Thinking Of Becoming A Driver But All The Regulations??

After nearly 30 years in the flooring industry I need to do something else and 20+ years of those was running my own installation company. I see a lot of drivers complaining about same money for last 25 years well 30 years ago I was getting $8/sqyd to install sheet vinyl today 30 years later lucky to get $6. It seems to me that the last thing employers can adjust is labor costs and so doesn't matter what type of work you are doing its a race to the bottom unless you are part of the 1% who is making money hand over fist because of government easy money policy for them. I have been reading as much as I can about the trucking industry, I have no issue being alone as I have ridden my motorcycle solo all over the Canada/USA usually solo for weeks at the time. I don't mind the solitude and the older I get the less use I have for people.

What I do have a real issue with is government, police and others who are constantly trying to regulate everything we do in our lives. I'm an adult and can take care of myself, no criminal record, don't drink, don't do drugs, don't smoke etc. Seems to me the biggest issue I will have is with all the rules, regulations since I have a real short fuse for people with authority who act like idiots. Maybe I'm just getting the wrong perception.

Carl, welcome to the forum. I understand your concerns, but in my short time driving I haven't had any problems. There have been a couple of young Border Patrol guys that got under my skin a little, but I smiled and kept my mouth shut.

For the most part, I think the law enforcement folks you meet as a trucker are just trying to do their jobs keeping the roads safe, etc. As long as you can answer their questions politely, I don't think you'll have any problem if you're not doing something stupid like speeding or smuggling illegals. I'm sure there are those who abuse their authority, but if you can keep your cool, they'll look for easier targets of their need to be in charge.

Some trucking regulations seem like overkill to me, but some of them have recently been eased, at least temporarily. As government gets bigger and bigger, it's getting harder to find an area where we aren't regulated, but at least in trucking, you can see where the regulations mostly center on safety practices that good common sense would tell you to follow anyway. It's not like being a parent who's told they don't know how to pack their kid's school lunch. Well, not much like that anyway.

Carl, it is really not that bad out here. Most over the road drivers will end up going to Laredo, TX every now and then simply because there is a huge volume of freight that crosses in and out of Mexico. When you go to Laredo and see the Mexican owned trucks bringing goods across to a drop yard so that we can take them the rest of the way on their journey it makes you want to get down on your knees and thank God for all the regulations we work under! Seriously, the regulations that are in place have kept most of the company drivers in this country in nice modern trucks that are replaced usually around the third or fourth year of running the highways.

I'm just trying to get you to look at this from a different perspective. The regulations have set the driver's enjoyment of his equipment at a much higher level than could have been expected in the earlier days. These companies have realized that their CSA scores have become a negotiating tool to secure more profitable business accounts, and part of the pieces to keeping that puzzle together lies in having relatively new and modern equipment. My company keeps very nice trucks for us to drive, and they expect us to be safe and compliant drivers. In the last two years, I can count on one hand the personal interactions I have had with D.O.T. officers. In fact, thanks to the Pre-pass system we use, I very seldom even have to roll through a weigh station. Now if I was a starving owner operator with a fifteen year old truck that was blowing black smoke out it's pipes then things might be a little different, but as it is I seldom even talk to an officer. The regulations have actually made it much easier on some of us because our companies keep us in top of the line equipment because they don't want us having to stop and get inspected unnecessarily.

The problem you're going to face isn't the DOT or other authorities. The problem you're going to face is the fact you'll never have authority over anyone out there. Dock workers, waitresses, mechanics, dispatchers, shipping clerks, other drivers - you're at the mercy of everyone you come across as a truck driver. If you go to deliver somewhere and they tell you to go park it somewhere for six hours there's nothing you can do. If your truck goes in the shop and they keep telling you, "Another 30 minutes" for four hours straight there's nothing you can do.

Truckers have to learn to finesse their way into getting things done. You have to pretty much sweet talk everyone you come across. You simply can't force anyone to do anything for you because you have no authority of any sort.

So if you can't keep your cool and deal with authority using kindness, savvy, and persuasion then you're probably better off finding a career that gives you the authority over the people you deal with. Because 'going off' on people with authority over you is going to make your life miserable in a hurry as a trucker - guaranteed.

Thank you guys for the reply and Brett I understand your last paragraph. I have had to make huge changes in my work. Years ago when we did a installation it was basically us and the painters left on a job. Today we are trying to install a floor while guys are hanging drywall, electrician is running wire above and the plumber is trenching in the same room lol. Prices have come way down and now companies are competing on how fast they can do a job because they can't go any lower in pricing. So everyone is climbing all over each other and either you walk away or you do the best you can but being an anal perfectionist I just can't deal with it any longer. I came from a generation where it was a days pay for a days work, today you are on a job site and everyone is on there phones texting/dating sites and so on.

I guess its like everything else do your job right and you will have no issues. I have a lot on my plate so I have to give this some thought. So let me ask if you for some reason have to wait 5 or 6 hours to get into a spot how does that effect you as a driver? Obviously its going to impact the rest of your schedule even though its not your fault. How does it all play out?