The trucking company owner operator lease-purchase scam.  I’ve talked about it … I’ve written about it … I’ve done talk shows about it.   Truth About Trucking was established with one goal in mind:  to provide the answers to the insider secrets of the trucking industry for new CDL students and drivers.  All those things that every veteran driver knows about, but, for whatever reason, few would discuss.  Four years ago, we changed all that.

Suddenly, there was someone actually talking about the scams of OTR trucking.  Scams, that every newcomer to the industry should be aware of, in order to know exactly what they are getting into when it comes to long haul trucking.  Furthermore, by understanding and realizing the Truth About OTR Trucking . . . they would be better prepared to face those situations head-on and know what is to  be expected of them in order to survive and make it in the OTR trucking game.

Being available through email, phone and from our Truth About Trucking “LIVE” talk radio show, I have received thousands of questions from students and new drivers.   It is the best part about being involved with an informative on-line format.   Still, I find that trucking companies continue to prey on drivers’ hopes and dreams and wanted to reiterate in this post about one of the BIGGEST scams in the trucking industry:   the Owner Operator Truck Leasing Program.

Here is a comment that was just made from our online petition to stop false DAC reporting:

“I RECENTLY SIGNED A TRUCK LEASE WITH A COMPANY CALLED  XXXXX , THE TRUCK PAYMENTS WERE OVER $1000.00 PER WK.  BUT I WAS TOLD MY TRUCK WOULD BRING IN OVER 4500 PER WK AVERAGE.   THIS NEVER HAPPENED, SO AFTER STARVING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND LISTENING TO THEIR BULL,  I FINALLY TURNED IN THE TRUCK.  BUT NOW MY DAC REPORT IS NEGATIVE.”

For all of you new CDL students and new drivers trying to break into the industry, be very leery of these trucking company lease purchase plans.   This is a big money maker for these companies and the chances of you succeeding with one of these plans is highly unlikely.   I know that many of you would really like to be an owner operator and these purchase plans are so enticing, but the best way to be an O/O is to drive several years, save up the down payment and purchase the truck on your own from a reputable dealer . . . NOT A TRUCKING COMPANY.   The only exception to this “rule” is obviously, if you have worked for a company for a good length of time and know for certain that they are a good, reputable company and one you can trust.  Until you have some serious background experience with them, stay away from leases!

One of our highest rated shows on Truth About Trucking “LIVE” was about this very subject.  I would urge you to give it a listen if you missed it:

Remember . . . there are many fine trucking companies out there to work for, but you will have to build up between one to three years of driving experience before you will be considered for hire.  There are also very good companies that offer CDL training other than those we all hear and know about.  Keep in mind, with the current state of the economy, companies such as these may not be accepting new students right now.

The point here, is that OTR trucking does work for many drivers . . . but a successful career in trucking does not happen overnight.   It can, literally, take several years.   Understand the scams that exist within OTR truck driving and know what to be suspicious of when it comes to this industry.  One of those things is the Lease Purchase Plan.   Not only will they use it to rake in more of your hard earned money, but when you cannot hang on any longer . . . they will turn around and place a negative report on your DAC, hitting you twice and very possibly ruining your truck driving career.

I’ll say it again . . . Until you have worked for a company long enough to know that they are a good and honest employer . . . then . . . Stay away from trucking company leases!

To your success in trucking,

Allen Smith

© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: cdl students, cdl training, lease, lease purchase, millis, otr truck driving, otr trucking, owner operator, roehl, scam, Scams, trucking, trucking company, trucking industry, truth about trucking

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Over the road trucking is a tough vocation.  It’s even tougher now with the economy struggling as it is.  Many CDL schools are still reporting an 85% – 90% placement rate for recent CDL graduates.  On the other hand, I hear from many students who, after several months or longer, after completing their CDL training, have still been unable to secure employment.

A large majority of these, I assume, has to deal with the fact that the student/grad had negative information on their MVR and the school failed to advise them of the poor chance of being hired.  The CDL school took their money anyway.  However, many of these CDL students tell me that they have nothing bad on their records, everything is “perfect” and still, they are unable to land a job as a truck driver.   This simply has to do with the way the economy is right now.

