You Will Pay

Nothing is in your house that wasn't somehow or another placed on a truck at one time or another.  When it was placed on this truck, the truck owner was paid.  The truck owner set a rate that he or she felt was reasonable.  This rate was based on a few things such as fuel prices, maintenance costs, driver pay, and the competition's rates.  There is a value here that goes into the price of freight which is not easily calculated:  The pay to the driver to make driver's quality of life worthwhile.

As the lives of drivers are being inundated with electronic recorders, constant surveillance from the Department of Transportation, and local law enforcement, there is another factor which has crept into the lives of truck drivers:  lack of parking.

While the daily hours a driver is allowed to work is being cut short so that he or she will be safer behind the wheel, the places they can park are becoming fewer and fewer.  It really doesn't matter why this is happening so much because the parking lots and unused strips of local roads where trucks aren't allowed are many in number.

When I first came out here almost 20 years ago, trucks could practically park anywhere in the country so long as the truck could fit and be able to navigate in and out of the parking lot.  This made it possible to park somewhere other than a truck stop to take in the local sights or enjoy whatever the local area had to offer.  It's normal for a new business in a remote area or even in the suburbs to allow truck parking.  I see it all the time when a business is starting out.  Trucks bring in business.  And then, just like clockwork, as the business starts to do better, they erect truck parking bans around the property.

Truck drivers who enjoy their lives, charge less money for their service.  The more enjoyable the job, the less money needs to change hands.  Parking lot owners complain about the cost to repair light poles, pick up garbage, and repair damaged asphalt when they start to ban trucks, but is it really cost effective?  Is it possible that the reason there is a driver shortage is partially because life on the road is becoming more and more daunting?

Perhaps the next time you go to the store to fill your cart with anything, you might think about the prices you pay a little differently knowing that if the truckers were happier, the money in your wallet might go a little further than it does.

Make More. Work Less.

The Road Dog Network on Sirius/XM radio has a popular program that continues to pushes the message that in order to make money in our industry, you have to work every single day and never sit around.

I have a different take on this.  Yes, the wheels need to turn to make a profit.  Yes, the trailer needs to be loaded.  Yes, the truck needs to be made use of while you are making payments on it, and yes, the business relies on using the truck and trailer to haul freight.

Despite the realities mentioned above, the truck should ONLY be used when there is profit involved.  In business, you need to take into account the daily, weekly, monthly, and annual net income for your hard work.  At the end of the year, your total gross income will be placed alongside the total miles driven and the days away from home.  You want those days away from home to bring in the highest profit possible.  

The market fluctuates and the freight rates rise and fall.  You want to work for as close to the high end of what your services are worth and you want to balance that out with what the job entails.  

A few examples of this in regard to the job's details are:  

Do you have enough time to make the delivery or are you going to have to drive faster than the truck's optimal speed?  Increased speeds decrease your fuel mileage advantage and add to your maintenance costs.

Does the load place your truck in a favorable location to find another load?  deadhead decreases your profit margin.

Is the climate (and by that I mean the actual weather conditions) conducive to the load being delivered safely, damage-free, and on-time?  Delays will eat up your per-days-out profit.  

Is the customer one that will be easy or difficult to work with?  Will you be detained at the shipper/receiver and not be compensated?  Or will you be in and out quickly, allowing you to get back to making money?

If you don't know the answers, then you'll have to ask as many questions as possible to gain a better understanding of the situation.  Over time, this will be learned by rote.  

Drivers who work as cheaply as possible will work harder longer hours and have less income to repair their equipment, put into retirement, and feed their families.  They will also cement their position as a carrier who will work for cheap.  They will continue to be given jobs that pay less, with more physical labor involved.  Cheap freight that breaks your back can be found all day long.  It's abundant and there for the picking for drivers who don't know what they're doing, because the experienced operator will bypass these loads for higher paying, less physically intensive jobs.

As for sitting around - sometimes you just need to do that for a while until the good freight becomes available.  Companies will need goods moved at various levels of importance.  The more important the load, the greater the demand to get it moved.  This typically translates into more pay.  

