My truck driving life #trucklife

I started years ago as a company driver.The feeling of driving state to state taking it all in,was a rush for me.That's the beginning of your experience but at the ending of your truck driving career you will be thinking differently than when you first started. Fast forward to the middle of your career buying food at loves and pilot will make you broke.The company keeps the money and rolls you with miles and cents.Your a little bigger now and wiser and you already know the thrill of the job.Now you want the money your experience will help you out drive the competition but that's not the only aspect of the job you have to pay attention to. Trucking for long hours is tiring and managing your time is something you have to do.The expenses roll in real fast and insurance and diesal is the worst expenses you have to keep track of.You can do it and I will root for you as you build your owner op company.I think we all went threw these phases as truck drivers company driver to owner operaters will be your biggest challenge. Let's get it 1.sleeping bag 2.personal essentials A.toothbrush B.soap C.wetwipes D.deoderant E.visine F.hair clippers/shaving set G.hair brush H.nair (for your hairy legs) I.power bank 3.cooking utensils 4.vitamins 5.muscle milk 6.truck parking book -Pilferage- A Important topic in trucking you as a truck driver wants to know what areas are unsafe for us.The u.s has certain areas that are bad to layover at because the area is known to be a den for local wildlife to scheme on your freight.In Memphis TN my company taught me not to layover here,pilferage is common here the locals will damage your vehicle or trailer.As you put miles on yourself and begin to see the united states you will learn the ins and outs of this business.Yes it is fun to drive everywhere but at the end of the day this is a job so take it serious and keep your composure. With trucking expanding and truck drivers disappearing the market has several places that are becoming hotspots for pilferage.Dallas,Atlanta,and Memphis were major areas that we were warned about as company drivers.To keep us safe we always stayed clear 75 miles out away from these hotspots when we did layovers.The miles are long so when doing 2000 mile long routes you might run your clock and have to shut down.If you reach a spot known for pilferage communicate to your dispatcher and let him know.They know your learning your route and nothing's perfect. Most truck drivers know people so it's always good to have a email and social media account to keep yourself busy.Walmart sells straight talk and phones for 120.00 or so.Your gonna need a phone to communicate with family,friends and your workplace.Pilferage is good to know but it's not a constant thing.A good eye and common sense will keep you out of trouble. -Trucking for women- I've noticed around 2021 the trucking industry started getting a influx of women.its good to see more people enter the industry because of the truck driver shortage.The process of beginner driver into company driver is strenuous on the industry itself.You will learn alot as a driver and not all of it is positive it is up to you to decide what kind of driver you want to be.Fast or Safe you can zip threw traffic and congestion and always be first to the receiver.This causes accidents and incidents because of your size.No route has a square time delays and congestion is a common thing especially in city areas. Adding safety to your driving could be anything like adding communication to your driving,using your following distance correctly to your daily routine,not breaking the speed limit just to be the fastest driver to the receiver and so on.As you begin your journey there's alot to take in so always be patient and use your common sense.A good head on your shoulder is always a good thing. If you Twitter or f*******: like many drivers do you will learn many new things from the internet.Start adding friends and by the end of the day those truck drivers and companies will be conversing with you.I personally have feeds coming in from about 20 truck driving companies. I hear horror stories and safety tips from several pages.Also many drivers complain about hours,parking spots,food poisoning,etc let me say this Walmart vs truckstop food will be a plus in your book.Invest in a cooler,igloo with temp settings or install a fridge.This is where your food goes.15 dollars for a meat and 2 sides and the beast devours your money.Walmart charges 3.49 for a frozen tray of food.I left everything to become self sufficient and the beast just got worse. It worked everyone began paying 15.00 to 20.00 per meal and my meal was 60.00 every 2-3 days from walmart.Sixty dollars a day for 3 meals a day just became 180.00 every 2-3 days at truckstop like loves,pilot,and/or t.a truckstops.Here comes the problem there are people noticing your not spending money and they begin raising the price anywhere YOU go. It's not fair your budgeting yourself correctly so you can survive and there's a group of strangers deciding you have to pay more for it.So now what...do you lay down and let these liars win or do you fight back and stop these clowns from rolling over you. The SYSTEM teaches you that they are right and you are wrong.Thats a lie.You have to vote for someone you wouldn't even consider for president.Line up the president candidates since day one and let everyone vote instead they whittle down everyone to last two candidates and the winner becomes the republican and democratic candidate.If I use this method when I shop for food I won't get the correct foods so why should I agree with a antiquated system that wasn't even built for a average Joe. The company driver works for 24 cents a mile that's really not alot.This is how big companies make money off of new drivers coming into the industry.The money they pocket looks way different than yours.Once you finish truck driving school you have to begin learning the business and saving money.One day you can save enough to own your own truck.The owner operator is your way out built by past truck drivers. One thing you should learn is mapping,purchase a high lighter pen and map and begin LOCATING all your favorite spots. 