Comments By Jonathan Bailey

Jonathan Baily wrote:

10 hours to do personal business a day. So, the other 14 hours is on the employer's clock?

The 10 hours is the minimum required off-duty time required after driving the maximum of 11 hours. Can you take a longer break? Yes, as long as you can make your delivery appointment. Most of us the majority of that 10 hour period for sleep...you'll need it. "On-the-employer's-clock" is a concept foreign to most of us in the trucking business. It's your clock Patrick was referring to. We are paid to drive with either a CPM (cents per mile) rate or a percentage of the freight bill. There is a small percentage of drivers paid hourly. See this link for a detailed description:

Learn The Logbook Rules (HOS)

The 14 hours you asked about is the maximum amount of on-duty hours allowed that you can drive 11 hours within.

Thank you, G-Town, I now see this more clearly. The more you deliver a month, the fatter paychecks get. So, this is a fluctuating pay occupation. No time clocks to punch. It sounds like this is a job where people learn largely by doing and not from a textbook. It would be nice to look at documentary films on truckers in the work place to see exactly how they live day to day. How they manage their time. How they get the laundry done even. Since it seems they are on the road most of the time, it is as if their truck is their wife they are married to. This seems a life for gypsies and monks. It seems as this occupation requires a lot of careful planning. Truckers are human too. They are not supermen. They, like army troops, have to eat, sleep, shave, sh_t, shower, go to the doctor on occasions, go to the dentist on occasions, wash clothes and manage personal bills and finances like everybody else. I am sure modern truckers carry notebook PCs and smartphones on the road these days.

I have heard that Swift drivers at least stay at hotel rooms not in sleeper cabs. That is nice.

Well...... where to start....

Okie dokie, here goes.

1). ALL major carriers are big on safety. That simple. You can't grow a company if you are constantly paying fines and repairing crashes vehicles.

2) standard is 1 day home for every week out. There are some companies that will work with you more on home time than others. But this isn't the military and you are not salaried. If you are sitting on your butt at home you are just going broke.

3) You can be as sociable as you want as long as you make sure the freight is where it has to be on time and safe.

4) most companies will try their best to pair up rookies with a trainer of the same tobacco preferences. Once you are solo it is your house. You can choose to have it non smoking in your truck. However, you may have to wipe down the walls and febreeze the seats. There is a good chance whoever had the truck before you was a smoker.

5). No one is going to dictate your diet. If you don't drink coffee and soda; stock up all the water you can carry. You want healthy meals, make sure to pony out the money for a crockpot, lunchbox oven, and a 12v skillet. Don't forget the thermoelectric cooler. Remember you have 10hrs to eat, sleep, exercise, and conduct personal hygiene. Divide that time up however you want.

10 hours to do personal business a day. So, the other 14 hours is on the employer's clock?

A company that offers a greater amount of home time will likely be a short-haul or regional operator: in other words, no sleeper cabs in the fleet. If a driver wants a healthy meal, the food will have to "BE AVAILABLE" for him on the job. If they work you too much overtime against your will, the ability to get the proper amount of quality sleep will be in question.

Very few trucking companies allow their greenhorn rookies to dictate their demands.

It's very irritating that I had to set down my fresh avocado half, drizzled in fresh lime juice, to respond to this. I am curious where you have gained all this superficial knowledge of our industry. Surely you know that you can't trust about 89% of what you read on the Internet.

I drove twelve hundred miles in the last two days, and will do another six hundred tomorrow. All of that in a "sleeper cab." During those three days I will have had three different break periods of ten hours each to sleep in. It is my responsibility to get the proper rest, not the company's.

I've had good fresh food available to me "on the job," because I took the initiative to keep it available in my truck. Let's see, how many Wal-Mart stores did I drive by today? Darn, I've lost track, but it only required a quick thirty minute break to stop at one of them to replenish my "healthy" grocery supplies for the following week.

We may be able to help you make a successful start at this career, but it's going to be an uphill battle. You have already poisoned yourself at the altar of "bogus research results." If you promise to hang around with us, and quit using your Google search bar as your moral compass then we might be able to re-program your grey matter in a direction that is helpful. My guess is that you found us a little too late.

Too late for what?

I have not been getting input from Google but radio and television.

First of all, I was hoping from input especially from local Idaho truckers. I live in Boise, Ada County, Idaho, this state;'s capital city.