This is not an opportunity to gouge a customer but rather, an opportunity to give them what they need at the rate you're willing to do it for.  It's age old supply and demand.  You shouldn't be moving the truck every day just to stay busy and short yourself higher income so the truck doesn't sit around collecting dust.  Sometimes a little dust is ok.

Another type of opportunity involves a load that needs to be moved which has such a high rate of pay but involves more physical labor and more wear and tear on your equipment.  A customer will pay exorbitant rates to move freight that ABSOLUTELY MUST BE MOVED, but because of what they're paying, will expect (and deserve) the most professional, competent, and diligent operators money can buy.  Most of the time with this elite freight, the time given to deliver is exactly enough time to make it.  Or less.  

The skills required to accomplish the task will have to be top notch.  This is where the knowledge of your operation is put to the test.  The operator shouldn't be confused with the loading or unloading process, or not have the right equipment needed to complete the task.  The way to get these loads, time and again, is to display you know what you're doing by KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.  

There are a few exceptions to the rule of booking only high paying freight or waiting for a good load to present itself.  In some cases, maintaining a customer's loyalty, wooing a new customer, or trying to hang onto an existing customer versus losing them to a competitor may warrant taking a load that pays a little less than you'd like.  Overall, the loads you decide to take need to fit the needs of your business.  

The bottom line is to make the most of your time.  Take everything into consideration when deciding which direction to take.  

Make more.  Work less. 

It sounds simple, but some drivers will spend years pursuing this idea only to come out with the short end of the stick. If you do your research and focus on your business, you will succeed.

Off The Beaten Path

The turnover rate at the major trucking companies has been holding steady at +/- 100% and with new students making it through pathetic 2-week training schools and hitting the highway with little-to-no real real life experience, we have a lot of people out here doing the obvious when it comes to taking breaks.  And this new 30-minute break (not new to veterans, as we've always been taking 30-minutes, just not logging it!) is causing many people to flock to truck stops that they know and trust.

Flying J, Pilot, Travel Centers Of America, Petro, and Love's are the usual hangouts for most truckers.  And they're packed.  But there are many truck stops and parking lots that allow truckers to stay overnight and for several days if need be, you just have to know where they are.  Since they're not major chains, the new drivers don't know to go there, but these places are all over the country.  

It's interesting to see how an old fuel stop with no recognized brand name will be bought by one of the major truck stops and then fill with drivers working for one of the major trucking companies as if they sprung out of the ground brand new.  Every veteran driver knows of a stop off the beaten path with plenty of parking (or a few spots that are never used), good food, and easy access to major highways.

Perhaps the new guys don't know about the other options because they lack good training.  Perhaps the trainers didn't want to give up their secrets.  I know my own experience with numerous trainers turned out to be a huge disappointment.  I didn't really learn until I got out here on my own. 

Our system is set up to control drivers and keep them under the thumb of a company, not to encourage, train, and help them succeed on their own.  Even the insurance companies require several years of experience before they will let a driver buy a truck and go out on their own.  In order to achieve this level of experience, there's basically one route to take:  go to a trucking school and then drive for a carrier who is self-insured for your first two or three years.  This is the only way to get the experience you need in order to obtain your own insurance.  

It's one way to beat the system.  The large, self-insured carriers like to have a steady flow of cheap new-hires flowing through their doors.  It keeps their turnover rate high so drivers can't plan on working at the carrier until retirement, and it ensures that a driver isn't trained well enough to become empowered to go out on their own.

There is a constant stream of misinformation about how large carriers will prevail and the owner-operators will all suffer and die out.  You hear it on the trucking radio shows, read it in the corporate sponsored trucking magazines, and see it on the fuel islands and docks. Despite this negative false rhetoric, owner-operators make up 80% of the trucking industry.  Company drivers, only 20%.  

And it's these 20% of drivers who clog the truck stops during break times and overnight stops.  If you're one of the mass groups of drivers who've eked their way through a 2-week trucking school to be called a "professional" truck driver, only to be stuck relying on your GPS which will guide you under low bridges and through non-trucking approved routes, and you can only park at the major truck stops because you weren't taught any better, then you owe it to yourself to become educated and stop listening anyone who will tell you that learning about trucking is a waste of time.

