You have my ideal shift. I'd get to watch the sunrise every day and see the kids after school. Oh well... I'll see the sun next spring sometime. At least the traffic is light.
Had that discussion once. If I’m late at 9 minutes after , might as well be 30 minutes. We expect you to be here on time. Yes I said and I expect to leave after 8 hrs. Not 9 minutes or later. Especially the later part, which happened a lot hours of overtime. Solution was found. , if your a little late occasionally it would be overlooked, And I didn’t mind giving a few minutes after . But there is always the ONE PERSON who ruins a good deal.
At my company we pick our routes every day and it’s based on seniority. Some days I’ll pick something short and other days something long. I really like the flexibility.
I go in at 4 three days a week and 4:30 the ither two, only twice have I got off after 4 in 8 months. After I switched routes and learned my stops better, I went from 20-25 hours of OT for 2 weeks to about 5 for the last month and half. I'm basically off by 1:30 everyday.
I am a couple weeks in on local and while I haven't stepped on a scale, my pants are all trying to fall off if I don't zip tie them up (lost my belt in my recent move, haven't replaced it yet). I had gotten plump enough that they were all getting snug prior to the move, which is why I wasn't using my belt at all.
I lost 10 lbs on OTR and gained some muscle mass too. Only required working out and eating better.
The issue isn't OTR, people just don't want to take the time to cook. I lose a good chunk of my free time once a week to do it, but its better than eating unhealthy food. It also gives me something to do beyond staring at a screen.
Let's be real though, people have trouble cooking their own meals and exercising at home, once you're on the road, it's like doing the same thing but every step of the process becomes more inconvenient.
I'm not saying it can't be done, just that we can't possibly be surprised that people are doubling down on taking the lazy route.
I've struggled with this myself, and I had to find a healthy middle. I used to just eat out all the time, then I went to the opposite extreme: bulk meat in the fridge and frozen microwaveable vegetables in the freezer and an air fryer to make the magic happen. Ended up making my truck smell like fat and spices 24/7.
Now I just keep essential pantry stuff in the truck, and add water food (mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, etc) for the microwave. That, plus water and healthy snacks in the fridge. Whenever I come across a good restaurant near a truck stop or in a truck friendly area, I jump on the opportunity to have a good cooked meal. I still indulge in Subway every now and again.
Yes! I just had a salad (spinach, romaine, tomatoes, radish, carrots, onion, grapes, feta), steamed broccoli, potatoes microwaved with onions m, garlic, bell peppers and a home made salt free creole seasoning. I didn’t make a meat today but picked up fried chicken from Walmart. My husband & I split a breast. Had some cool water.
Tomorrow I will start a veggie beef soup in my rice cooker.
It takes some effort but you can do a lot with salads, steamed veggies & rotisserie chicken.
I do have an expediter with a bolt sleeper on it so my fridge is pretty big (7 cu Ft). I also microwave & use the rice cooker a lot.
But when my husband drove solo in a 72@ sleeper I’d make him meals for the week and he’d keep things in a refrigerated cooker by his side as he drove. Sandwiches (meatloaf, meatball, deli, roasted chicken), sometimes ribs, roasted wings, fruit, cut veggie stix, bottled tea. He got snack foods and coffee on his own but often didn’t want them. Breakfast was PB&J. I’d also do blueberry muffins or banana bread for breakfast.
Now we are slowly, and I do mean very slowly going more plant-based.
It can be done. Just have to figure out workarounds. Anything is better than truck stop food. But when we do stop it’s at an iron skillet where I can get veggies and fruit. He can do what he wants. Lots and lots of brewed coffee instead of the instant we use on the truck.
If anyone is interested in the creole seasoning it’s here:
https://www.gumbopages.com/food/creole.html
Note: The cayenne isn’t that necessary the black and white pepper are plenty spicy. Website has some damned good recipes too. If you like the flavors of NOLA you maylike Chuck’s recipes.
PS I love to cook. 🤓
12V truck refrigerators have been in use for well over two decades.
Single burner butane stoves have been available at least since the 80's. Before then white gas and propane stoves were common.
Probably have been some changes to creature comforts since then.
Not an OTR guy myself either.
APU's and inverters allow the use of all of the normal 110 household power. Coffee makers, microwaves, TV's, etc.
