Comments By Alexander D.

It is good to dream, I actually am doing this as a means to an end. I enjoy it thoroughly and it may end up becoming my life, but I have some other things I want to do as well. After a while you might realize that the truck is all you may need. Really all i need is some good food and internet and I am content.

As Dave Ramsey would say........"Live like nobody else, so you can Live like nobody else." Think about it!

I don't know if this is going to copy and paste right but I agree and dreams are good. I may be only trying to get funding for Truckers school and that's my goal right now but somewhere's towards the end I see an old farm near mountains, a creek with a field too. Old structures and nothing to listen to but the sounds of nature maybe somewhere's along the appalachians ..............bought & paid for?.........well I can dream. And I'll take the sound advice and study study study before school even starts. I feel real hopeful about my future. This is a real positive website.

You all make a very interesting case for the Nomadic Life - it seems like it's a matter of being creative with uber and airbnb or even a nice hotel by the beach for a vacation. I forgot about airbnb - that is affordable and convenient to locate on a cell phone. I got a mom and sister/family at a spread in Arizona but I don't think I'd want to stay there. I could might use their address for technical reasons. I'm still trying to get Federal funding for school and I am a green horn but that don't mean I can't be Big Rig Dreaming. I can send my two dogs to live in Arizona as my mom has OK'd that and I can see letting go of this rental and all or most of my possessions - most are replaceable and watching TV and other entertainment can probably be done right in the Truck. Ok ,so it's fun to Dream but I got study first - I'm afraid I'm going to screw this whole thing up and be left with nothing but a sack in my hands. HAHAHA

That actually sounds pretty good

Should I renew my lease and keep a house to live, in as a green horn pursuing my trucking endeavors or should I not have any house to live in at all and then what.........I have to renew my Lease in two weeks but could I save money just being on the road without a house and no possessions? Please answer honestly about having your own pad to crash at or not having one. Thanks!! House to live for down time or flying by the seat of my pants .....cheap motels, who knows...? Please respond honestly and from your own experience if possible.

Alexander, I agree with Rick on this one. If you have a legitimate reason it is okay to ask for a different trainer, but make dang sure it is a legitimate reason that you can no longer deal with and it concerns your safety or making sure you are running legally. The time with a trainer is really just a buffer period for the company to help you adjust to the lifestyle and the rigorous schedule of a life on the road. We sometimes liken it to training wheels on a bicycle. Eventually those training wheels go away, but you still aren't proficient at riding that bike. After you skin your knees a few times you begin to get the idea of how to make it work.

I understand people's apprehension with being stuck with a trainer that they don't connect with. I had a terrible time with my trainer - I documented much of that time in this forum, but there were so many stories I never shared here. This is the first thing my trainer asked me when we met... "Say man, do you like girls with big bootys?" I knew I was in for an experience when that was the first thing out of his mouth! He even picked up a woman to ride with us while we made a stop at a Wal-Mart for groceries! I had stayed in the truck just to take a break from him, and I had enough supplies for myself. After about thirty minutes of waiting in the truck I see him coming out to the truck with a cart of groceries and a woman walking along with him. When she saw me in the truck, she said, "Who's dat?" Trainer says, "Oh that's my trainee." Irate woman says, "You aint said nothing bout no trainee riding along with us, all you said was you was gonna take me to New York City! I aint riding along with both of you dudes, you gotta be crazy!" She left, and I breathed a sigh of relief!

I recommend that folks try to stick it out with their trainer. I've been criticized for my position on this, but for me it was the best way to handle that time. I actually learned a lot from a guy who I never would have been friends with on any level. He really wasn't very good at training, he really just wanted somebody to help him turn some miles, but I questioned him about the things I wanted to know or wasn't comfortable with and he gave me the answers. Some of his advice I knew was questionable just because of my exposure to this forum, and I could mark it off as bad advice. You can read a little story I put together about my training experience that is in our Blogs Section of the web site.

One more thing, I consider that entire rookie year as a training period. There is no possible way for you to learn everything you need to know to be successful out here during a four week training session - that is why I refer to it as a buffer period. You will learn so much more while you are on your own, and with a supportive group like you will find here at Trucking Truth, you can always jump in here for some advice when you need it.

