|
|
|
Ken's School Journal Male, 48 years young
Introduction After 25+ years in software development, the last 9 spent keeping "legacy" systems up and running, I found myself out of a job. The company had to "reduce costs" and my skills weren't in demand any more.
Newbie Notes...
Am I really doing the smart thing? I have over 25 years in the IT industry, as a software developer and computer systems analyst. Having been laid off in September, I've been from company to company, mailing out resumes and submitting job applications, in person, on-line, and "snail mail", all to no avail. I'm running out of savings, and unemployment barely covers the COBRA extension of medical insurance coverage for the family. I've come to the realization that my software skills have become "stale" and out of date. While I was busy keeping keeping existing systems up and running, the industry moved forward, away from the mainframe, onto servers, and out to the web. I failed to keep up with it. What could I do now? Go back to school for six months to a year to come up to speed on the new technology? No! I can't afford to be out of work that long. Besides, I'd be starting out my career all over again. Been there, did that in 1990/1991 after leaving the defense industry and moving into the commercial sector. I don't want to go through that experience again.
What about driving a truck? Where else can you attend training for four weeks and come out licensed to earn $30K maybe $35K the first year? A hefty pay cut, yes, but starting out all over would involve a similar pay cut, IF I could survive the six to twelve months of schooling... What's a 48 year old gray beard to do? First of all, stop feeling sorry for yourself! Take control and DO SOMETHING!
Week 1 - Monday, April 14, 2003. Here I am at the driver training school. Four grand. That's what it's going to cost to learn to drive. Four grand for four week's of training, 40 hours per week, split between classroom and "field work". Wait, that's only $25.00 per hour! What professional seminar is THAT affordable? And provides "hands on" training with late model equipment? Class work starts by learning everything you know is wrong! Your brain is not the boss! Forget what you thought you knew about driving. A car is NOT a truck. (Duh!) These are the NEW rules of the road that you WILL live by. This is the way we are going to make turns (when you get that far). Out in a truck on only the second day with a 53 foot trailer behind you. You think you know how to shift a manual transmission? OK, show me. No, no, no! Double clutch! Not that much clutch, don't engage the clutch brake! The clutch brake? I know what a clutch is, and I know what brakes are, but what in blazes is a clutch brake? Round and round we go, in a small industrial park with almost no traffic, learning how the trailer tracks through left turns and right turns. Nothing faster than 5th gear. We'll deal with the range selector tomorrow... By the end of the week, we're driving in "light" traffic, using seven of ten gears. We don't use first gear - unless we get there by mistake, and we go no faster than eighth gear will take us. But, hey, we're driving! The trans is taking a lot of abuse. "We can't find them so we grind them" rookies trying to shift smoothly though the gears. Occasionally, we goof on the range selector and the engine dies! Right there in front of the world and everyone! Yes, yes, the writing on the sides of the truck and HUGE letters on the trailer are true. STUDENT DRIVER! (Public beware, we're not joking.) As the week draws to a close the writing becomes more of an advertisement for the school, complete with address, phone number, and the message that "Many companies Pre-Hire and Reimburse Tuition" than a caution to the general public. Still, we occasionally get elected "Number One" with the infamous middle finger salute from impatient/intolerant automobile drivers.
Week 2 - Monday, April 21, 2003. The school owner/instructor says we're ready for the state written tests. Take the morning and go over to the DMV and take the tests. All of them except "Passenger Endorsement." We're learning to drive trucks here, not buses. We all pass, all parts, on the first shot (five of us - it's a small school with personalized instruction). Maybe this school really does know how to train a driver. Now that we have the DMV written tests behind us, we're focusing on the FMCSR in the classroom. The 390's that apply to drivers. Daily tests to make sure we actually read the thing. Driving is getting a little less stressful. We're still in light traffic, but it's real traffic. No mistakes here folks. We don't want to find out first hand how to fill out an accident report. We're still "scratching" gears, but not grinding nearly as bad as we did in the first few days. The class of five is split into two groups. Three go with one instructor, the other two with another instructor. I'm in the group of two. My classmate is an RN who's had it with nursing. She says it's no fun working a 36 hour shift on salary. No overtime, not even a "Job well done" from the boss. She's also had it with the "in-fighting" that seems to go with most jobs. I know I don't miss that part of my last job.