Sadly, I don't see this changing anytime soon.  Because it doesn't benefit the powers that be who are disseminating the information.  I don't agree with it, but everything's about money and if it doesn't make someone money, it just isn't worth doing.  Even if it means that lives are lost in the process.  What trucking needs is real training, and for the operators of these large trucks to be considered professionals who have a skill.  But you see, if this happens it will cost the people who rely on trucks billions of dollars.  The major carriers have figured all of this out.  And that's why they don't provide adequate training.

Until they do, truck stops will be full of trucks, accidents will continue to occur, and the HOS will be designed and crafted by the corporations and the government, instead of the drivers. 

It takes years of trial and error, common sense, and the ability to maneuver a 40-ton vehicle around this nation's dilapidated infrastructure and among the growing population of our nation, to successfully operate a semi truck.  

And training from a 2-week school trucking school just isn't enough to achieve it.

Watch Your Back

When working around freight, you need to protect yourself.  In trucking, there are two main areas on your body that are prone to damage.  One is your back (your lower back to be precise).

And the other is your knees

There are several ways to protect these areas of your body.  First of all you shouldn't be using your lower back to do anything trucking related.  When you lift something, you should be lowering yourself to the object you are lifting while keeping your back straight.

You should use any steps on your truck or trailer to climb or descend instead of hopping up or jumping down.

When sitting in the driving seat or the passenger seat, you should keep your legs at a 90 degree angle from your back angle. 

One of these lumbar supports has served me well over the years.  This one allows airflow through it and behind it so that your back wont sweat.  If you use it properly and every time you drive, it will save your back.  Of course every person is different and you should experiment with what works for you, but you should take every step you can to protect your back.  It's the only one you have.





Lastly the most important deterrent you can use to prevent injury is moderate daily exercise such as walking around the truck stop or doing low impact aerobics.  If you don't stay active, you will lose your muscle tone, bone density, and healthy heart.  Over the years, trucking will break you down and you will be subject to diabetes, heart disease, back problems, knee problems, hypertension, breathing problems, and so on. 

You must maintain a healthy lifestyle to last in trucking or you will end up at the end of a long career in far worse condition than you can afford to be in.  Do yourself a favor and protect your knees, back, heart, and overall health by being careful, getting moderate exercise, and keeping injuries at bay.

2012

2012 was a unique year for our operation.

We had approximately 5 months off work this year.  That is a good thing right?  Don't you wish you could take 5 months off work?  Unfortunately for us owner/operator types, time off is brutal.  When the wheels aren't rolling and there is no freight on the deck or in the trailer, the money isn't coming in.

On the other side of the coin, we had opportunities to run continuously 24 hours a day for weeks at a time and that was too much work.  You have to balance it all out.  You can burn out and you can veg out.  We did a little of both.  2013 looks to be a great year for us regardless of EOBR's, Hours of service regulations, and CARB regulations.

2012 was a year when dogs were being trained to drive.  2013 is the year they will drive big trucks.

 

Here are some notable things which happened to us in 2012:

-Salena bought her Mom a new car!

-The head on the truck's engine cracked (it was under warranty) and was replaced.

-We eclipsed 500,000 miles on our new truck. 

-We hauled some of the most dangerous freight that hits the highways through snow storms and icy roads

-We had more time off this year than I have ever had in the 17 years I have been driving

-We were guests on a radio show



The Industry

When it comes to complaining about changes in the trucking industry, there are thousands of people out here doing that already.  A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the trucking industry was started.  Its purpose was to help farmers, manufacturers, government, and basically anyone needing to move large, heavy “stuff”.  Whether across town, across the USA, or overseas, there were people dedicated to doing it. 

