Whats it like being a trucker?

[dukebound85]

For some reason, I think this would be a pretty cool career at times as I love driving and seeing the country

[Exegesis48]

I hear truckers have to maintain quite a rigid schedule, and are pretty much always on the move. So i doubt it would involve much of seeing the country.

[nyte3k]

heh, thought I was the only one who thought it would be cool...for about the first month. Just to drive around the country and see stuff.

But driving gets annoying (especially in traffic congested Atlanta).

[LumbermanSVO]

Best job I've ever had. Tomorrow I'm gonna go wonder around downtown Chicago. I've been to 43 states and have seen some beautiful places and met some great people. I also train new drivers. I do have a thread somewhere around here for people to ask their trucker-related questions.

[dukebound85]

i guess i should also include a train conductor as being cool as well in my mind

i hate the office setting

[dsnort]

Originally Posted by dukebound85

For some reason, I think this would be a pretty cool career at times as I love driving and seeing the country

It can be fun, ( I did it for 12 years ), until you get some a**hole dispatcher who thinks sleep is optional, or you run afoul of DOT in Manchester Tennessee, or you come down with strep throat with a load on that just HAS to be there tomorrow, or the truck breaks down in A**water USA when your sons B'day is tomorrow, or you get directions into Chicago from someone who doesn't grasp that a semi can't get under a 10' bridge, or you run into the cops in Chicago who won't believe some A**hole directed you to go that way, ....

[LumbermanSVO]

Also, the link in my sig is to my blog from day one of being an OTR driver.

[emt1]

Originally Posted by dukebound85

For some reason, I think this would be a pretty cool career at times as I love driving and seeing the country

Still not feelin' the whole engineer thing, huh?

[jecapaga]

Originally Posted by emt1

Still not feelin' the whole engineer thing, huh?

Isn't sounding like it...that's a big swing to go from engineer to thinking about being on the road.

[samiwas]

Originally Posted by dukebound85

For some reason, I think this would be a pretty cool career at times as I love driving and seeing the country

What you want to get is in the entertainment trucking business. Get on a good theater tour and you might spend a week in a city. Our truck drivers were always hanging with us and would go on day trips with people sometimes as we traveled the country. No idea how much that kind of schedule pays though...some of them probably did other jobs during the week.

I would think being a "real" truck driver would get old quite quickly. But that's just me.

[LumbermanSVO]

Originally Posted by samiwas

What you want to get is in the entertainment trucking business. Get on a good theater tour and you might spend a week in a city. Our truck drivers were always hanging with us and would go on day trips with people sometimes as we traveled the country. No idea how much that kind of schedule pays though...some of them probably did other jobs during the week.

I would think being a "real" truck driver would get old quite quickly. But that's just me.

I've looked into driving for the entertainment industry. Most companies will require you to have your own truck, of the two that don't, you need 3 years of OTR(over the road/longhaul) experience before you can apply. Once you are on tour you stay with that tour until it is over, you might not be home for months. I talked to one driver for Upstaging and he had given up on going home and sold his house. At that point he had been on the road for over 3 years straight.

I love what I do and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Nobody cares what I do as long as I'm safe legal and on-time. I rarely know what I'm doing a day or two in the future. In a couple years I'll own my truck and have even more freedom while making more money. I wouldn't last 3 months if I had to go back to a 9-5 type gig.

[Dagless]

Oddly enough I've wanted to be a trucker too especially on mainland Europe or in the US. The UK, god bless her, is a big boring once you've been around it a fair few times.
Incase the game development and teaching doesn't work out I'd love to give it a try too.

[Consultant]

Originally Posted by dsnort

...or you get directions into Chicago from someone who doesn't grasp that a semi can't get under a 10' bridge, or you run into the cops in Chicago who won't believe some A**hole directed you to go that way, ....

Is that you there? =p
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM2NLdI_-8U

[Abstract]

You probably don't make a lot of money if there are incidental charges of any sort, as it will eat away at the profit. Also, you're away from home often, sleep in trucks, and are on a very strict schedule, so a lot of the success depends on how quickly you can kill hookers and dump the body.

[LumbermanSVO]

Originally Posted by Abstract

You probably don't make a lot of money if there are incidental charges of any sort, as it will eat away at the profit. Also, you're away from home often, sleep in trucks, and are on a very strict schedule, so a lot of the success depends on how quickly you can kill hookers and dump the body.

I'm on track to make over $65k this year. Once I own the truck I'll easily be making over $100k. If you have no immediate family you can get rid of the home altogether and be able to save a LOT of money, I should have my first home paid for in cash in under 5 years.

The hours of service rules are flexible enough that you don't have to worry too much about running out of hours once you learn them.

[Signal-11]

Originally Posted by LumbermanSVO

I love what I do and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Nobody cares what I do as long as I'm safe legal and on-time. I rarely know what I'm doing a day or two in the future. In a couple years I'll own my truck and have even more freedom while making more money. I wouldn't last 3 months if I had to go back to a 9-5 type gig.

Man, I'm right there with you. Put me in an office environment and I start shutting down. Can't make it more than a couple of months before I go nuts.

