Fear Not Trainees

Week two and I fully understand the frustration many people feel. I also understand the complaints about the junky trucks some schools use. But look at the bright side; if you can master backing, shifting, blind side, sight side, straight line, offset, parallel and anything else the throw at you, in these trucks, you'll really like the tight steering and plush accommodations in your own big rig. For my experience, the worst trucks are only used on the range (backing/parking only).

Thanks again Brett. Especially for making this site free. :)

Week two and I fully understand the frustration many people feel. I also understand the complaints about the junky trucks some schools use. But look at the bright side; if you can master backing, shifting, blind side, sight side, straight line, offset, parallel and anything else the throw at you, in these trucks, you'll really like the tight steering and plush accommodations in your own big rig. For my experience, the worst trucks are only used on the range (backing/parking only).

Thanks again Brett. Especially for making this site free. :)

Oh happy day! I need two more practice days for road portion of CDL testing at school in Ohio, and hope to get it done on Friday with my CDL in my hot little hand!

Also agree with you about the helpfulness of a free trucking site for kicking around questions, answers and ideas about the business. Thanks to Brett for keeping it real. Peace and Safe Travels, All.

Per what I read about trucking this is, in my personal opinion, a whole new type of domesticated humanoid. I know many may not like what I have to say so just stop reading this. There are many comments which I don't like here so I just ignore them. I just don't understand this BIG rig "industry" talk because what I see it is another job, steering the wheel. I am a former European, yes, to this day regretting the move into the US, which I only did to actually live with the wife whom I married in Ireland. I'm not a typical trucker, learned 4th language and completed BA and MBA from 2 different universities in the US. So did I touch trucking? The problem is, despite the education, I experienced serious problems getting a job in this **** country (of course I meant "foreign"). Age over 50 plus experience from Europe simply does not count here where the "experience before experience" rules almighty (and blocs natural flow in the job market). I just hope Europeans pay this "non-respect" courtesy right back.

Back in Europe I had my own firm for 8 years, manufacturing and distribution. Since I needed the CLD B I took the test and got my licence. With no previous experience not long after I had driven all across Central and Southern Europe, had gone through number of custom services (American drivers should place an offering on their divinity altar every day for not having have to do that), NEVER had one accident. Recently, in the US, I upgraded my licence to CDL A and added every possible endorsements to the licence. Training on manual 10 sp Volvo and International I never had a problem with up-shifting or downshifting, backing into the box from left or right or straight back. European trucks used to be all with manual shifting. My idea behind skipping a firm and paying for the licence upgrade out of my own pocket was to preserve the freedom and independence in choice making later. I thought, get the licence, get the local job, and support the decaying economy or as it is showed down our throats by the powers-that-be. Well, little did I know what can of worms did I open...a whole new type of modern slavery.

First, there is some sort of misplaced "pride" as to into which driving school did one go and, consequently, what type of transcripts did one get. Was the school aligned/certified with this, that, and/or other 3rd party (which usually does nothing else but collects annual membership and provides some sorts of a seal). I'm sure they tested the transcripts...unless I am not. I heard from one school that it is important to hear about the whistle-blowers and associated rules as to how to behave. As far as I know whistle-blowers in this country are persecuted, period (Manning, Snowden, etc). Second, I thought once tested by the state commissar/inspector all licences were EQUAL or if you passed - you PASSED, period. There is no designation on the licence saying your licence is better than mine. Later, when in contact whit actual firms I heard about the absolute need to live with a total stranger, snoring and smelling dude in a truck anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks. Really? It felt like all hell went loose, I could simply not believe what I heard. Conditions like driving regularly 11 hours while staying on the job for 14 hours...daily. Some drivers don't get to go home for weeks at a time. So I thought, "it must be compensated really well. The average paycheck annually for all of the trouble is 45 to 50K or 960/week. If you do your math you'll get 960/70 13.70 per hour. Does it not look like the minimum wage per federal regulation? Even fast food dues realized that they have to do something and so started marching the streets demanding 15,- an hour wages.

