Profile For John W.

Excellent article as always Brett. 😜 One suggestion I have is make a link to this article in the TT starter pack that we link to new drivers. That way they can understand before they even try to get into the industry.

I was a Top Tier Driver for a large Grocery Company from 1978 until I retired in 2005. They had an Incentive Plan. I took it upon myself to learn how the Incentive plan worked. I used all the parameters to the max. Out of 700 Drivers, I was the #1 producing Driver all the time I was there. Just about all the other Divers just sluffed off and didn't take advantage of it. They would complain about the company all the time. I was making $1,500-$2,000 per week...and this was in the 1980's-1990's !! Other Drivers wouldn't talk to me because I made them look bad. Didn't bother me. Let'm. This all shows that if you work hard and learn the ropes, it will work to your benefit.

Hi Everyone. I need some advice from Seasoned Truckers.

I'm a Retired Trucker who has been out of Trucking for a considerable amount of time. I still keep my CDL (with ALL Endorsements) and Medical Card Current. One of the things on my Bucket List is to get back into Trucking. I was a Local Driver for a Large Grocery Company in Southern California for over 30 years (I now live in the east coastal area in Central Florida). As a Local Driver I never did any real Long Haul except for some day trips to Las Vegas and back. I drove many years pulling Doubles until 53 footers became the norm. We did Paper Logs and only had Manual Shift Transmissions back then.

I know it wouldn't be hard to get back into the actual Driving of a Truck. The problem I see is learning Electronic Logs and Time Management. Seeing as I was a local driver, the only thing I had to worry about then was running out of hours. If I did, I would simply start my shift a few hours later the next day. Long Haul is a different story. From what I've read, Planning several days in advance to keep your hours in check is a big part. And at the same time making your appointments on time...plus lots more.

In talking with some Recruiters, I get different stories on their recruiting of Drivers that have been out of Trucking for a period of time. Sure would appreciate any advice from Seasoned Drivers on subjects from getting hired, to Time Management, to a Company to work for and any other pertinent information.

Thank You, John