Silly Question - Where Would I Pick Up My Truck - At A Terminal?

Thanks so much, Chris EMT. All the moving around! I assumed that I would just go to Allentown to be trained and that it would be it!

All the moving around!

Elizabeth, that is what we do... We are truck drivers after all. I think you really should spend some time learning about this career before you take the plunge. I know you seem to just be kicking tires right now, but I'm not sure you are really prepared for what we do as professional drivers.

You really should read Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving, perhaps that will help you get a better grip on this whole career and what it entails.

Dear Old School - I am process of giving up my apartment and moving in with friend. That got me to thinking "what if I earn the cdl and work for Werner? Where would I live?" I'll buy a copy of Becoming a Truck Driver by Trucking Truth's one and only Brett Aquila. The reason that I didn't buy it already is it's 10 years old - how has trucking changed since then? One obvious change is that it is harder to get a CDL now than it was when he wrote the book. Other driving rules have changed, as well. Thanks so much. Elizabeth

Elizabeth the book is free for download on the link.

And this is a lifestyle. You said you don't want to live on the truck but do you realize we only go home 3-4 days per MONTH? I live on my truck and am saving $1500-1800 per month by not paying rent/utilities. That money is now in my 401k and I'm finally almost entirely debt free.

We tell dispatch where in the country we want to take our "home time". So if I want a couple days in FL or San Diego, or the beach somewhere, or skiing...no big deal.

Back to the parking truck..you probably won't take home the trailer, so would only need " tractor space ". CVS let me park a couple times. Takes a few cars spaces.

Rainy D - I know about the 34-hour break. A day, day-and-a-half. That's why I don't want to rent an apartment to live in for four days a month.

I'm moving out of my apartment this month to literally sleep on a friend's sofa temporarily. Another friend has a little house in her backyard that is in the process of being renovated. Still another friend lives in a house in Sussex County, closer to Allentown, with an unused bedroom. If I drive a truck for Werner, I can move my personal furniture and possessions into the bedroom (no need for outside storage). Plus, my cat will get more attention before she's underfoot. I know, Rainy D, that you bring your cat along.

It is nice to be able to request a trip to a particular location: I have friends out of state and want to see them. That's one of the appeals of trucking - the opportunity to travel. We live in a beautiful country and I don't want to deal with the TSA. Heck, with the all the driving to job interviews and recruiters, I might as well as get paid to drive!

Too busy packing, so I haven't perused through the links that you forwarded. Brett's book is free - Yeah Thank you!

I don't know what the future will bring. I may get a good office job and this discussion with be moot. If I go into trucking, I might work for another company. Thanks so much for your assistance. You're a good bunch of people and I appreciate it.

Elizabeth the book is free for download on the link.

And this is a lifestyle. You said you don't want to live on the truck but do you realize we only go home 3-4 days per MONTH? I live on my truck and am saving $1500-1800 per month by not paying rent/utilities. That money is now in my 401k and I'm finally almost entirely debt free.

We tell dispatch where in the country we want to take our "home time". So if I want a couple days in FL or San Diego, or the beach somewhere, or skiing...no big deal.

Back to the parking truck..you probably won't take home the trailer, so would only need " tractor space ". CVS let me park a couple times. Takes a few cars spaces.

Living on a truck is not for everyone. Regardless of $$ saved. As OTR is not for everyone. There are many options out there. As Elizabeth has said repeatedly, she is in the process of moving in with a friend. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks, Shiva. I don't know what the future will bring. I may end up living in a truck, at least temporarily.

Elizabeth the book is free for download on the link.

And this is a lifestyle. You said you don't want to live on the truck but do you realize we only go home 3-4 days per MONTH? I live on my truck and am saving $1500-1800 per month by not paying rent/utilities. That money is now in my 401k and I'm finally almost entirely debt free.

We tell dispatch where in the country we want to take our "home time". So if I want a couple days in FL or San Diego, or the beach somewhere, or skiing...no big deal.

Back to the parking truck..you probably won't take home the trailer, so would only need " tractor space ". CVS let me park a couple times. Takes a few cars spaces.

