Holy cow there is a lot of info out there...

Ben Helle

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After having a some serious reflection time, I'm leaving the last 15 years of a sales career behind the start a career in driving. I realized that the part of my day I enjoyed the most was when I was behind the wheel, so why not do aomething that will pay me to do just that.

Been researching like mad the last few weeks (about 14-16 hrs a day) about the industry, companies, cdl training, truck brands, equipment and the like. I go meet with the school I've selected next Monday to get that process rolling.

I've also narrowed down my company list to call recruiters and I wanted to see what opinions from current and former drivers of these companies. I would like to haul dry van, be out 6 to 7 seven days with a couple home and drive as many states as possible with the exception of the east coast.

H O Wolding
Abilene
J & R Schugel
Werner
Knight
Britton

Thanks everyone.
 
So Ben if you don't mind,what were you selling?
If you were doing it for 15 years you must have been good at it.

Not to discourage you,however theres a lot to having a successful trucking career.
That may make you wishing you were still in sales.
However I guess if you have a strong desire to do it.
You could always get your feet wet,then get back into sales if it doesn't work out.
 
So Ben if you don't mind,what were you selling?
If you were doing it for 15 years you must have been good at it.

Not to discourage you,however theres a lot to having a successful trucking career.
That may make you wishing you were still in sales.
However I guess if you have a strong desire to do it.
You could always get your feet wet,then get back into sales if it doesn't work out.


I have sold everything from insurance, roofing, insurance and medical device. Over the last few years I've discovered the most enjoyable part of my day is behind the wheel so I figured why not get paid to do that.
 
Don't quit sales. Find something that'll let you work from your truck during your down time. Don't let that 15 years go to waste if you don't have too.
 
Don't quit sales. Find something that'll let you work from your truck during your down time. Don't let that 15 years go to waste if you don't have too.


The sad thing is the 15 yrs has already been a waste. Not much money in it and there is no stability whatsoever
 
I have sold everything from insurance, roofing, insurance and medical device. Over the last few years I've discovered the most enjoyable part of my day is behind the wheel so I figured why not get paid to do that.
Ben, driving your car, or pick up truck, or SUV for your sales job, is in no way a comparison to truck driving. there are rules, laws you must adhere to, that you can basically get away with driving a 4 wheeler. then comes the hours. you WILL BE on a 24 hour rotational clock driving trucks.

that 24 hour clock will be very difficult to adjust to, being new. NOT that it cannot be done, but again, frankly you are comparing apples to oranges.

that 24 hour clock will put you on the roads at some of the most difficult of times, and days. when many are (say) leaving the bars, you WILL BE on the same road as the drunks. or rush hour traffic, in Chicago, L.A., Miami, Boston, etc. you think that you might not want to come here to the east...forgedaboudit....as a newbie, you WILL GO where you are told to go....at first.....you have to prove yourself.

your life as a salesman maybe staying at hotels or motels, WILL STOP, as that truck becomes your motel. you will need to do laundry, eat, shower, mostly all at truck stops. wanna clean bathroom to sit on the toilet like at the motels...?? you'd be lucky to find anything clean at certain times of the day or night at the truck stops.

i had been in this industry for 30 years, before my injury, which has debilitated me. ( i have an ongoing thread here. http://www.truckingboards.com/bb/threads/career-ending-operation.58735/) take some time to read my horror story...... i am now half way thru a 6 year, workman's comp claim, in need of at least one, if not 2 MORE operations. some people can go thier entire career and live thru it, and retire healthy and well....some (like me) can become incapacitated from it, this is some serious crap. here you are at an age where you are very well established, (i do not know your age), but i got hurt at 57, so my life on the road is done. if you are in your 50's, you wanna start this time at a job where you're not as spry as a youngin....?????

life on the road sucks, and frankly, you SHOULD KNOW THAT, if you have to stay away from home and the conveniences of life, you give up, doing your job now...ya think it is MORE convenient to be on the road a month at a time.>????

it's not just driving, do you realize this.>???