I recently received an email from a driver who has brought in between $200 – $300 per week for the last several weeks . . . he simply stated that his company has “no freight.”   Other drivers tell me they are running hard and can barely keep up!   OTR trucking is a strange character.   I can’t say when the economy will turn around or trucking will get back on track, but I can explain what you, as a recent CDL training graduate can do, that will most likely end your driving career before it even gets started.

We all know that times are tough right now.  Even though CDL schools are reporting such a high job placement rate, I have my doubts with many of them.  For those recent CDL students who do land a truck driving job, there is one thing you most certainly want to accomplish . . . get that all-important one year of OTR driving in under your belt with that company!

Many CDL graduates are writing me explaining that they were hired by a trucking company and after 30 days, 3 months or whatever, they ended up quitting due to lack of miles or various other reasons as many of us know.  If you’re “fortunate” enough to land a trucking job in today’s economy, if at all possible, you need to try your best to “stick it out” with that first company that has given you the job opportunity.  For years, veteran drivers have gotten away with this “job hopping” but not so much now, and certainly not for newcomers just starting out.

Leaving the truck driving job after only one, two or three months, is like digging your own professional truck driving grave.  First, the trucking company just possibly shelled out thousands of dollars for your training.   Secondly, they will look at you as someone who really is not serious about being an OTR driver and finally, they will most likely turn around and file a negative complaint on your DAC report.  This DAC file could turn out to be your “nail in the coffin.”

Other than having stricter policies, better driver treatment, driver respect and so forth, practically all trucking companies do the exact same thing:  you pick up freight at point A and you deliver that freight to point B.   If you only lasted six weeks on your very first time out, why would other trucking companies believe that you will last with them?  You’ll be doing the exact same thing you were doing the six weeks before.   The reasons you left are not important to them . . . remember, many of these over the road trucking outfits operate in the same manner.

Could you get lucky and find another company willing to hire you and give you a chance?  Maybe . . . but it’s a long shot.  It’s understandable that a new driver would quit after only his or her first several weeks, if they are only making a few hundred dollars per week for running in long distance trucking.  But the economy is what it is . . . it’s tough for many trucking companies and freight is slow for a big portion of them.

The recruiters and many of the not-so-honest CDL schools are going to tell you what you want to hear.  Understand that the trucking industry, for many, are struggling right along with the other various industries in the present economic situation.  Your chances of starting out as a new driver and pulling in $1000 per week right off the bat, is not reasonable.   It could happen, but not usual with a new CDL graduate and beginning your career with one of these “starter companies.”

After finishing CDL training and you find yourself as one of those new drivers who do land a job with a company . . . be prepared to run the road for at least one year.  Some will say for six months . . . but that “one year” is really the magic number.   Keep in mind, that many of the really good trucking companies out there, require two and sometimes three or more years of verifiable driving experience . . . that is why they are the “really good” trucking companies.

Be prepared for the one year of sacrifice . . . plan ahead for your finances . . .  maybe your spouse will have to continue to work for that first year . .  perhaps you will have to dip into your savings . . . whatever the case, just be prepared for the commitment and sacrifice of running OTR for one year.

If after only a few weeks or even a few months, you are just not making it and you have to quit . . . just understand that this is one of the ways a new CDL graduate can almost certainly insure ending their truck driving career before it even begins.

Good Luck,

Allen Smith

Truth About Trucking

© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: cdl graduates, cdl school, CDL schools, cdl students, cdl training, dac report, driver respect, mvr, new driver, no freight, one year, otr, otr trucking, over the road, truck driver, truck driving career, truck driving job, trucking, trucking companies, trucking industry, verifiable driving experience

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by Allen Smith

Making a career change can be a big step for many of us. For those considering truck driving as a profession, they undoubtedly have an endless list of questions. In this technological world we live in today, the internet plays the major role in finding the answers to these questions. As a student or new driver stepping into the world of trucking, you have probably discovered the many trucking forums that abound through out the internet. However, there are key problems concerning certain trucking forums, that you, as a student or new driver, should keep in mind when using trucking forums as source for information.

