I tried to make a go of it

[Roadworthy]

I got my A license in march 07, tried 6 different companies and could not make enough money to pay the bills. the good
paying jobs require 2 years experience. I do not have the time to wait and not pay the
bills. the companies I did work for pushed me to exceed the speed limit, falsify my log book
and generally beat me down mentally and
pay wise. I am out of the business and back in sales. Good luck to all of you in a tough
business.

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by Roadworthy

I got my A license in march 07, tried 6 different companies and could not make enough money to pay the bills.

this is normal, for a "newbie".

the good
paying jobs require 2 years experience. I do not have the time to wait and not pay the
bills.

i cannot believe that you didn't make some sort of paycheck. were you spending way too much money on the road, you know, for food, etc,etc..??

the companies I did work for pushed me to exceed the speed limit, falsify my log book
and generally beat me down mentally and
pay wise.

well this is "subjectional", as we didn't witness anything that happened to you. i think that with your inexperience, you did some of that "pushing" yourself. i mean, come on, if you stayed at a truckstop too long, by either over sleeping, or not paying attention to the time, this will cause you to "push" yourself down the road. then too the log book statement. no trucking company can make you falisfy your log book. i think you just didn't know how to do a log book. they didn't "beat you down" either mentally or pay wise. you beat yourself, and you're here crying about YOUR failure to do the job.

i don't read too many other "newbies" crying the way you are here. what did you realistically think that truck driving was all about, "the big money" right out of school..? its called " paying your dues", to which i suggest you simply did not do. you said you couldn't wait for more time to gain your experience. well guess what, that's what just about ANY JOB REQUIRES, and that's TIME before you start earning the big bucks that ANY seasoned worker earns. it sounds to me that you think you were owed big money right away for no experience, all the while other drivers were working towards thier time in the seat, busting thier humps daily.

WE ALL HAVE BILLS......you think you're the only one out there that doesn't have any bills....?? WE ALL SACRIFICED many things to get where we are today.

well good-bye "former-newbie". go back to your tried and true sales job. be forewarned too, that if someday, some how, you lose that sales job, and you think about getting back into trucking (since you paid BIG MONEY) for your training and license, NO COMPANY will hire you, unless you go back to school and get "re-trained", starting your misery all over again..........

would you handle it a "second time around".....??

I am out of the business and back in sales. Good luck to all of you in a tough
business.

i don't think that trucking has any loss here in losing a "newbie" that thinks he is owed things right a way over us people who worked and sacrificed each and every day, week, month, and year. i do wish you good luck in your quest, sitting behind a desk, or driving to and from sales calls.....making those "big bucks"..........

and i do wish you good luck when your company goes out of business, or out sources your job to "Ralph" in India........

[JLKKLJ777]

I am sorry to hear you threw in the towel after all the time and expense of learning to drive.

Driving a truck is a big transition from a "normal" life and many simply do not have the desire to "stick it out." I would suggest your giving up way too soon and perhaps were dis-illusioned to begin with.

Your post stated you worked for 6 different companies since March 07. Wow! Sounds like you were unhappy from day 1 and definitely had some unrealistic expectations. I would be interested to hear which companies you worked for, how long, and why you felt they were not a good fit.

I am not going to bash you as I think Pro driver has done an exceptional job of "lowering the boom" on you already.

I will point out that he is in fact correct in many of his statements and although he wasn't as tactful as he could have been I think his message is on point and you needed to hear it.

The fact is we all started as "low man on the totem pole." We all had crappy jobs to start and had to bust our butts at grocery warehouses or being layed over without pay, or missing important occassions at home, or having our pay messed up due to a "clerical error." We got through it by being persistent and "toughing it out."

Many of us do get aggravated by the new attitude that seems to run rampant now a days which is; "the world owes me!" I demand top pay, top of the line equipment, and home time when I want it because I am better than everyone who came before me. I leave it to you to judge wether this applies to you or not.

This industry will break a person down, try his/her patience, and make you re-think why you are doing this job in the first place. The reward is later on after you have had your "trial by fire" just as iron is turned to steel the veterans out here have been "tempered by" their bad experiences.

