Profile For Monica M.

The same thing happened to my husband and he was surprised by it, as well. He found a team partner (took a while to find one he is compatible with) and now he is doing fine. He had to get used to sleeping in a moving truck, though. His company is good about paying for a hotel room if they have more than a 6 hour lay-over.

Exam Expedited hires husband/wife teams to drive double sleeper straight trucks as 1099 drivers. No taxes, no health benefits. 5 weeks out, 1 week home. There are a bio-medical transporter - human organs, plasma, and research related items so you must have your HazMat endorsement. The money is only $1000 per week, tops. It's more like $750.

What did Joyce and Lester say to you? Because I am exactly where you were. I am discouraged to the point of dropping out of CDL school and accepting my fate with my current (safe) job. My husband was really hoping that I would take to driving so that he would have a permanent team partner. So, I would be letting him down if I don't make it.

I would caution anyone thinking of trucking to avoid romanticizing the job. I did just that, and the jerk back to painful reality hurts like heck. It is a tough job and only the tough will be happy and prosper. I thought the cab of a tractor trailer would be my own little world where I could escape ignorant people and attitudes. Nope, they come right along for the ride. I have nothing but ultimate respect for the drivers that can be successful in this challenging industry. I can't believe the meager amounts of money being paid to skilled professionals who risk their lives every day to get products to places on time. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. I just think that every driver on the road should be making at least twice the amount of income they bring in. It's hard.

Bob, Ignore that first question. I realize now how uninformed it must read. I would like to know, physically, how you and Patty are holding up. I have a lot of respect for what you are doing. With summer coming soon, I am in serious debate over which job to focus on. Should I keep my tenured teaching position or go for Schneider? I am so burned out at school. But the danger of driving makes me hesitate. I am slowly getting better at the backing maneuvers and don't feel so stupid anymore. My husband wants me to go to work with him at Armellini out of Palm City. Floral. Long-haul with deliveries. The company does put its drivers up in hotels if there is a lay-over for a reload. He's comfortable there. While the potential money with Schneider is attractive, the recruiter told us that because of our south Florida zip code we could only work in their "fly-to-drive" program. Fly out of West Palm, drive for at least 21 days, fly home, have 5 days off. Schneider will pay for one piece of baggage. Hmmm...having a different truck every month, not sure we would want to live so spartan. What to do? Just taking one day at a time. Drives 10 and 11 coming up next week. Wish me luck.

Will that be $1500 each or together? How are you feeling in terms of sleep and fatigue?

I just wanted to tell you that your earlier advice on choking and holding the hard turns for a parallel maneuver really helped me. As did your advice to "see" what the instructor wants you to "see." I just listened and did what the instructor told me to do. I didn't question it, didn't analyze it - just made like a robot and did it. Your system works!

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and support. It really means a lot to me. This is a caring community.

I really appreciate your humility and honesty in sharing this. The connections between over-thinking, over-emotion, and over-reaction are genius. Not just in driving a big rig, but in negotiating relationships and work situations. AND, never underestimate the power of your hunches, or what you know to be true. Best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Thanks, guys, for the support and suggestions. I am so fortunate in that I have almost one-on-one drive time with the instructor. He's concerned that it is taking me longer to learn the maneuvers and that I am behind on their schedule. I offered to pay extra for extra time. (Over and above the $5000 tuition - sheesh...)

Truckers make the BEST philosophers. I love the time/opportunity angle. At age 56 myself, my instructor suggested maybe my "blanket" was a little hole-y. But I refuse to even contemplate that. It's amazing and painful to learn a skill that one is not naturally talented for. My natural talent is for teaching, but after 20 years in a public high school classroom, I am burnt out. My dream job has turned into a nightmare. So, after missing my OTR husband for many years now, this is my new challenge. And classA, you are correct. Some opportunities are in place momentarily, and then disappear. I feel that this endeavor is exactly that.