Trucking Advocate and Activist Allen Smith of TruthAboutTrucking.com : Articles Current News and Information for CDL Truck Drivers and Truck Driving Students…"Raising the Standards of the Trucking Industry"
Exciting news here at the truthabouttrucking.com home base! We are launching the Truth About Trucking Live Radio Talk Show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com . The very first debut is scheduled for August 9th, 2008 at 2:00 PM….Our special guest will be HazMat expert Barry Szczucki….We invite anyone who would like to join us on this Debut Special, to call in and be on LIVE TALK RADIO with the Truth About Trucking! You can check out all the details at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/truthabouttrucking.
Truth About Trucking continues to break new ground in its attempt to raise the standards of the trucking industry. We will be discussing all aspects of the trucking industry and ways to make things better for drivers…..everything about trucking! Continue checking back at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/truthabouttrucking to see what upcoming shows are planned and call in to the talk show.
Truth About Trucking Live Radio Talk Show – Debut – 8-9-08, 2:00 PM
Exciting news here at the truthabouttrucking.com home base. We are launching the Truth About Trucking Live Radio Talk Show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com . The very first debut is scheduled for August 9th, 2008 at 2:00 PM….Our special guest will be HazMat expert Barry Szczucki….We invite anyone who would like to join on this Debut Special, to call in and be on LIVE TALK RADIO with the Truth About Trucking! You can check out all the details at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/truthabouttrucking.
Truth About Trucking continues to break new ground in its attempt to raise the standards of the trucking industry. We will be discussing all aspects of the trucking industry and ways make things better for drivers…..everything about trucking!
Truth About Trucking Live Radio Talk Show – Debut – 8-9-08, 2:00 PM
Listen to Allens Video decribing the show in more detail
I would like to say that all the talk you are hearing about truck drivers going on strike and high fuel prices is just the final “straw” for truck drivers everywhere. I’m not down playing high fuel prices at all. As a matter of fact it was a serious enough problem to finally initiate some truckers to display their total anger and dissatisfaction and pursue a strike. However, what I am saying is that their source of being disgruntled is muchmore deep seeded than that.
I’ve written much about the trucking lifestyle and the sacrifices made in order to succeed in OTR trucking. I try to paint an honest picture to everyone in regards to what a trucking career is really like. I ‘ve written the song “The Trucking Brand” to express the sacrifices and obstacles truckers face on a daily basis. However, public apathy is a big part of a truckers dismay. The general public as a whole finds trucks “annoying” and truck drivers part of the problem of their “inconvenience”. In general, let’s face it, when was the last time you passed a truck and thought, “Oh great, there’s another wonderful truck driver bringing all the goods we need to our local stores.” I think never. It’s probably more like, “Man I hate these trucks, always in the way when I’m driving!”
Next, are the trucking companies themselves. Let’s face it, they’re out to make money and with a 128% turnover rate among truck drivers, they’re really not all that concerned about them, their families, or their futures. Then you have the brokers. I can’t even tell you how many shady brokers there are. A seasoned owner operator can get through this, but even the best can get fooled sometimes.
When you sum it all up; with sacrificial lifestyle, public apathy, lack of compassion, the poor attitudes of the trucking companies towards their drivers, and having to deal with some pretty shady brokers, you can see how increased fuel prices was the final last straw for truckers. Let’s face it, we all endure much in life to succeed. Some endure quite a bit just to make ends meet. But, when it comes down to it, if all your sacrifices lead you to little or no profit, where’s the reward? Why bother?
Something must be done to relieve these men and woman of this burden. There must be provisions made for them by our government somehow. As their profession becomes limited in its pay, their families suffer. The government can only be forced to comply with the effects of high-fuel prices if the public becomes more sympathetic to the problems of the truck driver.