Week 3 - Monday, April 28, 2003. I've been accepted by a major national motor carrier as a "pre-hire." That's a relief. It means up to two more months before a full paycheck, but I'll learn more than the school can teach in just four weeks. And I'll be with a driver/trainer that's been out and about for a while. Hopefully the trainer has the attitude that he has something to teach that's worth learning and isn't doing it JUST because the pay is better. I hope he doesn't treat as his personal "go-fer" or chrome polisher and doesn't really care if I learn how to do this gig the right way. Class work on the FMCSR continues, with safety videos liberally sprinkled in for the "Safety" portion of the schooling. We're now taking longer drives, combining city and country driving with short runs on the interstate to get the feel of it. The "standard route" the school uses includes a few tricky turns to give us the chance to feel what it's like to snake through a left followed by a quick right, and vice versa. One of the truck stops we visit has a sneaky, winding entrance that gives good experience. Our driving instructor is a relaxed "Elder Statesman" of the truck driving industry, just a couple years away from retirement. He reminds us that we need to remember the "Big Picture" the other driving instructor keeps telling us about in the classroom. On a run from Los Angeles to Boston, don't worry about the minute or two you might wait to get through a tight intersection in town. It'll go away once you're out on the road. Be patient. Don't stress out. Don't bust your but hurrying the loading/unloading or coupling/uncoupling. You'll wear yourself out before climbing in behind the wheel to start eight to ten hours on the road. Relax! Take it easy! Enjoy the drive. ROAD TEST! The other instructor now dons his "Examiner" face, clipboard in hand. No more joking around. Get in and follow instructions. Forty-five minutes to an hour later, after about 17 to 20 miles of driving in town, on state highways and the interstate and returning to the school, I get the verdict. I passed the road test. Now there's just two more "skill tests" to go. "In cab air brake check" and "Backing". We've been practicing backing for a couple of days. Straight back and 45 degree angle. It's starting to make sense. The last week is expected to be a little easier than the first three. We just have the two skills tests to go.
Week 4 - Monday, May 5, 2003. We're working on logs now. We're given an imaginary route. Omaha to Danville, IL. Unload then deadhead to Columbus, IN. Load (1 stop) and deliver to Nolensvill, TN. Drop-hook and go to Bradley, FL... and so on. Map out your route using the Motor Carrier's road atlas you bought when you paid the tuition and "materials" fees. Fill out a US-DOT logbook as if you're doing this for real. It takes a couple days of class time to get through the whole "trip ticket" and just a few days out some of us "run out of hours." That was the point of the exercise. Driving the full 10 hours whenever possible can put you on the side of the road for a day or two. Running eight hours a day, along with the "On duty, not driving" hours of service will usually let you keep moving seven days a week. If that's what you want. We're doing 90 degree back ups to a traffic cone "loading dock" these last few days. Learning how to pace off the distance needed for the reference points in the maneuvers required. Here comes the "Examiner" again. The cones are set up in the yard for the "Backing" skills test. The "In cab air brake check" test is done at the same time. I've passed both tests! So has everyone else in the class. All of pass all our tests on the first attempt. That sounds pretty good. I ask how often that happens in this school. I'm told it's happened before, not often, but it's happened. Wait. there's one more test. The FMCSR test that the school requires. We're all a little tense. We thought the testing was over. We sit down in the classroom and take the exam. One by one we finish and turn our test papers in. They're graded on the spot. We've all passed again. OK class, Here's your required documentation. Take these papers to the DMV office and get your licenses. It's Friday of the last week. We're going on a "Field Trip" to a nearby state weigh station. We get the tour of the facilities and watch as trucks come and go at the Waverly weigh station on I-80 in eastern Nebraska. One truck comes through way over the limit on weight. It's hauling heavy equipment on a low-boy trailer. The driver doesn't have the necessary overweight permit. He's apparently been through this drill before. If not here, then at other stations in other states. The enforcement officer is polite, as is the driver. The driver gets on the phone with his dispatcher, and in just a few minutes the encounter is over. The driver has paid his fine and received a 30 day overweight permit so he can finish his run west across Nebraska. We drive back to the school, wish everyone well, promising to stay in touch. If only through the occasional e-mail to the school. It'll be interesting to see who does stay in touch.
School is finished. The CDL Class 'A' is mine, with Haz-mat, tankers, and doubles & triples endorsements. I'm now licensed to drive the BIG trucks! Now it's a week off at home, finishing off the "Honey Do" list before reporting for orientation and the first four weeks of up to eight weeks of OTR training.
See you out there, and as many have said before "Keep the shiny side up."
