Question:
Hello all!
My wife and I want to venture into the world of OTR team driving and would appreciate any help getting started. I have a CDL license and my wife is interested in getting hers. We wish to explore; seeing and experiencing our country and thought that we may as well get paid to do so. I am retired and my wife counsels over the phone so we are free to meander and do not have to “work” so we do not seek full time employment.
Ideally we wish to find people/businesses that would like fill in drivers or loads/trips no one else want—hazardous, out of the way or unusual.
This is all new to us and we would greatly appreciate any help.
Many thanks
Chuck Magers

Answer:
Free advice is usually worth what you paid for it. (except in this case) Ha-Ha! (?)
With that in mind here is an idea that many will dismiss but it is valueable:
To get her backing down, you need to obtain a trailer hitch for one of your vehicles, hopefully it is a pickup truck, but if not--no big deal. Then purchase or build a smaller but longer around 14' light trailer--can be a boat trailer. She can then go to the local school, park, public parking space etc., and practice. This idea will be dismissed by many, but it does work; Saves time and money.
But much more importantly, I see you are retired at 38. Please tell me what you have been doing for the last 20 years. I really must know. You may email me if nessesary.
[This message was edited by Chad Sexington on October 16, 2003 at 17:36.]

Answer:
that idea of yours is going to be dismissed by many including me.
Backing a small boat/utility trailer in a car or pickup is a lot different than backing a 48-53 foot trailer in a tractor. For one thing your OTR truck equipped with a sleeper has only two primary mirrors and no rear window.
For another thing the shorter the trailer the faster it responds and you get used to how fast a boat trailer responds a person is going to be thinking a big trailer should respond that fast and have a major problem with over steering.
I could go on but this is a post not book of the month club.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
_________________
Be willing to let anything happen, it will anyways!


Answer:
It's all about getting the concept down pat. Anyone can see there's a difference between a 53' Van and a homemade utility trailer, but it's all about the concept, man, the concept!
It definitely worked for me: Chevy van+homemade trailer. First one in class with CDL, first one in class hired. You can build a long trailer(longer than the towing vehicle) out of wood and bicycle/cart tires. The trailer isn't going to be carrying any weight--thus wood is suitable for this particular purpose.
But the real question "Bill Gates" asked was about OTR advice which I'll get into in a few hours--too busy now.

Answer:
Keep in mind...
1. Part-time drivers with time to meander, may not be what the larger motor carriers are looking for.
2. The small motor carrier may not be able to handle the part-time situation. There is money invested when you hire drivers.
3. Your wife has no experience. Makes it difficult from the insurance standpoint, in some cases.
Just some things to keep in mind.

Answer:
OK, now for the actual advice on actual work in the trucking industry--what little I can offer, that is! Hopefully you can reciprocate this in giving me some financial advice!
Driving is driving as you probably have found out. Therefore would you be partial to delivering motorhomes, buses, trucks and the like? The profit margin may not be very high, but apparently this is not a concern for you because of your financial position. The main thing is this kind of "work" offers flexibility.
Now, if it must be tractor then check into celedon and/or roehl because they may have part time gigs available. Also look into tractor delivery hopefully the type where you can tow your own vehicle behind--more flexibility expediency, convienience this way. Suggestions are, but not limited to: Driveaway USA--100%Female run company for what it's worth.
Do not take my advice as law. Investigate all of your options thouroughly, vigorously, and methodically. Remember Due Dilligence!
More info to come as I think of it.
"There is only one trucker-----in many different bodies." Chad Sexington