Trucking forums are platforms where anyone can go and post comments, opinions, reviews, questions and answers…anything about trucking, trucking companies, truck driving jobs, driving schools or whatever they feel like posting or sharing. For the most part, all one has to do is create an account, log in and begin posting. This is where the major problem with trucking forums may begin.

Why?  Because the “anyone” posting to the forums could very well be a recruiter, dispatcher, manager or someone associated with the trucking company that they are posting about. The trucking company could be a bad one, yet you are seeing a great deal of positive comments and reviews about the company, not realizing that the one doing the posting could be a person who has a personal interest in the company.

Another problem that could arise with trucking forums is that you may not be receiving the other side of the story. A driver could place many negative posts about a trucking company, but the driver, not the company, could actually have been the problem. So the driver will go on all the trucking forums placing negative comments, with the sole purpose of “getting even” with the company. The trucking forums are only as good as their moderators are. The moderator being the one who oversees the content being placed on the forum, and filtering out what he or she believes to be suspicious or misleading information.

Several months ago I posted an answer to a students’ question that I found on a forum, and since I was a newcomer to the forum, the little group of drivers who ran the show, so to speak, began “attacking” me. An amazing aspect of this, is that the moderator of the forum…joined in with the “attack.” This only proved to me that this trucking forum had nothing to do with actually helping drivers or newcomers to the industry. Their forum was their little place that they could go and feel important about themselves, but any new “insider” would be immediately blasted for participating. They have no intentions of actually helping to benefit drivers or the industry.

There are some very good trucking forums available. The Truckers Report is an excellent source, as is Trucking Boards. Another one is Trucker to Trucker…all three are excellent in providing truth and attempting to better the trucking industry. As a student or newcomer to trucking, you are looking for the truth…you deserve the truth. Just understand that not all trucking sites and trucking forums are the best resource for trucking information. This is largely due to the fact that many will allow anyone to participate and post whatever comments, reviews, opinions, answers or whatever it is they want to share. Furthermore, they could have another agenda in mind, and many times, it has nothing to do with the truth about trucking.

Trucking still has a long way to go. There are still many problems, lies and scams surrounding over the road trucking. We are seeing some positive changes, but one cannot simply say, “Trucking can be a great career” and leave it at that. For three years now, the first and original, Truth About Trucking, has been fighting to “raise the standards of the trucking industry”. I will not allow myself to sugarcoat the reality of the over the road trucking life. OTR trucking can be a great career or it can be a horrible career. It all depends on finding the right source and honest, truthful information provided through an open and unbiased point of view. So just be careful. The three forums listed above are excellent trucking forums, so be sure and check them out.

An excellent example is that all through out the internet you will read about how great it is to be an owner operator. Done properly, it is great! However, the reality is that 90% of all new owner operators…fail. As you begin your search for a new career, just keep in mind that not all sites and trucking forums are the best source for information. They can allow anyone to post anything they want or they could just have another agenda in mind…and again, it is not always the truth about trucking.

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: career change, otr trucking, over the road trucking, owner operators, truck drivers, Truck Driving Jobs, trucking, trucking forums, truth about trucking

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by Donna Smith

I have to say that I am pretty annoyed with a lot of folks out there who are continually trying to pretend that everything is “peachy keen” within the trucking industry. It appears that their goal is to create a rosie picture in order to get more people to join an industry that , well, ” just isn’t for everyone.”

I watch Allen spend hours online researching all the “stuff” that goes on in trucking in order to alert folks and thus make things better for everyone. I couldn’t believe an e-mail he received from another website.  I won’t mention a name or the site, but it pretty much said in so many words, ” don’t make such a grim picture out of the trucking industry… you can sell more products by  talking about more of the positive aspects of trucking.”

