Any truckers around?

[Rench]

I know we got some folks around here that drive a truck for a living. Just looking for input. Thinking very long term, 10-15 years out.

I've got 2 uncles that drive big rigs, local and long haul. I'm going to be picking the ones brain pretty hard here in a few weeks about this as well.

I guess I've got a somewhat romanticized view of it,travel the country, see all the places in between, be your own boss (as an owner-operator, anyway) etc. I certainly enjoy being on the road, drive to almost every family vacation, yadda yadda.

So does it suck? What's the down side? I'm looking at it as a second career, after kids are out, so the home life won't be a problem. Just planning ahead.

-Rench

[DerGolgo]

Caliann, Caliann Graves on the FB, drives a Truck.
You thinking about retiring from fire-fighting?

[Rench]

I've been thinking about retiring since my first day! In 15 years I'll have 25 years on, so eligible to retire, but only be 53 years old. If I can get paid to wander around and see the country, that seems like a good deal to me. I've looked into driving schools, they don't seem terribly expensive. And as a controlled shift of careers, I can spend a lot of time learning how it's done from my current phase of life. Hell, if I really wanted to do it my own way, I'd buy an older rig in the next 10 years or so (I can drive them because of my work license, just not for profit/hire), and start rehabbing/rebuilding the thing over my last 5 years in my current career.

Just thinking ahead. Always trying to dream with my eyes open.

-Rench

[Pintgudge]

Where I work, we manufacture treated poles and lumber.

We get untreated poles and lumber shipped in by truck and rail, treat it with chemicals, frame poles with holes drilled and flat spots cut for cross arms, guy wires and such.then we ship out our finished product.

10 to 20 trucks in and out every day.

These guys have to wait for unloading and loading. If they are early, they have to go to the end of the line. If they are late, they wait 'till the next day.

Whatever you do, don't piss off the forklift driver!

What with mandatory time logs checked by the d.o.t., and scheduling unloading and loading, it can be really hard to make your time pay you.

Working at the Port, in the intermodal freight yard, it can be much more hectic, and much faster paced.

If the longshoremen decide to go on strike, well then you, the people who want to ship their products, those who want to buy them, you're all fucked,and there's nothing you can do.

I'm sure there is a lot more info coming your way from lots of people, this is what I have observed.

[Rench]

So that's a solid "no" from PG!

-Rench

[Pintgudge]

Well. I guess that's how it sounds! I haven't ever done it myself, and it's probably like any other job, once you figure out the in's and out's you can do O.K.

I am friends with some of the truckers, and they don't seem to hate it too bad. There are the good parts, see the country, meet a lot of people from all walks of life, like that!

Watching from the sidelines, it doesn't seem like the thing for me personaly, ymmv!

You should talk to Caliann and any other truckers you can find.

I'm just a bystander!

However, we would all be thouroghly screwed if no one wanted to do it!

Try to imagine how your life would be without anything being delivered by truck?

Something to think about!

[rolly]

Problemaddict too.
Something to keep in mind is that in 15 years a lot of truckers might be robots.

[Rench]

Oh yeah, while I can't say I fully considered it, I'm aware of that coming little crux. Even in my current job, a self driving ambulance or engine that all the other self driving cars automatically gtfo the way for would be safer, faster, better. Except I'm fond of my engineer. He's also the company cook.

I'm guessing, especially in light of the graphics in that article, the unions if not the voters as a final line will keep the self-driving trucks at bay.

Or, I'll build my own dream rig and develop a profitable business plan just in time to not be able to drive it anymore. Story of my life.

-Rench

[Rench]

Although, it occurs to me, someone still needs to own the automated trucks, which still leaves room for an owner/operator. Imagine that, a 40 ton mechanical Labrador! You set it up to go do something, 3 days later, you get up in the morning, it's back in your driveway waiting for you to tell it what to get next. Ha!

-Rench

[Pattio]

A guy I know has worked/schooled his way into the industry. He started as a tow-truck driver, went to school, drove flat-bed trucks loaded with large heavy things covered in tarps all about the country, and is now driving double-trailers at night for FedEx in Florida. He has put a lot of work and effort into making it a career and I think that, on the whole, he feels its worth it. As mentioned above, issues relating to loading and unloading, and with dispatching, seem to be trouble spots, and it can be hard to maintain health eating shit food and sleeping in a box far from home. I'd be happy to link you up with him on FB if you'd like to pick at his brains.

[Zim]

I drove for 6 years before being sidelined due to reproductive issues.

Can't really speak for OTR as I was local, with occasional overnights driving a one stack Mack with a shack on the back. That was like camping in paved campgrounds that smelled of urine, some with lot lizards.

