Sitting In A Truck All Day

Hi John C., prior to trucking I had a job for almost 18 years where I had a 1 hour drive to work and a 1 hour drive home 6 days per week. I didn't like it but I didn't hate it either. I was a fairly aggressive driver as well. Driving a truck mellowed me out since I can't exactly hotrod in it. As mentioned, there is a ton of stuff you must constantly monitor driving a truck that you pay no attention to in a car. It does sometimes become monotonous and boring, like watching the paint dry (pun intended) but most of the time it is fairly engaging between maintaining your lane, speed, gauges, 6 mirrors, road hazards, idiots in cars doing stupid stuff, animals, directions, people on the on ramps that don't know how to merge, aggressive drivers (i know), reading literally every single road sign and of course the beautiful scenery outside your windows. The hardest thing for me to get used to....the seats hurt my butt for several weeks and I had to move my wallet to a front pocket. I live fulltime in my truck and have for 3 years now, half of that with my dog.

Knowing that every mile you go you just made more money does help. You are the captain of your own truck so if you're feeling anxious ir tired just pull over for 5 or 10 minutes, get out and walk or do some light exercises or take a nap. We are not trapped in the seat 8-12 hours a day. We are bound to it but far from trapped. As long as you pick up and deliver your assigned loads on time, what you do with your down time and how many breaks or stops you make on the way are up to you.

If you're doing LTL , whether linehaul or P&D , there's a good chance you'll spend part of your day loading and unloading the trailers. I know some drivers seem to think they'll get cooties if they have to actually touch freight, but I enjoyed the variety and physical activity as a nice break from all that time spent sitting there holding a steering wheel. And linehaul is generally overnight, so you'll rarely spend a lot of time stuck in traffic.

I drove for almost 2 years in 05-06. When I went to driving school my friends just laughed and made bets in how long before I road raged and/or quit because I hated to ride and/or drive. I loved it. I was very calm in traffic etc I loved driving thru LA believe it or not. Hated Atlanta. I had one mild rage incident in Knoxville around 4am, construction zone, lady in front of me was all over the road talking on her cell phone etc 50 mph then 35, then 45, up down all around. I laid on my air horn. I could see the cell phone fly from your hand and bounce off right side window. She took the next exit. Enough rambling. Its a different ball game but fun.

If you're doing LTL , whether linehaul or P&D , there's a good chance you'll spend part of your day loading and unloading the trailers. I know some drivers seem to think they'll get cooties if they have to actually touch freight, but I enjoyed the variety and physical activity as a nice break from all that time spent sitting there holding a steering wheel. And linehaul is generally overnight, so you'll rarely spend a lot of time stuck in traffic.

How does linehaul and LTL work, exactly? Like I hear these terms thrown around, and I have a vague notion about them, but I don't get it entirely. Help a noob out. My ideal trucking job would be to do the same route every night.

Chris P asks:

How does LTL and line haul , exactly?

Although they are related, they are two different things.

Please read this link found in the TT glossary of terms: LTL Definition

Primary LTLs (Less Than Load) include YRC, ABF, Old Dominion, Fed Ex Freight and T-Force (formerly UPS Freight. There are secondary carriers like R&L. They all have

Linehaul Operations

UPS and Fed Ex Ground (parcel carriers) also has linehaul. Most food service companies (Sysco, USFoods and PFG) have a form of line haul called shuttling and typically run overnight.

My string suggestion is to carefully weigh your options; and steer clear of Pickup and Delivery (P&D) jobs in the LTL arena. P&D is too risky and difficult for a rookie driver.

Hope this helps!

The glossary links I posted for you are not direct. You’ll need to use the search bar to find LTL and linehaul definitions. Sorry for the confusion.

Chris P asks:

How does LTL and line haul , exactly?

Although they are related, they are two different things.

Please read this link found in the TT glossary of terms: LTL Definition

Primary LTLs (Less Than Load) include YRC, ABF, Old Dominion, Fed Ex Freight and T-Force (formerly UPS Freight. There are secondary carriers like R&L. They all have

Linehaul Operations

UPS and Fed Ex Ground (parcel carriers) also has linehaul. Most food service companies (Sysco, USFoods and PFG) have a form of line haul called shuttling and typically run overnight.

My string suggestion is to carefully weigh your options; and steer clear of Pickup and Delivery (P&D) jobs in the LTL arena. P&D is too risky and difficult for a rookie driver.

Hope this helps!

No sir. Harrington DE to Swedesboro NJ and Piscataway NJ.

I love when these "small world" revelations occur. My younger sister and her family moved to Harrington about a year ago. I grew up and lived most of my life in Swedesboro (just off exit 10, 295).

No sir. Harrington DE to Swedesboro NJ and Piscataway NJ.

I love when these "small world" revelations occur. My younger sister and her family moved to Harrington about a year ago. I grew up and lived most of my life in Swedesboro (just off exit 10, 295).

Exit 10 too. Heron Drive north of Amazon DC.

Harrington, very much an Agricultural town. Our yard is on RT 13, next to Pepsi.

Like many aspects of trucking, sitting and staying alert for a long period of time may come naturally for some drivers. For others, it’s an acquired skill that comes with time and experience. So keep in mind that it may take some perseverance to get used to it.

Driving a truck and trailer is so much different than driving a car. The process does a lot to pass the time and keep you alert. ( coffee helps )

I have bad joints, knees and back. So I consider myself lucky because it’s much more comfortable to sit all day than to be on my feet. Driving is the perfect profession for me in my late years.

Hi All I am currently debating on getting my cdl , I want to make a career change after 30 years as a painting contractor. I dont mind at all being by myself all day, but I am concerned about sitting in a truck for 8-12 hours a day. I know I can even get really frustrated while driving in a car for two hours. Is there a difference knowing you are getting paid while driving? How have any of you new or experienced truck drivers adjusted to the long hours of driving? Its my biggest concern, so it will be a decision maker for me. I will be 60 years old the end of January, so have mellowed out over the years. Thanks!

In my experience, if you are doing LTL , then most likely you will spend most of the day loading and unloading trailers, sometimes it takes a long time. We, some wall work drivers, think that it is something terrible if they have to do the loading themselves, but I like that you can combine physical activity as a pleasant break, which I spent while driving. You will rarely spend a lot of time on the road or on the road, you decide, as a rule, when to go and you can choose the time when the road is not loaded. On long trips, if you don't have the habit, it's better not to go.