What Are Your Personal Positives And Negatives Regarding Jockeying A Rig For A Living?

Well in general half of the negatives aren’t true and the other half you’ll stand a chance to encounter no matter what walk of life you choose

I am virtually my own boss. Nobody is ever breathing down my back. They give me a load (work assignment), they give me fuel stops, the rest is up to me. If I have problems I contact dispatch or road service, no more problem. I go home when I want for as long as I want. I get paid very well. I am a company driver.

Food in truck stops is junk, unless you like salads. Yes it costs more. However, there are Walmarts all over the country and at most of them one can stop long enough to shop for food. Exercise is up to the individual. Some people keep a bicycle, run, walk, use bands or weights on their trucks. Sure some truck stops are more dirty than others. You can thank nasty truckers for that.

I have not seen the riff raff you refer to. My day starts with a nice shower, breakfast, I fix it myself, and relax a bit before I start my clock, punch in to work. Pretrip, roll. Most days there is a fuel stop in my route, I try to mix a 30 minute break with that. Then drive park, eat sleep and do it again.

I don't get lonely. I listen to the radio, talk to family and friends and have a very active imagination. Did I mention I get to see the beauty of this country every day? Here is a pic I took when I stopped yesterday in Arizona at a truck stop.

The only way to get your truth out here is to do it.

Good luck.

I am genuinely curious where you get the idea we will be dealing with unsavory characters such as corrupt law enforcement officials and mobsters.

It seems that most of your preconceived notions about trucking stem from “Dukes of Hazzard” and Patrick Swayze movies.

It isn’t “Black Dog” and “Road House” out here.

I am genuinely curious where you get the idea we will be dealing with unsavory characters such as corrupt law enforcement officials and mobsters.

It seems that most of your preconceived notions about trucking stem from “Dukes of Hazzard” and Patrick Swayze movies.

It isn’t “Black Dog” and “Road House” out here.

Watch out for that "Right Boot", Eugene!

Scared of mobster but wanna join the union who started the teamsters?? Lol afraid of rain umbrellas sunshine ?? It’s a job that has its great things and some bad things like every job out there

Over my lifetime I've heard both good and bad things. Here are some of the things I have heard. To what extent are any of the following true? Please add anything you consider positive or negative about this line of work not listed here. Perception is not necessarily reality. Hollywood, TV, music, poetry, radio, the news media and the Internet can distort the raw facts about driving.

Truck Driving Perceived Positives

1. relatively handsome pay and benefits considering the minimum amount of hard physical labor required for the job duties; a man who worked in the building trades once told me truck driving was "for lazy people"... that was his own perception at least, it's not my opinion 2. being a "mega" driver has advantages: company drivers, though they have less freedom to be independent in their way of doing things, don't take on the serious economic risks that owner-operators take

Truck Driving Perceived Negatives

1. being away from home a long period of time 2. being exposed to unsavory people: violent people, corrupt people, criminal people, mobsters, racketeers 3. being at a high risk to encounter violent criminal elements 4. the lack of union representation for many company/OTR drivers 5. corporate greed truckers might have to deal with 6. lack of house-like living comforts and house-like living space over the road 7. keeping physically fit and thin can be difficult over the road 8. availability of hot, wholesome and affordable square meals can be limited; a barber of mine in 1985 once told me there was a time when truckers could find all you can eat ham and eggs for just $1.99 at roadside cafes; my barber used to stop at truck stop restaurants with waitresses for cheap and plentiful food while traveling 9. some truck stops have a reputation for being dirty (squalid) 10. living expenses out of pocket over the road can be high; some want to work and put as much money in the bank as possible, some don't want to work just to make truck stop owners rich 11. Uncle Sam and The Man make life difficult for truckers; too much red tape involved, log books, "chicken coops" and all that sort of irritating junk; do you inspect your personal automobile, or even your pickup truck towing a boat or travel trailer, before a road trip as meticulously as you inspect your semi truck? … some might think "it's just a stupid truck", not a sophisticated 747 jet plane or a NASA moon rocket after all so why all this mechanical scrutiny during pre-trips?? 12. OSHA might be too weak to aggressively protect the health and safety of working truck drivers 13. poorly-maintained roads and lack of truck-friendly infrastructure 14. speed traps and corrupt law enforcement in hick towns

I smell popcorn.

It will be another topic post in a few months, asking any number of obscure questions or pointing out it's observations that minimally relate to trucking. The Troll is predictable, and a pathetic waste of time, no matter what screen name it uses on here.

The negatives sound like the features from BJ and the Bear episodes or perhaps an alternative script for Convoy, Smokey and the Bear and dragnet combined. I just read that even as an employee, CDL holders can write off up to 80 dollars per day in food as a job expense. Im not sure how one would do write-offs as a W2 wage earner, although Ill still have an active business as well as wages from employment, so I wont have an issue with it. Im still trying to wrap my head around the mobsters and stuff...sounds like a fun job to me.

14. speed traps and corrupt law enforcement in hick towns

This one shouldn't be on here because it is easily avoided. The JJ Keller manual outlines a four-step process for the driver to follow if Ol'Smokey's got them ears on:

1. Dodge 'em.

2. Duck 'em.

3. Keep the diesel truckin'.

4. Put that hammer down and give it hell.

* Perform the steps in reverse order if west bound.

Midnight Fox wins the clown of the day award! That was funny!