Question:
Why do so many people want to join an industry that is BROKEN. I would think that Greyhound, or even the railroad would be a much better choice.
If I had to do it over, a CDL would not be in MY back pocket. Just curious..lets hear some good reasons for becoming a truck driver.....

Answer:
Actually, I do feel the railroads would have been a better choice for me---except with the railroads it's not if you have an accident(i.e.,tresspassers), it's when. I wouldn't be able to handle that. I think railroad engineers(proper term?) gross over $1000 per week, no unloading and they sleep in hotels every night.
Greyhound: I'm not nessesarily comfortable with dealing with large groups of people(especially the type that ride greyhound), much less total strangers. But it seems like an ok job though.
Trucking has actually been a pretty good choice so far. Many say you can't make money in trucking, but I've had the entry level jobs(i.e., warehousing, McDonalds, pizza delivery etc.). And now I've got two decent cars, a decent house, and able to afford some luxuries. Whereas before, I had a raggedy car and had to rent. Now if I can only manage to save a little at the end of the week instead of blowing it all......

Answer:
The trucking industry is not all "BROKEN".
However, there are "BROKEN" people who are willing to work for "BROKEN" companies!
Just like any other industry!
Progress is not made by the cynics!
Thing not worth doing, are things not worth doing well!
Indiana RoadRunner
A legend in his own mind!

Answer:
Oh, sorry. The question was why become a truck driver.
---I do agree that the industry is somewhat "Broken." But that's Capitalism. Competition means one carrier will unload for free if it means getting the contract. I know, I'm going through the same thing with my own company--I'm not going to lower my rates to keep the contract. I guess the only thing drivers can do--if they are able to, is not work for carriers that require you to "donate" any of your time.
--Some "good" reasons for me becoming a driver: I like trucks and driving. Being in a warehouse or dept store for 8 hrs was too "boring." Plus, the pay sucked. With data entry, you stay clean, get to wear a suit, have steady hours, plus it's mostly women working there. But, the pay sucks.
--If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have gotten the CDL so soon. I would have finished college and gotten more skills, (i.e., computers etc.)so I would have more options available to me, then I still would have gotten the CDL because its a useful skill, pays decent, and I'm addicted.

Answer:
Oh, sorry. The question was why become a truck driver.
"Oh, sorry." What was wrong with my reply?
Progress is not made by the cynics!
Thing not worth doing, are things not worth doing well!
Indiana RoadRunner
A legend in his own mind!

Answer:
I didn't mean you--I meant my own reply.

Answer:
I agree that the trucking industry is not broken. Its just that some people must like to be abused with the companies they choose to work for. The truckingcompanies would either shape up or go out of business if there wasn't a sucker born every day.
There are industries like this all over the country who use and abuse people over and over because they know there is someone just waiting to take their place. This is just not a trucking problem.
I think this is the best thing about the internet ie: the sharing of information that will sooneat away at these abusers. Ya know when you hear one bad report you say "so what?" But when you read about 10 or more then a light should go off in your brain.
I am trying to take my time and gather as much info as I can to make a good decision on what company is right for me.
Siteslike this have been very helpful in that process and will probably bring about a positive change in the industry.
Maybe its not so much "suckers" as it is the lack of knowledge about the field you are going to work in. With the internet you really don't have much of an excuse anymore.
But what may be bad for you maybe just what someone else is looking for
Charles

Answer:
Originally posted by Sir Lee Teemster:
I didn't mean you--I meant _my own_ reply.
Do you often talk to yourself?
Progress is not made by the cynics!
Thing not worth doing, are things not worth doing well!
Indiana RoadRunner
A legend in his own mind!

Answer:
9/11 among other things has resulted a trend in the workforce. Here it is you have college educated, military veterans/retirees, and former corporate IT personnel coming into the trucking industry. So you ask why become a truck driver(otr). For some I can guarantee its not a preferred choice. However, the reason is obvious, because where else can you gross 600-$700 wk to support a family these days. Then others become drivers because of the interest or freedom of working alone.

