View Full Version : CDL Truck Drivers
Gunfighter.45
10-09-15, 16:50
Hey guys was just curious if anyone here drives tractor trailers for a living? I plan on going to truck driving school at Mid-Florida Tech in mid Nov. Just wanted to get some pointers from some the guys who have been doing this awhile.
SilverBullet432
10-09-15, 16:53
I used to drive. I sti hold my cdl and I still have both my trucks. (Oilfield slowdown forced me to stop trucking and get a different job) I loved driving my trucks man. Although trucking school has left me with a $4500 debt. I don't regret it one bit. I was the only one in my class to get a 100% on the actual DPS driving exam. Logbooks are the only thing that suck. But they are really easy to fill out.
SilverBullet432
10-09-15, 16:56
One of the most important tips i can give you is: keep your following distance, and the some. Can't tell you how many times ive had turds pull into my lane ahead of me when theres a stop light less than 1/4 mile down the road and im fully loaded with 130 barrels of produced water... (75 mph zone)
My little brother has been driving for years. Don't plan on getting rich doing it! There is a reason drivers are in high demand. Not many companies are willing to pay a living wage. I know driving isn't rocket science but 50K a year isn't much of a living for working 80 hours a week.
Do you know how to drive? Yes?
Then don't waste money on truck driving school. Find someone who will let you drive for them and go to work. Probably a hot-shot truck, or a dump truck or something.
I love trucks, and own a classic Pete, but trucking is a poor life choice.
SilverBullet432
10-09-15, 19:14
Do you know how to drive? Yes?
Then don't waste money on truck driving school. Find someone who will let you drive for them and go to work. Probably a hot-shot truck, or a dump truck or something.
I love trucks, and own a classic Pete, but trucking is a poor life choice.
I have a hot shot truck and a vacuum truck. Loved it. Made an easy 10-15k a month when life was good.. Then $40 oil hit and blam... I don't regret going to driving school as it does help you since alot of companies want 2 years exp. minimum.
wildcard600
10-09-15, 20:54
I know a couple of retired truckers who are literal millionares, it used to be a lucrative career. Now, not so much.
I work in the logistics division of my company and the freight companies we hire constantly complain about shortages of drivers and super high turner rates. i wonder why ? *roll eyes*
My aunt started out as a owner/operator and now runs her own small trucking company. She has a couple of her own trucks and now contracts out work to a few drivers. Her main work now is mining equipment and those giant dump truck tires. Ive never asked how much she makes but she seems to make a pretty good living.
Mauser KAR98K
10-09-15, 22:40
If you can do something different and pull the same amount of money, do it and don't do trucking. You make money, but you will spend at truck stops, or filling your cooler that sometimes runs, sometimes doesn't.
Stay single.
Take your time off when you can.
Learn to like low carb diets.
Walk when you can.
Learn to like Gatorade.
Learn to piss in Gatorade bottles.
Watch you following distance.
Beware of brake check assholes.
Get a dash camera.
Find a company that will pay for your CDL!
Learn driver backwards than you do going forawrds.
Get a good road Atlas for trucks.
Don't rely on the GPS, or customer directions.
AVOID THE NORTHEAST!
Be damn careful with an empty trailer.
After a year of driving, get your hazmat, doubles, and tanker endorsement and go local hauling fuel.
And one last thing, stay the hell out of trucking, or get out if it fast.
SilverBullet432
10-09-15, 23:10
Definitely be careful with an empty trailer or bobtailing. If you ever find yourself with a high load, please check the maps for bridge clearances please. And if youre driving a lo boy, check railroad crossings. Don't want to get high centered.