1.hottest girls/guys 2.lowest prices 3.nicest scenary 4.cheapest gas prices 5.easiest access by road 6.best nearby restaraunt 7.biggest parking spots 8.best selling products 9.cheapest selling products 10.areas similar to you 11.relative locations nearby 12.3 in 1 truckstop 13.nearby access to supermarkets 14.nearby access to dollar stores 15.nearby access to Walmart 16.nearby access to library 17.nearby access to bank I listed 17 reasons but any individual can add another 5 to 20 reasons to this list according to there personality/needs/situation etc a truck stop guide would also be good for you too for learning the areas you drive threw and commute in. _------------------------------------ Each area has radio stations and talk shows and even if your a driver who likes silence while driving I'm pretty sure you have preferences.Me personally I put all my favorite music from YouTube into a playlist which is free and drive with hands free.I heart radio app is free also which broadens your listening pleasure as you drive.Most apps are designed to be one touch because of the texting epidemic we had a few years back where everybody was crashing due to texting while driving. There are so many different shippers and receivers we have when truck drivers hit the pavement intent on making that almighty dollar.Speaking on my experiences I really enjoyed going to naval bases or any other type of army base.The people are friendly and I guess strict but to say for sure they are interesting.Sitting back thinking how my life turned out I always appreciate my mother and family and when things get rough I remember no matter how bad my life is there is always someone living better or worse than me. So why complain let me tighten my budgeting skills and press the gas pedal a little harder so I can get to where I'm going.The terrain changes fast and so does the people you frequent with in this business so your best bet is too hang on tight while you drive and also drive safe.As I approach the next state and see business thriving I begin to slowly realize that gas prices are getting more expensive in the east coast.Pennsylvania is 5.10 at a pilot slowly eating up your profits as you gain ground going towards your destination.The company I work for is Kowlessar trucking llc located in Reading pa. I fall into owner operator category and I just started.im curious to how people survive in this field because the rules have drastically changed.fmcsa and hours of service are terms that are everywhere now when you deal with trucking.Paper books in general is competing with the internet.Covid 19 is slowly killing the workplace or should I say trump because he enacted a 2 month there's no work period.Everyone stayed home for 2 months and lost there jobs this has dragged on for years jobs aren't really that easy to get or keep.Landlords couldn't evict for a long time and any food service vendor was closed down. Let's get into the speed limit you know Everytime you go over the speed limit you can be legally be pulled over for speeding so why do you speed then.I know why because your dispatcher gives you 2 hours for every 100 miles of the route and then when your late he acts like your doing something wrong.2 hours per 100 miles yes but......... 1.The speed limit isn't 70 mph the whole route there are hwy mph slowing you to 45mph work zones.(in these especially at night throw your flashers on and slow down.) 2.Driver fatigue is a real thing and you have the right to power nap or power sleep until your sleep cycle evens out.waking up too early or too late begins to show later on in the day as you drive.(remember you can't predict when your sleepy just pull over and sleep.) 3.Traffic jams (and traffic congestion) because of car/truck crashes is a big deal,you are now effectively being delayed by a outside event that you can't control.Dont fall for it communicate all delays of your route to your dispatcher and broker your the one hauling the load not them. 4.Like I just said the speed limit is important because it keeps you safe if your driving top speed bumper to bumper you become unsafe to other drivers.what I taught to my students while I was a trainer was *obey the speed limit.*keep a good following distance (remember you get tickets for not using following distance.) and *lane control.Master these top three and you'll never get a ticket from the DOT.Everytime you veer out of lane make sure you adjust (slow down too) and stay within your lane.if you don't obey traffic control devices you will get a ticket. 5.Always remember eta is "estimated" time of arrival not a guaranteed I'll get there keep communicating and updating your delays. 