I’m certainly not one to advocate the government is the answer to all our problems. Quite the contrary, the government is in large part, the problem. Oil is not the problem either. Oil brought us the industrial revolution; oil is the reason we enjoy the comfort of living we all experience. The problem lies with those who will not allow further drilling in this country. The problem lies with those who will not allow further plants to be built. I spent many years working in the oilfields of Oklahoma. Advancement in technology now allows us to set up a drilling rig, recruit the petroleum products we need and remove the drilling rig and barely leave a “dot” on the landscape.
As long as those groups continue to keep us from drilling in our own country and not allow for new plants to be built, then we all deserve what we will continue to get…high fuel prices. And, it’s not only the Middle East that we rely on so heavily either. In fact, our #1 source for oil is Canada…and our #2 source is Mexico! Alternative fuels are a good idea, but I don’t see that as a cure all. Take Ethanol for an example. The cost of producing Ethanol is far greater than what the product yields. Also, it will only lead to higher grocery prices…think about it!
Every consumer needs to support truck drivers , in particular the over the road owner operators that are feeling most of the impact. If we don’t, there will be far greater consequences for the consumer. It’s just a matter of time.
Presently, the national average for gasoline is $3.28 per gallon. Diesel is even higher, reaching in some places such as here in florida, more than $4.00 per gallon. Is it possible to get more gallons for your money’s worth? Yes, it is . . . you just have to understand how petroleum products “work” and utilize little tricks to make it come out to your advantage.
Eventually, I believe gasoline will reach $5.00 per gallon and dieselwill see a price range between $6.00 and $6.25 per gallon. In order to receive more gallons for your buck, you need to be aware of atmospheric conditions. In the petroleum industry, the temperature and specific gravity plays an important factor. If you buy a gallon of gasoline in the afternoon when it is hot outside, you are not really getting a gallon. This is due to simple physics . . . vaporization.
All service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground where the temperature is cooler. The colder it is below ground, the more dense the gasoline. When the temperature gets warmer, the gasoline expands.
In order to receive more product for your dollar, follow four simple rules:
1. Buy your gas in the early morning hours or when the outside temperature is cooler. If you purchase the product in the heat of the day, some of that gas is turning to vapor and being sent up and back into the underground storage tanks, thus causing you to lose on the “actual gallons” purchased.
2. When you are filling up at the station, most everybody will squeeze the nozzle trigger to the “fast” mode. BAD IDEA! Pumping on the fast rate causes other liquid going to your gas tank to vaporize. Therefore, when you go in to pay for your 20 gallons of fuel, you are not actually driving away with 20 gallons. Always pump the gas on the slowest mode of the nozzle. This will drastically reduce vaporization, and you will be getting more gallons put in your tank.
3. Also, fill your tank when it is half empty. The more gas you have in your tank, the less air is occupying empty space. Petroleum products evaporates at an incredible pace. By having your tank half full, there is less space and time for evaporation and more gallons are making it into your tank.
4. And Finally, NEVER purchase gasoline or diesel while a “gas” truck is making a delivery at the store. As the product is being delivered, it is being stirred up at a very violent rate. Most trucks drop the product at a rate of 350 gallons per minute. That is 5.83 gallons per second. All this “stirring up” is causing the dirt that normally settles on the bottom of the tank, to float around all over the place. By purchasing gas while a truck is making the delivery, you can easily suck up this “dirt” right into your gas tank.
As a second thought, you can avoid putting more money into the hands of terrorists’ states by purchasing your product from those stations that do not import their oil from these terrorist-backed countries.Companies that import oil from such countries are:
Shell . . . 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco . . . 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon/Mobil . . . 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway . . . 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco . . . 62,231,000 barrels
CITGO
Companies that DO NOT import oil from terrorists states:
Sunoco
Conoco
Sinclair
BP/Phillips
Hess
ARC0
By understanding the conditions that effect petroleum products, you can drastically change the amount of loss that is going into your gas tank. Simple, but effective “tricks of the trade” that will give you more gallons for your hard earned money.
About the Author:
Aubrey “Allen” Smith is the author of the original Truth About Trucking and How to Guarantee a “Perfect” Move. He is an expert in the field of transportation, and his eBooks have helped thousands discover the truth behind the trucking industry and how to experience a more stress-free relocation process.