Do you believe that?  Sell more products!   So, in other words, we should paint an unrealistic picture, get more folks to look into trucking, so we can then sell them a bunch of stuff about trucking, right? If that’s the case then we’d be no better than the recruiters and  trucking companies that promise them the moon and stars…only to allow them to then get a good glimpse of the 128% turnover rate… and the reality of it all…..YUK!

No, I’d rather someone tell me the truth about something, and then give me the amunition to fight them head on and be successful. Yeah, you may lose some who don’t want to fight, but chances are those are the folks who would have ended up quitting after a few months anyway…after losing a few thousand dollars in CDL  training costs and  lots of lost time and heatache! Is it worth it to disillusion people and make them go through all that …just to sell a product to them?  I don’t think so!

The reality is this: If you want to get into trucking you can make it, but you need to be aware of the “dirty little secrets” that go on so YOU CAN MAKE IT. That’s why Allen wrote “The Truth About Trucking “ back in 2000 and  recent follow up books… not to scare people out of trucking, but rather  to reveal the red flags so they can be successful in trucking.

Recently we have had a courageous women post to this blog and expose many of the industry “secrets”, that quite frankly, even shocked Allen.  She has been posting on other blogs also and  should be commended for her efforts. She does all this while driving OTR. Here is an example of a fighter! SHE LOVES OTR TRUCKING and is not going to give it up, but rather is willing to fight and make it better for both men and women.  A women after our own hearts.

I encourage you to read her posts. So, get a cup of coffee and get comfy, ’cause there’s a lot of insightful reading!

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: cdl training, otr trucking, The Truth About Trucking, trucking companies, trucking industry

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One of the most courageous woman truckers right now is writing on the AskTheTrucker blog, exposing the treatment and tactics allowed to continue within the trucking industry, as viewed through her eyes and own experiences.  The purpose for these posts are two fold:

1) To warn women desiring to get into OTR trucking about the many “red flags they must be aware of so they may avoid them.

2) To encourage other woman in trucking to speak up and not be intimidated or fearful of “losing their job.”

Desiree has a written a Journal type posting which I encourage women to read. She posts regularly, and in my opinion it’s like getting a treasure of info, which I’m sure many would be more than glad to “pay for”" if it was available in  book form.

Her experiences start all the way from day 1 in truck driving school, where she first began in her quest for the coveted CDL license. It then continues into driver training and team driving. This persistant woman would not allow ANYTHING to prevent her from attaining her #1 goal of driving the big rigs. Her experiences are at times like something you would  read in a novel or watch at the movie theatre.

She is a testimony of integrity, commitment, and perseverance.

If you are anyone interested in a trucking career, looking into truck driver training, are already a truck driver, or just interested in knowing what is still allowed to go on within the trucking industry, then I believe you will benefit from these journaled blog posts.

Thanks,
Donna

© 2008 – 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: cdl license, otr trucking, team driving, truck driver training, trucking, trucking career, trucking industry, women in trucking, women truckers

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Team truck driving is being investigated by many people looking into the possibilities of making more money in truck driving. The ads all say the right things and I have found various articles on the subject of team truck driving jobs. What is the truth when it comes to team driving? Can you really make more money driving as a team?

As a driving team, the goal is to keep the truck moving 24/7. You will find articles and ads claiming high mileage and high pay every week, as well as there being such a high demand for team drivers. The truth is, most companies are looking for team drivers, just like they are looking for solo drivers. However, many of us know what the solo drivers go through in the world of trucking. The same applies for team drivers . . . this is still OTR trucking.

Freight slows down, even for team drivers. The average weekly miles for a driving team is 3600 to 5000. Will you get 5000 miles every week? Not likely. But most of the time, if the company is a good one, you should average close to that figure. Also, remember that in team driving, both drivers split the cents per mile pay. Therefore, if the company is paying the average of .38 cents per mile, you both are making .19 cents per mile. That is to say, if you are both considered “equals” and one is not the “lead driver.”

The average pay for teaming is .32 cents to .47 cents per mile. So let’s look at how all this figures out. We are going to say that you belong to a team that is going to run 52 weeks per year, never stopping, never going home. You are going to average 5000 miles per week. You are with a really, excellent company and they are paying your team the top dollar of .47 cents per mile!