I am asking you without trying to offend anyone, "...are American people INSANE trading life for paycheck, regardless if one is worse or better paid???" Just when will the driver husband get the chance to participate in his personal and/or family life, raising kids, seeing and actually being with his wife? Once the kids are grown they are grown, the chance to see them growing is "gone with he wind". Who on Earth created such an industry where so called business is more important the LIFE, where firms get to dictate these ridiculous terms and the driver gets to deal with his most likely screwed up CSA report? This beats me...I am ready to toss my 6,000 dollars into the trash bin laughing hysterically about just how far some people go to make a buck.

@Lou: Alright, now tell us how you really feel!

In all seriousness, you sound like someone very disgruntled with the industry, possibly because you didn't do enough research before committing. It's a shame you didn't find this site before you put all the effort into getting your license; you would have known a lot more going in and been better prepared.

I just don't understand this BIG rig "industry" talk because what I see it is another job, steering the wheel.

That's your first problem...trucking is not about being a steering wheel holder.

The problem is, despite the education, I experienced serious problems getting a job in this **** country (of course I meant "foreign"). Age over 50 plus experience from Europe simply does not count here where the "experience before experience" rules almighty (and blocs natural flow in the job market)

I can virtually guarantee your issues finding employment had nothing to do with your age or nationality, and everything to do with your attitude. After all, your very first post here is a sour, insulting rant. I've worked with literally hundreds of people who were from a foreign country or 60+ (and I'm only 23!). Heck, one of the examiners at the DMV I tested at was British.

Well, little did I know what can of worms did I open...a whole new type of modern slavery.

Your hyperbole astounds. Please, enlighten me. Which trucking company owns you and your children like property, pays you no wages, and can harm or kill you with no repercussions? I'll make sure to steer clear.

I heard about the absolute need to live with a total stranger, snoring and smelling dude in a truck anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks.

You think four to eight weeks is bad? I'll be living with my snoring fiance for the duration of my trucking career! All jokes aside, this is something you should have known going in. In fact, most of your complaints are common knowledge and could have been found with a little checking in to the industry.

I am asking you without trying to offend anyone, "...are American people INSANE trading life for paycheck, regardless if one is worse or better paid???"

For some, there is no trade. For others, they are doing what they have to do to get by. I don't think anyone is insane for performing honest work. Maybe it didn't work out for you, but many others are trucking along happily every day. Trucking Truth is proof of that.

Per what I read about trucking this is, in my personal opinion, a whole new type of domesticated humanoid. I know many may not like what I have to say so just stop reading this. There are many comments which I don't like here so I just ignore them. I just don't understand this BIG rig "industry" talk because what I see it is another job, steering the wheel. I am a former European, yes, to this day regretting the move into the US, which I only did to actually live with the wife whom I married in Ireland. I'm not a typical trucker, learned 4th language and completed BA and MBA from 2 different universities in the US. So did I touch trucking? The problem is, despite the education, I experienced serious problems getting a job in this **** country (of course I meant "foreign"). Age over 50 plus experience from Europe simply does not count here where the "experience before experience" rules almighty (and blocs natural flow in the job market). I just hope Europeans pay this "non-respect" courtesy right back.

Back in Europe I had my own firm for 8 years, manufacturing and distribution. Since I needed the CLD B I took the test and got my licence. With no previous experience not long after I had driven all across Central and Southern Europe, had gone through number of custom services (American drivers should place an offering on their divinity altar every day for not having have to do that), NEVER had one accident. Recently, in the US, I upgraded my licence to CDL A and added every possible endorsements to the licence. Training on manual 10 sp Volvo and International I never had a problem with up-shifting or downshifting, backing into the box from left or right or straight back. European trucks used to be all with manual shifting. My idea behind skipping a firm and paying for the licence upgrade out of my own pocket was to preserve the freedom and independence in choice making later. I thought, get the licence, get the local job, and support the decaying economy or as it is showed down our throats by the powers-that-be. Well, little did I know what can of worms did I open...a whole new type of modern slavery.