Trucking was a very lucrative business, but a primitive one, and very tough on the operators both mentally and physically. In an effort to make roads safer, the Department of Transportation created the Hours of Service. These enabled local law enforcement to crack down on trucking companies who were pushing their drivers too hard.  It didn’t work.  Despite the regulations, there were no stiff penalties for violating the Hours of Service; the regulations weren't taken seriously, and the logbook was commonly referred to as a “comic book”.  Even the OOIDA has admitted the average truck driver lies on their log book.

Maybe, just maybe, the problem isn't that the Hours of Service created back in 1938 aren’t being enforced or respected; maybe the problem is that the system was created and run by the government to dictate how people should behave when in their truck.  It didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now.  It probably never will.  

I think drivers are the ones who should be responsible for the hours they drive, just like anyone else who drives a motor vehicle.  The Hours of Service, as a regulation, should be abolished completely.  It’s an unnecessary regulation. It can’t be any simpler than if you’re tired, don’t drive.  And if you drive while tired and have an accident, you’re penalized.  If you drive while tired and have an accident where you kill someone, you will be tried for manslaughter (which is what they do now), and if you’re found guilty, you go to jail.  The Hours of Service won’t stop someone from being tired or taking a life. 

Telling me how and when to drive, expecting to regulate when I’m going to be tired or awake, is taking it too far.  Don't misunderstand me; I vote, I support the system, I respect the authorities, and I abide by the rules and regulations which govern me.  And I will continue to do so, as I have my entire life. 

Having said that, I run a trucking business, and just about every trucking business has the same goal; to profit, and to do it safely.  There are two real threats to safety in the trucking business:  operators who run while tired and dangerous trucks (either poorly maintained or poorly loaded). There is still a need for weigh stations, because stopping trucks to see if they’re abiding by the weight limit laws are a good idea for everyone since we share the roads with others.  And when a carrier has a good safety record, they have to stop less at the scales, which makes sense – it would be nice if there were more companies who met the requirements to be given the green light.

But if a motor carrier threatens to fire you because you claim you’re too tired to drive, don’t work there.  Simple as that.  Ideally, a half-way intelligent person would get the word out that a particular motor carrier is trying to force people to drive while tired so no one would work there.  And if loads continually get refused, the company will have to tell the customer there are no drivers to get it done.  That’s just how it’ll be.  “Sorry, buddy.  My driver doesn’t want to work today.”  The carrier will either fire you and keep his customer, or keep you and find another customer.  But they will know better than to force you to take a load you can’t legally take.

And with today’s modern technology, it’s surprising that any of them still try that tactic since you can record any threats made by the carrier.  Doing that and playing it back for them might ensure that they wouldn’t force you to work when you can't or won’t.  Or, just turn them into the police and walk away.  Simple as that. You’ll still have a clean motor vehicle record, which along with a spotless criminal record, will be able to be checked to verify your background and you’ll be free to drive for whomever you choose. 

The industry needs safe drivers.  The best way to do this is to have a real training period; say, six months to a year. During this time you would be expected to pass rigorous testing to become a skilled heavy equipment operator. You receive your hard earned degree at the completion of the program, and you start out in the industry with a beginners rank or title.  Let’s call that rank “Operator First Class”, and as a subcategory, “with a van trailer specialty”.  After a specified period of time and further training, you work your way up to “Operator Second Class” with the subcategory of “van and platform trailer specialty”.  And so on.   

For each specialty, there will be additional training and subsequent degrees.  These “degrees” stay with you, and after you’ve successfully logged a half-million miles over a five year period, you reach “Operator Third Class”, with whatever additional trail specialties you may have added.  If you were to be fired, you claim unemployment based on your experience level and pay grade.  It’s kind of like getting promoted in the military – as you advance, so does your rank.

If you leave the industry and come back in a few years, you come back as “Operator Third Class” and resume where you left off.  You may need a refresher course to familiarize yourself with the new technology and equipment, but the job itself hasn't changed, so you don't lose all of your hard work and dedication. This scenario works for everyone because the trucking companies still make money on the work the drivers do, and the drivers do well because they work as hard as they safely can.   

There’s no need for a union here, just an organization to maintain the status quo. You would pay your yearly fees, and help keep the system in a state that favors the safe drivers.  The organization would fight the legal battles that arise to protect the drivers’ interests.