6.while rolling to your receiver delays at shipper count toward your final grade in performance.dock delays,equipment failure,hours of service issues all play a part in what is a service failure or service pass. 7.bathroom breaks and bathroom emergencies,half hour breaks,misunderstanding in orders and communication all play a good part in your eta.when booking a load or dispatcher books load add 4 to 6 hours to travel time because he isn't driving your truck YOU ARE!!! He doesn't know what is going on with the route or truck while you drive.retorqeing,pm,replacing tires,replacing broken equipment,failing lightbulbs etc!!! As you drive you will notice the flatbeds rolling down the highways back and forth.Its fun yes but me personally I prefer dryvan.The flatbed community handles all kinds of freight.i've seen windmill blades,giant air conditioners,cat machinery etc.Its a good field to know you learn how to handle straps,tarp and load,and apply for permits for oversize loads.Thats experience that you will need to handle your flatbed. As you drive you will notice the refrigerated trailers rolling down the highways back and forth.Jumping into trailers securing loads with loadlocks and getting cold inside the trailer is common.Keep around a sweater for your reefer or always catch a cold.you might need to install a load lock holder.i hear you make good money but you have to roll coast to coast. As you drive you will notice the hazmat loads rolling up and down the highways tearin up the pavement to get to there location.Driving for a gas supplier sounds great or just doing hazmat loads is good too but there are countless rules and even the simplest rules get misunderstood.if the freight is good I think you should try it out.you will have haters around you. Now that you've been driving for a few years how do you like it? Do you want to stay in trucking or even better do you want to leave the company driver position and begin owner operator status.More money and yes more problems now you have insurance and gasoline the two most stubborn bills you have to pay.The best way to approach trucking is having alot of patience.Your gonna have to deal with alot of obstacles many which you never have encountered before. The first year is the worst year and I lived by this saying.It has kept me safe and careful.The way I saved money was 3 more times efficient.My first trucking job was covenant transport My mother suggested it and helped me with the steps.I joked to myself that she saved me.In a real sense she did.the job I had before wasn't really horrible but it was long and dreary.I have to say covenant was a great start up company and all new drivers should learn here. Sample questions Can I write off semi truck payments? (as a business expense?) What is a S-corp? What is a llc? What is a mc# How much is it to get a llc? Do you need a sticker for truck? Can I drive my own truck not under my mc#. Can I run trucks under my mc but drive somewhere else? (look up these answers on the internet.) Ifta prep is gonna be a good lesson for you as you begin to build your business.You begin to learn about rates in different regions and being a new mc#.First time around I advise you to get a agent to do it the first time.From here you learn the business end of trucking.If your out of business you can get some money back from your ifta your agent he will know how to refund you the money. So when you drive what are your favorite places to drive?My favorite is in north Dakota in the winter time.At night the cold air keeps you awake and ramping up your blood to full throttle as you pound the highways with 80,000 pounds of force and then some.Maybe no one is around but it's not who sees you but what you enjoy.I know these drivers have fell in love with flatbed freight but personally I'd rather be a dryvan. Remember the basics when you drive on new streets these basic rules will help you navigate on the streets.First of all stop at the stop signs not yield so you can get the jump on a approaching car.Of course don't text and drive the streets has so much heat on texting it isn't funny.Remember your not in a car anymore your turns are always wide and watch your trailer as you turn.follow the speed limit on local streets city streets filled with dot love to give tickets for this.Last but not least don't let them rush you this is why so many accidents happen because fatigue and lack of judgement is everywhere. For owner operators if you feel pushed around change your preferences don't let your dispatch team push you around.If dispatchers only want 40,000 lb loads change your preferences to 30,000 or less.The dispatchers will also steal from your rate,you don't know how much of your money they pocket.Didnt you notice the dispatch company gave themselves a bunch of protection but underpaid you for doing there 40,000 lb loads.Get a dispatcher that works in your favor and if his excuse is your mc is 6 months or less he's not respecting you.They don't want to pay you but your good enough to deliver for cheaper. I own my truck I'm not letting no one push top loads for cheap pay.Once you work for a dispatcher there afraid you'll jump out because they don't pay enough.When I was in VA they wanted me to do loads for 1.50 per mile.Whos gonna accept that deal.Do 30,000 lb loads and get paid for your time and then these million dollar companies have to pay.If they want to break up your equipment they have to pay you.the freight brokers shell out loads 2 to 3 weeks before they need it delivered because they are fishing for drivers to carry loads for a cheaper price. EXPENSES truck repair tires blown out out of fuel spare logbooks folder paper pens magnifying glass straps load bars load bar holder prepass sticker inspection annual dot trailer dot irp insurance renewel fees personal bills personal transport -------- building a driver/TRAINER DUTIES 1.Tell the student he knows how to drive all your doing as a trainer is adjusting him to driving a truck.Alot of student drivers coming into the trucking industry already know how to drive trucks,automatics,stickshift,cars,etc. 2.Trainers usually drive with you for 7 weeks teaching you the basics of driving.Here you learn the basics.Pumping gas,using your fleet card,Getting to shippereceiver on time,turning the truck according to your trailer,learning your truck buttons,learning log books,learning how to scale loads 12,000/34000/34000 steer