More Whining!

Posted on 27-06-2006

Filed Under (Trucking, Trucking - Trucks)

But not from me. One of the trucking groups/forums I occasionally visit, a post was mad bashing everything about trucking, basically saying the same old rant that any other job would be better. It was from an old guy that wasn’t driving anymore and he was explaining why. From someone that has had other jobs besides trucking, other jobs have their downfalls too. Before trucking I was installing computers at a job that was on the road or on the job site for weeks. There are plenty of jobs with little or no home time besides trucking.

I’m so sick of whiners. Trucking is sooo bad to us. We’re away from home, we don’t get paid enough, fuel prices, lumpers, DOT, tolls, troopers pick on us! I’m sick of it. Don’t like trucking, do something else.

Then there’s the - "I’m doing okay, but everyone else needs help or sympathy or whatever." How arrogant!! You’re the only truck driver/owner that’s doing it right?

One of the points from this guys letter is that you might be sitting for 8 hours waiting to get un/loaded without pay. For one thing, if someone sits for 8 hours with no pay, they need to bug their company about detention pay or find another company. If we are delayed while getting loaded or unloaded I’m on the phone getting the problem fixed or getting more money.

The best (or worse) things about trucking is that I have to take responsibility for what I do and how I’m treated. I’m on my 7th company in 7 years. If you want someone to hold your hand throughout your career, this might be the wrong choice.

I know of a few and one rookie personally that didn’t make it through their training period. I’m not sure how I made it through my first year, but after finding the type of trucking that I enjoyed and then the right company for me, most times are pretty good now. Sometimes it’s just a job and it sucks, but that’s going to happen once in a while no matter what. But if I have more good days than bad days, I feel pretty good.

There are so many different kinds of trucking and a zillion companies, spend some time finding out where you fit in this industry and you’ll be a lot happier.

Comments

N MacDonald on 28 June, 2006 at 4:01 am #

Thanks for the rational observation on this job. I’m in my final weeks of school and looking at different companies to “sign on” with. I’ve looked at several web sites and different sites like this to try and get a balanced look at trucking as a career. Since this will be my 5th career path, I know there will be challenges and the first year will be the toughest. But I would really like to avoid moving from company to company if at all possible. From what I understand, at least at the major firms, the relationship between the fleet manager and the truck driver is the most critical. Any feedback on that? Or key questions to ask before accepting a job with a company?
NOTE…I’ve enjoyed this site! Thanks!!!

wayne on 28 June, 2006 at 8:50 am #

You’re off to a good start. If your not getting along with your fleet manager and/or dispatcher, don’t hesitate to ask for someone different. In my opinion, you should kind of expect to move around a little. I love it where I’m at now, but I’m always checking out other companies. I went to the Las Vegas Truck show with my boss and would stop at a company booth and ask about stuff right in front of him. He gave me a hard time, kidding around, but I told him I’m always checking out the competition. He does too. To make sure he’s paying and treating his people better than the competition. And you might like how a different company operates or you might want get into a different kind of freight, you never know.

Perry on 8 July, 2006 at 10:30 pm #

AMBER ALERTS AND D.O.T. INVOLVMENT

All of us has seen, from time to time, the electronic road signs announcing an AMBER ALERT for a particular vehicle and license plate number. Along with this, they also give the reason why this vehicle is being so thoroughly sought. I believe this is a great idea and should continue.

I believe there is one tool not being utilized to its full potential. Namely the state scales used for D.O.T. purposes.

They have infrared cameras taking pictures of our license plates as we go by them to identify the company, the truck, and other various forms of identification as it goes by the cameras. This information is then stored in the computer system for future purposes.

Why can’t the same computers and infrared cameras be programed to search for license plates known to be used by criminals of the more serious crimes they are suspected to have comitted?

Although I am not a computer GURU, I think there should be a way to “tell” the computers to “look for this particular license plate” and sound off a loud alarm inside the scale shack when that particular license plate is “spotted” by the infrared cameras.

Now the location and the direction of the vehicle the law enforcement agencies are looking for would be known and then the same agencies would know where to start looking.

In case if that particular scale is closed at the time the license plate is “spotted,” an alarm could sound off at the closest law enforcement agency to identify the need to search the computer to see why the alarm sounded, and then go from there.

Like I said, I am not a computer GURU, nor am I an electronic genius. It is just an idea I have.

At no time should the AMBER ALERT program as it is now known be discontinued. By keeping the AMBER ALERT program active and adding the infrared survelliance (or however it is spelled), it should really help assisting the law enforcement agencies to do their jobs and put these criminals where they belong, in jail.

If there is anybody out there who would know who and how to present this idea to be considered by the law enforcement agencies, I would certainly appreciate it being forwarded for me.