First, there is some sort of misplaced "pride" as to into which driving school did one go and, consequently, what type of transcripts did one get. Was the school aligned/certified with this, that, and/or other 3rd party (which usually does nothing else but collects annual membership and provides some sorts of a seal). I'm sure they tested the transcripts...unless I am not. I heard from one school that it is important to hear about the whistle-blowers and associated rules as to how to behave. As far as I know whistle-blowers in this country are persecuted, period (Manning, Snowden, etc). Second, I thought once tested by the state commissar/inspector all licences were EQUAL or if you passed - you PASSED, period. There is no designation on the licence saying your licence is better than mine. Later, when in contact whit actual firms I heard about the absolute need to live with a total stranger, snoring and smelling dude in a truck anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks. Really? It felt like all hell went loose, I could simply not believe what I heard. Conditions like driving regularly 11 hours while staying on the job for 14 hours...daily. Some drivers don't get to go home for weeks at a time. So I thought, "it must be compensated really well. The average paycheck annually for all of the trouble is 45 to 50K or 960/week. If you do your math you'll get 960/70 13.70 per hour. Does it not look like the minimum wage per federal regulation? Even fast food dues realized that they have to do something and so started marching the streets demanding 15,- an hour wages.

I am asking you without trying to offend anyone, "...are American people INSANE trading life for paycheck, regardless if one is worse or better paid???" Just when will the driver husband get the chance to participate in his personal and/or family life, raising kids, seeing and actually being with his wife? Once the kids are grown they are grown, the chance to see them growing is "gone with he wind". Who on Earth created such an industry where so called business is more important the LIFE, where firms get to dictate these ridiculous terms and the driver gets to deal with his most likely screwed up CSA report? This beats me...I am ready to toss my 6,000 dollars into the trash bin laughing hysterically about just how far some people go to make a buck.

This is the type of whining that gives European Immigrants a bad name. If you want everything like it was in the Motherland, well...go there. The willingness to work hard out of pride and a desire to advance our lives is what made America great. I don't care if some CEO is getting big bucks. I know someone else is willing to do my job for the wages I'm being paid. Therefore, I choose what jobs I'm willing to do. And in America, the fact that immigrants can come here with nothing and be successful is proof minimum wage isn't needed. Frankly, having been a business owner, there are lots of people (and I ain't talkin' about executives) getting paid way more than their lackadaisical efforts are worth.

Go ahead and laugh at us. While you're laughing and getting rejected by companies I'll be turning down those job offers since I'm already happy with the one I took.

Steve L: As I said, I thought some may not like what I had to say. To trade the information with Steve I particularly don't like the self-labeled "old-school" guys who pride themselves in "hard work". While you are working "hard" the firm's owner(s) are sitting at home drinking single malt scotch, enjoying life with their family. You instead live in a 10 * 10 ft box for days if not weeks , are set up with a dispatcher who hopes not hear from you too often. Let me ask, do you ever get to see the real revenue you, with your hard work, generate? I heard that in some rare occasions some drivers might, but why not all and at all times? Oh, the usual answer is there is this “thing” called business with its complexities and intricacies and it is simply assumed you as a driver would not fully understand it, so why bother. Really? Try me. Or rather, it's “not your business” attitude, just like the governmental crooks calling the public information secret and classified? If I put my time into something I dare to say it is my business very much.