The week after graduation
Well, the "Honey-Do" list is nearly completed. Items crossed out, one by one, as each is done. The flowers have been planted, and the veggies will be. My own "I-Gotta-Do" list is getting shorter too. The check list from the Motor Carrier has been reviewed - all the required credentials are in the envelope, ready for registration day at "New Driver Orientation."
You might wonder why I haven't named the Motor Carrier yet. I will, in due time. I haven't named the driver training school either. There's only two in the Omaha Metro area, both four week deals. Quick as the training is, I wouldn't call the school I attended a "CDL Mill." They have an emphasis on safety and seem to have the sincere attitude that their success is measured by the success of the graduates. They don't just teach to pass the state CDL exams. They also cover a lot (nearly all) of the material in R. L. Biggs' "Driver's ABC's, Surviving the First Year Guidebook." I can't comment on the "other" school, having not attended, but I chose the one that has on-board cameras in the truck. Four of them. One for each "West Coast" mirror, one looking straight down the road, and one looking over the shoulder of the driver/student showing the tachometer and speedometer. That last view also catches the foot action on the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals. The images are fed to a VCR that records all four together in split screen mode with in cab audio included, so you can review your driving complete with the instructor's comments, criticism, and directions after the fact. Anyone investigating schools in the Omaha area will know which one I attended.
Getting back to R. L. Biggs' book. It's good having all that info under one cover. Well worth the price paid, I think. It should be required reading for anyone even contemplating driving professionally. But that's just one newbie's opinion.
The saga continues... I sent the following to family and friends as a "Newbie Driver" newsletter... It sums up what's been happening. Here's a quick update on my transition from being a software developer/computer systems analyst to being a software/computer technology end user... I'm now driving BIG trucks for Werner Enterprises, a trucking company headquartered here in Omaha, ranked in the top five in the U.S. motor carrier industry (in terms of number of trucks and loads delivered). THERE. I've named the carrier. It's quite a change from working in an office cubicle or even those days when I went "on-site" to a customer's location. I'm now going "on-site" on a daily basis, as we (my Werner driver trainer and I) drop off an empty trailer and pick up a loaded trailer for delivery the next day ("drop and hook" in truckers' terms) anywhere within a 500 to 600 mile radius of the warehouse in Fulton, Missouri (east of Columbia, Missouri, along I-70, for those who might be interested). The driving part is good. Werner has all new trucks (none more than a year or two old) nicely equipped for the driver. Not lavish, but functional and very comfortable for a "rolling office." Each truck is outfitted with a Qualcomm satellite communications system linked to an electronic paperless logging system that eliminates the driver's requirement to keep pen and paper log books. It's been estimated to save from one to two hours a day of paperwork and it's the first of it's kind in the industry. A few other companies are also using their own versions of the electronic log books, but Werner was the pioneer in the field. I think its the way the industry as a whole is headed. It makes sense. It's tougher to cheat the logs and drive more than US DOT regulations allow. Life on the road is VERY different from life in a typical office. We usually hook a trailer late in the afternoon, then drive as close as we can for the first delivery the next morning, often parking overnight in the store's lot. That delivery is typically 6:00 AM. We'll unload the trailer at that location and move on to the next delivery. The trailers (48 or 53 feet long) are loaded with merchandise for Dollar General discount stores, two, three, even four stores per trailer. It's what Werner calls a "dedicated" account. The driver is "dedicated" to a particular customer, driving out from the same warehouse or distribution center each day, with merchandise headed for one or more of that customer's retail stores. The unloading part of the job is just plain physical labor. Not real pleasant, but it's getting me into better shape than I've been in years. Drivers are also paid for each unload and each additional stop after the first. The rate per mile is higher than that paid for long haul or over-the-road drivers, too. Drivers on dedicated accounts don't get as many miles per day as the long haul drivers, so they have to pay more to attract drivers to those assignments. We're also paid for "dead head" miles (when we bring the empty trailer back to the warehouse). Once I finish my training and get my own truck and get on to a dedicated account I'll make a decent paycheck. As a "student driver" I'm practically slave labor. Oh well, I guess that's the dues I pay to get the training and become what Werner calls a "qualified driver," able to go out on your own with your own truck. Dedicated accounts also have the advantage of getting drivers home once a week. Most stores don't accept deliveries seven days a week. With a little luck, I might get a driver assignment working out of a distribution center right here in Omaha. That