Reefer Vs. Dry Van

Thanks, I feel that is an excellent explanation of the "real world" part of trucking.

Love this site! It is very informative I am in the process of making a career change from working in a cubicle for an Insurance company for the past 20 years to becoming a Professional Truck Driver. I'm in my mid 50's and I feel that it offers me a lot of good things, including a good paycheck after I get that 1st year under my wheels.

Take care and keep up the great work!

You could just go flat-bed and not have to worry about all that stuff!

No, seriously, at the end of the day all these jobs pay out a similar dollar amount. A reefer driver learns to get his ten hour break in while he's on a customer's property. Once you get out here you begin to learn what to expect at the different places you'll be going. A big part of your success is knowing how to manage your time. When I hear people complaining that they can't make any money at this, and then start laying the blame on their customers I immediately am skeptical. There are places I go that I know will take their sweet time. I get there early and get myself on the sleeper line. I rest and take it easy until they're done, and then I can determine whether it's best to go with eight or ten hours in my sleeper. A professional driver does his best to stay one step ahead of all the many things that trip everybody else up.

Reefer has the potential for longer runs, and that will make up for some of that waiting. You've just got to get out here and figure out how you want to manage things. Everybody is going to have trouble and not be sure how to handle those frustrating delays during their rookie year, but once you've got a handle on it you'll make some decent scratch no matter which type of freight you're pulling.