axle/drive axle/trailer axle,backing and parking truck,etc 3.Be polite this job also involves people skills I've noticed people have a good day after a experience with you and that goes for me too. 4.If you ever decide to own a company you will build your skills as a trainer and a owner of a trucking company llc.Everything you learn you will use to build your company you will probably use the same skills from your first company into your own company. Wednesday November 1st 2023 I woke up to a snowstorm no one was expecting.Theres already 2 trucks on the side of the road with there lights blinking.I drove past the highway turned around and went back to the truck.Man what a buzzkill 530am and I can't move.The whole area near the Ohio/Pennsylvania borderline was frozen.I-80 was closed down everyone was detoured around the truck accident.The whole state road was packed for miles with trucks. As a truck driver you'll never know the whole truth of trucking it takes years and my advice is to keep a open ear to everything. weather alerts parts replacement presenting your business owning your business obeying the law doing the job right paying attention saving money,being fiscally responsible checking your taxes on fuel being and remaining compliant. pretrip/posttrip inspections company driver duties insurance requirements renting/buying a trailer earning a living saving on fuel prices communication skills obeying traffic control devices respecting other drivers getting good rates Walmart locations trucker freindly shortcuts to truck repair truck maintenance train loads twic cards there's tons of information out there.To practice your trucking skills your number one concern is staying employed.There will be smart asses but bottom line is your back is against the wall.keep updating your insurance,1600 a month can be be changed to 800 hundred a month. if your loads are time sensitive then doing a short distance load first then a main load isn't advised.Rogue dispatchers do this to give there drivers a hard time. One thing you should practice and get good at is your political skills.As you progress into the world of trucking and begin building relationships with carriers,brokers,dispatchers and other affiliated companies your gonna need a good introduction and gameplay.if your just starting your llc a business p.o box located in staples can help your bottom line.Soon you can expand into the internet and open your business at a actual location. Trial and error is gonna be your new best friend all your decisions will have to be evaluated and second guessed as you progress foward.Youtube will be a good fit there's tons of information.Look into your market,into what you are selling.The market will show you what your selling and where your selling.This will show you where to advertise and what companies are around you.Your gonna need a lot if you deal with vehicles in your line of work. Believe it or not your expansion of yourself will become the expansion of your business.i bought about 30 pieces of land and gave the parcels each a designation.Now I have about 5 locations where I can rent out dog park time.I have two lots that I can use as vehicle storage areas.I began my trucking company and I'm still assigning functions to my other properties.Advertising spots can be created in the dog parks,my rental units,my office space,etc.It takes careful planning but taxes makes you think you have to expand.Those monies being collected are really deep into your pockets now you have to pay attention to how much taxes you pay per year.A word of advice any land or property you invest in should yield some money annually.Traditional money makers are good but anything that produces cash flow no Matter what it is will earn a important place in your money making machine.Investing in stocks for long distance gains adds to your. money machine also.Building websites that showcase your special talents is also a way to build your money making machine. Right now if you choose to be a owner-operater then you should look into becoming a dispatching business and a factoring business.These loads don't pay right away so the ability to get paid doesn't come right away.The business end of having loads is controlled by dispatchers and brokers.If you book the load the money for doing the load significantly drops.As a growing trucking business receiving loads by companies you have to learn how to advertise.Your goal is to set up a website,email,or medium that intakes loads from anyone who needs freight moved.Keep saving and keep trucking. Company drivers have to force themselves to sleep if there route isn't consistent.As a team driver I learned the trip was consistent. wake up/go to sleep wake up/go to sleep wake up/go to sleep ...before you know it your in Cali from New Jersey and you did 2400 or so miles.I started as a team driver but to gain more skills as a driver I knew I needed to go solo.My first year of driving all I heard was from the other drivers was "I'm doing 3 months and then I'm getting a higher paying job." Me personally 10 years down the line I don't agree.For one you need to build your driving skills because if you only drove for 3 months fresh out of trucking school then how much pay do you think you deserve? Being a company driver is just another scale for your payrate. Company driver Team driver lease to own owner operator hazmat driver reefer driver yard dog choose a title and run with it. Landstar gets good reviews.Nussbaum also is known for treating there drivers good. when you drive in Indiana you should always drive the speed limit in all other states you can drive 1-4 over the speed limit.Dot in the state of Indiana will pull you over even for 1 mile per hour over the speed limit. when you drive threw Memphis