 5000 miles X .47 cents per mile = $2,350 per week.

$2,350 divided by 2 = $1,175 per week (Gross Pay)

Gross yearly pay per driver = $61, 100

Not a bad income, right? Of course, this is an extreme exaggeration because few people can handle running 52 weeks per year, never going home. You SHOULD make more money driving as a team. Team truck driving is also the “easier” version of OTR trucking due to the average haul for team driving being around the 1500 mile mark. Is it without problems? Absolutely not. Nothing in trucking is without problems. Let’s look at team truck driving on a more realistic scale.

On the average, team drivers will run 35 weeks per year, giving them 17 weeks per year at home, enjoying a break. What kind of yearly gross pay can a team driver expect with this type of running?

5000 miles X .47 cents per mile = $2,350 per week.

$2,359 divided by 2 = $1,175 per week (Gross Pay)

$1,175 per week X 35 weeks = $41,125 . . . gross yearly pay.

This is nearly the average gross yearly pay for a solo driver. Right now, the average yearly pay for a solo driver falls between $35,000 and $45,000. The amount of income you can earn as a team driver depends on how long you want to stay out and run. However, this applies for a solo driver as well. When ads claim you can gross $160,000 per year, they are basically saying that you will have to run all the time, with very little time at home, if any. Some teams do, but for most of us, this is not realistic.

But, if your question is can you make more money in team driving, then the answer is “yes.” If you are willing to sacrifice and run hard for the miles and make the commitment to live in the truck Therefore, the next question should be, “Are you “team material?”

In order to be a successful truck driving team, you only have to ask yourself two questions :

1. ”Can I get along with my co-driver for 24/7?”

2. ”Do I trust my co-driver?”

 There are plenty of horror stories about team driving. Many professional, over the road drivers will never team. Why? Both drivers have to be able to get along with each other, in a cramped area, for 24 hours per day, seven day per week. Also, while one is driving, the other is sleeping . . . will you be able to trust this person with your life? Will you be able to switch shifts? Instead of one driving all day hours and the other driving all night hours, what will happen when you decide you want a change? Can you trust that your partner will be able to stay awake at night, after having driven all day hours?

Team truck driving simply boils down to using common sense. Your partner has to be someone you can get along with on a 24/7 basis, and one you who will trust with your life, as well as one who will “pull their share” of the load. The best teams on the road today are husband and wife teams. Spouses generally do very well in team truck driving. There are still problems, like anything in life, but team driving works very well for the most part, between spouses.

As you have read earlier, trucking companies regulate the amount of miles you receive, and this is true for team operations as well. Remember how I stated that mileage is nearly always based on the magical 2500 miles per week for solo drivers? This is why you will normally hear the 5000 miles per week for team driving . . . 2500 times two drivers = 5000.

So how does this average weekly mileage add up for both solo and team drivers? Let’s compare a solo driver at .36 cents per mile, and a team driver at .36 cents per mile. The solo driver averages 2500 miles per week and the team driver averages 5000 miles per week . . . not hard to figure out, is it? Each driver would gross $900 for the week. Therefore, the only way a team driver could make more money than a solo driver, is to be paid above the average pay of a solo driver. If the team is making .47 cents per mile, then the team driver would come out ahead by $275 per week. Keep in mind, however, many solo drivers are earning .47 cents per mile as well.

So what is the advantage of team driving? In my opinion, only the ability to earn $200 to $300 more per week, if your current solo position is paying less than what the team position will be paying. If you are already making .45 cents per mile as a solo driver, what purpose would it serve to go work as a team driver making .45 cents per mile? If you are with a really bad company paying only .32 cents per mile, let’s say, as solo, and you can team for .42 cents per mile, you will increase your weekly gross pay by an average of $250. This may be worth it for you if things are tight financially.

Driving as a team could bring you an extra $8,750 to $10,000 per year in income, if the pay surpasses what you are making as a solo driver. Again, you will have to find the right partner who you can get along with for long periods of time and one you can trust with your life. If you can do this, and you’re up to the sacrifice, then teaming can bring you a great income. Just remember that you will not always get exactly 5000 miles per week, and this style of trucking is not problem free.

