Advice On Schools And Sponsorships

Once again Brett, you have hit on points that make us think. That extra set of eyes hands ears will always be a benifit. You are bringing up subjects that some of us havent thought about. Trucking is and always will be a lonely job/lifestyle. that some may not be able to deal with. You have to be able to adapt. By no means am i going into this with my eyes wide shut. While I have only been a member of TT for a short period, I have been doing research for quite a while now and really hard in the last several months. Am I ready for the drastic change in lifestyle? I think with the right company, i will be fine whether it solo or team driving.

Am I ready for the drastic change in lifestyle? I think with the right company, i will be fine whether it solo or team driving.

I'll give you something you'll like even better than that. Whether or not you find happiness and success in trucking will have very little to do with the company you choose. It will come from your work ethic, your ability to get along with people, and how badly you want to become a top-tier driver.

I've said it many times and the experienced drivers here will all agree - a great driver will get great miles, good equipment, and fair treatment at any major company they work for. Every major company has plenty of miles and good equipment available for their top-tier drivers. Once you go in there and show them you're willing to work hard, you're safe, you're reliable, you know how to get the job done, and you know how to get along with people you'll be in great shape. It won't matter what name is on the side of the truck.

The reason so many people think you have to choose a "good company" and avoid the "bad companies" is because there are a ton of lousy drivers out there that quite honestly don't realize how lousy they are. They think they work hard. They think they're doing things the way they should be done. But they really have no idea how much better the top-tier drivers are. So when they don't get the miles, the equipment, the home time, and the special favors they (for whatever reason) think they're entitled to they blame the company. They go on a tear all over the Web at sites like TheTruckersReport and RipoffReport blasting their company for treating them poorly. And let me tell ya - 95% of the time a driver complains about their company they're really giving you an assessment of their own performance. Because trucking essentially is performance-based career. Trucking companies survive by keeping those wheels turning and taking great care of their most important customers. In order to do that, companies rely heavily on their best drivers to get the job done out there. Once you show them you're one of those guys they'll keep your rolling, they'll give you some special favors once in a while, and you'll be treated quite fairly.

So don't think for a moment that your happiness and success in this business is in anyone's hands but your own. And if you're like me, there's nothing in the world you want more than a chance to show people what you can do and the opportunity to control your own destiny. And you're going to get that.

Find a company that you feel suits you well when it comes to pay, benefits, type of freight, equipment, and home time. Once you find the one you feel suits you best the rest of it is up to you. Go in there and show em what you've got. Show em that when it comes down to crunch time and the job has to get done, you're the one they can rely on to get the job done safely and on time. That's how you make your way in this industry. It's not about the company you choose. It's about the job you do and the ability to handle yourself like a professional.

You right it comes down to "ethics" not just work ethics. There are complainers in all lines of work. Regardless of what you do, they will never be satisfied, they have better ways of doing it. They want the best equipment... Coming from a construction background, work dont scared me, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty of that what it takes. I was foreman for years but felt more like a babysitter of adult crybabies. I dont want that title again. I have tried different lines of work and even have my own small IT business, dealing with all types of people. I hate being stuck inside some small room, monitoring some download to a small server, that takes hours to complete or sitting there waiting to press F1 for what ever reason. I like my fresh air the sun the heat the cold..... seeing that deer out in the field. I miss being outside, but dont want to go back into the construction business again. On them colder days a little heat feel pretty dang good on these old bones. There so much of the lower 48 I havent seen.

I was often put on jobsites where the GM was hard to deal with or the city. county state inspector was a real ___! Because I would go that extra mile it took to get the job done and done right. I can get alone with most people. I dont expect to start with any company and get the best equipment or the newest. However I do like my efforts to be reconized and understand better equipment come with a proven work history. So it comes down to finding a company that I can deal with for a while get my foot in the door show them I can do the job. Being older, I look at more than just the fancy website.... What benifits do they offer? what is the pay scale like? Is there room to grow if I decide I want to do more than what i was hired to do? You get the idea. There a couple of companies I'm definitely looking real hard at right now.... Will be talking to bothe next week......