I Can't Believe This.

I wake up everyday happy. I am living in the moment and enjoy each day as it comes. I think of the future, but at the same time I am focused on the task at hand.

I can't believe I am paid to drive a big vehicle around the country. I can't believe that I have already made life long friends from random encounters on the job. I can't believe people tried to keep me from doing this.

I feel awesome today. Yeah the wind has been following me everyday, but I say it's Wyoming training! The oil field guys basically ran me off the road yesterday, but I am alive right? Heck I basically daycabbed a little in Laredo, but now I got a nice little run to Oklahoma.

I can't believe this and to those on the fence, make a few calls look around some more. Forget about the negative reviews. I work for one of the most hated companies. So many horror stories and I have none to share. All I have to share is a better life and life free of my old crippling depression!

Devan, I love the attitude! You and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum. You, 21 years old, just starting your first career. Me, 56 and starting my LAST.(fingers crossed)lol. I can no imagine doing this at your age. I have lots of life experience behind me to guide me through alot of the BS in this world. I commend you for plowing through all that you have. I know you were ready to throw in the towel more than omce in the last few months, but you stuck It out. You have been open with your fears, emotions,highs and lows on this forum. I takes a real MAN and lots of maturity to do what you have done. Kudos to you my friend, you will do very well in this business and in life. Glad you had a GREAT DAY!

John the Tractor Man

Don't say "I can't believe..." Believing is seeing. Believe you are living the dream and enjoy it to the fullest.

Devan, I love the attitude! You and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum. You, 21 years old, just starting your first career. Me, 56 and starting my LAST.(fingers crossed)lol. I can no imagine doing this at your age. I have lots of life experience behind me to guide me through alot of the BS in this world. I commend you for plowing through all that you have. I know you were ready to throw in the towel more than omce in the last few months, but you stuck It out. You have been open with your fears, emotions,highs and lows on this forum. I takes a real MAN and lots of maturity to do what you have done. Kudos to you my friend, you will do very well in this business and in life. Glad you had a GREAT DAY!

John the Tractor Man

Thanks tractor man. It is awesome to see so many of us on the forum becoming solo drivers around the same time. I try to be as honest about my experiences so those that romanticize like I do can see the reality of being a rookie driver. Also good luck on the next part. It is overwhelming at first, but once you get those wheels spinning it is quite the experience!

Great post Devan!

There are so many rewards to this career, many of them are perhaps intangible. The feelings of accomplishment and the pleasures of new sights seen each day are rewarding in ways that few people outside of trucking understand.

Great post Devan!

There are so many rewards to this career, many of them are perhaps intangible. The feelings of accomplishment and the pleasures of new sights seen each day are rewarding in ways that few people outside of trucking understand.

Definitely. That is why I just laugh now when I see someone complaining. I love how we decide our fate. As a cashier I was making $350 every 2 weeks whether I was a good or bad employee. Now I decide how much money I want to make. Obviously dispatch controls it a little more, but if one is willing to work they will let you work. Thanks for your wisdom OS. It helps me keep my head up when I am worried about foolish things

Great post Devan!

There are so many rewards to this career, many of them are perhaps intangible. The feelings of accomplishment and the pleasures of new sights seen each day are rewarding in ways that few people outside of trucking understand.

Definitely. That is why I just laugh now when I see someone complaining. I love how we decide our fate. As a cashier I was making $350 every 2 weeks whether I was a good or bad employee. Now I decide how much money I want to make. Obviously dispatch controls it a little more, but if one is willing to work they will let you work. Thanks for your wisdom OS. It helps me keep my head up when I am worried about foolish things

That's such a great point! I'm 23 and as a cashier I used to make roughly the same or less every two weeks. I'm still in training with my company right now but whenever I get out on the road I feel so happy and at home. It really boggles my mind at the complainers who find every little thing wrong with the industry. You wonder why they don't pack up and leave, but it's so good to actually enjoy and love what you do!

I'm still in training with my company right now but whenever I get out on the road I feel so happy and at home. It really boggles my mind at the complainers who find every little thing wrong with the industry.

Oh man, when I was first going through CDL training I don't think I slept for weeks I was so excited all the time. I couldn't wait to get out there and see what it was really like to live life as a trucker. But hey, I always love an adventure and a challenge and how cool is driving a big rig, right?

Every day on the road you'll have 1,000 things happen that could annoy you and a 1,000 things that could thrill you. Everyone has to choose whether they're going to sweat the small stuff or count their blessings. It's all in how you handle it most of the time.

There is no shortage of drivers with crummy attitudes but I'll tell ya, some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet in your life are truckers. You never know who you're going to randomly sit next to at the restaurant counter or the shipping office. There are some amazing characters out there.

Happy for you Devan. You earned it.

There is no shortage of drivers with crummy attitudes but I'll tell ya, some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet in your life are truckers. You never know who you're going to randomly sit next to at the restaurant counter or the shipping office. There are some amazing characters out there.

That is so true. Awhile back I talked with an owner op while we were waiting to get loaded at some slow shipper. He's 70 and has had about five different lifetimes of stuff he's done.

He's hauled all kinds of stuff over his 50-year career and had really interesting stories about the packing houses in Sioux City, which is where I went to high school. (One of those packing houses went bust and sold their trucks and the name to a little company called Swift. This guy remembered when the packing house had their own trucks with that name on the door.)

He also owned a carnival for a while, and still drives for one part of the year.

There's lots more, but maybe you'll run into him one day.

He's just one of dozens of interesting people I've met driving a truck. Sure beats sitting in an office and dealing with the same people day after day. I'm totally with you, Devan! It's an awesome job!