Allen Smith

Author of the first and original, Truth About Trucking.

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: husband and wife, jobs, otr, otr trucking, team drivers, team driving, team truck driving, truck driving team, trucking

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Recently I received an e-mail asking me to explain the “very confusing” 11/14 hour truck driving rule. As you know, this is the rule which tells the driver how many hours he/she may work, when to break, how long to break, and how many hours of  driving that he/she may drive during a 24 hour period.

Here is my reply to her that I would like to post for all new drivers:

This is a real simple rule that sometimes people can make harder than it really is….me included, when it first came out. In a nutshell…it simply states that you cannot “work” more than 14 hours in a 24 hour period…and cannot drive more than 11 hours in a 24 hour period, without taking a 10 hour break.

“Work” means the same as “on duty”…As soon as you start your pre-trip, you are on duty….you have 14 hours to be “on duty” from that moment on, before you are required to shut down for your 10 hour break.

So, if you start your pre-trip at 6 AM, you have to be stopped, shut down, done! by 8 PM. Your on duty “work” includes, pre-tripping, post tripping, driving, unloading, loading, waiting time, stopping for a meal, bathroom break, stopping to make a phone call…ANYTHING you are doing between the pre-trip and post trip….this is your 14 hours you have to complete your day’s work.

Example : Let’s say you start your pre-trip at 10 AM. and you drive over to the shipper to get loaded and you get there at 10:30 AM, and they tell you it will take about 5 hours to get loaded. You are finally loaded at 3:30 PM. You now only have until midnight to drive or “whatever”, before you must shut down for the 10 hour break. You will be completely legal because you shut down at midnight, which is 14 hours (10 AM to Midnight)…and you only drove 9 hours (10 AM to 10:30 AM, and 3:30 PM to Midnight)…even though you are 2 hours under the 11 hour driving rule, the 14 hour rule beat you to the punch because of the waiting time the shipper placed on you.

Just remember, whatever time you start the day on your log, you have to be completely shut down (break), within 14 hours. Now, if you start your pretrip at 10 AM, arrive at shipper at 10:30 AM, and are loaded by 11 AM, you can drive until 9:30 PM – (11 hour rule – 10-10:30, 11-9:30), ….even though 14 hours is midnight (10 AM to midnite), the 11 hour rule beat you to the punch…you can still be on duty through midnight, like waiting to get unloaded, calling dispatch, repairing a trailer tire…etc., you JUST CAN’T DRIVE anymore.

After 14 hours you should be doing only one thing : on a 10 hour break. Just because you hit 11 hours of driving, you can still be doing work-related duties, as long as you are not driving…AND…once you hit the 14 hour spot…you must be shut down, totally, and be on your 10 hour break.

Remember two things :

1. Be shut down (on your break) within 14 hours of starting your log.

2. Within that 14 hours, make sure you have not driven more than 11 hours.

NOW! There is also the 34 hour rule! But this is easy…if you are off duty for at least 34 hours, all your hours beforehand are “erased” and you can start “clean” with another 70 hours. There is talk about doing away with this rule, but for now, it is still on the books.

UPDATE TO THIS POST:  7-20-09

Since I am constantly receiving emails from those who only wish to criticize and attempt to prove something to themselves, I would like to  address a recent email I received:

Here is the email I just received:

He wrote:

“I read, The 11/14 Hour Truck Driving Rule", it is incorrect. You state that after your 14th consecutive hour on duty you must be off duty or in the sleeper berth, not true. The law states a driver must not drive after his 14th hour on duty, nothing about working. Any work as  unloading, post trip, fueling are fine to do after your 14th hour. Please make sure you know the law prior to acting like an authority. Thanks.”

