You Knew It Was Like It Is Before You Got Into Trucking.....

We get lot of question here on the site. Every question that someone can come up with has been brought up 10 different ways. That is why we are here to answer question and help people. Happy to do it. We do our best to explain what trucking is about and what to expect before you get into trucking so there are very few surprises. Here lately i am seeing an over all theme starting to form and that is what this post is about...

Not enough home time....Not enough money....trucking company is not close to my home....i dont like where my company sends me....I don't like the way a company does business even though they have been in business longer than most people have be alive so I am sure they dont know what they are doing....

Am i wrong? Am i the only one that is seeing this? I can not believe that i am the only one see it.

We have said from the start trucking is a tough industry. Its not easy. Its not supposed to be. I am glad its not. Are there things i dont like? You bet ya there is. But its apart of trucking. Trucking will not change on a base level. If there is something you dont like about trucking then you can bet there is 3.5 million other drivers there that don't like it either. Your not alone.

We always stress that trucking is a lifestyle and it is. Nothing else compares to it good or bad. But within that lifestyle there is a job that has to be done. We either do it or go home. Simple as that. When we accept the keys to a truck you are agreeing to do a job the companies way. You know what to expect from that company cause you did the grownup thing and researched that company before hand right? You talked to their drivers right? Sure you did. Now pick something you dont like about your company....Well you agreed to work for them so by working there you choose to except the thing you dont like.

Ok fast forward a year down the line amd you want to switch to a new company and leave thaat one thing behind you did not like. Guess what? Now you are at a new company with a new dislike.

The point I am trying to get across is this... Trucking is not perfect. Never has and never will be. Never gonna happen. That is the reason for such high turnover rate in trucking. Drivers job hop hoping to find the Holy Grail of trucking. Never going to happen.

When people come into trucking most cant afford a pot to **** in or a window to throw it out of and a company takes a big risk and gives you a chance to drive a $150,000 truck without even knowing you at all. So the trucking company takes the risk and all the sudden one or two little things,and yes they are almost always little things, upset you and you start to dislike them even though you knew BEFORE hand that is how it is in trucking. I dont get it.

First compalint i always see is I am not making enough money. We told you that trucking will not make you rich at all. Matter of fact we have even said that most people can make more money getting two jobs at home.

Second complaint is not enough home time. Well duh. With trucking you have zero social life.

These first two complaints tie into each other rather nicely. Either you are making money and you never get home or you get home more but make alot less money. There is no happy medium. Its either or but not both.

Well said Guy. I used to be the Transport Officer at the prison I currently work at. I had to get used to rolling down the highway for hours on end. Just to take an inmate to court, medical appt or a funeral. A few times I rolled 6 days a week and had well over 100 hours by the end of the week.

Now I realize that isn't the same as being a truck driver. But it sure does give ya a bit of insight into it. I learned a long time ago that complaining doesn't help out the situation. Just roll with the punches so to speak and enjoy the dream of driving for a living. There is nothing like being on the road with nobody telling how you have to do this or that as long as you are following the rules you will be fine.

I know I didn't roll near as far as a trucker does. But I do think that over a 100,000 accident free miles in 2 years is pretty good if you consider I never left the state of Oklahoma. So either suck it up buttercup or kick rocks.

Just wanted to say that just because you are a trucker, doesn't mean you have no social life. If you don't have a social life because you chose trucking as a career, then you are not very good at being social or have a lack of social skills.

No reason at all you can't log in to websites like this one and chat it up with people, chat it up with other truckers at the truck stop, shippers, receivers, and etc.

Not to mention calling home on occasion, your significant other will appreciate it I bet.

Sure you can make phone calls and use Facebook and the like but what I mean by social life is seeing friends and family like you would if you were home everyday.

Driving 10 to 11 hours a day the sleeping 10 and then driving again does not leave you a lot of time to be social.

Agreed, but hopefully people learn that before they ever decide on a trucking career, even a local trucking career. Mainly because you just never know when things are going to go south, and no I don't mean the freight.

Look at the Indiana area the past few weeks, interstates were crippled due to poor management at the state level and quite honestly a pretty bad winter storm. Some of those drivers I imagine were on their way home or doing their last drop and then heading home, but there's no way you could honestly predict or plan for a natural issue such as weather. So people got stuck on the side of the road, in accidents, stuck in truck stops and god knows anywhere else they could manage to get to before the interstates got shut down.

If you aren't prepared for such cases, stay away from trucking. It's not for you. If your significant other can't understand that you're going to be a few hours late or a few days late to your scheduled home time due to unforseen circumstances, trucking aint for you. I say this for even local drivers, every part of this country has weather, and you never know when its going to go bad, from hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, snow, ice, even rain and floods, plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Preach it Guyjax. You definently don't get into trucking to get rich or see family and friends everyday. I got into because I wanted the adventure and the challenge. You get into it because you have no idea where your going next and what new challenge is going to be presented to you. Trucking is a lifestyle change your living in something the size of a small closet. Plus there ain't nothing like being and driving the biggest baddest truck out on the road.

Love it. Thats why on this sight we preach a positive attitude. You wont make it out here without one. No company is perfect and we all have rough weeks but where else can you go to school for 4 weeks and come out making $30,000? And hey if a social life is that important Mcdonalds is always hiring and your home every night:)

Love it. Thats why on this sight we preach a positive attitude. You wont make it out here without one. No company is perfect and we all have rough weeks but where else can you go to school for 4 weeks and come out making $30,000? And hey if a social life is that important Mcdonalds is always hiring and your home every night:)

Lol no doubt they have two week training period so you can say "Would you like fries with that?"

Lmao actually Gut they have on the job training. Just gotra learn that kinda ish on your own;)

I am not a professional trucker yet but I agree. There is a lot of pro's and con's people should think about in the Trucking World. I have my mind set on ending with a career I know I can do. I have a family life just like alot of us do. But my life can't go forward without a career that I will die for. Was away from home some times I did 21 on 7 off. I really regreted going home because the list of things to do while you are home got way 2 long and very expensive. So finally my wife and I have came to an agreement. If a list is to be made please keep it short and remember my time at home will be about 4 days long. That will give me 1 day of laundry and food shopping. The last day home will be with a remote in 1 hand and a Soda in the other. I am not sure if I made a point here but I have read a lot of post on here and figured I would throw a students word in.. God Bless All and Be Safe..