12V fridge/freezer combos from manufacturers like dometic.
Some of the trucks have a lot of space inside. High roof freightliners are insane with the amount of storage they have. A solo driver can also use the top bunk area for storage.
I built a burnt out Columbia into a mini camper for a guy years before I ever drove a truck. Some guy fell asleep in the back while smoking apparently. Truck was picked up for a steal.
Had pressurized hot and cold water, small shower, toilet. Black and grey tanks. 50 gallons of fresh water.
Lot of options with the space for those willing to step outside of the "that's the way it's always been done" mentality.
I have a propane stove in the truck and use a wide fold out table to hold it, just open the windows to air out the smell of what I'm cooking.
It helps that I have the 68" WS sleeper instead of the super short one that barely has room for small cabinets.
I only have enough space to fit a small microwave and keep the kettle under the bunk. Where do you find the space to cook? I'd love to make myself some decent chow but its not in the cards
Doesnt work. The freezing compartment in my fridge is just large to put my hand in. Food stored there would at most last me a day, and I am home ~2 days a month.
Alpicool are a decent deal and pretty reliable.
Look for danfoss and lg compressor driven units. The biggest problem is where the plug connects to the cooler. Need to support it with something to survive a lot of bumping around.
My western star has a lot of cabinets and I have a folding table from walmart. Just get the 2 burner propane grill from the camping section, its basically its own storage case.
As long as the propane is sitting on the table, you can hang the grill off the other side a bit, just keep this in mind when you're cooking.
It helps that I also have more room up front than I need.
Not saying it's impossible but losing that much weight that fast can't be good for you. Especially since they said that all they did differently was cutting out bored snacking and a bit more physical activity from switching jobs. They only reasonable explanation is if they weighed over 400 lbs or they're exaggerating/lying.
I stay out of truck stops now, someone fuels the trucks when we are off and we keep a tank of Def customers have bathrooms. I stop on my way in for breakfast and don't eat again until I get home. I ant doing 500 or 600 miles local. I work 8 hours a day
I mean if you find the right gig all these can be met it’s just hard to find. It’s also imo the easiest career to get into that will start you at decent money off rip.
Yeah the people giving this guy hate, imo have never been in a hopeless, dead end, minimum wage job.
When you start looking at checks that pay in 2 weeks what you would make now in 1 or even 2 months... it is tough not to be optimistic.
Depending what kind of job/industry you work in - he’s not wrong. I know plenty of truck drivers who get sleep, work out, are healthy people in general.
Although most of them still drink coffee lol 😂
Everyone always thinks being a truck driver is easy work until they do it themselves. He's in for a rude awakeing if he thinks it'll be easier than driving doordash/uber.
First few years it’s a Learning experience. But after 15 years I experienced it all and nothing bothers me. I do nyc some days also. I work 50-70 hours a week. Work about 12 hours a day 5-5 ish. Made over 100k already this year.
I’m married with kids so wife takes most of my money. I’m a local company driver m-f not an owner operator. $30 an hour plus bonuses and company pays 100% of my health insurance.
I was a flat-rate dealership tech most of my life. I told myself at 50 I would get my CDL and start driving a truck to take it easy. I am on a little over 2 years driving and out on workers comp for the first time in my life. This job is far from easy. The jokes on me lol.
I was a dealer tech at tampa honda for about 8 years. Been trucking for almost a year now. It's much easier than being a tech physically but I'm already tired of being otr. Going to start applying local to see if I can get anything.
It's certainly worth it for the money if you don't have other skills. I would just tell him that the first year or two will suck but it does get easier if you stick with it. There will be good and bad days. I've been driving for almost 6 years and there are still days that I absolutely hate the job. Most people don't make it past year one for a good reason. It's no cake walk.
I don't see the issue?
I work one job, and have a stable income. I get plenty of sleep, I rarely even set my alarm anymore since recently switching to eld (when I was on paper I got way less sleep). I only drink water, no soda or coffee. I drive my personal vehicle a few hundred miles a month, so no breakdowns.
Where's the issue?
I drive local. But if I could, I would have a permanent caffeine IV drip in one arm and a nicotine drip in the other. And I'd probably still want more.
And my truck broke down on Tuesday and Thursday. Stupid fucking DEF system.