As an over the road truck driver,one has endless hours to spend just thinking. I don’t know about you, but I think about weird, sometimes complicated things. For instance, is a horse really a horse? Anyway, I would like to hear about what some of you think about when trucking across this country of ours. For now, I would like to share this piece of information as just one of the “things” I think about :
The Big Bang Theory……we all know the story : Approximately 15 billion years ago an enormous explosion started the expansion of the universe. What existed before this explosion is purely unknown. World re-known British theoretical physicist and mathematician, Stephen Hawking was once asked what existed before the explosion. His answer? He thought for a moment and simply answered, “Well, there was nothing.” Nothing?
Now I am in no way within the same category of intelligence when it comes to Stephen Hawking. My High School teachers will attest to this fact. In fact, science and math were my two worst subjects! But his answer got me to thinking. Before the universe “began,” there was “nothing.” Well, what is “nothing?” Nothing is defined as the lack or absence of anything at all. If I hand you a box and tell you that you can have what is in the box, and you open the box and it is empty, then there is “nothing” in the box. No existence of anything, only nothing. Now, could you take that “nothing” and make something out of it?
Simple, common sense tells me that something always comes from something else. You cannot take nothing and create something else from it. Stretch out your arm and open your hand. Now, I want you to take what is in your hand, (nothing), and make something from it. Can you? Of course not, because there is “nothing” in your hand. And, since something always comes from something else, how can you make anything?
Let’s look at something that is common in our lives. Let’s say…..glass. Did glass just appear out of nothing? Glass is derived from sand, soda ash and limestone. What about limestone? Limestone mostly consist of calcium carbonate. Did calcium carbonate come from nothing? No, calcium carbonate is a chemical combination of calcium, carbon and oxygen. OK, what about oxygen? Natural oxygen comes from a mixture of three isotopes : 16O, 17O, and 18O.
Something ALWAYS comes from something else.
What about human blood? Can it come from nothing? Human blood consists of the red blood cells, the white blood cells and the platelets all floating around in a fluid called plasma. Something ALWAYS comes from something else.
OK, what about air? The air that we breathe . . . does it come from nothing? Air comes from 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen with traces of carbon dioxide, argon, water vapor, and other various components. Something ALWAYS comes from something else.
Being in trucking most of my life, I thought about common petroleum-derived diesel. Maybe diesel comes from nothing? Wrong! This type of diesel comes from about 75% saturatedhydrocarbons, mostly paraffins, and 25% aromatic hydrocarbons. What about these things called paraffins? Perhaps they come from nothing? Paraffins are chemical compounds that are made of only two elements : carbon and hydrogen. Something ALWAYS comes from something else.
According to Stephen Hawking, perhaps the most intelligent human being on our planet, in the beginning, there was nothing. But, in this case, the “nothing” is something. And, since something ALWAYS comes from something else . . . then where did the “nothing” come from? The “nothing” could not have just appeared from “nothing.” The “nothing” had to come from something else, because common sense AND science tell us that something ALWAYS comes from something else. If indeed there was “nothing” then “something” had to exist BEFORE the “nothing” in order for the “nothing” to have come into existence.
What existed BEFORE the “nothing?” Could it be some kind of “Creator?” But if something always comes from something else, then where did the Creator come from? The only explanation in my simple mind, is it would have to be something supernatural. Something far beyond our science, logic and common sense. A question that man can never comprehend or understand. It is simply beyond our reasoning.
Many supernatural phenomenons can be explained by science. Yet, there is still one that cannot be explained or understood : what existed before the “nothing?” Before there was a universe . . . before there was life . . . before there was space . . . before there was time . . . there was nothing. But, again, in this case . . . nothing is something. What existed before the “nothing” will never be answered by man or science. We are not meant to know or understand.
Something always comes from something else. What came before the “nothing” can only be something of supernatural existence.