We are 74 years into the implementation of the first Hours of Service.  That “tracking” of our hours has led to Electronic On Board Recorders (EOBRs), Facial Recognition Cameras that are installed to look AT the drivers (which are currently being tested), cameras on highways, in intersections and at weigh stations, and nationwide databases that record and penalize operators no matter where they work. None of this is making the roads any safer and all of it is creating an environment no one wants to work in.

Trucking companies are the ones who are pushing for ways to get you to work as many hours as possible, and know what you’re doing while you are working those hours.  They want to be able to track you and their shipment at all times.  Their end goal is to pay less money out and take more money in.  It’s that simple.  And they really don’t care how much experience you have, as long as you can drive their truck. 

Unless the operators can wrestle back the control of their environment, the end result will be poorly trained operators, inefficient transportation of goods on the highways, poorly maintained equipment, as the trucking companies will not be able to continue to fund their maintenance accounts, higher accident ratios, and an even worse quality of life for the complaining masses that are already driving trucks. 

I would rather see professional operators with pride in what they do, demanding higher pay which would in turn fund better trucks, which they would use to haul freight at increased rates, which would happen through the whole process of supply and demand.   It would also eliminate abusive trucking companies’ practices.
 

Will we ever see that happen? Only time will tell. In the end, the people who want a career in trucking won’t be happy working in an overly oppressive environment full of people watching and controlling their every move.  What they want is to be treated like adults with professional skills and given the respect that they have worked long hard years to earn.

 

 

Being A Truck Driver And Being A Truck Driver

There are many kinds of truckers out here, just as there are many kinds of people.

Truckers are from all walks of life.  Today you can watch YouTube videos depicting the lives of all kinds of drivers.  Of course, Salena started blogging over 7 years ago, and she's always supplied a steady stream of her take of life on the road.  She started her blog to keep in touch with family and friends, and now she gives people all over the planet, a different perspective on the trucking world.  She doesn't have a negative defeatist attitude that is so easily found on most of the other trucker sites you may come across.

The reason I'm bringing Salena into this is because I wouldn't even be doing this blog if it weren't for her.  And I am going to point out that she's one of the many personalities found on the road.  She's not a "trucker" as you would think of one, the way the media portrays them in movies and on TV, as big-bellied, foul-mouthed braggarts, or loners, or serial killers, or a tough son-of-a-gun.  I guess that's what sells movies and TV shows, but the reality is a little different.

Hopefully when you're looking into truckers, you'll keep an open mind.  As I've already said, there are all kinds.  In former posts, I've detailed several different reasons why people drive trucks.  Here, I'm going into what kinds of actual truckers are out here.

1. New student truckers that're learning the ropes.

2. Company drivers who've completed their student obligation and have their first year under their belt.

3. Seasoned drivers who have years of driving.

4. Trainers who are training students behind the wheel.

5. Owner-operators who have their own authority and sometimes own several trucks.

6. Owner-operators who are leased to a carrier (me).

7. Owner-operators who have some how obtained a CDL by passing up all of the regulations, bribing a carrier into verifying their false experience, and then getting insurance without paying IFTA taxes and doing all sorts of other illegal practices. (not me....yet. LOL)

This last trucker is the outlaw, if you haven't figured that one out yet.  They tend to be the ones who steal your fuel in the truckstops, wreck their trucks, steal loads, damage equipment, leave urine bottles in the parking lot, and in general give us all a bad name.  In short they are the fun ones! Ha! 

In these different positions are many different kinds of people.  For instance, the student can be a former trucker or perhaps a heavy equipment operator who is skilled and knowledgable about all things truck related, or they could be completely clueless and a road hazard. 

Company drivers who go through school are given a truck and told many things, but none of those things are ever usually maintenance related.  Maintenance is for the mechanics in the shop according to the carrier.  I have met both owner-operators and company drivers who not only won't change a headlight, they CAN'T!  And forget about explaining the turbo or the EGR/DPF system to them, they don't care and probably never will.  These people either haven't decided whether they are going to stick around trucking, or they know they won't and don't ever plan to do anything but pocket their weekly check, see a few mountains and landmarks, and go back to whatever they were doing before they started driving, or they never intend to be an owner-operator and plan on a long career at a carrier.

