First Six Month Solo In The Books

Well, six months and two weeks to be exact. That went by quickly. When I signed on, I committed to one year before deciding whether or not I would stick with trucking. And I'm going to stick with that decision, at the discretion of my employer, of course. LOL. So, until that time, I'm postponing any long-term decisions. There's too much more to learn and experience.

First, a lot of things happened in a hurry. There is no doubt that getting into trucking these days is a quick process. Just as Brett said in his podcast, "you'll be expected to learn and adapt quickly." For me, that's nothing new. In the military, and civilian jobs, seems I've always been expected to learn quickly and perform at a high level right away.

I learned a lot very quickly. I really believe listening to all of the podcasts, and I mean all of them on this website, helped prepare me for just about everything I would encounter. Everything from what to expect in training, and what to expect from my employer, to what to expect from all the irresponsible drivers on the road and at truck stops.

As I reflect on these six months, I think it was successful, I accomplished a lot and could have probably done more. I'm looking forward to the next six months. For now, here are some observations.

In the first quarter, I drove over 25,000 miles and hit all of my bonuses except for mileage. During that time I was in the top three drivers in safety every month. I'm pretty proud of this because I really do believe in safety. So, I'm pretty stoked about the bonus here. I hit the route and fuel compliance goals but fell a little short on the idle performance thresholds. That is not the case now, I'm at the "exceptional level." I went through two breakdowns that took a total of one week of driving away from me in the first quarter, and I drove two different trucks. Otherwise, the mileage could have been better.

The second quarter of my driving went as well. I'm still placing in the top 5 drivers in safety every month. Mileage is improving and more consistent, I usually run 2500 - 2900 miles/wk in five days of driving. But it seems every month I have a low week due to maintenance or the routes I'm running. So far, it looks like I may, I say may have earned all of the bonuses for the second quarter of my driving. One of my goals is to be in the top five in mileage and safety. We'll have to wait for the latest report, but I think I'm getting close. Fingers crossed.

One thing I have to say, although I was warned and had a pretty good idea of what to expect, the time commitment is enormous and can't be overstated. If you want to be successful, you have to put in a lot of time. It seems like everyone wants to burn that 70-hour clock to the ground. It doesn't matter if you drive five days or eight. It just seems like everyone sees that 70-hour clock as something you have to whittle down, even if your mileage is at goal for the week. If anything is a deterrent to driving, this...is...it! I don't mind working hard, but I want those wheels turning when I'm on the clock. As I'm sure, most drivers do. I've had 2990 miles of driving in five days and only 60 hours. Then I've had 1800 miles of driving in 6 days and 68 hours of driving. You just never know. Overall, my company does a very good job of keeping me moving.

Truck stops...what gives? I can't believe the disgusting behavior I see out there. I use the truck stops for fuel and scaling a load. I prefer to overnight at rest stops as often as I can.

Again, I will evaluate the pros and cons at the one-year mark and decide whether or not I will drive a truck into retirement. For now, all is good!

Congrats Man! New drivers should be inspired by this. Its not an easy road although usually a fun one. Hammer down.

Congratulations Bill. Keep it rolling

Inspiring post Bill, especially for those of us just getting started in this.

Congrats to you. That's a huge milestone to reach and still be in the seat. It really starts to get easier from here as you build muscle memory and find yourself a groove and a rhythm.

Thanks, George. It's almost always hard work, but almost always fun!

Hi Dennis. Long time no talk. I hope your recovery is going well. I try always to be patient and not get in a hurry, especially mentally.

Thanks, Sandman.

I try not to give advice; not my thing. I will say; I credit the majority of my early success to the support I get from the company I drive with. No matter what I'm asked to do, whether I like it or not, I see it as something that needs to be done for the greater good of the team, or something they want me to do because they want me to learn from the experience. That mindset helps me keep things simple, and it keeps negative thoughts from creeping into my mind. Not that they don't, from time to time. LOL After all, I'm only human.

Inspiring post Bill, especially for those of us just getting started in this.

Well, this just in: I qualified for all bonuses during the second full quarter of my solo experience as well. I drove +33,000 miles in the second quarter, was 46% under max idle performance (top in the Cascadia fleet), surpassed the revenue goal by 12%, and met all fuel and route compliance qualifiers. We have some very high-mileage drivers here who stay on the road six days per week. I only drive five days a week, and about once per month I work a six-day week and am regional. Getting in the top 5 mileage-wise is not going to be easy unless I start squeezing in those Saturdays. Something I'm very reluctant to do unless there is an urgent need or a hot load. Very thankful they work with me on this.

I'm not bringing this up to brag, well maybe a little; I really worked hard and was persistent and disciplined to hit my goals. If you're a rookie, you can do it too. But being successful in trucking is not easy, as MANY here on TT have discussed repeatedly. I am willing to go the extra mile when called upon to do so. I did things I didn't want to do. And I'll continue to do so. I get up every day willing and able to do what I have to do (legally) to make this day a good and successful day.

One thing is for sure, a driver's success depends not only on what they do but what their fleet leaders and dispatchers do for them. Getting loads is one thing, but routing a driver to hit their mileage goals consistently is another thing altogether. It's a team effort, and I'm thankful I always have the support, and I mean always have the support I need to be successful.

Looking forward to the next six months of my rookie journey, I will keep doing what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it, making those subtle changes needed to improve performance and safety - especially with winter fast approaching.

Safe travels. And remember, today is a good day; tomorrow will be better!

Congratulations Bill! +33k miles in a quarter is very good for a new driver. You’ve worked hard and earned it, plus the extra bonuses.

I’m a little jealous wanting to get back out on the road!