Question:
My days of driving are now over and 3 months ago I graduated driving school and started with a good company.
I enjoyed running the roads and had a wife that supported me in what I did.
But with every job there are the sh1t ends of the stick. Would you be able to handle those parts?
For me I chose end dumps as I had no worries of grocery wearhouses or docks to worry about. Loved the job, the people and the company. But as I do alot throughout my life I look back and think about my choices, good, bad, or indifferent.
When you first get your CDL and drive for your company alone you will think, this is awesome. I did.
Then think a little down the road. Is being gone worth this, or will I ever make the living that everyone lies about in the restaurant?
I gave trucking a shot and didn't see myself going anywhere. I was gone alot and couldn't enjoy the fuits of my labor. I enjoyed the occasional sunset/sunrise in another area but all in all to me it wasn't worth it.
So my point is look long and hard before making this your last resort option, as I have found out it isn't all it is cracked up to be.
But different strokes for different folks. Good luck.
Tim
Honorary Failure at Trucking
WWJBD - What Would Jimmy Buffett Do??? This is USAF 2T2 and I approve this message.

Answer:
You left out the part of how you decided to leave, folks this man could not handle the reality of trucking and his way out was not a good way he dump a mans load in a ditch putting a bad light on his company himself and truckers in general thanks bud and good ridence trucking needs you about as bad as another pizz bottle.
Answer:
he dump a mans load in a ditch
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He just begged for it didn't he
That man has probably been talking to drivers like dirt for years and dumping on them,you did every driver a giant favor by making him think twice before mouthing off to the next driver.
The industry is in the shape it's in becuase of all the gutless wonders that won't do nothing and they are proud of the fact that they are whipped puppies.They call it having a good work ethic to eat crap from everyone that dishes it out.
A trip to Food Lion would have caused you to go postal
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Interestingly, while the federal budget was balanced throughout the 1920s, the tax increases of the 1930s coincided with increasingly large deficits. On the campaign trail in 1932, Roosevelt noted: "For over two years our federal government has experienced unprecedented deficits, in spite of increased taxes." Yet, much like Gov. Davis today, Roosevelt decided to increase taxes more. He found out that a tripling of tax revenues did not balance the budget because the deficit soared from $2.2 billion in 1932 to $2.9 billion in 1940.
http://www.cato.org/dailys/03-24-03.html
President Bush's critics say tax cuts are unreasonable because the Congressional Budget Office projects a 10-year deficit of $1.8 trillion. Instead, those critics want to raise taxes, arguing that it will balance the budget. Both President Hoover and President Roosevelt tried such a plan in the 1930s. It failed then. And such a policy today will fail again.
Answer:
folks this man could not handle the reality of trucking
If being treated like crap is the reality of trucking then that is fine with me. I will let you be someones b1tch if you want, but not me.
he dump a mans load in a ditch putting a bad light on his company himself and truckers in general
It is called standing up for myself and not being someones b1tch. You outta try it sometime. I will not let my nephew talk to me like that and I sure as hell ain't gonna let a grown man do it.
Kinda see a coorelation to trucking, people **** and crap in truckstops. Then they get crapped on at shippers/recievers. Well, bud I never pi$$ed on a lot and never took being pi$$ed on.
Tim
Honorary Failure at Trucking
WWJBD - What Would Jimmy Buffett Do??? This is USAF 2T2 and I approve this message.

Answer:
You are going to have a hard time in whatever you do.
Answer:
I was coming home and decided to get all the salt off the truck and detail the inside for whomever was going to take my place.
There was no reason to leave it all covered in salt and trashy on the inside. I paid to have it cleaned and vaccumed. This was out of my money. I even washed out the inside of the trailer at my house. It was in better shape when I returned it than when I got it.
A little difference between me and others are that I was trusted with a piece of equipment and I took care of it. I wasn't pissed at the company, but the reciever.
But Ray, you can believe what you want. The funny part is, when talking to the terminal manager I was told if I ever wanted to come back my job was still there. Exact words were, "it is about time somebody stood up for themselves."
I wasn't fired. I just got out of a situation where I didn't see myself going anywhere. But you may not understand that. In your feeble mind you are cool because as you say you pass 1/2 of Swift's fleet and you are super cool in your company 379. But you do what you have to do and I will too. That means not being treated like crap. But you can if you want, I'm sure you don't mind it.
Tim
Honorary Failure at Trucking
WWJBD - What Would Jimmy Buffett Do???This is USAF 2T2 and I approve this message.