Unfortunately, the turnover rate at most major carriers is over 100%.  That means, if you go to a major carrier, you probably won't contribute to a retirement plan, a health plan, or build any seniority.  If you consider there's a driver shortage, you'll probably ask yourself why carriers have a 100% turnover rate when they seem to need drivers so badly.  It's the money!  Major carriers don't want drivers with seniority because the rate they have to pay them per mile goes up, the health insurance liability is greater, a retirement plan is usually needed, etc. 

Most major carriers just want people who will get their loads delivered, don't cost a lot of money, and won't ask questions.  That's the reason there's a high turnover rate - having newbies on the payroll works out well for the carriers.  And once the newbies learn, they leave.  Hence, the turnover.  There are some carriers who will take a driver just out of training, who's been on the road for six months or less, and make them a trainer.  This is why we have so many regulations in trucking.  Where there is a will to deceive, be cheap, and make money, there is a way. 

Just like any other profession,  there are experts who care about the others in the industry.  We know that the better the industry, the better life will be in their chosen career path.  If you want to be a successful trucker, you need to be this person.  You need to be the person who doesn't instigate problems on the road, who tries to see issues and stop them before they occur, and work to have the safest truck out there.  Regardless of whether you become a company driver or an owner-operator, you owe it to yourself to learn about every component on the truck and what it does.  Driving for a major carrier can give you all of the opportunities you need to do this.  You can even hang around the shop, asking questions, and talking to others that drive, to find out more about the mechanics or what their experiences have been with the truck.

The biggest difference between the professional owner-operator and the professional company driver, is the attention to maintenance.  I am not talking about company drivers who know the value of maintaining their truck as there are many, but the company driver doesn't have to pay for repairs.  Owners pay for everything, so the lower their costs are, the more money in their pocket.  And if your truck is in the shop, they simply miss out on freight.  There is a different responsibility that comes along with owning a truck.  Not better or worse, just different.  Many trucking companies have figured out that if they give a fuel bonus, they can keep the speed of their trucks down and save a lot of money while giving the driver a bonus.  Everyone wins.  Then again, there are plenty of owner-operators who run like a bat out of hell, and I can only assume they either don't know what they're doing, have to get home because their wife is pregnant and delivering that night, have a hot date somewhere, or are making so much money on the load, that maintenance and fuel mileage goes by the wayside to the rate they are getting paid.

Regardless of whether or not the driver is a company driver or an owner-operator, there are significant differences between the quality of the driver.  The reasons for these differences are many.  There are "steering wheel holders" and there are "truck drivers".  There's nothing wrong with either, as long as they do a good job.  There is something wrong if they don't.  A "steering wheel holder" typically refers to a company driver who doesn't load, unload, or do any maintenance.  And mostly it's said as a joke.

So if you're called a steering wheel holder, just smile and keep on doing a good job.  That's the most important part of being a good driver.

Staying Fit On The Road

     When I first started driving a truck, I was 21.  I couldn't gain weight if had to.  I had been driving about 5 years and started noticing some weight gain.  As I neared 30, I gained considerable weight.  I had put on about 40 lbs. since I first started driving.

     I bought two jack stands for use as a barbell workout stand.  Keeping my barbell weights in a milk crate behind one of the seats came in handy as I had easy access to the exercise equipment.  In addition to my bench press set up, I had a forearm bar which I used with a rope.  The forearm workout combined with the triceps exercise and bench press was a very good multiple purpose exercise routine.

     I ran for 45 minutes a day, did aerobics for 30 minutes, and lifted weights for an hour.  I did these exercises alternately on different days.  One day I would run, do aerobics, and do bench press, then the next day I would do triceps, run and aerobics.  Everyday I would alternate everything and do different exercises every day.  I did this for a year and lost the 40 lbs. that I had put on and then some.  Exercising in the trucking world is not natural.  You must work out whenever you can and wherever you can.  You have to get it where you can.  If your time off is in the morning, then that is when you work out.  If it is in the evening, then that is when you workout.