Aubrey Allen Smith is the author of the first and original Truth About Trucking. His eBook has helped hundreds of new drivers understand the scams of the trucking industry. If you are considering a career in trucking, please visit http://www.truthabouttrucking.com today.
After a tough week in trucking, it’s always great anticipation to know you can enjoy a ride on your bike.
Take a ride with us and enjoy the “not so typical” biker background music. Has a pretty cool ending too.
There something about the words, Truck Driver and Harley Davidson , that just seem to go together well.
If anyone has a video they’d like to submit, feel free to leave a comment and the link to your video.
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I receive hundreds of emails from people all across the United States asking questions concerning CDL requirements and assistance with general help topics. It may take me a few days to answer, but I always write back. I enjoy the correspondence with other drivers and especially, the “newbies.” I recently received an email from a gentleman who asked me a question that I have never been asked before in 29 years of trucking. He was an (arm) amputee, and was having trouble with his home state issuing him a CDL. He asked for my help.
I knew what the Regulations had to say about it, but I searched on the internet and was surprised at some of the things I found. One article was written by an employer stating his amazement that an (arm) amputee would even apply for his open truck driving job. I left a comment on his site…I had to! I would like everyone to know that an amputee, arm or leg, CAN DRIVE a semi tractor-trailer!
People just do not understand the Regulations when it comes to driving a commercial motor vehicle. Can an amputee have a CDL? YES! Can an amputee drive a semi rig? YES! Those whom I call “the foolish ones,” will point out Regulation 391.41(b), which basically states that a person cannot drive a commercial motor vehicle if they have a “loss of a foot, a leg, a hand, or an arm.” BUT, they always seem to miss the next line: except if they have “been granted a skill performance evaluation certificate pursuant to 391.49.”
Within this section is the key for those with this physical condition: §391.49 Alternative physical qualification standards for the loss or impairment of limbs. All one needs is a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate. This certificate shows that the person seeking a CDL can operate the commercial motor vehicle safely, and that the amputee condition does not interfere with the safe operation of the vehicle.
Several months ago I sat down at a T/A Truck Stop for dinner, and the driver next to me had ONE ARM! He had been driving that way for 16 years! So for all of you people like the above employer: understand about the subject before you write about it! And, for all you who are wondering if an amputee can have a CDL: the answer is a clear and resounding, YES!
For the complete rules, regulations and explanation for this type of situation, read Regulation 391.49 and if you are an amputee and want to drive the big rigs . . . THEN GO FOR IT! I’ll ride with you any day, before I ride with the above-mentioned employer!
Good Luck, and KEEP ON ‘TRUCKIN’
About the Author: Aubrey Allen Smith is an expert in motor carrier transportation and an advocate for truck driving safety. Author of the original “Truth About Trucking,” he fights for the rights of truckers by exposing the scams within the trucking industry. Please visit http://www.truthabouttrucking today, if you are considering a truck driving career.
We have all heard of moving “horror” stories or perhaps you are someone who had the misfortune of experiencing it first-hand. Although there are many excellent movers across the country, the fact remains that moving scams do exist. If there is going to be a problem, the starting point for the consumer will always begin with the moving estimate. Many times, the only item the customer will see is the price at the bottom of the page and totally miss the “fine print.” The first step in preventing a major “surprise” at the final destination of your move, is to fully understand what each “estimate” means for you, the consumer. The three types of estimates are:
NON – BINDING ESTIMATE:
In this “estimate” you are given an estimated figure of your total weight based on a set price per pound. Depending on the “actual” weight, your final bill could be higher OR lower than the original estimate. The odd of this estimate working in your favor is next to none. Many times the salesperson will tell you that they purposely figured your weight higher for this estimate, so there is “no way” your final bill will cost more! This normally backfires for the consumer, even if the salesperson was being totally honest. Remember, this is an “estimate.” Even seasoned estimators can and do “miss” the weight. Furthermore, if the estimated weight does “go over,” the moving company can ONLY collect 110% of the original amount shown on the estimate. So, if the price shown is $5405.95, then the maximum you could end up paying at destination could ONLY be $5946.54 (110% of $5405.95). This type of “estimate,” in my opinion, does not provide the “peace of mind” you would want during a relocation process. Never accept a non-binding moving estimate.