It's tough spending that time with a trainer, but it is a short time in the overall scheme of things. Don't be the guy who wants to switch trainers for a trivial reason, and then goes from the frying pan into the fire. Hang tight, prove you can handle a little pressure, because brother the pressure is going to multiply as soon as you are off that trainer's truck. I was elated to be rid of my trainer, and then about three days later I was just wishing like crazy I had him there in the jump seat so I could ask him a question or two about the predicament I was in!

That was a pretty interesting story it actually painted a picture of my head with the whole Walmart dealio Lol. Yeah, I appreciate both your responses. I was afraid I'd bump heads with my Trainer or just think he was useless or even worse might be that I didn't measure up to his standards! So generally speaking if it's legal, safe and no **** bottles flying around - It's a learning lesson of dealing with people but more importantly I'll be focused on Listening and asking lot's of questions.........................He can fire me for asking too many questions if he thinks he can.

True enough on the studying part and definitely interesting on the bank rolling nomadic lifestyle ........

None. I'm watching youtube video's but you answered my question. I am trying to get federal funding for school.

I'm still waiting on ,now, Federally funding for school (I feel grateful I can apply) my "State" funding fell through. This has actually been good cause I've been able to really see that I'm excited about this Industry as I do more and more research here and Youtube vid's and company's. I am attempting to get into a school and then Train with some company and get my year under my belt no matter what. Thanks to you at this website I've learned that Trucking is all about Attitude, listening, work ethic. My intention is to play my cards right and enjoy a good lifestyle of Trucking being an asset to a company - a valued employee and then doing my best all the time. I won't lie, I get nervous thinking about what's ahead of me but if I stay away from those negative people on the internet then I feel real hopeful about a good future. I've looked at Terminal's in my area thinking that I should work for a company with one close to where I live. Well having said all that I'll keep focusing on the practice tests right here! I'm actually thinking I can re-home my two dogs and not re-new my lease and just go all in on being an OTR Trucker. With kids all grown and me being single again............Integrity and bank rolling is my goal in a nut shell. Any advice? Does my plan seem realistic? Anyone else not have a home and just lead a nomadic life? Have a good day.

If you don't connect on many levels with your Trainer would it count against you if you asked your company for a new one? Are there legitimate reasons to ask for a new trainer?

Brett posted this a while back and it's been the most positive statement for me today.

So if you want to be treated well by a company there's a simple formula for making that happen. You go in there from day one with a super positive attitude and a willingness to work hard, listen and learn, and pay your dues. You take whatever they throw at you - old equipment, lousy runs, a trainer with a filthy mouth, a dirty hotel room - whatever it is you deal with it safely and professionally and keep moving forward. Wake up each morning with one goal in mind - to safely get through the day and prove to your company that you have what it takes to be a true professional out there and you'll do everything in your power to make that happen.

Once a company knows that you're a safe, hard working, reliable driver that knows how to get along with people they'll put you on that "A list". When you have a problem they'll listen. When you need a favor they'll do whatever they can for ya. When you make a judgment call they'll trust you.

Of course you're dealing with large corporations and from time to time you're going to have to deal with some bad apples and tough circumstances. I've had lousy dispatchers. I've had mechanics make problems worse. I've had slow weeks when the freight just wasn't there for whatever reason. You're going to have that kind of thing from time to time. But don't confuse a bad apple or tough circumstances with a bad company. If you're not getting the miles, maybe it's your dispatcher that's the problem, maybe your company lost a big customer, or maybe freight is just slow right now. If you're in a lousy truck, maybe you just have to convince those who assign trucks that you've earned a better one. If you wind up getting home a day late maybe it's because freight is slow and they had trouble finding a load going past your house.

So often a new driver will misinterpret a situation. They think they're being mistreated when "that's just trucking". They think they're being singled out for something when in reality they deserved to get their butt chewed out for it. They think they're being lied to when they're not. And naturally you're going to make bad decisions when they're based on misinterpretations. You're going to get frustrated, you're going to start lashing out at people within your own company, and it quickly escalates into a huge mess when all you had to do was roll with the punches a little bit and tomorrow would have been a better day.

If you're safe, hard working, reliable, and know how to get along with people you'll do well at pretty much any job you take in trucking. If you're not, you're going to be miserable anywhere you go. The perks are there for the top tier drivers. Focus on proving yourself to be a top tier driver and then you can command the respect and treatment the best drivers get.