     Diet is also important.  You need to drink lots of water, eat lots of vegetables, and lean meats.  You should mix it up and throw in some healthy energy bars and healthy snacks during the day.  Good healthy snacks include nuts, fruits, sweet peppers.  I would try to eat small meals spread out over the day.

Living In A Truck 2

Life as a trucker is different. Having your necessities in a small space is essential. Ideally you must be able to gather your clothes and personal hygiene stuff in a small pack so you can quickly take a shower. Sometimes you only have a short window to take a shower in the truck stop. You have to take advantage of this time so you can eat, shower, update your log book, inspect your truck, and then go to sleep, relax in front of a book, watch a show on television, or in my case, update your blog.

Most trucks can easily accommodate a small refrigerator, a tool kit, a laptop computer, a few changes of clothes, and some miscellaneous personal things all for two people. If you are only one person then you will have plenty of room for just about all you will need and then some.

Living In A Truck

Living in a house is what we are all used to. If not a house, then maybe an apartment, treehouse, boat, rv, or cardboard box. Where you call home could be anywhere, but most likely it was stationary. With a few exceptions, most of us grew up on land under a roof of some kind with running water. When you live in a truck, you spend most of your time in a moving vehicle. I say "live" in a truck because although you maintain a household like the ones listed above, you will be on the road most of the time delivering freight.

Since I started trucking, I learned to make do with what I had and what I had was minimal. The smaller the space the less stuff you have to deal with. In fact, I did have an apartment at one point where I had only 450 square feet of space and then a storage shed with about 100 square feet of space which I kept filled to the brim with boxes, memorabilia, and accumulated miscellaneous crap. Once I rid myself of the crap, I found life a lot easier. Less stuff means less maintenance. I like less maintenance. I like less stuff. I find that the more room you have to store stuff, the more useless stuff you accumulate.

The more stuff you accumulate, the more time you have to spend worrying about it. You have to worry about where to put it, how to take care of it, if it will get ruined in storage, etc. etc. When you are on the road as much as I am, you have to dust everything when you get home. More time spent doing something you don't want to be doing. So now it is time to pare down. I recommend a small apartment that is safe and secure which has little taxes due and little maintenance. Ideally you want a place that is inhabited by someone. Family, friends, maybe a rental house or cabin on someone's land where it is watched and frequented. This is handy for many reasons. Security and someone to recieve your mail for you when you aren't there.

You could use a postal service that receives mail for you. This is handy along with maybe a post office box. I like the mail receiving places because they hold your stuff. Ideally I would like some modern robot that could receive the mail and let me see it in real time. I am sure some Rube Goldberg machine could be made just for this purpose.

How I started

My parents were truckers after trying and doing well at other types of industries. From teaching to management, they tried all sorts of working environments. One day the old man decided to go to trucking school and start driving over the road for J.B. Hunt. Soon afterward Mom was tired of being alone and had to join him. A few years later they had paid off all of the debts that they had maintained my whole life and secured a solid retirement.

I took a similar path, but being unmarried and alone I was not operating as a team and I had the Marine Reserves to attend monthly and yearly as well. The Marine Reserves is a very demanding place unlike what most people think. You must stay informed about your job in the reserves without actually being able to do the job and you must maintain your physical fitness every single day because when you show up for those monthly visits, they are going to test your brain and demand of your physical stature or you are in for a tough time unlike anything you have ever known. I, fortunately, never failed a test in the 6 years I was tested even while maintaining a trucking business.

Trucking 2009

Well this is a new year and it has presented new problems for everyone. The economy is driving this industry as well as many others and it is taking its toll. Many industries are concerned about their futures and they are all making cut-backs. The full scope of this economy is too broad to dive into here, but in short confidence is waning.

That being said, you can still make a living in a truck. You have to be near perfect though. There is no room for mistakes. Accidents, tickets, missed delivery times, freight damage. It is sink or swim right now. With all of the freight rates falling on average in relation to the price of fuel, you have to make every dollar count.

