How Long Did They Last In Trucking?
Topic 22080 | Page 1
The best way to really get some interesting numbers would be with an email to all of our members. That's an interesting idea, actually. Sort of a "where are they now?" kinda thing. We could get a ton of interesting stories and advice for sure. I'm going to ponder that.
Most people come through here to learn how to get started in the industry and survive that first year on the road, then disappear after that. Those who love to help others and enjoy this forum will stick around to give advice, which is what makes this place so valuable. We have such an outstanding group of talented professionals working for a wide range of companies hauling about every type of freight imaginable, and they're here because they enjoy helping out. Those are the best people you could ever hope to get advice from.
We get a bunch of long time members that pop up out of the blue from time to time just to say hi. We also have a ton of people lurking behind the scenes. It seems like a small, family-size forum but there are several thousand people reading along in the background every day.
That email idea is an interesting one though. I'm going to be thinking about that for sure.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Speaking for myself, I've been here at least a couple years I think. While you may not always see me, I'm here every day. Lurking.....watching ....judging.....
Been here since November of 15' and have been driving for Prime since Feb. 16. I'm dug in like an Alabama tick, and not going anywhere
I’ve been here a little over 4 yrs. Although some time away, but I always show back up sooner or later
There's no way to know by numbers of course. I look at this site a lot but I mostly lurk even though I haven't driven in a few months. I will say for myself, I gave it a year at Werner like many suggested here and between trying both OTR and regional dedicated I just didn't enjoy the lifestyle after several months. OTR became a grind very quickly as my dispatchers/load planners sent me to the same places over and over with the very occasional run to a small facility or somewhere I didn't usually go. I personally saw a LOT of Ohio and Pennsylvania which was quite boring after a while. The pay was slightly better once I went dedicated on a Coca-Cola account, staying in the northeast and being home every week made things easier but I still didn't have much of a life outside of work and was still quite homesick. So I found I would personally rather work less hours and sacrifice some money to have more time at home. I am glad I tried it though.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
I don't always post but I'm ALWAYS Lurking in the background reading everything. I'm coming up on 2 years driving experience at the end of this month. This site is what helped me to get started. Sooo much valuable information & it's all FREE! I'm glad I found this site 2 years ago when I did. 
Mr. T!
Good grief, how are you man?
It has been a long time - It's really good to hear from you!
I'm super glad to hear that you're still in the driver's seat.
Mr. T!
Good grief, how are you man?
It has been a long time - It's really good to hear from you!
I'm super glad to hear that you're still in the driver's seat.
Things have been Great! I'm newly Engaged, just got a new place, & have a GREAT Local gig driving for Dupre Logistics. Everything I've learned from this site has been nothing short of the truth. I've had some great days, I've had some horrible frustrating days, but in the end it all Worked itself out! I'm still here! So I guess I'm in that small percentage of drivers who actually finish out their first year? Trucking has definitely opened many doors & provided a great life for me & my family! But yes Great to be back active in the community! How have things been going for you?!
I came here when I was about to start CDL school (August 2015?) Obtained my CDL in a part time program and then went to my first company and still there 2.+ years later This forum definitely helped me beat the odds, very successfully, I might add.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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I've noticed this forum has 1278 pages of posts, some going as far back as 5 years. I've read where most truckers don't make it through their first year.
It'd definitely be interesting if we could look at the names of the folks that have been posting all this time and see how many are still on the road.
Kind of figure out what the numbers are like on this forum.
We might find them a bit higher here because of the support and guidance this forum offers but, there's still going to be a good percentage that probably aren't around any more.