Answer:
It's interesting how many people think trucking is the only industry that is "broken".
I just saw news about United Airlines and how the employees will have to take major pay cuts just to have a promise of a job. The news in the hi-tech industries is not exactly rosy as some on here posted about leaving that industry for trucking. I have been in the auto repair business for many years. Now there's an industry with a great image and unlimited possibilities (not). The day you start you are expected to own your own tools and start working on flatrate. It would be like mileage pay as an owner op with a truck with no motor and no road map. And good luck finding a job with benefits in auto repair. Last dealership job I had they filed for bancruptcy and were closed down. They hadn't paid any health insurance premiums for the last year, well they did but with bad cks. The insurance, banking and health care industries are so unbroken that it took that long before I started to get billed for all the doctor visits that were supposed to be covered.

Answer:
All the guys in my neighborhood kind of envy me when I bring my tractor home. Their always wanting to hear good truck driving storys too.

Answer:
If driving truck is the first real adult "job" blue-collar you have, it becomes your first exposure to the reality of industry in general.
Trucking actually does pretty good, compared to other transportation companies like airlines or railroads.
No matter what industry or job you're doing, I think it's important to position yourself with a company within that industry that's on it's way up. There are many trucking companies - big and small - that are relatively well managed and successful. Working for a company on it's way down is depressing and difficult. The tough thing in trucking is, the better wage jobs are usually with companies in trouble.

Answer:
Most people would be fired if they carried on like truck drivers. Can you imagine dealing with attitude of IRR and others if they had to work on a crew, say on a drill rig (which I did for 20 years?)
No one would put up with them. I can think of few other profressions (with the possible exceptions of waiter/waitresses crying about tips and customers at closing time) where such whining and crying goes on all the time.
Truck drivers get to just cry, cry, cry. It's pathetic, but a lot of them seem to enjoy it.
Truck driving is very easy work, pays well, eventually when you find a decent company you have plenty of time off, good benefits, no one breathing down your neck if you do your job right!
The skill and intelligence level required is not high. Neither is much real self-respect. Just look around a truck stop.
I think a lot of people drive truck just because they can get away with it.
May you be well and happy!

Answer:
...in '93 when I first got out of the service.
I enjoy the freedom, independence, and responsibilty of driving. I enjoy knowing that I make a better income and am home more now than when I was in the service. And that being with ten years active-duty with twelve for pay purposes. If I was lucky, I mananged to make a whopping $33,000 as an E-5 over 12. Now throw in the second job that I had (which may as well have been full-time) and that might have brought me close to $40,000. Let's see, an 18 hour work day between two jobs or a 10 hour with one making more to support my family and more hometime to spend with them. Hmmm...hard one there.
"Pain is weakness leaving the body."
"Nobody ever drowned in their own sweat."

Answer:
"... Truck drivers get to just cry, cry, cry. It's pathetic, but a lot of them seem to enjoy it ..."
Man, that says it all! I'd go even farther. The ONLY ones who cry cry cry are the ones who enjoy it -- it wouldn't matter what job they had. They'd just focus on the negative and spend all their time feeling sorry for themselves.
But I think you go to far ErikMoore when you lump everyone together and generalize about all truck drivers. That's not true. There's standard complaining that goes with any job. It doesn't mean they're cryers all the time -- they just know it's healthy to blow off some steam once in a while. I've found this in EVERY industry I've worked in, including corporate white-collar culture.
But there's always the pathetic few who just live day to day to complain about their condition, as if it's beyond their control. Constantly soliciting sympathy is such a lousy way to live. I don't get it, but sure seems like a lot of folks can't imagine any other way to live.
Heck, switch jobs or careers. Learn how to deal with stress and get your attitude in order. Do SOMETHING, just don't dedicate your brief time on this earth to being a certified victim. It's not "trucking". It's "life". If you honestly don't know how to adjust, open your mind and learn how. Listen to the folks who get along and enjoy their work. Maybe there's something to learn from them.
Life is a series of choices, including the attitude you choose to embrace the moment.
[This message was edited by Shuffler on December 28, 2002 at 15:56.]