Answer:
One thing I have noticed on all the Truck Net sites is that most all the questions and answers are geared towards the big otr companies, that is good because probably 90% of the truckers employed in the country are employed by the big otr companies but I would like to say that there are many many many other ways to get into trucking and to get work in trucking then just the truck schools and the big otr companies. The best advise I can give (this is all before your behind gets into a air ride seat) is be a good person in your home town or home area, keep your driving record clean by not speeding and driving drunk in your personal vehicle, do not use drugs, try not to jump from job to job, and even if you don't have allot of money and your car and clothes arn't the best still be proud of yourself. What I mean by this is when you go to see some one about a job or even if you are hanging around with some friends that are working where you might like to work have your shoes tied, your shirt tucked in, your hat on with the bill pointed towards the front. And when you open your car door make sure litter does not fall out, like burger wrappers or beverage cans. In my opinion most people lose the job or oppurtunity they are going after while they are driving into the driveway and walking up to the employers office. OK now back to trucking. This is how I got my start, first I tryed to do all of the above from the time I was a kid to even now (47 years old). My dad was a truck driver for all his adult life and I was the little kid that played with the air horn tell there was no air left everyday when he brought his truck home. But when I got out of school I went to work in a machine shop and stayed in that line of work for about 18 years and all the time I was thinking about trucking but never had any time to get any kind of exsperience because I always had that clock to punch. Then my wife and I started a business that allowed me to get out of the shop and once we got that going good I had some free time to go after my dream. I started going out to a large farm that was owned by some friends not real close freinds or family just people that knew I was a good person and was honest. I told them that I was interested in learning how to drive a truck but didn't want to go to a school. They smiled and said will you work for use after you get your cdl and I said ya sure. So they said there is a truck with a empty trailer and both tanks are full and there is the gravel road. For about 3 weeks they let me come out whenever I wanted to and take the truck and go all over around the farm country and when they took the wheat off that left acres and acres of ground that had straight lines in it that I could use for loading dock situations and I would put pop cans down on the ground and back around them. During that time I was asking questions of the farmer about the trucks and I have a friend that was a driver and I would go with him on runs and ask him mechanical questions and when I went to the DMV to get the book to study to my temp permit. They asked if I would like to take the test that day & I said I am just picking the book up today to study and they said give it a shot if you fail you can come back and take it again with no extra charge. I took all the tests and aced them. This was because I asked questions and paid attention to things before hand and my friends and the farmers knew I was serious and was not blowing allot of smoke and this was something I was really going after. Once I got my temp I went with a friend on a four day run up to North Dakota. I drove when it was safe for me and in my home state. Then a couple weeks later the farmers took the semi that I was going to drive on my driving test to the shop and told the repair guys that they wanted the truck to have everything checked, working and cleanned. This was because they wanted me not to have any problems with the tester and they wanted me to get my CDL because they really wanted me to drive for them. Well I passed the driving test and the final written tests (drove the semi from the driving test site to the dmv) got my cdl and went to the feild and loaded up about 70,000 lbs of pickles and it has been non stop from there. This was all 12 years ago. Now I have my own authority, insurance, 2 trucks, 2 trailers. I haul wood pallets from Northern Michigan down to the Detroit area load up there with blocks that go to Home Depot and Menards. I haul allot of hay for area farmers. Yesterday when I was in my truck doing my stuff the farmers called me and asked If I could fill in this weekend so one of them could go to there class reunion and this morning another friend called and asked when I was going on vacation & I said the middle of November, my wife & I try to go out west each year to AZ. He has a load going from Northern Michigan to Kingman AZ and a load comeing back. My pick of his tractors and he will rent me a car out there so we can do our vacation stuff. This will be the 3rd time we have done this. The reason I wrote this book is just to show that there is a differnt way to get into trucking that works, and there is alway companies looking for part timers or people that don't mind the unusual stuff. But you have to be a good person that someone will trust you to take out a 130,000 dollar rig plus whatever is in the box and his name is on the door of the truck. I am sure there will be people that disagree with me or think I am some guy with bib overalls on with a chaw of backy in my bottom lip or a redneck or whatever. I am not, I am just a honest responsible hard working person that people believe in. And people can and will believe in you and help you out if you work at it. Thanks Mike

Answer:
GOod ideas for us to start. We will post many more questions in the future I am sure. As for my retirement, anyone specifically interested in how I retired at such an early age can contact me directly at Chaupil@mchsi.com. I will be glad to share and NO I was not born with a silver spoon...Again thanks CHuck Magers