BINDING ESTIMATE:
This “estimate” can actually be very misleading to the customer. Sometimes referred to as a “fixed price” estimate, it gives the impression that you will only be charged for the amount shown on the estimate, and not a penny more. This sounds like a “guaranteed price,” doesn’t it? This is perhaps the main estimate that customers fall for, believing that the “binding” price is “guaranteed.” However, when providing this estimate, the mover will nearly always fail to mention that the driver who will be loading your shipment HAS THE RIGHT to “challenge” the estimate, if he feels that the weight has gone over! Thus, this is where the “binding estimate” can come back and bite you! The driver must “challenge” the moving estimate BEFORE he begins loading. Most often, drivers will not “challenge” several hundred pounds or even a few thousand pounds. However, if the driver feels that the weight shown on the “binding estimate” is much lower than the actual weight he will be loading, he can legally “challenge” the estimate, and the salesperson will have to come back out to your residence and renegotiate the price with you. Therefore, your original “binding” price meant absolutely nothing! Never accept a binding estimate.
BINDING – NOT TO EXCEED ESTIMATE
This estimate is exactly what it proposes to be: a “not to exceed” price. The price shown on the estimate is exactly what you will be charged unless your weight is lower than what is shown on the estimate. If it is lower, then you will pay LESS! This moving estimate guarantees that your ending cost can only go DOWN and not UP! The only way of knowing what your TRUE weight is, is to be present when the driver weighs the truck. You must be there when he weighs the truck ‘EMPTY’ and when he weighs the truck ‘LOADED.’ Many customers do not want to be inconvenienced by this, but remember . . . do not trust the moving company with your empty and loaded scale. Make the effort to go down to the scale and witness the “weighing” yourself, both empty and once it has been loaded.
Forty million people move every year in the United States. There are simple, easy steps you can take that will assure your move, either local or cross country, will go efficiently and greatly reduce your chances of having a major claim. The FIRST STEP is choosing the right “estimate.” Always choose the “Binding – NOT TO EXCEED.”
About the Author:
Aubrey Allen Smith is the author of the Truth About Trucking and “How to Guarantee a “Perfect” Move.” Having started in the moving business in 1969 at the age of ten, he is an expert in the field of transportation. He shares his “insider secrets” and moving tips that only a moving veteran would know. Please visit www.guaranteemove.com to see how you can guarantee a “perfect” move.
Depending on who’s describing Allen Smith, the characterization could be quite different. Here’s a few descriptions of Allen according to some different types of people within the trucking industry.
Students and New Career Seekers and New Drivers
Allen is referred to as the guy who will tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it. He doesn’t pull any punches and just explains things as they are without concealing anything. He’ll steer you in the right direction, even if it’s not the direction you want to go in.
Veteran Drivers say heis the kind of person who will stand up for what’s right and be a voice for many, always trying to better things for drivers and the industry.
Friends and colleagues say that he cares as much as any when it comes to improving the conditions within the trucking industry. He goes the extra step to help drivers, students and trainees make sense of the insensible, expose the traps and deceit, guide the naïve and vulnerable, and support s his friends and those who are also helping to improve trucking. He loathes injustice and will do whatever he can to prevent and stop it.
Trucking Companies and CDL Training Schools, depending on “which ones”, some may say that he’s a great guy because he makes them look good by separating them from the poor quality and abusive ones….and then “the others” may say he’s a trouble maker, trying to stir drivers and prospective students and drivers up by exposing many of the unscrupulous tactics and behavior they engage in ( as they justify and deny that they do.)
One thing though that most will say is that the reason and motivation behind the man, Allen Smith, is driven by the desire to help others succeed within an industry that is filled with injustice, unrewarded sacrifice, and an undeserving lack of respect.