Straight Shooter
10-10-15, 07:08
If you were before me right now, I say this to you: "Unless you are a social outcast, unless you don't mind not bathing daily, or sometimes eating a decent sit down meal daily, unless the retarded, incessant ramblings of fools and utter, complete idiots on a CB radio don't bother you, if you have, or ever wish to have..a girlfriend or wife or family time, if you would like to be able to attend family & friend funerals, weddings, events, ect...if you'd like to make more money than some Walmart workers...in other words..IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY SEMBLENCE OF A LIFE, ANY SEMBLENCE OF A DECENT PAYCHECK, ANY SEMBLENCE OF SLEEP OR A SLEEP SCHEDULE, IF YOU RATHER BE AROUND DECENT,NORMAL FOLKS WHO CAN CARRY ON DECENT CONVERSATIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THE PHRASE 'I JUST TOOK A LOAD'..THEN I BEG YOU IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY & GOOD..FORGET THIS FOOLISHNESS NOW, NEVER LOOK BACK, AND WHEN YOU HAVE A FAMILY ONE DAY, HIT YOUR KNEES AND THANK ALMIGHTY GOD YOU DID NOT PURSUE THIS HEINOUS, LOW PAYING, FILTHY, STRESSED-OUT -THE-ASS DANGEROUS JOB.
Listen to straight shooter. Please.
Spot on. 100%
Mauser KAR98K
10-10-15, 09:09
If you were before me right now, I say this to you: "Unless you are a social outcast, unless you don't mind not bathing daily, or sometimes eating a decent sit down meal daily, unless the retarded, incessant ramblings of fools and utter, complete idiots on a CB radio don't bother you, if you have, or ever wish to have..a girlfriend or wife or family time, if you would like to be able to attend family & friend funerals, weddings, events, ect...if you'd like to make more money than some Walmart workers...in other words..IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY SEMBLENCE OF A LIFE, ANY SEMBLENCE OF A DECENT PAYCHECK, ANY SEMBLENCE OF SLEEP OR A SLEEP SCHEDULE, IF YOU RATHER BE AROUND DECENT,NORMAL FOLKS WHO CAN CARRY ON DECENT CONVERSATIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THE PHRASE 'I JUST TOOK A LOAD'..THEN I BEG YOU IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY & GOOD..FORGET THIS FOOLISHNESS NOW, NEVER LOOK BACK, AND WHEN YOU HAVE A FAMILY ONE DAY, HIT YOUR KNEES AND THANK ALMIGHTY GOD YOU DID NOT PURSUE THIS HEINOUS, LOW PAYING, FILTHY, STRESSED-OUT -THE-ASS DANGEROUS JOB.
This is why I'm going back to Law Enforcement. Pays about the same, my company allows me to carry weapons, my co-workers generally care about me, and I go home after every shift.
This job, not so much.
FBHO!
Straight Shooter
10-11-15, 06:55
This is why I'm going back to Law Enforcement. Pays about the same, my company allows me to carry weapons, my co-workers generally care about me, and I go home after every shift.
This job, not so much.
FBHO!
Didn't know you were a driver sir...BY ALL MEANS...get out an youll never ever look back. I swear this..Ill live in a box under a f-in bridge before Id drive OTR again. HORRID job.
I did for awhile, almost 20yrs ago. Some of the best money I ever made.
But the rest is spot on.
I had a family.
Got out while I still had it.
Sent from my SGP612 using Tapatalk
Mauser KAR98K
10-11-15, 10:05
Didn't know you were a driver sir...BY ALL MEANS...get out an youll never ever look back. I swear this..Ill live in a box under a f-in bridge before Id drive OTR again. HORRID job.
Yep. Drove from 07-09 and have been back at for a year. It was either this or, "Do you want sodium cloride laced fries with that?" I will say have arguments on the CB with a degree this time has been a hoot.
I hate it. I truly do. I'm now lyingto myself now when I say I'm on a paid vacation. I come home, I'm a zombie. I have so much to get done back at the house go me and my mom, but I may only get 25% of it done.
And I know I could be doing something better, more meaningful. But the economy sucks. And with my family situation at the moment, I can't move.
Straight Shooter
10-11-15, 15:40
Yep. Drove from 07-09 and have been back at for a year. It was either this or, "Do you want sodium cloride laced fries with that?" I will say have arguments on the CB with a degree this time has been a hoot.