Sounds like a nice gig, the driving.

I'm curious though. What kind of setup do you have for internet access on your rig? Simple 3G or something crazy like an RBGAN?

[Signal-11]

Originally Posted by emt1

Still not feelin' the whole engineer thing, huh?

This is a little off topic, but I have to say I can sympathize with Dukebound. I finished school with an engineering degree and not much of a desire to go the PE route. I never did and I still get to do some pretty cool things.

In fact, there are a lot of interesting options out there for someone with an engineering degree in their background. For example, with a little experience, the international NGO scene. Depending on for whom you work, you certainly get to travel. A lot.

[LumbermanSVO]

Originally Posted by Signal-11

I'm curious though. What kind of setup do you have for internet access on your rig? Simple 3G or something crazy like an RBGAN?

I just use Millenicom for internet, they are a reseller of Sprint and Verizon, but with no caps or taxes. $59.95 a month. I have the Franklin CDU-680 aircard, works great. I'll use the WiFi at truck stops if it is free and fast. I also have an iPhone running on T-Mobile(much better coverage than AT&T).

[jb60606]

a friend and her husband left Los Angeles behind and became truckers (either one or both became licensed). They initially wanted to do it to see the country by road, but gathered further motivation after (she) lost her high paying job, followed by their home to the credit crunch. Packed up the necessities, short-sold their house and have been traveling across the country ever since.

Aside from a few hang-ups, such as the tiny cab, occasional traffic and diet restrictions (she's a vegan, he's a vegetarian), they have no regrets.

I'm sure they'll bore of it eventually, but I admire and envy the leap they took when I put my own life in perspective. I think I'd do it too, if I wasn't scared of driving anything larger than a Yugo or "Le Car".

Cheers to "leaving it all behind".

[MicBook]

Originally Posted by samiwas

What you want to get is in the entertainment trucking business. Get on a good theater tour and you might spend a week in a city. Our truck drivers were always hanging with us and would go on day trips with people sometimes as we traveled the country. No idea how much that kind of schedule pays though...some of them probably did other jobs during the week.

I would think being a "real" truck driver would get old quite quickly. But that's just me.

Originally Posted by LumbermanSVO

I've looked into driving for the entertainment industry. Most companies will require you to have your own truck, of the two that don't, you need 3 years of OTR(over the road/longhaul) experience before you can apply. Once you are on tour you stay with that tour until it is over, you might not be home for months. I talked to one driver for Upstaging and he had given up on going home and sold his house. At that point he had been on the road for over 3 years straight.

I love what I do and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Nobody cares what I do as long as I'm safe legal and on-time. I rarely know what I'm doing a day or two in the future. In a couple years I'll own my truck and have even more freedom while making more money. I wouldn't last 3 months if I had to go back to a 9-5 type gig.

With our company you are on the road for most of the summer (maybe a week off here and there) but then you get most of the winter off since there are hardly any tours during the winter (aside from TSO and maybe some one-offs)

Check out our website: www.specialeventransportation.com

[LumbermanSVO]

Originally Posted by MicBook

With our company you are on the road for most of the summer (maybe a week off here and there) but then you get most of the winter off since there are hardly any tours during the winter (aside from TSO and maybe some one-offs)

Check out our website: www.specialeventransportation.com

Huh, I spent a few years doing stage hand work in the Seattle(Event Resourse management) area and never heard of you guys.

Do you guys lease on trucks or just have company drivers?

[maestro55]

There have been many times when I have thought about the idea of getting a job that would put me on the road all the time. I have always been interested in travel and seeing things. When I was a kid I used to love road trips, just riding along and seeing the sites along the American highways have always interested me. Some people are born to be on the road. I have considered getting a job doing tech support stuff for a company that would have me travel more than I do now. I have also considered a sales job. People have told me for years I should go into sales, and if I could find a good entry level sales job that I felt was a good fit (i.e. I would much rather sale technology or technology related products than insurance, cars, or cheese I would take it in a heart beat, even more so if I could travel some.

While truck driving has crossed my mind because of the ability to earn good morning, be on the road, and some truckers are allowed to install amateur radio gear in their trucks (I have talked to many truckers via amateur radio over the years, enjoyed many great contacts). Not sure if I could drive a truck or not.

[MicBook]

Originally Posted by LumbermanSVO

Huh, I spent a few years doing stage hand work in the Seattle(Event Resourse management) area and never heard of you guys.

Do you guys lease on trucks or just have company drivers?

We just have company drivers

[LumbermanSVO]

Originally Posted by MicBook

We just have company drivers

I guess I know where not to look when I'm finally done with this mega-sized company

[zephead]

Sorry to bump this, but I'm thinking of becoming a trucker. I applied to MTC and I talked to a guy on the phone, and he said I'd have to fly out to St. Louis to attend.

Even so, I'm seriously considering this. I applied to MTC because of the company sponsorship, i.e. they'll pay for most, if not all of my tuition as long as I stay with them for a year or so. Does anyone have any first-hand experience, pointers, things I should know?