Living on a truck is not for everyone. Regardless of $$ saved. As OTR is not for everyone. There are many options out there. As Elizabeth has said repeatedly, she is in the process of moving in with a friend. Just my 2 cents.

True there are many options out there. But most of those only come after "living in a truck" OTR for a year due to insurance reasons. In case Elizabeth doesn't know it, OTR may be a reality the first year unless she can get a regional or dedicated at one of the larger self insured carriers like Werner.

So whether you call it "living out of a truck" or staying with a friend, the fact is that the driver is on the truck for about 26 days per month. She stated she has options of which friend and where to go based on the company terminal , but company location does not necessarily matter.

I think that is what Old School and I were trying to convey. Repeatedly Elizabeth stated she could move closer to a terminal and when someone pointed out that they moved from terminal to terminal, she responded "that is a lot of moving". It seemed as though she did not realize that moving from terminal to terminal had no real affect on the driver. Our point was that is not necessary to go out of the way to move closer if that is not what she wants because it is not actually required.

Elizabeth brought up Werner and their terminal, not me. By her responses, it appeared she needs more information on trucking in general which is why we posted the links she did not read.

Elizabeth, its quite possible to ask Werner about dedicated or regional routes that would get you home more often so you aren't feeling trapped in the truck. However keep in mind, dedicated and local driving is often much harder for new drivers. Not only is the driving and backing tighter but the time management is harder.

I work for Prime and we do have regional and dedicated Northeast routes with a terminal in Pittston PA. I think Swift does too. So Werner is not your only option.

Also, be aware that " local" driving does not count as driving experience. Meaning that if you do find a driving job locally, but decide later to go regional or dedicated, companies will not appreciate your driving history the same.way. Therefore if you start out at Werner or any other company to get trained.. (Which you should stay a full year at your first company for a slew of reasons)...and then go local before the one year is up, you may need re-training if you decide to take advantage of the regional or dedicated options later.

That is why I posted the links for her to educate herself. Trucking is a lifestyle. Even local, regional, or dedicated. Perhaps she wants the trucking office job. Who knows.

Sorry if I sound redundant, or however it came across.

Rainy D - I am aware that I would almost certainly work at OTR as a newbie. If I face moving out of my area where I don't know anyone, I have a choice between living in the truck and renting a motel room for a night. Living in the truck is certainly a way to save money. Let me read the links before I make any more comments or ask any more questions. Thanks so much for the information that you provided and your patience.

Rainy D - I am aware that I would almost certainly work at OTR as a newbie. If I face moving out of my area where I don't know anyone, I have a choice between living in the truck and renting a motel room for a night. Living in the truck is certainly a way to save money. Let me read the links before I make any more comments or ask any more questions. Thanks so much for the information that you provided and your patience.

PHEW! It didn't sound that way, which is probably what I was trying to stress and doing a poor job of it. Lol sorry.

A lot of people have unrealistic expectations and go into this thinking they can go to school to get a CDL then go straight to a local job with no additional training....get weekends off...drive days...do drop and hooks.. Have nights at home and start out with top.pay. IF you can find that, awesome. But you'd also be competing with seasoned veterans. Those chances right away are slim. Some think that a CDL alone outs them in high demand, then they bounce from company to company the first year...which looks bad to future employers, limiting their options.

Regional and local.can be tough on newbies. I live in south jersey outside of Philly. I go to Kearney, Elizabeth, Newark and jersey city a couple times a month. They SUCK lol. I even called the cops on myself due to being forced to turn due to an accident then seeing a low bridge. Needed the cops to stop traffic for me to turn around lol. (My south philly Italian family did not understand calling the cops on myself lol).

I'll tell you, driving wise, OTR is much easier than Northeast regional IMO. The roads back home are narrower and harder to turn, the buildings aren't made for 53 ft trailers and you sometimes have really tight backing situations.

And unfortunately, some people waste a lot of time and thousands of dollars only to drive a couple of months before throwing in the towel. Mostly because they didn't research or ask enough questions before starting out.

I just want you to succeed. So ask away! ;)

BTW...hotels can be great. For some reason, when I had a jacuzzi I never used it. Now I get a jacuzzi suite quite often. Lol although I'm a snob and special ordered a top of the line mattress so it's actually nicer than the lower end motels.