Wow, I am just over a third done with my training. I can sorta' see the light at the end of the tunnel (I hope it's not an approaching train!).
I was thinking the other day about trucking and how different it is than anything else I have done. Before trucking I used to think about the valuable exotic cargo the trucks were carrying. Of course our second load was empty wooden pallets. Sort of dashed that thought of exotic cargo! Today we have 19,000 pounds of plastic cups, no handles. It is true that if you have it, a truck brought it.
This is a completely different lifestyle. All that I can offer as a suggestion is to be sure you know who you are and keep your prinicples intact. As the saying goes, "if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything." If you want it, you can find it on the road. I am so thankful that I had a good upbringing, my momma, and my wife. It gets lonely on the road. I will be away from home for at least eight weeks. That's a long time in anybody's book!
Keep your cell phone charged and get a plan that lets you talk to other cell phones for free. I shudder to think how much I would have spent on per minute charges in the last four weeks. Email is good, but not as handy as a cell phone. Keep in touch with your family and friends. They may not understand everything you do (my wife doesn't understand why I can't stop at WalMart for good food) but they do love you and care about you.
It's raining today here in Connecticut and we are sitting at a truck stop waiting for Monday morning when our load delivers. We are only 45 minutes away, so we'll most likely leave early in the morning. This means that today is shower and laundry day!
Well, gotta go and get the jeans and socks out of the dryer. Take care and we'll talk soon. Be safe. As the 70's song said "keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your .... tail."
Farmer Bob.
by Farmer Bob
Just when I thought it was spring time and there would be no more truckin in the snow, man was I wrong! Tire chains, tow trucks, and more adventures!
by TruckerMike
Wow, it's been two months since I hit the road with my trainer. I'll share a few of my thoughts on how to survive your trucking company trainer.
by TruckerMike
In the past few months that I've been truck driving, I've learned one major thing - trucking can destroy you if you let it. So don't.
by TruckerMike
After months of research, a month of CDL truck driving school, and 4 months of company training, I'm going on the road as a solo company driver. Wow!
by Brett Aquila
Recently a student truck driver discovered that the trainer was smoking pot in the truck while the student was driving. How should you handle this?
by rbradyjohnsen
Over the road trucking will really test your relationship and the time away will magnify any problems your relationship has by a thousand times.
by Philosopher Paul
You meet a lot of crazy characters in trucking, and my finishing trainer is off the charts. This guys seems more like someone you'd find in a movie.
by TruckerMike
Being a safe truck driver is never easy. Predicting what might happen next on the highway takes years to learn and is very hard to teach a new driver.
by TruckerMike
Being a CDL instructor is a very unique experience. I was amazed at how much I learned myself. Here are some of the highlights I picked up along the way.
by Old School
As a rookie truck driver you're going to face enormous challenges and be tested continuously. I learned a great lesson about how tough CDL training can be.
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TruckingTruth was founded by Brett Aquila (that's me!), a 15 year truck driving veteran, in January 2007. After 15 years on the road I wanted to help people understand the trucking industry and everything that came with the career and lifestyle of an over the road trucker. We'll help you make the right choices and prepare for a great start to your trucking career.
Becoming A Truck Driver is a dream we've all pondered at some point in our lives. We've all wondered if the adventure and challenges of life on the open road would suit us better than the ordinary day to day lives we've always known. At TruckingTruth we'll help you decide if trucking is right for you and help you get your career off to a great start.
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