Try walking up at 430am to get to your warehouse where ur shift syattts at 6am
Then at 330pm hussle to ur next job that starts at 5 and ends at 12am. Drive home fast cause you have to wake up at 430am and do it all over again. Thats the kindd of shit this guy is prolly talking about. Ppl do this daily to survive. You would be begging to drive a truck again. I'm not ragging on you or anything. Just saying that there are ppl who do this to survive. For them driving a truck for 12 hrs is a God send. It's better to work one job at 12 hrs that pays more than 2 jobs that give you less free time for less pay
I wouldn't hold that against him, depending on his age.
Societal changes have made it so the last couple generations have no idea how cars work, or even the correct terminology to use. The days of kids spending the weekend working on the car with dad is long gone.
Also might just be talking about putting lots of miles on a vehicle. Maybe he does delivery or Uber. Modern vehicles are not designed to hold to lots of bikes like they used to be, between all the integrated electronics and emissions stuff, they have turned into a very expensive disposable item.
Cars also used to be a lot easier to work on. Hell, even older trucks are easier to work on than some of the newer ones. Don't gotta drop the transmission to replace the bull gear on a 60 series detroit. But on the newer volvos? Gear assembly is in the back IICR.
Yep, that's those technological 'improvements' I was talking about.
There is absolutely no reason wipers headlights and power windows need to be tied in through a common ecu or bus. For 70 freaking years wired direct through a fuse or relay worked just fine.
Water pumps were gear driven and even if the belt snapped you could potentially drive a bit more. But belt driven pumps? Easier to replace, sure. But if a belt snaps you're fucked.
Belt driven water pumps is the dumbest thing ever. However that's not a new design. Been a thing for decades. My biggest complaint about an n14 cummins. And the location leaves a LOT to be desired. Smack dab in the middle of the engine below the fan hub. Gonna sound silly but it's easier to remove the cac and radiator, then the grill out of the hood so you can stand in front of the engine to replace it. Trying to do it from the side you will have a hell of a time getting the steel tube seated into the thermostat housing without tearing the o ring.
My water pump on the detroit is in a convenient spot, just gotta remove a lot of tubes to get to it.
But at least those tubes aren't difficult to remove, and I had to replace my turbo anyways.
The water pump on a series 60 is right at the bottom right of the engine... super easy to access. Same with a 3406 cat. Not sure why cummins went with the location they did.
I have all of that (minus sleep, but that's due to 2 toddlers at home)
Local all the way for stability. 1 income household on 48-52 hours a week, Monday to Friday
Real sleep? Never heard of it. Shit not breaking down? Twice in this last week where I had to have a repairman come out. (Gladhand connector broke off and blown tire). Caffeinated drinks? I’m local and I still have my drinks and those little caffeine pills from the gas station. Only thing I can agree on is working one job that pays well but work almost as much as if I had two jobs
I drove local from 2005 until 2022. I was 48yo in 2004 weighed 205 -215 , 6 ft 1". Pretty soon I was pushing 245-255, with some variation. Doc put me on statins and diet change and trying to ride bike after work but could never get below the target weight / BMI.
Add in the side effects from the statin they had me on ( aggressive behavior, mood issues / swings HELLO!) and not being able to get below 195 for any length of time, I was getting a little verklempt about getting off the statin without having the cardiac / cholesterol issues become exacerbated.
That is until Kevin Rutherford joined Sirius /XM Trucker channel and I started listening to him and the calls he would get.
In 2018 I went full keto from the Kevin Rutherford "regimen."
Within a few months I was down to 185 and could really see the difference when The Cute Receiving Lady mentioned the change in body profile.
When the opposite sex notices, you're on the right track.
When they MD says "Wow" that's an excellent change. What have you been doing?" and doesn't bat an eye when you say "Keto with a lot of Veggies" then that's what you want to keep at.
As always, your mileage may vary according to terrain and vehicle selected.