Where have I been getting these ideas about American trucking? From a local Boise, ID radio commercial from a local trucking outfit stating that their drivers get plenty of "home time" and that they "have not one sleeper in their fleet". I did not catch their name but I am going to write their name down next time I hear them on my radio station, KBOI, 670 AM, Boise, ID that I listen too everyday. I get some of my ideas from listening to the radio.

I would like a 40-hour work week. Union-scale or better pay/benefits. Certainly, long haul trucking is NOT my bag at my age. I have to think short haul or regional. An associates degree on my resume should be worth something to a hiring company too. As a disabled American, I will be able to work with my state's voc/rehab department for job assistance. They may or may not support my getting in the trucking field. I will have to consult with them.

Some companies may give veterans preference for hiring too. A vet-friendly firm is "more the merrier" for me.

Is trucking right for me? Depends upon the company, the specific position, and its "corporate culture". That is what it all boils down to.

I am a man in my 50's. No spring chicken. I need my beauty sleep every night at my age. I am on disability right now but expect to be able to get back on the work force within one year's time. Those dry vans might be my best bet.

What is your company's CORPORATE CULTURE? This is the 21st century. I hope even the American trucking trade has caught up with the more enlightened modern era.

"Very few trucking companies allow their greenhorn rookies to dictate their demands."

Then perhaps, it is those special few companies that I must seek. I won't dictate anything to a company. I have to know the company's policy and practices. It will either work for me or won't.

Are you a SLAVE of your company?

My lifestyle will be reflected in how many hours a week they will work me for, basically, and the days and times I will be scheduled for duty. The longer hours they work me, the less TIME I will have to provide myself a quality life style. It all boils down to TIME MANAGEMENT.

The company can say I have to do this and that as a condition for hire but I can take or leave the job being offered.

Do any companies hire by CONTRACT their drivers?

A company that offers a greater amount of home time will likely be a short-haul or regional operator: in other words, no sleeper cabs in the fleet. If a driver wants a healthy meal, the food will have to "BE AVAILABLE" for him on the job. If they work you too much overtime against your will, the ability to get the proper amount of quality sleep will be in question.

Very few trucking companies allow their greenhorn rookies to dictate their demands.

It's very irritating that I had to set down my fresh avocado half, drizzled in fresh lime juice, to respond to this. I am curious where you have gained all this superficial knowledge of our industry. Surely you know that you can't trust about 89% of what you read on the Internet.

I drove twelve hundred miles in the last two days, and will do another six hundred tomorrow. All of that in a "sleeper cab." During those three days I will have had three different break periods of ten hours each to sleep in. It is my responsibility to get the proper rest, not the company's.

I've had good fresh food available to me "on the job," because I took the initiative to keep it available in my truck. Let's see, how many Wal-Mart stores did I drive by today? Darn, I've lost track, but it only required a quick thirty minute break to stop at one of them to replenish my "healthy" grocery supplies for the following week.

We may be able to help you make a successful start at this career, but it's going to be an uphill battle. You have already poisoned yourself at the altar of "bogus research results." If you promise to hang around with us, and quit using your Google search bar as your moral compass then we might be able to re-program your grey matter in a direction that is helpful. My guess is that you found us a little too late.

Too late for what?

I have not been getting input from Google but radio and television.

First of all, I was hoping from input especially from local Idaho truckers. I live in Boise, Ada County, Idaho, this state;'s capital city.

Where have I been getting these ideas about American trucking? From a local Boise, ID radio commercial from a local trucking outfit stating that their drivers get plenty of "home time" and that they "have not one sleeper in their fleet". I did not catch their name but I am going to write their name down next time I hear them on my radio station, KBOI, 670 AM, Boise, ID that I listen too everyday. I get some of my ideas from listening to the radio.

I would like a 40-hour work week. Union-scale or better pay/benefits. Certainly, long haul trucking is NOT my bag at my age. I have to think short haul or regional. An associates degree on my resume should be worth something to a hiring company too. As a disabled American, I will be able to work with my state's voc/rehab department for job assistance. They may or may not support my getting in the trucking field. I will have to consult with them.

Some companies may give veterans preference for hiring too. A vet-friendly firm is "more the merrier" for me.

Is trucking right for me? Depends upon the company, the specific position, and its "corporate culture". That is what it all boils down to.

I am a man in my 50's. No spring chicken. I need my beauty sleep every night at my age. I am on disability right now but expect to be able to get back on the work force within one year's time. Those dry vans might be my best bet.

What is your company's CORPORATE CULTURE? This is the 21st century. I hope even the American trucking trade has caught up with the more enlightened modern era.