Depending on the job, there can be minimal close interaction with people. Which I liked. Sure, you're on the road with thousands of others, but everyone is in their own boxes (save motorcycles). My last job was, for the most part: Go there, get unloaded, (sometimes go elsewhere, pick that up), come back, call it a day. I was lucky in that there wasn't really any scheduled times for drop offs or pick ups other than 'business hours'. Also made deliveries with a truck-mounted forklift that was a blast to tool around on. Sometimes I drove a dump truck or dump trailer.

First driving job was with the foodservice company SYSCO. Sucked. Cannot recommend.

[Jaeger]

...Depending on the job, there can be minimal close interaction with people. Which I liked. Sure, you're on the road with thousands of others, but everyone is in their own boxes (save motorcycles). My last job was, for the most part: Go there, get unloaded, (sometimes go elsewhere, pick that up), come back, call it a day....

I didn't drive big trucks, but I did spend a few years (~2-3 total) on the road as a legal/bank courier, mostly in the days before cellphones. It didn't require a CDL, but spending 10-14 hours a day driving, 5-6 days a week... it's effectively the same thing, just in a Honda Civic and in downtown traffic. (And we weren't subject to the restrictions on how long we could drive!)

Zim is spot on. It's the lack of other people that's most notable. My social interactions were reduced to 30-second bursts of conversation on the phone with the dispatcher, then I wouldn't talk to anybody again for an hour or so. That's perfect for some people. It was perfect for me at the time, and fuck knows I'd go back to it if it'd pay the same as I make now.

I never did OTR stuff so I don't have a real opinion, though I'd wager being separated from the family for days/weeks/months on end could be... difficult on a relationship.

--Jaeger

[Pintgudge]

Here's an article about the changes involved in switching to robotrucks.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... rs-jobs-us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a scary and interesting topic.

[problemaddict]

Forgot this topic was up here. I had meant to add my $0.02. Plenty of good info already here, so if you've got any other questions not already answered, fire away. I've got 14yrs in tractor trailers, OTR, line-haul, and local. Also 2yrs in a concrete mixer.

[AZRider]

For a few months I drove a 24 ft straight truck on daily runs from the outskirts of NYC to Boston, 2 laps a day most days. I-95 most of the time. Other days I did runs to other suppliers and subcontractors in Connecticut.
It felt like playing Russian Roulette with half the wheel loaded. So many days I nearly got in a serious pile up. I have a friend from grade school who drives oversized loads, he refuses any job on the Eastern Seaboard or around big cities. He has worn out two second hand rigs and just bought a new rig, loves his job.
Another friend from the CAT got her CDL by signing on with a company that paid for the school, but then she was their indentured servant for a year. They do team driving, and the noobs get assigned to the senior drivers who everyone hates.

[Caliann]

I need to check the boards more. Sorry, Rench!

Yes, I drive. Mainly dry van, although I have tanker endorsement. Also, mainly retail consumables, although I have Hazmat endorsement.

Okay, my day today.

Got up at 0530 and checked my computer for a load plan. There wasn't one, so went back to sleep. Checked again at 0900, and still wasn't one.... Scratched my head.

Checked my PTA... it was set to 1400. Ahhh! Okay, the planners changed it from 0600. I annoyed them by calling in sick yesterday, but didn't piss them off completely.
(If I had pissed them off, it would be set for 2359.)

Send in the request to change PTA to 1000, with dutiful, obsequious apologies for being sick. (Last time I begged off sick was a year and a half ago.). Send in a request to be planned, with more dutiful, obsequious apologies.

5 minutes later, the computer blows up with notifications of plans. Accept them ALL, without even looking. (Lord, don't annoy the planners any more, or I'll sit for the next week.)

Pick-up, Walmart D.C., delivery to Odessa. Deadhead Amarillo, pick-up, delivery to Little Rock.

I just roll. I've been to that D.C. before, I know where it is. Normally, I'd plan out both loads... But today, I roll and let them see I'm rolling. "Moving, Planners!"

Arrive at shipper. Okay, I didn't annoy them TOO much. I just drop my empty, pick up the loaded trailer, and go. I don't have to wait for a live load. So, just a smack on the hand to give them some warning if I'm going to stay up all night puking bad egg rolls and be unfit to drive the next day.

Look at all the plans now. Okay, this load has an appointment for 2100. I'll get there about 1900. Maybe they'll unload early? Wait, it's a Swap. Leave the loaded, pick up an empty. They'll probably let me do that early. I'm just gonna roll.

