Oct 04 2009
I Want Out Of Trucking As A Driver
Let me start out by saying I entered trucking in 2001 because I needed a job. A job that paid a livable wage. So I entered as a warm body that companies put in the drivers seat. My pleas of office duty/inside job was not being heard.
At first this new driving thing was not too bad, but soon the newness and “fun” wears off. I did enjoy being in charge of my day and no one watching over me, except the Qualcomm. Even that did not bother me as it was comforting to me knowing that someone did know where I was at all times in case of problems/my safety. Trucking also gave me the opportunity to be successful. My other jobs never did that. In a truck you are the only one responsible for what you do—driving, trip planning, getting the job done. No one else can do that for you.
I got “used” to the rules of trucking that pull you in different directions and yet, you are to do your job with these rules. Each one contradicting the other one. Somehow you figure it out and wonder why those who make these rules don’t drive a truck. Why is it that those not in said job are the experts in said job????? The things that a drivers do, put up with and are treated by the public and everywhere we go would not be tolerated at other jobs. There would be lawsuits and most employers would never treat their employee’s the way truckers are treated. Even they are allowed to eat.
And for just doing your job, you can get in trouble. Make a 15 minute mistake on your log and have a wreck, you will be at fault because you were not to be there at that time. You can get pulled over by the police when leaving the lot so they can weigh your vehicle to see if you are legal, BEFORE you can get to the scale and give you a ticket. (this happened to me and that is a story to work on) The roads are congested, the drivers do stupid things and all are in a hurry to get somewhere fast. Drivers are now not allowed to idle in many places. No one cares if you die from the heat or cold, but if you have a pet, you will be allowed to have the truck run for your heat/cold. Wasting fuel is not acceptable in trucking, but it is OK for others to start their vehicle up and drive it across the street instead of walking. My tolerance level is now down to zero with all the ANTI TRUCKS from many. It did not help when I lost my office job at another trucking company due to the economy. I never wanted to be in trucking as a fulltime steering wheel holder and for sure not this long doing it.
I will do all I can to help others achieve their dream in this strange world. You must try to reach your dreams as no one will do it for you. I will never tell anyone to not try to reach their dreams as that would be wrong. I enjoy being a part of helping all learn thru my stories so you know what trucking is about if/when you decide that it is for you. As I continue to work on getting out of the drivers seat for good, I will do all I can to help you get in the drivers seat! And I’ll keep on writing too.
So much adventure and heartache in the trucking industry. Having been involved both in office and out. I can understand and empathize with you. I enjoyed the travel for a while but the demands of the “hotshot” portion of the industry, which does not worry about the logs and regulations, was just too much after half a dozen years.
Wow! You are really down! We all feel that way about our jobs at one time or another. Some of us quit and some of us get over it and plod along.
Do you feel it’s trucking you want to change, or is it the company you work for? What are your other skills?
Give yourself some time to think about it before you quit - unless it’s so bad you just have to. It would be nice to have another plan in place.
Good luck to you.
Marilynne
Working in a trucking office again would be nice. But with the economy still recovering, that may be awhile. All options are open for other opportunities. Remember I never wanted to enter this trucking world.
I write these stories for others to learn about trucking and the adventures that drivers have. There are great days and then we have the bad days. Every job has them.
Many areas of trucking one can do too. Local, over the road, same customers all the time, maybe go to same place again, travel in a few states or all of them. And the hotshot loads too. I also did not care for that.
So many stories to tell and someday, I’ll get more posted.