YOU WILL LOAD and UNLOAD.....like i HAD to do, when i got hurt. many drivers are "lucky" to get a job, "just driving".....but those are few and far between. as a newbie, you just ain't gonna get a job like that, over a man/woman who has years of experience over you, a newbie.

again, i do not know your age, 15 years as a salesman, you could be only about 35.....

or you could have started your sales job AT 35 and now you are 50.....

either way, NEVER compare driving a truck professionally to driving your little 4 wheeler..you just cannot compare the 2 nor the lifestyle to either profession.

best of luck to you
 
Ben, driving your car, or pick up truck, or SUV for your sales job, is in no way a comparison to truck driving. there are rules, laws you must adhere to, that you can basically get away with driving a 4 wheeler. then comes the hours. you WILL BE on a 24 hour rotational clock driving trucks.

that 24 hour clock will be very difficult to adjust to, being new. NOT that it cannot be done, but again, frankly you are comparing apples to oranges.

that 24 hour clock will put you on the roads at some of the most difficult of times, and days. when many are (say) leaving the bars, you WILL BE on the same road as the drunks. or rush hour traffic, in Chicago, L.A., Miami, Boston, etc. you think that you might not want to come here to the east...forgedaboudit....as a newbie, you WILL GO where you are told to go....at first.....you have to prove yourself.

your life as a salesman maybe staying at hotels or motels, WILL STOP, as that truck becomes your motel. you will need to do laundry, eat, shower, mostly all at truck stops. wanna clean bathroom to sit on the toilet like at the motels...?? you'd be lucky to find anything clean at certain times of the day or night at the truck stops.

i had been in this industry for 30 years, before my injury, which has debilitated me. take some time to read my horror story...... i am now half way thru a 6 year, workman's comp claim, in need of at least one, if not 2 MORE operations. some people can go thier entire career and live thru it, and retire healthy and well....some (like me) can become incapacitated from it, this is some serious crap. here you are at an age where you are very well established, (i do not know your age), but i got hurt at 57, so my life on the road is done. if you are in your 50's, you wanna start this time at a job where you're not as spry as a youngin....?????

life on the road sucks, and frankly, you SHOULD KNOW THAT, if you have to stay away from home and the conveniences of life, you give up, doing your job now...ya think it is MORE convenient to be on the road a month at a time.>????

it's not just driving, do you realize this.>???

YOU WILL LOAD and UNLOAD.....like i HAD to do, when i got hurt. many drivers are "lucky" to get a job, "just driving".....but those are few and far between. as a newbie, you just ain't gonna get a job like that, over a man/woman who has years of experience over you, a newbie.

again, i do not know your age, 15 years as a salesman, you could be only about 35.....

or you could have started your sales job AT 35 and now you are 50.....

either way, NEVER compare driving a truck professionally to driving your little 4 wheeler..you just cannot compare the 2 nor the lifestyle to either profession.

best of luck to you


I realize driving truck is not like driving a passenger vehicle. The majority of the companies I'm looking at are 98%+ no touch with no forced dispatch to the NE or they don't run the NE.

I've been researching this industry for 12-16 hrs a day for the last month to learn as much as I can from current and past drivers. I also have a friend that is OTR and haven talked to him for hours on end.

I've made the decision this is what I'm going to do going forward ans only started this thread to get some info from people who have experience with the companies I'm looking at.
 
I have sold everything from insurance, roofing, insurance and medical device. Over the last few years I've discovered the most enjoyable part of my day is behind the wheel so I figured why not get paid to do that.

Once you start driving a truck, you will find that the most stressful part of your day will be when your driving. Then, it will be sitting in the truck wishing you could either be driving or sleeping.
 
Why not see if you could team up with him,maybe he will even be able to help you get your CDL.
First get a permit,then go trucking with him to see how you'll like it,before getting slaved by a truckload trucking school.
Or spend a lot of money for a private trucking school.
 
Why not see if you could team up with him,maybe he will even be able to help you get your CDL.
First get a permit,then go trucking with him to see how you'll like it,before getting slaved by a truckload trucking school.
Or spend a lot of money for a private trucking school.