I hate it. I truly do. I'm now lyingto myself now when I say I'm on a paid vacation. I come home, I'm a zombie. I have so much to get done back at the house go me and my mom, but I may only get 25% of it done.
And I know I could be doing something better, more meaningful. But the economy sucks. And with my family situation at the moment, I can't move.
Dang brother..I fully understand...was in that situation over a decade. Ill say a prayer for you hoping things get better so you can come off the road asap.
If you want to make any money at it your looking at Hazmat loads, and if your lucky you can do this on a daily route where you can get home every night. Now just because your home every night don't think they won't be long days. You will be running 12 hour days and if you get into a local freight some day every week will be a 16 hour day. The hours are not great but you can make money if you want to sacrifice any semblance of a normal life.
Mauser KAR98K
10-12-15, 22:40
Here was my day:
Got up at 0500, leave at 0600 on bad sleep (****ing reefer). Got down to customer for delivery. Pay $100 lumper service. WAIT 6 HOURS TO GET UNLOADED. ($39 detention pay).
Dispatched to next load. Straight into Compton. 3 hours later after getting loaded, Straight out of Compton...then traffic jam. Get to truck stop, one of the very few in LA. With the grace of God I got a spot at 1900 hrs, 20 minutes before my 14 hours was up. Ugly spot to back into, plus had to disturb a driver so he could pull up 6 inches for me to get into the tight space. Washed my hands of the KY to squeeze beside a bobtail in a full truck spot (I hate when bobtailers do this), and anither Pete with a running reffer, ate, and will be back on the road in 9 hrs.
Seriously, do something else, like, a lumper who made more than me today and took my money. A damn union guy would have worked faster...unless the lumber are union.
I got my CDL in 83, saw the writing on the wall and have rarely driven a truck since, worked moving freight in the warehouse instead. Only driving I ever did was backing trucks up to the dock. I'm a back up driver for the company I work for now, very rare I have to drive our biggest trucks, usually I can get by with using the F550.
Went to renew my medical card and failed the hearing test!!! WTF!!! I can't hear anything in the truck anyway! Had to renew my licence without a health card, had to get a intrastate licence, so now can't drive a combination out of the state of GA... I can live with this.
Log trucks are the big thing in my area. Hate to see nice trucks hauling logs, but gotta pay the bills.
Here was my day:
Got up at 0500, leave at 0600 on bad sleep (****ing reefer)...
Pardon me. By reefer are you referring to pot?
Pardon me. By reefer are you referring to pot?
Refrigerated trailer. The refrigeration unit is right outside the Sleeper cab.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
Refrigerated trailer. The refrigeration unit is right outside the Sleeper cab.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
Ha! Shows how much I know about trucking.
Moose-Knuckle
10-13-15, 03:08
Ha! Shows how much I know about trucking.
Just got to watch Conoy Doc, C.W. McCall even uses the term in the theme song . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVh179oXFao
Just got to watch Conoy Doc, C.W. McCall even uses the term in the theme song . . .
I remember that night well. It was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June, in a Kenworth pullin' logs. Cab-over Pete with a reefer on, and a Jimmy haulin' hogs. [emoji41]
Mauser KAR98K
10-13-15, 09:52
Pardon me. By reefer are you referring to pot?
Imagine a leaf blower at a lower frequency running outside your window doing it Lionel Richey style...All Night Long.
Other terms and abbreviations.
Freightliner=Freightshaker (or 13 letter shit spreader)
Chicken coupes=scale house.
Trucking company names according to truckers:
Schneider=pumpkin trucks due to the orange.
CRST=Crash n Roll Stunt Team.
Swift=Swing Wide It's ah ****ing Trailer.
Straight Shooter
10-13-15, 10:12
Question: What do you call a bunch of J.B. Hunt drivers in a basement?
Answer: A "WHINE" CELLER! :haha:
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