Comments By FloridaBuckeye

M3rciless

I hear experienced people saying don't rush into this because of the risk of being shutout forever, and because of the blessing headed ur way in 6 months.

Aside from the fact that you do not want to miss being there for your Wife and Newborn, they will need some kinda family member there to be their support system starting out. It's just a must. Plus don't miss it dude. Way too cool.

The other thing is that I think you need to prove your commitment to yourself to be able to resist the temptation to need the weed.

I also have just recently quit smoking marijuana and don't plan to start back up at all. (i smoked to sleep and calm my anxiety/depression not recreationally)

What I'm learning is just how notorious this occupation is for sleep pattern disruption issues, and anxiety causing issues Like Daily!

There's a bunch we can learn about this business because there is just so darn much to learn.

One of the things that has surprised me is that even the folks with years of experience in here are still learning. And the big wow is that they are doing it with one hand on the wheel while holding their life, and the lives of a bunch of others, in the other hand.

There is a ton you and I can learn just by being in here regularly, and you can't get that time back with your Wife and Kid.

I wouldn't look for reasons to rush it, I'd consider the reasons that going slow could set you up for you and ur Family's future success.

And congrats for having a family on the way. It changed my life!

For the last 5 1/2 weeks I've been out for a medical issue and then a nasty infection that I received on the operating table. It's been a bit of a tough road, but today I got clearance to go back to work. I can't wait.

How often has anyone ever heard someone say that about what they do for a living? That pretty much says it all.

Glad ur back up and got thru it Guzinta. Drive and smile baby, drive and just let 'em see that big ol' smile.

Never, never, never rely entirely on the GPS route. This is especially true when you are off the beaten path of Interstates and major state highways or require re-routing as a result of an unexpected detour.

When G-Town every says never, never, never about something.....to me that means copy and paste, then never do it..ever.

I understand. From what I can tell so far, this industry is one giant risk filled day everyday. You know you have folks here who will help you anyway they can, anytime they can. Try not to be nervous, think of it as an adventure and just take it as it comes.

I bet if you went to the company and told them the truth, I was thinking about not working here because I had a sh*tball of a person as a first experince, but I want to give it a try. They would focus on who they put you with. They already invested in you and don't want to lose you if they can help it. Ball is in their court.

If i was promised a cool clean positive hard working type guy to run teams with then I'd be all on board but the risk of it being someone i may not even click with sorta bothers me and i rather stop the process before it even starts.

What if you tried team driving and the guy they paired you with you got along with like you guys were best friends. And he also liked to keep the truck squeaky clean. But even if you didn't get a good one and just went to the company and said I don't like the guy and they paired u up with someone else who was that guy I mentioned above. And after a few shots you went to the company and said I tried. Sorry but I can't do it.

You would have gain the benefit of whatever you could glean from each of the drivers while getting mor experience behind the wheel. Then if you went to a different company, everyone would be on the same page with he tried.

Who every first said the phase to me "you never know until you try" for some reason it stuck. Hell I've practically turn it into mantra in life.

Seems to me you are assuming something that you don't actually know how it would be. What would it hurt to try?

And you would be following the advice from everyone here who has been in this industry and has the benefit of a perspective you and I can't possibly have yet.

Ernesto G.

Maybe you just lost your confidence and that's Ok. You can still have a longer term goal of OTR, but work on getting more confidence on smaller vehicles opportunities in the meantime. Which has more home time too.

You don't have to give up, try a different path headed to the same place.

Rainy D.

I hope my Daughter grows up with as much can do attitude as you have. It's easy to feel your enthusiasm for the work you do, but I suspect you have that enthusiasm for everything you do. I know if I grow up into the kind of trucker you are, I'll be just fine in this business. Thanks for setting such a good example for us to follow.

That's gotta feel soooooo good Robert M.

One of the best ways that experienced drivers get the longer runs is to make sure you are available at the right time of the day and have hours available to you. Any time you can empty out your truck first thing in the morning you are setting yourself up for the best loads. The dispatchers and planners get to know and recognize these drivers and keep them moving. That may require you to plan your trip so that you can get your ten hour break in before you deliver, and have a full clock available once you are empty.

I been banging around in here for a little while and probably didn't pay attention to clock management talk too much because it sounded like a "you'll figure it out in time with some experience" kinda of a thing. Maybe what Old School said above is just common knowledge, and I just missed it. But for me it's one of those golden nuggets. Maybe we're taught that in school and everyone just knows to try and do it that way.