"Quality of life" variously means:

1. the company is highly safety and OSHA conscious 2. more home time for drivers 3. good social life for drivers 4. non-smoking environment for health-conscious drivers 5. job is conducive to good healthy lifestyle: healthy wholesome low-fat meals, no coffee or caffeine, proper amount of sleep and exercise to stay in trim shape

Jonathan, you will be the one who has control over all of those concerns, yes even home time. My company neither determines, or has control over, any of the things you mention. They never dictate what I should eat, how to conduct my social life, how much I should sleep, or even how much home time I should take.

They have a job that needs doing, and I get that done. They love a person who understands that principle, and let them determine all those periferal concerns you have.

Ok, they do have a job that needs doing but will they still accommodate a health-conscious employee? In other words, they don't STAND IN THE WAY of "quality of life"? For instance, they won't put a smoker in the cab of a non-smoking driver against his will, will they not? The company will strictly abide by the driver log and federal regulations? They will strictly follow OSHA rules? A company that offers a greater amount of home time will likely be a short-haul or regional operator: in other words, no sleeper cabs in the fleet. If a driver wants a healthy meal, the food will have to "BE AVAILABLE" for him on the job. If they work you too much overtime against your will, the ability to get the proper amount of quality sleep will be in question.

What are your favorite local private-sector companies or government agencies to drive for?

Which ones give the drivers a high level of quality of life? I want to examine corporate culture.

"Quality of life" variously means:

1. the company is highly safety and OSHA conscious 2. more home time for drivers 3. good social life for drivers 4. non-smoking environment for health-conscious drivers 5. job is conducive to good healthy lifestyle: healthy wholesome low-fat meals, no coffee or caffeine, proper amount of sleep and exercise to stay in trim shape

Yes, a new-wave trucking company for yuppie/nerd/geek types maybe. I have an associates degree in computer information science but IT is a tough field to get into for a newbie.

I am an army veteran with near 7 years experience as a fleet medium diesel truck mechanic and have much military driving experience of class-5 vehicles including tractor-trailers with air brakes and wrecker truck operation for field recovery. See those recovery guys on The Weather Channel's "Highway Thru Hell" series for details.

All too often I hear on the media about the stereotypical unhealthy and depressing life of career truckers.

A job should benefit a human life and serve society and not degrade a worker's health. Military life was tough for me but it promotes good health too.

I am willing to seriously consider career trucking but don't want to incur cancer or heart disease from it. I am non-smoking and health conscious.

What on-the -go provisions are there for:

1. refrigeration? 2. cooking, kitchen, stoves? 3. washing dishes, pots and pans? 4. food storage?

This question is for long-haul truckers.

I don't know how often American long-haul truckers return home.

How often do short-haul American drivers usually return home by the way?

Would an older (50+) American military veteran have an easier time landing a short-haul position than a young person? A short-haul position would seem to be more favorable to older people especially pet owners. I can't take on any trucking occupation unless it can accommodate a healthful overall lifestyle. I hear all too often of American truckers in poor health. I care more of my health than what money can be made as a driver.

I am a lifetime bachelor and a dog owner: no family life. If I were to be away from home long time on the job, I would be stuck with the costs of a pet sitter. If there is no room for pet ownership in this trade, then trucking is not my cup of tea.

Frankly, I feel American railroads should haul the overwhelming majority of freight for the most miles over land and trucking should carry it up to perhaps the first or last 5 to 250 miles from and to the customers on the ends. Inter-modal, road-railers and piggy back is a boon for this.

The vast majority of on-road truck transport should be local or regional: between the rail/ship/air terminal and the end customer. This would also afford a better quality of life for most truck drivers. A lot of short trips during the work week, returning home virtually daily, and damn few coast-to-coast turnarounds. I say let the train men live on the steel roads like gypsies.

I also feel drivers for construction companies will be closest to home the most amount of time. These drivers haul heavy equipment and raw materials as dirt, soil, gravel, sand and concrete for civil engineering and construction projects. How tough are construction driving positions to land?

By SALARY I mean a flat monthly paycheck. I want an occupation with long-term steady pay to keep me in a middle-class lifestyle. I want to live the American Dream. A "Mayberry Street" house of my own and a new Toyota Tundra. A sound retirement plan.

I don't know the term DETENTION except for being kept after school as punishment.

I guess there is a steep learning curve to trucking.

I would want to work for a company that is safety conscious and abides by the rules of the "comic book" (and the law), seriously, not pushing drivers over legal hours.

