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Then why don't they just say truck driver? Do these stories come from some foreign country or something?
Certain trucks do not require a commercial drivers license, hence differentiating between the license types. Based on the truck she was driving, she has a commercial class A, not an easy written test to pass or road test.
Makes sense when 99% of the job requires no labor at all
You'll see what you're up against soon enough my man. It's not an easy job and also a relatively dangerous one. If you're doing it for the money you wont sticking around too long. It ain't that great once you factor in everything. Sitting at a desk for 9 hours pushing papers and going home is a far easier living. Done both so I speak from experience. You might like it though and be hooked. I always enjoyed driving trucks but not necessarily the realities of being a truck driver, if that makes any sense.
You'll see what you're up against soon enough my man. It's not an easy job and also a relatively dangerous one. If you're doing it for the money you wont sticking around too long. It ain't that great once you factor in everything. Sitting at a desk for 9 hours pushing papers and going home is a far easier living. Done both so I speak from experience. You might like it though and be hooked. I always enjoyed driving trucks but not necessarily the realities of being a truck driver, if that makes any sense.
That's where running a dump truck making rounds would be dandy. Home each night, not a whole to go wrong. If it does, you're close to home and your mechanic and anything like that.
That's where running a dump truck making rounds would be dandy. Home each night, not a whole to go wrong. If it does, you're close to home and your mechanic and anything like that.
LTL line haul or P&D work tends to be a step up from working for the big OTR outfits and I did that too for a couple years with Old Dominion and some smaller outfits. They were more just jobs that happened to involve driving a truck though. I punched the clock 5 days a week, made an hourly wage, was provided benefits and vacation time just like any other job. I did my time as a company man and some of them were nice places to work and the work itself tended to be easy aside from the occasional crap day. If I were to go back to class A driving I'd rather be an owner/op and work for myself. More flexibility to do things how you see fit and have a little fun with it. Higher risk though.
LTL line haul or P&D work tends to be a step up from working for the big OTR outfits and I did that too for a couple years with Old Dominion and some smaller outfits. They were more just jobs that happened to involve driving a truck though. I punched the clock 5 days a week, made an hourly wage, was provided benefits and vacation time just like any other job. I did my time as a company man and some of them were nice places to work and the work itself tended to be easy aside from the occasional crap day. If I were to go back to class A driving I'd rather be an owner/op and work for myself. More flexibility to do things how you see fit and have a little fun with it. Higher risk though.
If I was going to go O/O I'd do a couple things. I'd do local or regional flatbed (hauling machinery.) Grain hauling or belly dumps. Or stay way local and run a three axle dump truck. Within the state I live in the state adapted the FMCSR on 4 or more axles and weight greater than 26k.
So I can run around wi a 3 axle and not mess with the federal stuff. State the state licensing and weight laws. I'd only be grossing 46,000 pounds but it would be easy. Also no IRS 2290 forms or any of that.
You'll see what you're up against soon enough my man. It's not an easy job and also a relatively dangerous one. If you're doing it for the money you wont sticking around too long. It ain't that great once you factor in everything. Sitting at a desk for 9 hours pushing papers and going home is a far easier living. Done both so I speak from experience. You might like it though and be hooked. I always enjoyed driving trucks but not necessarily the realities of being a truck driver, if that makes any sense.
I grew up taking summer trips OTR with my uncle david and saw pretty much everything he went through. There is a ton of stuff to worry about that's why i like it I love challenges because it makes you appreciate and feel like you earned your paycheck. I've watched hundreds of youtube videos of people vlogging their daily experiences good and bad. They have plenty of people as young as 21 driving these trucks on youtube and i'm almost 40. Nothing comes easy and easy things aren't worth going after.
I could never sit in a desk and push papers I would go crazy.
The same way everyone else remains sane at their ****ty job. I don't know how anyone can remain sane with an a hole boss in their ear everyday and looking over their shoulder micro managing every move they make.
There are many pros an cons to every job out there. The best benefits of driving a truck, no boss, not stuck inside an office all day, get to see places all over the country for free, the pay is high after a few years of experience and more.
Sure i will be in the truck a lot but I'm not forced to stay in the truck like you are at a regular job. You get what? two 10 minute breaks then back to your cubical. I could stop and get out of my truck as many times as i want if i feel like it. That's not a good idea because it would hold me up, but the option is there no boss telling me otherwise.
Junk equipment? Most companies don't have trucks older then a 2014. Handling cargo? Very rare and that's where lumpers come in and unload it for you if you don't feel like it.
DOT? who cares my truck will be one of the safest on the road i don't play games with my life and others on the road.
LAstly the four wheelers? Again who cares i deal with them all the time driving my personal car. And before the captn obvious'es come out and say eehhh well you are driving a 80,000 pound truck it's different then driving a car...no chit. The only difference is the weight, size and reaction braking distance. You just have to look further ahead more then you would in a car and keep your eyes peeled more. 4 wheelers always dart in front of trucks in a hurry to get to the red light i know this.
The seeing the country part is part of the sell. I had a long talk with a driver this summer and he said yeah you see things out your truck windows, but it’s not like you’re stopping to enjoy. This guy was in his 50’s and got out because his new truck had no APU and opti-idle. There’s nothing like sweating or freezing while the engine cycles on and off once an hour. The new truck is also part of the sell. The average age of class 8 trucks is 91 months Trucking might be the only profession where everyone wants a pound of flesh out of the driver.
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