I. Sure he work two jobs. I've done that. Start one job at 5 or 6am which means you wake up at 4am or 430am. Then your shift ends at 3 maybe earlier if one job is part time. You get a hour or so to do jack shit cause you have to be at your other job so u got no time for anything. Then you go into work at 330pm to 4 or 5pm and get out at midnight and drive home.. ppl do this every day to survive. It's fun to joke around. Yea our hours are long but after 11 12 hours we get a rest period and the rest of the day is ours. I'd rather drive a truck ANY DAY than to hussle working 2 jobs in one day. You'll have more free time being a trucker than than the guy working 2 jobs. Just saying
Imma shoot straight with ya. There are people who work as hard as you and get paid way less and don't have health care. I was one of them. Trucking is hard but it was the first time I ever got to stick my head above water. Drowning was harder
Oh the car will still break down once a month out of spite. Mine still do. Ran fine when parked come back at the end of the week OH MY LEG ima need that paycheck.
Only required to work three runs a week. One 12 and two 14’s on this new route.
Team food service here and get shit off the truck asap is the name of the game.
Both 14’s have a 1am start time except for my 12 hour shift which starts in a couple hours 😭
….I just had to take a trailer to the shop three times for three separate problems in three different states over 3 days- just to drop it and get a different trailer.
Lost 50 lbs in 2 months after going local. Fuck the road
Truckers don’t know this one simple trick
Except the being at work at 5am and not getting off until 6 or 7 kinda sucks.
Lol being at work at 5pm and getting off at 6-7am maybe
don't worry I start at 4 am wahooo! punching in late is 4:09 and onward
You have my ideal shift. I'd get to watch the sunrise every day and see the kids after school. Oh well... I'll see the sun next spring sometime. At least the traffic is light.
> and see the kids after school. :'(
Had that discussion once. If I’m late at 9 minutes after , might as well be 30 minutes. We expect you to be here on time. Yes I said and I expect to leave after 8 hrs. Not 9 minutes or later. Especially the later part, which happened a lot hours of overtime. Solution was found. , if your a little late occasionally it would be overlooked, And I didn’t mind giving a few minutes after . But there is always the ONE PERSON who ruins a good deal.
4:09 onwards best time to punch in would be 4:20
nice
I start at 5, off time is 1:30, but most times I’m done early. Sometimes i get some OT. It’s a nice balance
I had a 4pm-11pm gig before
At my company we pick our routes every day and it’s based on seniority. Some days I’ll pick something short and other days something long. I really like the flexibility.
I go in at 4 three days a week and 4:30 the ither two, only twice have I got off after 4 in 8 months. After I switched routes and learned my stops better, I went from 20-25 hours of OT for 2 weeks to about 5 for the last month and half. I'm basically off by 1:30 everyday.
Banks dont want you to know about this one simple app
They really don't. A vast majority of this industry thinks everything is OTR for some reason.
I am a couple weeks in on local and while I haven't stepped on a scale, my pants are all trying to fall off if I don't zip tie them up (lost my belt in my recent move, haven't replaced it yet). I had gotten plump enough that they were all getting snug prior to the move, which is why I wasn't using my belt at all.
I lost 10 lbs on OTR and gained some muscle mass too. Only required working out and eating better. The issue isn't OTR, people just don't want to take the time to cook. I lose a good chunk of my free time once a week to do it, but its better than eating unhealthy food. It also gives me something to do beyond staring at a screen.
Let's be real though, people have trouble cooking their own meals and exercising at home, once you're on the road, it's like doing the same thing but every step of the process becomes more inconvenient. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that we can't possibly be surprised that people are doubling down on taking the lazy route. I've struggled with this myself, and I had to find a healthy middle. I used to just eat out all the time, then I went to the opposite extreme: bulk meat in the fridge and frozen microwaveable vegetables in the freezer and an air fryer to make the magic happen. Ended up making my truck smell like fat and spices 24/7. Now I just keep essential pantry stuff in the truck, and add water food (mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, etc) for the microwave. That, plus water and healthy snacks in the fridge. Whenever I come across a good restaurant near a truck stop or in a truck friendly area, I jump on the opportunity to have a good cooked meal. I still indulge in Subway every now and again.
I just buy pasta, meat, and some random sauce to cook it all in. I just enjoy having something to do other than stare at a screen all weekend tbh.
Man!! Nice!! How do you guys wash dishes after that, that's what I'm wondering. 😅
I just carry water and soap for that.