The company he drives for won't allow that.
 
I realize driving truck is not like driving a passenger vehicle. The majority of the companies I'm looking at are 98%+ no touch with no forced dispatch to the NE or they don't run the NE.

I've been researching this industry for 12-16 hrs a day for the last month to learn as much as I can from current and past drivers. I also have a friend that is OTR and haven talked to him for hours on end.

I've made the decision this is what I'm going to do going forward ans only started this thread to get some info from people who have experience with the companies I'm looking at.
you will get opinions on every aspect of the industry. of course your buddy is going to talk all glory about it. does he tell you the downside as well?????

as for opinions on the specific companies you ask about from drivers who work there or have worked there, weed out about 50% of each thing said.

to some, they work for the greatest company in the world, it very well WILL suck for you. to others they will lambast everything about a company, but you might like 60% of what is said.

opinions are like ace-holes..eveyone has at least one........

again good luck. i didn't think you'd change your mind....just have traveling money with you or an ATM card, for when you want out, and to get home.

trcuking is not as "romantic" as many say it is....cuz it IS a job...not a romance.
 
Why not see if you could team up with him,maybe he will even be able to help you get your CDL.
First get a permit,then go trucking with him to see how you'll like it,before getting slaved by a truckload trucking school.
Or spend a lot of money for a private trucking school.
The company he drives for won't allow that.
and there you go..restrictions..expect a lot of that...
 
If you must, you must but be beware, it is an ugly industry and drivers are not respected, treated well or paid all that well. If you go to one of the companies that you have listed be aware that you will barely make enough money to stay alive. A house would be out of the question, if you own one now and have a mortgage, paying it will be difficult. If you want to live in a truck, get treated like ::shit:: everywhere you go, ::shit:: your pants every time you get lost with that 53' long 13' 6" high trailer behind you knock yourself out. On the plus side you won't need the hassle of a bank account because you'll have nothing to put in there.
 
If you must, you must but be beware, it is an ugly industry and drivers are not respected, treated well or paid all that well. If you go to one of the companies that you have listed be aware that you will barely make enough money to stay alive. A house would be out of the question, if you own one now and have a mortgage, paying it will be difficult. If you want to live in a truck, get treated like :::shit::: everywhere you go, :::shit::: your pants every time you get lost with that 53' long 13' 6" high trailer behind you knock yourself out. On the plus side you won't need the hassle of a bank account because you'll have nothing to put in there.
then too come the restrictions of how and when to run, work, rest. then the DOT physical, will he even pass..???

too many things to consider at any age to get into trucking. with self driving trucks coming, whether we want them or not, that'll remove a few from the seat. those of us that are retired or soon to be, can't wait to get out. there will always be newbies seeing some sort of romantic nature of the open road, but be blinded by the truth.

some only want to see, and hear what THEY WANT to see, and have nothing to do with the realities of life, much less a very demanding job. i laugh at his comment that what, 98% have no touch loads,,???

no job is that high...no touch freight......

he WILL BE on the docks, counting freight, or just standing there watching. that'll tire him out worse than any physical work, you know, we've all been there, right..???

he will do what he wants to do, so be it, at least some of us tied to "warn him", it is certainly NOT comparable to driving his 4 wheeler doing his sales job.....this IS real work.
 
I realize driving truck is not like driving a passenger vehicle. The majority of the companies I'm looking at are 98%+ no touch with no forced dispatch to the NE or they don't run the NE.

I've been researching this industry for 12-16 hrs a day for the last month to learn as much as I can from current and past drivers. I also have a friend that is OTR and haven talked to him for hours on end.

I've made the decision this is what I'm going to do going forward ans only started this thread to get some info from people who have experience with the companies I'm looking at.
 
Sounds like you already know everything. Good luck with that. There's a ton of drivers been driving all their lives looking for that exact same run.
A lot of experienced drivers have to be prepared for anything and everything no matter who they drive for.
 
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