I think in order to truly enjoy the highs of life and the successes of life you must have fought and struggled to achieve your place out here. You will have much more self respect for having failed and gotten back up and tried it again than going back to your "comfort zone."

The trucking industry is not going away. I believe it is 1 of the few recession proof industries around. To throw away your training at this stage is not wise.

As for your potential earnings 35 to 40 thousand dollars in your first year is very possible. Of course it depends upon YOU being available to do the work when it is offered. Each year you stick it out your pay will increase, your skill levels will increase, and your self esteem should increase (after you have adapted).

Now you need to take a big breath and get back in the drivers seat as soon as possible. If you do not then, as Pro-driver stated, you will probably have to spend more money on a refresher course.

[Booboy]

Originally Posted by JLKKLJ777

The trucking industry is not going away. I believe it is 1 of the few recession proof industries around.

I cant agree with you on that.If business shut down and people are spending less money ,it will hit the trucking world hard.It seems the rail is picking up,even started advertising on tv that it cheaper to ship rail,because of fuel cost.Consumer good is a large part of the business,when people cant afford to spend money like they are now,truck drivers will suffer.My job isn't recession proof,people may think so,but it will be layoff all around the board.We are seeing it now in the ltl sector.

[vick]

Originally Posted by Booboy

I cant agree with you on that.If business shut down and people are spending less money ,it will hit the trucking world hard.It seems the rail is picking up,even started advertising on tv that it cheaper to ship rail,because of fuel cost.Consumer good is a large part of the business,when people cant afford to spend money like they are now,truck drivers will suffer.My job isn't recession proof,people may think so,but it will be layoff all around the board.We are seeing it now in the ltl sector.

more freight my go to the rail but there still has to be a truck to get it to the warehouse not all warehouses have rail doors

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by JLKKLJ777

Your post stated you worked for 6 different companies since March 07. Wow! Sounds like you were unhappy from day 1 and definitely had some unrealistic expectations.

"sounds like" at least about one and a half months per job, using march thru december as some sort of guide. that's telling me, he had high expectations from day one. my math be off a bit, but i think i'm close to the time frame per job.

I am not going to bash you as I think Pro driver has done an exceptional job of "lowering the boom" on you already.

i don't call what i say as "bashing", more like "telling it like it is, the way it should be said". why should i "sugar-coat" anything for anyone...?? that's MORE misleading than anything else.

I will point out that he is in fact correct in many of his statements and although he wasn't as tactful as he could have been I think his message is on point and you needed to hear it.

my "tactless" reputation preceeds me, 10 fold.

The fact is we all started as "low man on the totem pole." We all had crappy jobs to start and had to bust our butts at grocery warehouses or being layed over without pay, or missing important occassions at home, or having our pay messed up due to a "clerical error." We got through it by being persistent and "toughing it out."

he (the original poster) obviously doesn't seem to think that he needs to "tough it out"......he must have been sold a "bill of goods" from the trucking school. as B.T. Barnum once said, "a sucker is born every minute"..........

I think in order to truly enjoy the highs of life and the successes of life you must have fought and struggled to achieve your place out here. You will have much more self respect for having failed and gotten back up and tried it again than going back to your "comfort zone."

he has lost all self respect. he deems himself so important that he doesn't need to "wait" for the money to come in, before he has his experience, over the rest of us.

The trucking industry is not going away. I believe it is 1 of the few recession proof industries around. To throw away your training at this stage is not wise.

although not entirely recession proof, its still a job that can never be "out sourced" like his sales job.

Now you need to take a big breath and get back in the drivers seat as soon as possible. If you do not then, as Pro-driver stated, you will probably have to spend more money on a refresher course.

on this, (about getting back into the drivers seat), i disagree whole heartedly. he has already proven that he hops jobs quicker than a rabbit in heat. how many employers, after looking at his references are going to want to take a chance on him now....?? they will look over his application, ask him his reasons for leaving, and he will cry a river of crocadile tears. no one will respect him. no one will want to gamble he just doesn't get up and walk away again. he's better off paying that student loan, sit behind his desk, or on the road, and cry us some more tears when his sales job goes "flooey" some day.....