo and I was as ready as you could be. No one is ready to go solo if you consider ready to mean plenty knowledgeable and capable. Those first few months are filled with hard lessons, but that applies to anything that's new and challenging.

Mentoring new drivers has been the bane of existence for large carriers for decades. Finding enough good trainers is nearly impossible, and many of the nightmare stories you'll find on the Web, including here at Trucking Truth, are stories of new drivers suffering through intolerable or even criminal behavior from mentors.

I would look for a company with a mentor system, but if you can't find one, go for it at Trans Am. Like others have said, do not agree to lease under any circumstances.

We sure miss having you around Old School! Man, what a trial indeed! Keep us updated as best you can. We're certainly pulling for ya!

These are interesting days there for you, eh?

Two days ago you said you had gotten stuck and needed a tow truck, and now you're saying you want to quit your company, but they won't route you to a terminal and you've been sitting at a truck stop for two days.

What's going on? Why are you trying to quit? Why didn't you mention this two days ago?

It's very difficult to help you if we don't understand the entire situation.

Thanks, everyone! I just turned 49 so next year will be the big 50!

You mean like blocking replies that do not suit your narrative? Pathetic for real...

I've been blocking your replies because you've had nothing worthwhile to say. You know, like this last one and the ten before that. You've received great advice, so I'm glad you're reading it. If you have more questions, please ask. We'll be happy to answer them.

I haven't either.

Kearsey totally nailed it. What an awesome rundown.

Old School, another one of our awesome moderators and an incredibly motivated driver, wrote an article about this called What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver. Some of the major points he makes are:

• Always Be On Time
• Never Complain
• Take The Loads That No One Else Wants
• Know How To Manage Your Time Efficiently
• Be Easy To Work With

He goes into greater detail in the article. Here are two more great articles:

Top Tier Truck Drivers Operate Like Great Business Owners - Old School

Why Some Drivers Are Treated Better Than Others - Kearsey

One of the major differences between trucking and most jobs is that truck drivers must manage so much of their environment. At most jobs, you're in a highly controlled environment and most of the details are not under your control. You punch a clock when you're told to and you do your job as you're told to. Most of the decisions are made for you.

In trucking, you make a lot more decisions yourself. You manage your own schedule, you track the weather, you inspect the truck to make sure it's safe, you're responsible for monitoring traffic, you must communicate your situation well with dispatch so your company knows your circumstances and can plan ahead, you determine whether the conditions are safe for driving, etc.

There is way more responsibility and pressure on a truck driver than in most jobs. There is also a fantastic opportunity to make top dollar. You're being paid by the mile, so those who are most efficient with their time and have the highest level of motivation can launch themselves to the top of the pay scale.

That's fantastic! Wow, five years. What a ride, eh? Trucking is crazy.

It has been a blast watching you develop over the years, and it is truly an honor to have you here helping drivers make their way in this industry.

One thing that always stood out to me was your take on women's issues. I love that you don't play the victim, and you never encourage anyone to play the victim. You take control of life in an empowering way and you let nothing hold you back. I'm a huge fan.

Congrats on your big 5 year anniversary!