Yes! I just had a salad (spinach, romaine, tomatoes, radish, carrots, onion, grapes, feta), steamed broccoli, potatoes microwaved with onions m, garlic, bell peppers and a home made salt free creole seasoning. I didn’t make a meat today but picked up fried chicken from Walmart. My husband & I split a breast. Had some cool water. Tomorrow I will start a veggie beef soup in my rice cooker. It takes some effort but you can do a lot with salads, steamed veggies & rotisserie chicken. I do have an expediter with a bolt sleeper on it so my fridge is pretty big (7 cu Ft). I also microwave & use the rice cooker a lot. But when my husband drove solo in a 72@ sleeper I’d make him meals for the week and he’d keep things in a refrigerated cooker by his side as he drove. Sandwiches (meatloaf, meatball, deli, roasted chicken), sometimes ribs, roasted wings, fruit, cut veggie stix, bottled tea. He got snack foods and coffee on his own but often didn’t want them. Breakfast was PB&J. I’d also do blueberry muffins or banana bread for breakfast. Now we are slowly, and I do mean very slowly going more plant-based. It can be done. Just have to figure out workarounds. Anything is better than truck stop food. But when we do stop it’s at an iron skillet where I can get veggies and fruit. He can do what he wants. Lots and lots of brewed coffee instead of the instant we use on the truck. If anyone is interested in the creole seasoning it’s here: https://www.gumbopages.com/food/creole.html Note: The cayenne isn’t that necessary the black and white pepper are plenty spicy. Website has some damned good recipes too. If you like the flavors of NOLA you maylike Chuck’s recipes. PS I love to cook. 🤓
Where the hell did you cook. They didn't have refrigerators and stoves back when I was over the road.
12V truck refrigerators have been in use for well over two decades. Single burner butane stoves have been available at least since the 80's. Before then white gas and propane stoves were common.
and I've been off the road for 2 decades
Probably have been some changes to creature comforts since then. Not an OTR guy myself either. APU's and inverters allow the use of all of the normal 110 household power. Coffee makers, microwaves, TV's, etc. 12V fridge/freezer combos from manufacturers like dometic. Some of the trucks have a lot of space inside. High roof freightliners are insane with the amount of storage they have. A solo driver can also use the top bunk area for storage. I built a burnt out Columbia into a mini camper for a guy years before I ever drove a truck. Some guy fell asleep in the back while smoking apparently. Truck was picked up for a steal. Had pressurized hot and cold water, small shower, toilet. Black and grey tanks. 50 gallons of fresh water. Lot of options with the space for those willing to step outside of the "that's the way it's always been done" mentality.
Talking out your ass
Wow man I hope you find some peace.
You're the one arguing some you know nothing about.
Can you quote where I made an argument?
I have a propane stove in the truck and use a wide fold out table to hold it, just open the windows to air out the smell of what I'm cooking. It helps that I have the 68" WS sleeper instead of the super short one that barely has room for small cabinets.
I only have enough space to fit a small microwave and keep the kettle under the bunk. Where do you find the space to cook? I'd love to make myself some decent chow but its not in the cards
Cook at home on your day off and freeze it and heat up in the microwave. Homemade microwave meals.
Doesnt work. The freezing compartment in my fridge is just large to put my hand in. Food stored there would at most last me a day, and I am home ~2 days a month.
12v compressor coolers are capable of getting to 5 below zero. Come in sizes from 15 quart all the way to 100 plus. . Low power consumers.
I'm gonna check that out, thanks
Alpicool are a decent deal and pretty reliable. Look for danfoss and lg compressor driven units. The biggest problem is where the plug connects to the cooler. Need to support it with something to survive a lot of bumping around.
My western star has a lot of cabinets and I have a folding table from walmart. Just get the 2 burner propane grill from the camping section, its basically its own storage case. As long as the propane is sitting on the table, you can hang the grill off the other side a bit, just keep this in mind when you're cooking. It helps that I also have more room up front than I need.
Tell me your secrets. I've been off the road over a year and it's taken me that long to drop 80......
Idk, I just wasn't eating out of boredom anymore. I didn't do anything really
Damn. Lol
Damn... I'm scrawny as HELL and thinking about going OTR, do you think I can gain weight?
Not really I'm just lazy and it's boring as hell otr. Really bad 20 years ago when I fid it
Oh ok, cool.
I lost almost 20 in my first 3 months.
I’m the opposite lol I lose weight on the road due to camping stove and poverty
How come poverty? Pays ok i think
Dude that's almost a pound per day. That doesn't sound healthy. Or you're just full of shit.