would be sweet. I've got a few weeks left of training. A couple weeks with this trainer, then a week off with pay followed by a few weeks with another trainer. Hopefully, by the end of July I'll be out there, driving solo. That will be nice. It's a bit close, living in the same truck with a trainer who up until two and a half weeks ago was a total stranger. Luckily, he goes home each weekend to St. Joseph, Missouri. Close enough to Omaha that I get to come home, too. I think I'd go bonkers without that break away from him. Not that he's a bad guy, he's not. It's just we're very different from each other. Different outside interests, different lives, different motivations. I think he's become a trainer simply because it raises his pay significantly, not because he's interested in training per se. He gets the mileage pay that a team of drivers can accumulate, while I get the "student stipend." That nearly doubles the range he can cover, plus he gets a bonus for training newbies. Quite a racket, I'd say. Hmm... maybe I'll become a trainer when I'm eligible... Anyway... so much for my "quick update." Remember, "If you own it, and didn't make it or grow it yourself, it's probably been on a truck. Trucks keep America rolling." Drive safely, and watch out for the big rigs. They can't stop on a dime and need a WHOLE lot of space to maneuver in town. Give the driver a break if you can. We're not all a bunch of loud mouthed louts. Training stage 1 is complete! Dear family and friends, Here's the next installment in the life and times of a Werner Enterprises rookie... I've completed the first stage of my training, having accumulated more than 140 hours of actual "behind the wheel" driving time with trainer number one. It was quite an experience. It took 35 days on what was supposed to be a 28 day assignment. I'm now home until July 5th. That's when I report back for my next training segment... The driving is great. I love it, even at 3:00 in the morning after already driving for three and a half hours, non-stop without a break. I find myself pinching myself, not to stay awake but to remind myself that I'm getting paid to do this stuff! Then we get to the Dollar General store for our first delivery of the day and have to unload after only two, maybe three hours rest. Bummer. It's just plain hard physical labor. No glamour, just lots of sweat. 2,000 pieces of merchandise on the truck and the only way it gets off the truck is when we unload it. Piece by piece. As a "student driver" the pay isn't worth the effort. As a full fledged "qualified driver" it might be. The pay scales are that different. But, I am forced to acknowledge my age. THAT job is best serviced by a younger, more limber driver. These ol' bones simply aren't up to task any more. Too many years behind a desk, punching keys on a keyboard I guess. I'm glad that segment is behind me. Fortunately, Werner Enterprises has a number of options open to drivers. We'll see what my final assignment is after completing the NEXT stage in my training. I'm told it will likely be with a "48-state" long haul driver/trainer, giving me the opportunity to drive mountain roads, learning how to control the vehicle on a loooooong downhill grade without burning out the brakes. And learning how to climb that grade under load without blowing up the engine. Well. that's about it for now... I'll send another update as time at home permits. Driving solo. Hello again, This installment's a long one. Training is complete. Werner Enterprises or, more correctly, Driver Management LLC, has declared me a "Qualified Driver." Qualified for what I'm not yet sure. My second and final training segment was with a 48 state (long haul) TCU driver/ trainer (Temperature Control Unit or "reefer"). He's quite a remarkable individual. At 6 foot, 11 and 1/2 inches (no, he's NOT seven foot tall), Rickie is big enough that he gets very little grief from the yahoos that are out there. He's so big (not fat, just big) that Werner had to replace the standard seat in the Freightliner Century truck he drives with a Peterbuilt seat, set back a good three or four inches before securing it to the floorboards, just so he can drive it without having his knees up around his ears. That gives trainees like yours truly a bit of a stretch to get to the pedals, but I managed. We had some interesting loads during the 16 days I was in his truck. In only 16 days I was able to accumulate the remaining 125 hours of driving time necessary to complete my training. You might recall it took 35 days to get the first 140 hours (it turned out to be 150) hours on the first training segment. We could have done this last segment in only 14 days, but we were delayed at one receiver for a day and a half waiting to unload. We missed our original unloading appointment by 90 minutes and were denied entry to the warehouse, so we "camped out" at the front gate until someone came out and told us we could pull in and unload. In just over two week's time we went from Nebraska through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas (four times - two round trips), Colorado, New Mexico (four times), Arizona (four times), California (the LONG way twice, four times total), Oregon (twice), Washington, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio (not necessarily in that order, but close). I learned how to control the rig going up a long climb without burning out the engine and, more importantly, going down the other side keeping the vehicle within the posted speed