Now,  if  this guy had really read the post, then he would have seen the following paragraph within this post:

“Just remember, whatever time you start the day on your log, you have to be completely shut down (break), within 14 hours. Now, if you start your pretrip at 10 AM, arrive at shipper at 10:30 AM, and are loaded by 11 AM, you can drive until 9:30 PM – (11 hour rule – 10-10:30, 11-9:30), ….even though 14 hours is midnight (10 AM to midnite), the 11 hour rule beat you to the punch…you can still be on duty through midnight, like waiting to get unloaded, calling dispatch, repairing a trailer tire…etc., you JUST CAN’T DRIVE anymore.”

Furthermore, this guy would have seen my previous comment to another, more professional poster … here’s my previous posted comment:

Yes, you are correct.  You are referring to Reg. 395 (d) –

D. 14-HOUR DUTY PERIOD
D-1. May a driver be on duty for more than 14 consecutive hours?

Yes. A driver may remain on duty for more than 14 hours; however, the driver of a property-carrying CMV cannot drive after the 14th hour after coming on duty. Also, the additional on-duty time will be counted toward the 60/70-hour on-duty limit. But, as you mentioned, MOST companies require you to be shut down by the 14th hour. Every company I’ve ever worked for, even now, require you to be completely done by the 14th hour. So that is why I explained it this way. With a former company I was driving for, I did go over the 14 hours, legally….but I was still called in by the log and safety dept. Even though I explained to them what I did was legal, I was still “slapped” on the hand for doing it! LOL … but again, you are right….it is just that most companies want you “shut down” by the 14th hour……thanks for your post…..I appreciate it!

Allen — Posted on: 10-22-2008

So I will make this response a permanent part of this post, so hopefully I can STOP receiving such rude and hateful emails from people such as this.  Also, my intentions are NOT to come off as an “authority” but just to try and help newcomers to the industry. Whatever creates such hate in people, I have no idea …  I would suggest that people such as this guy  fully read my posts before attacking me for whatever their agenda’s are.  Maybe they just can’t read very well or they have trouble comprehending?

Allen Smith

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: 11-14 truck driving rule, otr trucking, post trip, pre-trip, truck driving

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To all you truck driving  students and new drivers and those considering a career in OTR trucking……grab these 3 FREE downloadable trucking  reports……Get started on the right track!     Thanks,   Allen Smith – http://www.truthabouttrucking.com

http://www.truthabouttrucking.com/free-reports.php

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: free trucking reports, new drivers, otr trucking, truck driving students

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Driving a truck professionally can be a tormented vocation. Truck driving schools enjoy manipulating new students in believing that over the road truck driving is an easy, laid-back lifestyle. At times, perhaps it can be, but for the most part it is a stressful, aggravating way of life. There are hundreds of thousands of pick-ups and deliveries made every day by our truckers and if you ask them which shipper and receiver is usually the worst to deal with, the answer will nearly always be the Grocery Warehouses.

I have never understood the management team of the grocery warehouses. You would think that management, lower to upper, would comprehend the main principle of business management . . . take care of the customer. Dealing with a grocery warehouse, primarily delivering, is most often the truck driver’s worst nightmare. They purposely make you sit and wait for hours on end, and most often make you, the driver, perform the unloading.

Grocery warehouses are known for their over-powering, disrespectful and hateful attitudes. Many of them will treat the professional driver as something less than a dog. All you have to do is ask a driver that has been at it for a while . . . grocery warehouses are the worst! These little managers that run the operation enjoy the feeling of power over the driver. This is the only reason I can imagine . . . what other reason would cause a “manager” to treat truck drivers this way?

Thus, this is where the management of these grocery warehouses are making their biggest mistake in managing. They may have the title of “management,” but they are not true, professional managers. What is the #1 mistake enacted by these shippers and receivers? They see these men and women truck drivers as nothing but “lower-class.” They treat them unfairly and many times with hostility. They abuse their management “powers” by making them sit and wait for hours on end, will take seven hours to unload a one hour shipment, and on and on.