There are many trucking companies who have made decisions which they are paying for right now. I know of one company which had purchased new trucks and trailers because the economy was so good, and now they are facing bankruptcy.

A single owner operator is in a completely different boat than an even small sized fleet. One driver can have no truck payment and low overhead as well has having no employees to pay. I solo driver/owner-operator can make a living today. If you have your own shop and can do your own repairs or even better, have an ASE certification allowing you to repair your truck at a state scale if you are put out of service, you can control almost every aspect of the maintenance side of your trucking operation. Of course, you should have some experience repairing trucks first.

HURRICANE GUSTAV

I should be anywhere else but here right now, but whatcha gonna do? My truck has been down for almost a month and it is no better off. I can't believe that I am still sitting here with a blown transmission, noisy differential, and out of patience! I was patient when they towed the truck. I was patient when they said they would rebuild my transmission. I was patient when they installed a bad clutch. I was patient when they installed another transmission with the bad clutch. I was patient when they finally settled rebuilding my transmission and then saying that the front differential was making noise. I was patient when they replaced the front differential and then said that the rear differential was making noise. I was patient when after all of this the transmission, differentials, and driveline were still harboring a noise.

I am out of patience. The truck has been down for 22 days and still sounds like crap. Noises like grinding metal when you drive and gear grinding noises from 8th through tenth gears. I have never had this much trouble with a truck. Ever! From transmission to both differentials to the entire driveshaft, we have hit the trifecta. I am stuck here in Louisiana while tropical storms and hurricanes are pummeling the coastline. People are actually evacuating this place and here I sit. In 12 years I have never seen anything like this. I actually called around and asked the other drivers that I know if they had ever heard of anything like that and they said no. These are guys with over 30 years experience and they said no. It is unbelieveable that this truck is still down. The possibility exists that a hurricane will come through here flooding the area which will mean that my truck will sit most likely underwater.

Hurricane Gustav is transitioning from a tropical storm to a hurricane and back again all the while moving along towards southern Louisiana where I am sitting on my tail doing nothing. Perhaps I will be here to help pull people out of the water when the storm hits or maybe I will be here to photograph the storm up close. There is nothing like being in a truck that is underwater. I guess the earth does take care of itself.

STUCK IN A HOTEL

Well I have been all but stranded in a hotel now for about 2 and a half weeks. My truck's transmission, U-Joints, and front drive differential failed because of a problem that stemmed from one suspension spring that was not like the other ones. This suspension spring caused one of the air bags to be out of adjustment resulting in a misaligned frame causing driveline failure.

The plus side is that I get to accomplish paperwork that has been accumulating. The minus side is that I am not working. So I have caught up on old movies that I haven't seen and done banking that I haven't had a chance to do. Being an owner operator requires me to be up on all of my paperwork and being responsible for my taxes and my obligations. When you drive a truck for a company most of your paperwork and business responsibilities are taken care of for you.

The thing that I have recently caught on to when it comes to staying in hotels is that you should get a loyalty card from the hotel so you can earn points towards free hotels. You should also pay for everything with credit cards that earn points, but the trick is to pay the balances off every month.

Walking a fine line

Once you are an operator of a large vehicle, you must be very careful in how you operate it. Many times the people on the road are not safety oriented and must be watched closely. Since your life and livelyhood are on the line, you are solely responsible and you must operate the equipment safely. You are the trained operator and not the average traveler in their car on their way to the mall or home. When in the vicinity of a major city, most motorists are simply on the interstate for a few short miles and so they tend to be in a hurry.

The ins and outs of team operations

Operating as a team is a great way to specialize your truckiing business. You can deliver loads in half the time of a solo operation when traveling cross country. Most people have a difficult time spending as much time together as a team must spend. You are living in a small space 24 hours a day. There are many teams that are husband and wife, wife and wife, husband and husband, whatever, but it helps when you have a small amount of overhead and can manage your expenses. Two people who operate on the same income will do better than two people who need to two separate incomes.