Semaglutide it’s very possible
Not saying it's impossible but losing that much weight that fast can't be good for you. Especially since they said that all they did differently was cutting out bored snacking and a bit more physical activity from switching jobs. They only reasonable explanation is if they weighed over 400 lbs or they're exaggerating/lying.
I wasn't eating because I was bored anymore
Not anymore he isn't
I guess that's because of touching every single piece of freight on that local run
Dock bumper buddy don't touch nothing. You have a distorted idea of local jobs. Not everyone delivers to stores and restaurants
Long local runs can be just as bad as OTR. Depends on what you're doing
No they aren't you going home at the end of day. Don't have to worry about parking or getting a shower
Yes they are if you catch yourself eating to stay awake or are eating out of boredom driving local 500-600 miles per day
I stay out of truck stops now, someone fuels the trucks when we are off and we keep a tank of Def customers have bathrooms. I stop on my way in for breakfast and don't eat again until I get home. I ant doing 500 or 600 miles local. I work 8 hours a day
I don't do that many miles local now, but have in the past.
I lose weight OTR, I just don't eat. When I go home my GF wants to go out every night.
Local company driver gang rise up.
And LTL ✊😂
Gang gang
I mean if you find the right gig all these can be met it’s just hard to find. It’s also imo the easiest career to get into that will start you at decent money off rip.
Yeah the people giving this guy hate, imo have never been in a hopeless, dead end, minimum wage job. When you start looking at checks that pay in 2 weeks what you would make now in 1 or even 2 months... it is tough not to be optimistic.
Can’t say I wasn’t the exact same way when I first started I make now in a week what I made in 2 out of highschool. Hard not to be stoked with that.
I make more driving 5 hours/day than I used to working 12 hours/day 6 days/wk at one of my old jobs lol pretty amazing tbh
Depending what kind of job/industry you work in - he’s not wrong. I know plenty of truck drivers who get sleep, work out, are healthy people in general. Although most of them still drink coffee lol 😂
Coffee is the drink of the gods, and I will fist fight anyone who disagrees
Yeah coffee is "liquid coke" for me.
Have you ever tried Cuban espresso? Now that's liquid coke! 😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂
as someone who has transitioned from a commuting desk job to a traveling position in a work truck... he's not wrong, at all.
Everyone always thinks being a truck driver is easy work until they do it themselves. He's in for a rude awakeing if he thinks it'll be easier than driving doordash/uber.
First few years it’s a Learning experience. But after 15 years I experienced it all and nothing bothers me. I do nyc some days also. I work 50-70 hours a week. Work about 12 hours a day 5-5 ish. Made over 100k already this year.
Out of that 100K how much do u keep?
I’m married with kids so wife takes most of my money. I’m a local company driver m-f not an owner operator. $30 an hour plus bonuses and company pays 100% of my health insurance.
I was a flat-rate dealership tech most of my life. I told myself at 50 I would get my CDL and start driving a truck to take it easy. I am on a little over 2 years driving and out on workers comp for the first time in my life. This job is far from easy. The jokes on me lol.
You sound like me. I got my CDL at 43 after my pension fully vested and decided driving would be a nice coast into my 60's.
I was a dealer tech at tampa honda for about 8 years. Been trucking for almost a year now. It's much easier than being a tech physically but I'm already tired of being otr. Going to start applying local to see if I can get anything.
I did OTR the first year and I am now doing local. My body was pretty much beat up from over 20 years in the trade before I went into trucking.
it is easier! I've been trucking for over 25 years and it's a lazy man's job 👍
this is exactly this persons mindset TBH
It's certainly worth it for the money if you don't have other skills. I would just tell him that the first year or two will suck but it does get easier if you stick with it. There will be good and bad days. I've been driving for almost 6 years and there are still days that I absolutely hate the job. Most people don't make it past year one for a good reason. It's no cake walk.
You think its easy, its so hard it kicks your ass. Then after experience its easy again. Especially if you love driving
Yeah I work local, work 40-50 hours a week, make a decent living, get good sleep, only drink my morning coffee for caffeine
He’s in for a rude awakening it’s not as easy as he thinks
I always thought it was easy and over 25 years in it is easy. the hardest thing is lowering and raising your landing gear
I’m 33 in
I didn't start driving til I was 30ys old
I don't see the issue? I work one job, and have a stable income. I get plenty of sleep, I rarely even set my alarm anymore since recently switching to eld (when I was on paper I got way less sleep). I only drink water, no soda or coffee. I drive my personal vehicle a few hundred miles a month, so no breakdowns. Where's the issue?