7 hours later, I pull into a parking lot for a DQ. No, not gonna EAT there... It's just parking and I need to take my 30 minute, federally mandated break... And out in West Texas, there are not many places to park safely. Well, except for nearly all of West Texas, but... Well....

Change my duty status on the computer, fix myself a salad (SO not gonna be a fat trucker... And I've had a recent lesson in truck stop food, again. You'd think I'd learn.), kick back in the seat, put my feet up on the steering wheel, eat and play on my phone.

Message comes on the computer. Read it. Oh, company training videos. I'll watch them later.

32 minutes! I can roll again!

Rolling down this back desert, State highway that's better than some freeways I've been on, chatting with Merlyn on my headset so I'm hands-free, saying "What?" every other sentence because signal sucks.

Get to delivery destination. 1900. *sighs* Can't dock her until 2100 when the crew comes in. Oh well.

Kick back in my truck. Trip plan. Won't make Amarillo tonight, my 14 hour clock will run out. Where am I spending the night? I've got shower credits for both Love's and Petro/TA... Where are those along my route?

Plan out one of those that's about a half hour before my clock runs out. (If I was in CA, or on the East Coast, I'd plan my stop a full hour before my clocks ran out, to take in traffic.)

Consider sending in a request for home time.... Hmm.... Where? I was in Cali too dang long... Visit my friends in MN? Maybe. I'll think about it and maybe do it tomorrow.

It's hard to plan visits, because even though I can request home time anywhere in the country, time of arrival is +/- 2 days.

That makes it hard to do doctor's visits, or anything with appointments. Get used to clinics, where you can do walk-in.

Now, as a solo, with an absolute PERFECT safety and on-time delivery record, of the largest company in North America, I'll bring in $50k a year. Running team (which has its own challenges), it's $70k.

With several years of experience, I can change companies any time I want with my record.... And I get recruited all the time. Actually, it's kinda surreal to be doing laundry at a truck stop, have some other driver make a pass, reply, "I'm a driver, have some respect", and then have that pass turn into recruitment. "How many years? That many!?! You wanna come drive for us? We're great!!"

I stay with my company, right now, because I have quite a bit of flexibility, and brand new equipment. (I'm currently driving a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia Evolution, with ALL the bells, whistles, buttons, and pretties. Shiny!!) That can, however, change.

It really is a different life. If you want to do it to see everything, realize you're limited by where you can park 65' of truck. I REALLY want to go trudging through the Meramac Caverns, but parking is a pain there.

And, there is time. Over half my loads are JIT, "Just In Time". I think they should be JET, Just Enough Time.

Now, I run hard. For me, hey, there isn't much better to do when I stop, so I may as well drive my hours out.

That tends to make me the darling of the planners. I'm always nice (They don't play favorites, but it's funny how the folks that don't call them up screaming about how they need to pull freight out of their butts manage to get planned first...), I'm dependable, I tend to solve my own problems, and only an Act of God can make me late in delivery.

(Their confidence in me on these issues can be problematical. I was once asked to pick up a load while I was stuck in the middle of a blizzard. *quizzical voice* "But weather never affects you...". Me:"When the snow is packed up to my doors, it affects me.... Really.")

You'll either love it, or hate it. Right now, I get itches that only 20,000 miles can scratch.

Hey, y'all, will this year's Doom have truck parking? I can schedule some home time.....

[Caliann]

Oh, forgot to add:. If you don't like humans, this is the job for you! I manage to not speak to a single human for DAYS.

ALSO, robo-trucks:. First truck has to have a driver. They are chains, like truck trains, and the technology doesn't work in cities for steering and braking.

My company is tagging tech-adaptable drivers for that future possibility. Yeah, I'm one.

You go solo, you can have small hobbies on board for down time. I don't do television or movies, but lots of drivers do. Plenty of tech for that stuff.

It's not as comfortable as an RV, but fairly close.

AZRider is right about most large companies training you for free, but you sign a year contract. My company, however, does NOT make you go team. You go solo unless you applied team.

But the contract is for a year, or 100,000 truck miles, whichever comes first. It's not hard to figure out that a team will put 100,000 miles on a truck faster than a solo. I chose to start as team with a friend... Knocked that contract out in 5 months.

[Caliann]

And Caliann Idol on FB now. I don't check the Graves account.

[DerGolgo]

2017-06-11 10_02_25-UTMC • View topic - Any truckers around_.png

I need to check the boards more. Sorry, Rench!

Yeah, once a year would be, you know ...

[Caliann]

I know, I know, I know!!!

I'm a terrible person. I know. Sorry!

Really, I'll try to check more. See, I've checked TWICE this year!!