As you read many of the blog posts you’ll discover that he is opinionated and isn’t afraid to speak his mind about the ongoing issues of the trucking industry. He continues to support others who are also stepping up to the plate to help those in need of honesty, guidance and direction. The list of supporters and like minded people grows daily and their ability to network together and share their thoughts and ideas for the betterment of others within trucking, has allowed the forward movement of
“Raising the standards of the trucking industry”
Allen Smith is a 34 year veteran ( starting at the age of 13 in the family moving business) of the trucking industry, many of those years spent over the road. He has been an owner operator, a company driver, operations manager, and has owned and operated a moving company, taking many of the long haul moves himself when needed.
He wrote his first book, “The Truth About Trucking” in the year 2000 in order to expose many of the scams and wrongful behavior that occurs within trucking, in hopes to enlighten ( a word many people use when they write to him) people to a reality they maynot have known existed otherwise.
He started his first website www.truthabouttrucking.com in 2006 and created the AskTheTrucker Blog in 2007. In a desire to reach more people, Allen started his Blog Talk Radio ( Truth About Trucking “Live”) Show in 2008, and in just over a year it has reached a global audience of over 100,000 strong. The show has had many popular guests. One of the most memorable and influential guests that Allen invited on the show was Jeffrey Caldwell, Chief of Communications for VDOT. Donna had sent Mr Caldwell an email invite at 11pm the evening before the scheduled BTR broadcast. Early the following morning ,(the day of the show) Mr Caldwell accepted the invitation, eager to participate and help resolve the problems that truckers were being faced with. This was during the time when Virginia was closing down many rest areas and at the same time enforcing an old law of “ 2 hour parking” This created not just unsafe highway conditions by having tired drivers on the road, but was forcing these driversto break the 11 hour HOS laws. It was during this show with guests Fred and JB Schaffner of TheAmericanDriver.com website ( who together worked relentlessly to have the 2 hour parking law abolished…and won!) that the vision for positive and effective change was indeed a possibility to achieve for the benefitof the American driver.
Allen has started the petition against the unfair and abusive practices of the DAC report employed by several companies against drivers. He has been a strong supporter for Jason’s Law, HR 2156, which would ensure the need for more safe truck parking. The bill was presented by Congressman Paul Tonko in 2009, who also was a memorable guest on Allen’s Blog Talk Radio Show, “Truth About Trucking Live”
Allen and Donna also created the first trucking application for the trucking industry , the iPhone Trucker App, which was in the June 2009 edition of Truckers News.
In May of 2009, Allen was contacted by producer Robin Stein of the popular Dan Rather Reports Investigative news television show. The Dan Rather group was doing an investigation on CDL training schools, and since Allen was visibly the expert in the subject of directing prospective students in the right direction for their training, they decided to contact him. After many lengthy interviews, Allen directed Robin to Desiree Wood, who herself had contacted Allen a year or so prior because of her own horrible experience she had endured during her CDL training . ( Desiree has her Student Trucker Story on the AskTheTrucker blog) which we encourage you to read) The rest was history as Dan Rather conducted a 3 part investigation of the corruption existing within many of the trucking schools and companies offering CDL training.
Desiree was featured in the first episode, “Queen of the road”, and Allen was the invited audience participant speaking about the problems with CDL training for the second episode, “Truck Talk”. The 3rd episode aired not too long after, “Mind Your Loan Business”, which discussed in further detail much of the deceit existing among many CDL training facilities.
Allen has also been in many publication such as; Truckers News, Overdrive Magazine, The Examiner, and Peoples World. He and Donna were On Aprils 2010 Cover for the feature story, “Trucker Network” in Truckers News.
He also has a growing newsletter subscriber list of over 4000 where he communicates weekly with his followers about many of the existing issues and developments within trucking. Allen also keeps in contact with his his subscribers as he alerts them to BlogTalk Radio shows as well up to date current events.