Answer:
Originally posted by RaceFanRay:
folks this man could not handle the reality of trucking
Ihave to wonder about the brains( or lack thereof) of anyone who willingly puts up with the reality of trucking. How dumb does one have tobe to volunteer to be crapped on by this business? How dumb does one have to be to not even know you are being crapped on?
and truckers in general
Oh, and you don't? What with your poor grammar, horrible punctuation and spelling? Seems to me you are driving a truck because you don't have the education or smarts to do much of anything else...and you come here and badmouth others to make yourself feel better. Look in the mirror, bud, you aren't all that clean yorself.
@#*!%$^@!
Answer:
You make the assumtion that we are all treated like crap out here the places I go I am treated well, there are places in jersey if you have an attadute you will get one rightback and i believe your problem is there your additude. I would also like to know why it was you had to hire someone to clean up your truck you said so it wouldnt be trashy inside what the hell kinda crap did you have in there maybe your pizzy additude was from driving around in a trashy truck my god get a trash can and some paper towels.
Answer:
Good for you USAF 2T2 !
At least you tried it and decided it wasn't your cup of tea for your own reasons, not someone else's.
As an honorary trucking "failure", you are in very good company with many others who did the same thing. I did the same thing. However I have other options open to me, now pursuing a career in accounting.
In another thread, "Why do you drive" I believe, the poster "Stuffs" hit the nail on the head with his post in there.

Answer:
RaceFanRay... seems to me you have attitude oozing out of every pore. Gawd, you must get a lot back!

Answer:
Paul56,
I did have another job lined up before I did what I did. I would have done the same either way though.
I tried it, and realized it isn't all it was cracked up to be but I tried it because I never live my days wondering "what if."
I am now in a career where what I do affect other peoples jobs. When I do a job now I will know that I am helping a fellow truckdriver make money.
You have to excuse Ray. He is mad that I didn't stay in a career where I am treated like crap.
Where did I say I hired someone to clean out my truck? Beelman doesn't pay for truck washes, so I took it upon myself to do it. You know, self motivation.
Why did I clean out my truck? Well, Ray, I did have some trash in my waste basket and dirty clothes in a bag. I don't know about you but I shower EVERY day. It was not trashed, but getting close because I was in a 48" bunk Mack Vision. Not alot of room for everything. BUt you have a Pete so you have storage for alot of stuff you carry with you. My bunk was just that a bunk. No shelves, or anything. Right behind my seat was the bed.
Ray, you make me laugh buddy. I am certain that I do not have an attitude. I can go up to anyone and strike a converstation. People like me because I am honest and respectful. You outta try it sometime, you'd be amazed at how far it gets you.
Tim
Honorary Failure at Trucking
WWJBD - What Would Jimmy Buffett Do??? This is USAF 2T2 and I approve this message.

Answer:
Tim years ago I left the grocery warehouse right near my house one thursday morning because of being treated like dirt.
I'll cut it short.
Monday afternoon I returned with the load and the same man that had the screw you driver attitude,politely asked me to please back into door 5 now and called one of his checkers over an intoduced me to the man and he told the man to check my delivery right in.
The only reason that man thought he could treat me like dirt was because 10,000 ray's before me stood there with dumb smiles on their faces as he screwed them around.
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Kerry
"I never voted against a tax increase"
Answer:
the funniest driver was this old guy telling me how stupid JB Hunt drivers where.I told him they ain't that dumb,most quit within a few weeks once they see what a burn trucking is and than asked him how long he's been driving.Without thinking about what I just said, he says 20 years and than it sinks in what I said and he had this look to kill on his face.
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Kerry
"I never voted against a tax increase"
Answer:
Tim years ago I left the grocery warehouse right near my house one thursday morning because of being treated like dirt.
I'll cut it short.
Monday afternoon I returned with the load and the same man that had the screw you driver attitude,politely asked me to please back into door 5 now and called one of his checkers over an intoduced me to the man and he told the man to check my delivery right in.
The only reason that man thought he could treat me like dirt was because 10,000 ray's before me stood there with dumb smiles on their faces as he screwed them around
I wasn't driving 300 miles home and going back. That was the straw that broke the camels back.
Maybe what I did was uncalled for. It doesn't matter now, as I found out today that the guy at Owens-Corning in Chicago was fired for fighting with another driver. Not sure if it is true or not or if it was a Beelman driver, but I did know of one going up there that doesn't take sh1t from people and he has been reprimanded by Beelman for fighting on shippers lots.
Who knows? Maybe there is hope after all, but I doubt it.
Tim
Honorary Failure at Trucking
Drink up, we got an hour of this sh1t - Rodney Carrington This is USAF 2T2 and I approve this message.

Answer:
What with your poor grammar, horrible punctuation and spelling? Seems to me you are driving a truck because you don't have the education or smarts to do much of anything else...and you come here and badmouth others to make yourself feel better. Look in the mirror(,) bud, you aren't all that clean yorself.
And where do you work genius?
Poor grammar: "smarts"
Poor punctuation: "comma where one's not needed, and/or in the wrong place"
Poor spelling: "yorself"
Call the kettle black as often as you wish.
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