limit without having to use the "runaway truck" escape lanes (would you believe 35 MPH on an interstate?). I lost track of the miles we covered. Our loads included various boxed meats, numerous frozen foods, merchandise for a Sears store (the reefer was turned off for that load), some kind of "rubber pre-cure" product used in recapping tires kept at room temperature as we crossed the desert, and fresh lemons. On one trip, after driving through the night from Richland, WA, south along the eastern slope of the Cascade mountains through Oregon into California, I saw sunrise at Mount Shasta. What a sight! A picture postcard, seen "live and in color." Crops (fruits and vegetables) ready for harvest in the valleys below a snow capped peak! I've now seen painted deserts, badlands, pasture lands, mile after mile of grains ripening in the sun, industrial centers, warehouse districts. I could go on and on. It's given me a new perspective on just how varied, diverse, and expansive this country is. Once my training hours were complete, Rickie said I'd passed the "road test" he administered. I didn't even know he'd done it! He said I was "tested" as we left Oxnard, CA, with that load of lemons, negotiating our way through Friday evening rush hour traffic across Los Angeles, trying to "get out of town" along with seven million other motorists getting their weekend started. He said if I hadn't passed the test he'd have arranged a bus ticket back to Omaha instead of a motel room in Springfield. I'm glad he waited until two days later to tell me the test had happened, I might have "choked" if I knew I was under test. He then let me out at "Werner Motel" near the Springfield, OH terminal so I could be assigned a truck of my own and get to work. At 3:00 A.M. I got off the truck and his next student/trainee got on the truck. They took off and delivered that load of lemons in Columbus, OH, by 6:00 A.M. the same day. By late Tuesday afternoon, 7/22, the paperwork was complete and I became a "Qualified Driver." I spent the rest of the week waiting for a truck to become available. I'm now driving a 2001 Freightliner Century with 348,000 + miles as "My Truck." I expect to be assigned a different, newer, truck soon but I'm not holding my breath. Werner Enterprises doesn't usually keep trucks in its fleet much beyond 300, 000 miles. It reduces the resale value on the used market. My next truck may not be new, but it will at least be newer. It might be a Freightliner Century, it might be a different Freightliner model, or a Kenworth, or a Peterbuilt. It doesn't really matter to a solo driver. I'll drive what I'm given and find out what it is when it happens. In the mean time, I've completed five solo loads with the truck. So, how are we doing at home? The Missus has said this last segment, with me being gone for nearly four weeks, was difficult. I agree. It's not easy being away for that long at a stretch. We miss each other, even with daily phone calls, sometimes several calls in a given day, The puppies wonder what happened to the ol' geezer. "Has he abandoned us?" It's not easy. But then no one ever said it would be. I haven't driven enough to know what the pay scale is going be week to week and month to month. My current assignment is "Dry Van (not reefer), 48 States - Long Haul, Solo Driver." My dispatcher has said I've already shown him I have what it takes. I only delivered a grand total of only five loads, but I went where I was told to go and did it without incident, all within a short time. I've been ready to go when the trip info is delivered via the on board terminal. He has also advised/warned me that "48 State" drivers (aka - long haul) need to stay out an average of four weeks at a time to make it "worthwhile." In his words, coming home more than once a month hurts your "productivity" (paycheck). I wonder who's hurt more - he or me. Dispatchers are paid based on their drivers performance (loads delivered). Either way, he seems like a decent guy and he did get me home in just a few days after I'd told him I'd been out for nearly four weeks without a break after my training was completed. Hopefully an opening will appear on another account I've added my name to. That should give me the opportunity to get home more often and still bring home a decent pay check. Until then, I'll continue picking up the loads assigned and deliver them on time or early. That makes me eligible for driver bonuses that make the extra effort worthwhile. Werner is one of the few companies that actually pay the bonuses advertised to the drivers. At least that's what I'm hearing from other drivers who've been with a number of different nationally ranked outfits. Time will tell. These updates may dwindle in size and number as I settle into this new role. Then again, they might not. I may find I have some interesting tales to share. Until the next time, I'll be doing my best to keep the shiny side up. Last Training Journal entry This will be my last "Training Journal" entry. I'll start a "Driver's Journal" soon... Well, I've finished my first full month out on the road as a solo 48-states driver. The driving is still good. The weather has cooperated - no snow, sleet, or ice covered roads to deal with yet. No cold winter nights, camped out in some rest stop on an interstate highway, or worse, roadside somewhere between Lost and Found. I'm hoping an opening comes up on a dedicated account out of Omaha before that time of year sets in. My first load out, on August 5, took me to