This is where these so called “managers” are making their #1 mistake. These men and women of trucking may just be “truck drivers,” but they are also something else . . . they are CUSTOMERS! If every truck driver who has been treated badly by these grocery warehouses would stop shopping at the particular store, and their spouse stopped, along with their “two” kids, that would be a loss of four CUSTOMERS. Multiply this by 200 other drivers, spouses and “two” kids, customer loss would run up to 800! If each of these told a friend to stop buying from these hateful shippers and receivers, they would witness a customer loss of 1600! And . . . well, you get the picture.

A true, professional manager understands that the sole priority of a business is to make a profit. To do this, takes the customer. Without customers, a business fails. Is the customer always right? No . . . but when a company or corporation employs “managers” who fail to understand that even the lowly “truck driver” is a customer, they are no manager at all.

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: otr trucking, Truck Driving Jobs, trucking

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     It’s amazing what an over the road truck driver can encounter on a daily basis. All of the sights and sounds they experience become so vast that they soon forget and accept them as simply a part of their daily lives. Experiences that few will ever know and even fewer can only dream about. I often stop and remember such things like slipping through the back roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains…….literally sliding my way down a snow covered Snowqualmie Pass……or slowing the rig down a few notches so I could enjoy the scenery of actual wild horses running across the plains of Wyoming…….and of course, that time I had no choice but to stop in the middle of the road and let that massive, huge moose cross in front of me in Caribou, Maine. All the sights, sounds and wonderment that now only live in my memories…..

     Though I no longer operate over the road, I am still “running” here in the State of Florida, averaging 420 miles per day. Not too long ago I was making a delivery in Gainesville, Florida at a small BP service station. As I pulled in, I noticed a haggard looking man huddled underneath the overhang of the building. Working nights, I often have to deal with some “rough” characters approaching me for money or food, so I kept my sight on him. It wasn’t long until I knew he was homeless as he walked up to me and the conversation began:

“How you like driving that thing?” he asked.

“It’s OK,” I replied, “Been doing it a long time.”

     He remained with me as I began my work and everything seemed to be going fine. Just a lonely guy, I thought, needing a little company. He walked back over to where he had been and sat back down beside a duffle bag containing all of his possessions. Suddenly, he placed his hand on the bag and started shaking it back and forth saying, “Get up! Get up!” I focused my attention back on him. Then, he began moving his head from side to side, his eyes darting here and there. I heard him mumble, “They’re dead……..they’re all dead.”

     A massive thunderstorm was moving into the area and I was working feverishly to complete my work before it hit. All of a sudden, an enormous clap of thunder and flash of lightening struck sending me running for cover. I immediately heard him yell, “INCOMING!” He was down on the ground with his hands over his head and it was then that I realized something…….I was in the presence of a hero.

     I knew I had to do something to bring him back to reality so I yelled, “HEY!…..HEY!…..you hungry?” He rose to his feet, his shaking subsided and a grin crossed his face, “I’m always hungry, dude” he laughed. I ran out to the truck and brought back a Gatorade and a ham and cheese sandwich. “Here,” I said, “This is my last drop so I’m heading home, I don’t need them.” As the rain poured down and the thunder rolled, I stayed by my new friend as he enjoyed the free meal. The political side of me kicked in and I wondered why is this man, why is this hero….left alone, forgotten by our Government, and made to live out on the streets?

     During the next thirty minutes, we talked about many things . . . from the Florida weather to alligators to truck driving . . . and with every teeth-jawing blast of thunder he would yell out, “KABOOM! ,” followed by a fit of laughter. As the storm passed and moved further to the Northwest, I said my goodbyes and told him to take care of himself. He shook my hand and thanked me for the drink and sandwich. Never once did he ask for money or help of any kind. He was his own man . . . he was a hero.

     As I began pulling out of the driveway, another loud burst of thunder occurred, followed by an enormous streak of lightening. I glanced over to see him staring up in the sky, his eyes flashing as bright as the lightening . . . his arms moving up and down . . . and I knew, once again, at that very moment he was no longer with me in Gainesville, Florida. I gave him a wave goodbye, but he failed to respond. He was no longer there . . . the hero had gone back to Vietnam.

© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: otr trucking, truck driving job, trucking life

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