I am someone you could call old-school if you'd consider chronological age but that's a mistake, time is nothing else but human made concept. All we have is NOW. Also there is no such thing as doing anything the “right” way. Instead, there are as many right ways as there are people on this earth. Who can judge anyone? There is no such thing as hard work in business either. You could get into power-lifting in your free time and see what really hard work is, but good luck with that working 14 hours a day, living out of a sleeper. In earning the living I expect fairness coupled with effectiveness, ethical principles, were efforts are valued and measured. In reality, before you ever get to touch the shiny truck you are showered (and forced to sign) with myriad of seriously thought out, premeditated, legal documents which serve one purpose ONLY, to protect the firm, not you. Oh, you got your free will right? You don’t have to sign! No sir, thanks to crooks who like to control the common man these days all means of survival were taken away from you and I - all we have left is “employment”. There is no FREE will. It’s done on purpose. I did not research the trucking “industry” because I did not believe such a thing existed. No matter what fantasies some guys have about it – it is what it is, when you take a better look it is steering the wheel, staring on the road in front of you for up to 11 hours a day. I believed the trucking school guy who in return for my money promised me a placement for an honest job with honest pay for my honest efforts. I knew there was logistics business covering its trucking part but what I learned from my own dealing with number of trucking firms just from trying to do the job is plain insane, actually slavery. My attitude has been always fine; I know my part in work relationship. In this country, I spent 13 years working in finance field but I’d never seen such maltreatment as in trucking. If one works for food and shelter that my friend is not betterment of one’s economic situation that is plain slavery. In full honesty, the way I've been looking at the world around me for the past 50 years I thought there was no mother land and we ALL are citizens of the Earth. It is "us" making up problems out of thin air, putting up blocs where ever we can - starting with borders, ever-repeating habits which we call culture, and a bag-load of rules no one needs. And why all of this? It's the good old FEAR we all like so much. I believe and agree we ALL are responsible for our lives and that’s why we ALL have to stand up and ask questions, raise our doubts, abandon support of the system which is not working and so correct it. The trucking “industry” as I see it in this land is a cruel joke.

In two posts, nothing positive to say? And yes, having owned my own businesses and worked in finance for over 9 years, I think I do know something about how businesses operate. I'm 53, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but not the dullest either. It sounds like you're mad at the world. Trucking isn't perfect and working in the corporate world isn't a perfect life either. But if I refused to work in a business just 'cause the corporate fat cats are getting rich, I'd have no job no matter what industry I chose to work in.

I choose to focus on what I CAN do and what I WILL do and the blessings I DO have. Life is much better for me this way.

Good luck to you.

I wish there was something positive about where the society is steered these days. I am not trying to be "negative"; I am trying to raise awareness and reverse the cognitive dissonance (the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change). Those super-wealthy crooks who are determined to reach their goal of "one world government" are seriously sick people. Unfortunately they infiltrated just about every part of our lives, poison our food, water, air, politics, business, religion, etc. What people seem to fail to understand is that royals, governments, banks, corporation, don't produce anything, they don't create. They instead redistribute (I say they steal) what the common people CREATE. Yet it is exactly the them, the 1 % of lazy bums who push the common man to the ground. Why? Because we are brainwashed, we became "shepeople", we alow them to do so. We accept just about any cr*p shoved down our throats. No, I am not socialist, I am pointing out something what is coquetting with fascism.

So, while I am not suggesting you and I should quit the job; what I do suggest is by acquiring a good understanding and uniting ourselves (I don't mean the crooked American unions) we'll make the corporations back off and adjust to the needs of those who CREATE, who deliver the real value. Money has no value, you can't eat it, wear it, it won't provide you anything of value. I don't see one reason why should drivers stay on the road for weeks at a time being rushed around like animals, living out of a sleeper like rats. Business in every area of the country needs distributed "stuff" so why send a guy from East coast to the West or all over 48 states? Improve the damn logistics, coordination of various units, train dispatch people...PAY everyone much, MUCH better. Banks were bailed out BIG time several times so why not PEOPLE? Steve, nothing will ever change if we simply walk around with head down, accepting obediently orders...Our kids will inherit this system and trust me, they will not be happy.

I don't see one reason why should drivers stay on the road for weeks at a time being rushed around like animals, living out of a sleeper like rats.

Then don't. No one is forcing you to. Others (like me) do see value in such a lifestyle. I don't have any desire to explain it to you, and I doubt I could if I tried. Go back to finance, find a job in logistics, do whatever makes you happy. But spare us the sanctimonious, idealistic lectures.

I don't see one reason why should drivers stay on the road for weeks at a time being rushed around like animals, living out of a sleeper like rats.

Then don't. No one is forcing you to. Others (like me) do see value in such a lifestyle. I don't have any desire to explain it to you, and I doubt I could if I tried. Go back to finance, find a job in logistics, do whatever makes you happy. But spare us the sanctimonious, idealistic lectures.

Amen CS!