Calgary, Alberta, driving through Sturgis, South Dakota, the same weekend as the annual Harley Davidson ralley. Bikes everywhere! And not just onesies and twosies, or even threesies and foursies. More like groups of twenties and thirties. And group after group after group! I didn't dare change lanes with the truck for fear of a close encounter with an otherwise preoccuppied motorcyclist! The weather was picture perfect that week, bringing out thousands of bikers. I could see the numbers grow as I approached Sturgis, from as far away as Omaha, north on I-29, and continuing on through Wyoming and Montana after passing through Sturgis. I continued to see bikers throughout August returning from Sturgis back to their home territories in the Eastern states. After the run to Calgary, I crossed back into the states and stayed east of the Mississippi for the remainder of August with loads to and through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, and New York (the state, not the city) with another trip to Canada mixed in, this time to the Toronto area. The trips to Canada are interesting. The border crossings are a bit of a hassle. Waiting in lines, paperwork and more waiting for officials (Customs and Immigration) to decide it's your turn for scrutiny. Not to mention the threat of LARGE fines if your paperwork isn't up to snuff. Fines the driver himself or herself is liable for. Entering Canada is much easier than returning to the U.S. The U.S. officials seem to have chips on their shoulders and are just waiting for some poor slob to pick on. It must be lousy to be them, always so sour. While pulling a load from North Carolina to Oneonta, NY, I was able to visit with my sister-in-law and her kids in the Scranton area. I'd "run out of hours" and parked for the night at a nearby truck stop and they were able to come over and visit. That was a treat. Within a day or two I had a load headed south and I stopped in at their restaurant (just off I-81) and had lunch with them. It was a bit of a trick getting the truck and trailer into the parking lot. The entrance is meant for cars, not trucks with a 53' trailer. Thanks again for lunch, Martha! I got to see my niece-in-law(?) and nephew's son, Nicholas, for the first time, too. Another treat! At the end of August I was assigned a load to take from Allentown, PA, to Columbus, NE. My HOME LOAD! I was able to pace myself so I reached the Omaha metro area the day before the load was due (delivery at 6:00 A.M. on Sept. 2). I only had about 5 1/2 hours of "On-Duty" time available at the start of the day (70 hr/8 day rule). Leaving Des Moines, IA., I just went home to Bellevue, NE. I parked the truck, just barely fitting in front of the house (75 feet of truck in front of 77 feet of curb) and took a 9 hour "Off-Duty" break in my own home, completing the run to Columbus towards the end of the day. It gave me the opportunity to "show off" the truck and trailer to family and friends. Everyone seemed surprised at just how big the rig really is. (I guess these trucks ARE big - that's why threy're called "BIG RIGS" - duh!) Later that day I continued on to Columbus, arriving with just 1/2 hour of "On-Duty" time remaining. That's actually good planning, for those who might wonder. I parked the truck for the night, at a truck stop about half a mile from the customer, set my alarm clock and went to sleep. Getting up at 5:00 the next morning, I made my delivery without any problems, brought the truck and trailer back to the Omaha terminal and "started" my home time. Having spent the afternoon the day before at home, I already felt at home. It's good to be here. So, you might ask, "How's it going?" For the most part, it goes well. I complained to my dispatcher that I don't like the short runs, getting a few loads that were only 200 to 300 miles. "Day trip" type runs. Half a day's driving that takes all day to finish, what with the time to get to the load, drop and hook, drag the load to a truck scale to ensure your set-up is legal, then finally driving to the receiver and delivering the freight. He agreed I had a point but also pointed out I was one of his top solo drivers, in terms of total paid miles driven in August (9000+ miles). I said "Great. Lets make me THE top solo driver in your stable." Quit splitting out my loads or swapping loads with other drivers. I only get paid for miles driven, not for dealing with paperwork at border crossings, or futzing around with short "day trip" loads. I'm still at the bottom of the pay scale, in rate per mile. Give me the long runs and let me produce! It's still hard being away for a month at a time, too. Anyone who thinks the life of a long haul driver is romantic or glamorous is an idiot. It's lonely. And at the end of the day, when you've parked for the night, it gets boring. As large as the sleeper is in a Freightliner Century, it feels pretty small sometimes. It's gets expensive too, "eating out" just about every day of the week. Picnic lunches are palitable only so many times a week. And don't think the tax break of the IRS per diem allowance is any great deal. You just don't have to pay taxes on money you've spent. You don't get to keep the money. You spend it! I'd rather keep it and pay taxes on what I keep! All that said, I still like it. I'm feeling productive and am at least earning something. The trick now will be to make ends meet on the meager wage paid. This first year out as a driver is the toughest. I've heard that time and time again from other drivers.
|
|
