If there is one thing I have learned in this industry is that you will have many jobs in the first 3-5 years as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The reason for this is that there is no real job description to cover all the diversified responsibilities we encounter every day. There is no testing of character which can be greatly affected by this job. There is no training for self assertiveness or self-esteem which is needed to create your own work ethics and overcome the stressful pace of this industry.

I had about 5 jobs in the first 3 years of trucking. One job I had I would spend up to 8 hours waiting for back hauls then be sent home empty. Another job I had which paid flat rate could take anywhere from 10 to 16 hours, resulting in wages anywhere from $8-$16 per hour. One company would send me to pick up loads with the wrong type of trailer. They’d send me for loads that have already been dispatched or weren’t ready yet. Every company has its problems, it just depends on which problems you can deal with. You usually don’t know what these problems are until you’re working for them.

I remember driving for 30 hours straight to meet appointment times. I was new and tried to accommodate the industry. Things started to change when I refused a run after maxing out my logbook. I was fired and re-hired 2 days later with an apology after the boss overcame his tantrum.

I fell asleep one day and woke up in time to miss a median crash barrier. I would sleep 12-14 hours on my days off. My family started complaining and the truck was starting to become a negative object. I was wanting to quite my trucking career.

I started to realize that every trucking company was basically the same. They seemed to do their best to accommodate the pace of the industry and not the pace which they could safely service it. They make false promises to customers( tell them what they want to hear, not what is actually really going to happen). They sacrifice ethics for their mere survival. We are vehicles of their profits and existence. Without us they are out of business. Why then do they treat us the way they do?

I had to make a decision to create my own work ethic or endure a job of misery. I decided to create my own schedule to accommodate my body’s clock. I started to make my workday from 6am till midnight and sleep for 6 hours. I also learned to calculate travel time based on general averages. Learning about customers, D.O.T. and Customs procedures became my goal. I couldn’t believe that I would have to continue at this pace.

Yes I was met with some resistance but I was persistent in my ways. I was never fired, even after the threat of forced dispatch. If it was a new customer I would call ahead and discuss my appointment time with my real arrival time. Many times there was no real appointment time, or if there was they would gladly change it to accommodate your real time. A few times dispatch said it was a rush order and the customer says he wasn’t expecting the load that day. One day they had me deliver a load when the customer was closed.

( Many companies don’t pay waiting time so why not use it for sleep. Communicate with the customer to maximize your time management)

In the End

Trucking for me was career choice. I consider my self lucky when I hear stories from other drivers trying to start their career. I have enjoyed my driving career and have learned a lot. Mostly I have learned to learn quick. After ten years over the road I want to help others with the skills I have learned so they may have an easier time in this (can be profitable industry). I have learned to adapt to the nature of the industry, not the whims of the politics of the industry. After you are given your dispatch, the priority is between you and the customer. Learn how your company and customers work and adapt yourself to both with you and your customer being your highest priority.

It’s only a job. Be a professional and treat it like one.

The Jake brake is a compression braking system installed on the engine and activated by a switch inside the cab. Once activated, it opens exhaust valves in the cylinders releasing the trapped compressed air, and slows down the truck. When you hear these trucks slowing down with that loud “Rumble” sound, that is the Jake brake.

http://handrtransport.blogspot.com/

I hope your article has made others stand up for their rights.