TN you should know this city has a high pilferage rate.when you shut down it should be 50 miles away or so. when you reach little rock arkansas you should know this area is known for high pilferage.Again instead of shutting down you should drive 50 miles away from little rock to stay off the radar of any would be thief of cargo. If you drive threw Dallas tx you should be aware that this city is known for pilferage too.The hustle and bustle atmosphere is great but it invites alot of attention from hijackers of cargo. Don't forget Atlanta ga this city is a good spot for pilferage.When I was a beginner driver Covenant drivers used to layover at knight drop yard in Atlanta ga because it was fenced and secure, Otherwise you should do your layover 60 miles away. Miami is also a good spot for pilferage.Its a city with a hustle and bustle feel.if you pass threw here you should find a dropyard,somewhere with a guardshack where you can feel protected when you decide to take a 10 hr sleeper berth. Indianapolis is a city where pilferage of freight is a common thing.when shutting down for the night.Remember if your feeling drowsy then you should shut down. Another baddie topic coming up now is surveillance in the trucking industry.I'm hearing truck drivers cursing left to right about having a big camera staring into there face.If your truck is wired don't blame law enforcement,blame the criminals who use semi trucks to transport drugs into mexico.With police cracking down on immigration and drugs America became a cesspool of fiends and corruption.Security firms from big companies sell there trucks to other hopefuls just beginning in trucking and pressure them out.When I was a company driver I had to deal with people opening my door when I was asleep because when your a trucker you really need your sleep the consequence is you crash while driving due to fatigue.Im telling you it's like someone is driving ahead of you throwing sleeping gas into your truck.You ever was put under by a dentist that's how your fatigue feels. When beginning your career in trucking just remember owner operators have to save money.Pounding the pavement for months at a time will earn you good money.Remember your biggest expense is diesal.Get a fuel card and also another popular choice is a app called mudflap.(Save money)The worst feeling you can have is being unable to refuel and a full tank can reach up to 800.00 in refueling costs.Your 2nd expense is Insurance...yup.when your bill is due every month most truck drivers pay 800.00 to 2,000.00 in insurance payments.When your paying insurance there are dozens of other insurance companies with cheaper rates.The 3rd expense is unexpected repairs,which is the most unexpected payment you have to make so save from 5,000 to 15,000 in repair money because you don't know what is gonna stop working.(Save money)You can shop for used parts that might help your costs go down but eventually better work performed by a dealership on your truck will help the truck last longer.Put aside money for expenses especially debt because you want a positive cash flow within 3 months of beginning your business.You definitely want to live debt free so you can pursue other interests. For company drivers start with communication I know your dispatcher barks out orders and doesn't seem to understand sometimes your tired and just can't do a load.Using communication stops this from happening.Communicate all your delays and when your too tired to drive.This shows your taking charge of your route and keeping your manager updated.(this gives your manager to give a heads up to the receiver so they can reschedule the load.)It takes two hours to cover 100 miles but what happens if there's congestion,or a traffic jam,railroad crossing delay,accident/incident etc.When using empties inspecting a trailer might slow you down on your way to the shipper.You can ask your dispatcher for a extra hour or two because alot of trailers are always damaged on the way in because the last driver decided to become lazy and not fix any trailer damage that might of occured.Other trailers are decrepit and have so many violations that the first weigh station is gonna pull you in and give you a bunch of citations.One dude had a trailer with all the brake pads worn out if I picked up that trailer I would have been heavily fined.If they keep giving you out of service trailers deny them until you get a good one,repair the trailer,or get a new dispatcher.For company drivers you'll repair the trailer under the company say so and then proceed.If your a owner operator doing load out trailers then you can tell the owner to get his trailer compliant or get another trailer which wastes more time.(In those cases just rent your own trailer it lasts longer.) You may not think it but tires are very durable each tire on your truck and trailer grip the concrete with a solid force.During rain you can see the force as the tread system does what it's designed to do.The wheel contact to the floor disperses the water threw the treads and gives you a solid grip with the ground.Now picture 18 wheels with that gripping force going down the highway exerting weight and force to the ground.Each wheel pressures the ground with a different directional force while maintaining contact with the ground.Thats why alot of drivers like to drive on snow even though the tread system is filled up with snow the sheer weight of the eighteen wheeler keeps the truck to the ground.The company may want to have you shut down and begin again in the morning.You also can put chains on your tires and roll.Maybe a bag of salt can help when your parked but don't park on the snow.Parking is more a hassle in salt lake city with the morning temps hitting below zero and your surrounded by ice.