Show Me The Money! Article By Old School
Topic 22401 | Page 1
Once again, Old School brings home the wisdom!
Adjust your outlook and toss out your expectations.
Excellent article!
Good article. I was just talking to my dad last night about trucking and my desire to get my CDL
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Good article. I was just talking to my dad last night about trucking and my desire to get my CDL
Welcome! Don't want this thread to get hijacked so ill keep it brief. If you're interested in learning the reality of trucking, both good and bad then definitely stick around this forum and not the others. As I'm sure you're aware most other forums and websites bash their company. Don't be afraid to post a new thread if you're curious about anything in particular
Old school, great article as always. Brett, you've really put together one heck of a group of moderators with a ton of helpful advice.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Many legitimate points made by Old School! Great advice is definitely the "norm" here!
The first few years were rough for me, but I toughed it out because I love the job.
After several years of Class B driving, I upgraded to Class A. I almost broke 40k for that year, which was far better than the Class B work. Lol. A few years later, running Class A and in much the same way as described in this article, I'm earning almost as much as a first year Wal-Mart driver. Haha.
Awesome article! This is the kind of wisdom I come here for. when I finally start driving I want to take all this great info and do my best to be the driver every company wants.
Great job OS. Straight forward. Thank you Sir
As always great post Old School. A couple of thoughts; I played a little football in school, don't know how to play Monopoly for fun I'm trying to bankrupt everyone! I've fallen in love with Texas Hold'em Poker ( Doyle Brunson one of the all time greats once said ”I would bust my own grandmother if she tried to contest a pot against me!) a game that rewards aggressive play. Just the thought of competition gets the juices flowing!
Trucking just ain't for everyone. You have to be wired for it. 1st day solo, 1st dispatch. I'm sent already an hour behind schedule. Get there: blind side alley dock, no one around to help. I push the seat all the way back, steering wheel all the way forward, docked the truck standing up so I could see where the hell I was going. Delivery scheduled for 7am. I remember reading one of your posts about parking at customer location. Had just enough time to make it (okay, I had to creep for the last 2 blocks). I'm Sleeper Berth at 8pm. Get a call at 10 asking how far away I parked. I tell him 75 feet! Pause on the phone. You're there? Yep. Empty - ready for assignment at 630am. Now I'm on a 1900 miler! Coincidence? I think not.
Thing is, you veterans are always telling us what's what. Just got to be willing to listen. Or you can be like that fool that called Old School a Super Trucker and eat Ramen Noodles for the whole week!
Sleeper Berth:
The portion of the tractor behind the seats which acts as the "living space" for the driver. It generally contains a bed (or bunk beds), cabinets, lights, temperature control knobs, and 12 volt plugs for power.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Villain, I love everything you said. You certainly sound like you’re cut out for this. You do have to be willing to compete. You do have to be able to take the bull by the horns and face every challenge head on. What a rookie driver lacks in experience they can often make up for with hard work and determination. Keep a great attitude, keep working hard, and don’t scratch that truck. You’ll do great!
Yeah Villain, I'm loving what you're saying too. So many drivers totally miss out on how this job is a competition. When you don't understand how the game is played there is no way for you to win at it.
Check out this older conversation. Read the article it's introducing and go through all the comments in the thread. You'll see how this job calls for competitors and rewards those who heed the call.
How To Earn More Miles And Money
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Trucking is one of the best paying blue collar jobs out there but that doesn't apply to just anyone. You have to earn your money in trucking, the hard way. There's no faking it. There's no gravy train to ride. You have to get out there and hustle, make smart decisions, and find creative solutions to the challenges standing in your way.
There are plenty of people in trucking making over $70,0000, and plenty making well under $50,000, many of which work for the same company driving the same trucks and even under the same dispatcher!
How can this be?
Let Old School help you understand:
Show Me The Money!
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.