Allen and several of his colleagues and fellow drivers are active on various social media websites, the most popular being Twitter and Facebook. Much of the spontaneous communication between drivers is conducted through these websites which has resulted in the transparency of many trucking groups and organizations, who were at one time, “not as transparent”
Allen is an advocate for the professional driver and continues his original objective to guide and teach CDL students and new drivers how to be successful in an industry which has many obstacles and unjust tactics to endure and overcome. He is also an advocate for safety and has 3 million safe miles under his belt
Allen enjoys, writing, flying, playing guitar, writing songs, and martial arts. He’s a father, son, husband, grandfather, and a loyal and trustworthy friend to all who know him.
As someone who may be considering over the road truck driving as a career, there are many questions you should ask yourself before jumping in head first. Thousands of new, inexperienced drivers tackle the obstacle of long haul trucking each year, only to discover it was not what they expected. This is mainly due to the fact that they are missing one key aspect for this trade: over the road trucking is not just a job or career . . . it is a lifestyle.
The large majority of the population enjoys a typical 9-5 job, or at the least, home every evening to enjoy their family and hobbies. Not so with OTR trucking. Many put in their 5-day work week and are eager to cherish the enjoyment of the weekend. Not so with OTR trucking. A huge majority have the pleasure and ability to attend their children’s school play, ball game or birthday parties. Not so with OTR trucking.
Over the road trucking is a demanding and lonely existence. Life on the road is tough. Are you the kind of person who can live in a semi truck for 24 hours a day? There are the few breaks here and there, but you can expect to physically be in the truck for 15-20 hours per day, every day! Will you be able to handle being away from your spouse and kids for weeks at a time? More important, will your spouse and kids be able to handle it?
For a single person, over the road trucking wouldn’t be bad. With fewer bills, many single drivers have saved up a rather impressive amount of cash! For those who are married and with families . . . it is a rough life. A life, I believe, no family should have to live through. Sadly, divorce is highly rated in the world of over the road trucking.
Personally, I have great respect for these OTR drivers. The general population has NO IDEA the demands that are placed on them, and yet, they still pull through as the back bone of this country. But, as a new driver considering the possibility, you must look at what kind of lifestyle you want and enjoy. If living in a truck for weeks or months at a time . . . being away from your family for long periods . . . spending extensive time completely alone . . . if this appeals to you, then go for it!
The main aspect to consider? What about the pay? Are the wages that come with over the road trucking worth it? You will hear about and see in advertisements, the BIG MONEY you can make with OTR truck driving. In reality, you can expect to gross $35,000.00 to $45,000.00 per year. Using a “rough” formula, lets break this down to see what your hourly pay would be:
If you are operating on the 70 hours per week rule, which most do, and you are driving the average of 100,000 miles per year, it would come out as this:
70 hours per week X 52 weeks = 3640 hours per year
$35,000 3640 = $9.62 per hour
$45,000 3640 = $12.36 per hour
This is just a quick “rough” formula to see what your hourly pay could be while living the life of over the road trucking. The figures are actually MUCH WORSE! I break it down even further in my article: Owner Operator: More Loss than Profit.
There are many more considerations to figure when coming up with an accurate picture for actual pay. One company that studied this, ended up with a figure of only $2.45 per hour! Once you read the above article, you’ll understand how this can be. Why live a life over the road, alone and away from home and family, when there are other options which pay the same if not more?
The bottom line? Look at yourself and if it applies, your family. Missing birthdays, anniversaries, ball games, school plays and other activities will become a part of your life. Is this the career you want? Is this your “lifestyle?”
About the Author:
Aubrey Allen Smith is the author of the first and original Truth About Trucking. He devotes his time and efforts in assisting new, inexperienced drivers by revealing the scams of the trucking industry. Answering hundreds of emails weekly, he is becoming known as a major advocate for fighting back for our nation’s drivers. Please visit www.truthabouttrucking.com if you are considering a career in over the road trucking.
: allen smith, aubrey allen smith, blog radio, talk radio, trucking talk show, truth about trucking