I hope President Donald Trump makes life better for American truckers.

Better pay. Better benefits. Longer life. Better health. Less wrecks. Less clogged arteries from truck stop food. More happiness. Better R&R quality of life overall.

More job opportunity. More job creation. I would think an escalation in American infrastructure and construction should be a boon for American truckers. What about driving for construction firms? Dump trucks? Hauling earth movers on lowboys?

...Naturally, salaried pay, more so under contract, would usually beat hourly wages....

If you are hoping to get a salaried position, you might be disappointed. The vast majority of companies by their drivers by the mile. A smaller portion of the companies will pay you a percentage of the load revenue. And the smallest amount, will pay hourly, or salary. Most companies will also include extra pay, like detention, multiple drops, Tarping (if flatbed), and also offer bonuses for fuel savings, and safety bonuses.

If this is not what you meant, then I apologize for the assumption.

Thank you, Miss Rainy!

It sounds like courier service positions should be avoided like the plague.

I remember the story on the news, late 1990's, about a UPS manager who was killed because union drivers were on strike. He drove the damn rig off an overpass bridge and was not even trained and qualified to drive if my memory served me correctly!

I am safety conscious. I don't court an early death from reckless driving. The army rigs I drove were geared down for field use and were lucky to break 50 mph on the highway. I even had a front tire (re-grooved) blowout in one at 50 mph once but still pulled her off to the side like a pro! Naturally, salaried pay, more so under contract, would usually beat hourly wages. If the company and equipment for driving is decent, I can overlook the lack of classic American styling.

Being a veteran, I can see if there are any civil service (state, federal, local) driving positions as well. I am also a college grad with an associates of science in computer information technology. I can even put a degree on my resume.

Most truckers prefer short haul over long haul but I gather those with seniority get short haul duty. Correct?

As far as my diet, can truckers cook their own meals on the go? I like barbecued grilled meats a lot. I understand today's sleepers are quite commodious. Yes, I buy my meats at Walmart.

As far as exercise goes, I was thinking of gym equipment at truck stops to work out on down time. What hard work is involved in flatbeds? Loading them? Tightening the straps? I once met a man who was a union trucker who said laborers did all the loading and unloading, not drivers.

Perhaps, a classic KW W900 could be a lifetime dream rig should I ever become an O/O. Some American company drivers go O/O later in their careers. I have have still yet to learn the advantages/disadvantages of being company vs owner/operator.

Perhaps, those classic chrome-laden KW's and Petes have a steeper retail price tag than the run-of-the-mill aero-style tractors and maybe that's why companies also favor them. I know Freightliner and Western Star also have classic-look trucks in their product lines.

Are there any special career driving opportunities for American veterans? Federal, state, local government entities?

I live in Boise, ID.

Have I ever had a CDL? No. A Class A (CA) learner's permit? Yes. California in 1997. I applied to Swift in Stockton, CA but was passed over.

Is the prospect for a man age 52 getting into American trucking good these days?

I am an Army veteran with seven years as a (primary diesel) mechanic by trade. I have experience driving military vehicles up to 5-ton class including tractor/semitrailers.

Also, what truck makes/models are in the fleets of most American companies and government entities these days? I have a hankering and life-long dream for manning the wheel of a Kenworth W900. Perhaps, Peterbilts with classic styling as well. I, a baby-boomer old-schooler, don't like these new-fangled aero-look rigs that look like worn-down soap bars. Are most company trucks these days these insipid things without classic style? Is KW W900 reserved solely for the owner/operator?

What do you think of courier service semi driving as for USPS, FedEx and UPS?

What do you think of the Teamsters union?

Another thing, can today's American trucker lead a life in good health and physical fitness? I don't fancy eating greasy truck stop food. Will the trucking industry accommodate gear-jammers who are health-food nuts as well? My diet is comparable to that of the late fitness guru Jack Lalane and his brother. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs. Does today's trucker have the opportunity to stay trim and physically fit?

Having been a soldier for seven years, I am used to work that is inherently not easy. I feel American truckers must still lead a much better life than janitors and other minimum-wage unskilled laborers. Trucking for a living still must beat shoveling horse manure in the hot sun. I am a confirmed bachelor so that is a boon too.

I can't see driving's being any more physically demanding than being a fleet truck mechanic which was what I was by trade in military service. None of my army trucks had air conditioners and many did not even have cab heaters! I drove them on field maneuvers a lot come snow, hell or high water.