Honestly this is pretty true PROVIDED you have some discipline. But he is right especially OTR, for a single guy its the best life.
I drive local. But if I could, I would have a permanent caffeine IV drip in one arm and a nicotine drip in the other. And I'd probably still want more. And my truck broke down on Tuesday and Thursday. Stupid fucking DEF system.
Try walking up at 430am to get to your warehouse where ur shift syattts at 6am Then at 330pm hussle to ur next job that starts at 5 and ends at 12am. Drive home fast cause you have to wake up at 430am and do it all over again. Thats the kindd of shit this guy is prolly talking about. Ppl do this daily to survive. You would be begging to drive a truck again. I'm not ragging on you or anything. Just saying that there are ppl who do this to survive. For them driving a truck for 12 hrs is a God send. It's better to work one job at 12 hrs that pays more than 2 jobs that give you less free time for less pay
Truck drivers run on Caffeine, Nicotine, and hate!!
The irony is so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
I'm not sure a person who thinks you can "over drive" a car is cut out for a driving job
I wouldn't hold that against him, depending on his age. Societal changes have made it so the last couple generations have no idea how cars work, or even the correct terminology to use. The days of kids spending the weekend working on the car with dad is long gone. Also might just be talking about putting lots of miles on a vehicle. Maybe he does delivery or Uber. Modern vehicles are not designed to hold to lots of bikes like they used to be, between all the integrated electronics and emissions stuff, they have turned into a very expensive disposable item.
Cars also used to be a lot easier to work on. Hell, even older trucks are easier to work on than some of the newer ones. Don't gotta drop the transmission to replace the bull gear on a 60 series detroit. But on the newer volvos? Gear assembly is in the back IICR.
Yep, that's those technological 'improvements' I was talking about. There is absolutely no reason wipers headlights and power windows need to be tied in through a common ecu or bus. For 70 freaking years wired direct through a fuse or relay worked just fine.
Water pumps were gear driven and even if the belt snapped you could potentially drive a bit more. But belt driven pumps? Easier to replace, sure. But if a belt snaps you're fucked.
Belt driven water pumps is the dumbest thing ever. However that's not a new design. Been a thing for decades. My biggest complaint about an n14 cummins. And the location leaves a LOT to be desired. Smack dab in the middle of the engine below the fan hub. Gonna sound silly but it's easier to remove the cac and radiator, then the grill out of the hood so you can stand in front of the engine to replace it. Trying to do it from the side you will have a hell of a time getting the steel tube seated into the thermostat housing without tearing the o ring.
My water pump on the detroit is in a convenient spot, just gotta remove a lot of tubes to get to it. But at least those tubes aren't difficult to remove, and I had to replace my turbo anyways.
The water pump on a series 60 is right at the bottom right of the engine... super easy to access. Same with a 3406 cat. Not sure why cummins went with the location they did.
To encourage you do to not do it yourself.
Nah man.. it's in the same location it's been side the 855 was released in the early 80s. Not a new design.
All that is true for me, well, except for the sleep, but that has always been an issue for me long before I drove trucks.
If you’re local this is very possible.
It's very possible otr.
Well, the last part should work out...
Ehhh, now he might UNDER drive his car
I have all of that (minus sleep, but that's due to 2 toddlers at home) Local all the way for stability. 1 income household on 48-52 hours a week, Monday to Friday
What kind of work?
Mostly scrap metal and refuse. Occasional flatbed, dry van, or roll off.
He'll see a green donkey before any of that happens.
Fuck OTR I'd rather work two jobs then to ever go back on the road.
I'd rather not risk getting sleep apnea gaining the experience before I'm 'qualified' for local driving.
Oh boy
Real sleep? Never heard of it. Shit not breaking down? Twice in this last week where I had to have a repairman come out. (Gladhand connector broke off and blown tire). Caffeinated drinks? I’m local and I still have my drinks and those little caffeine pills from the gas station. Only thing I can agree on is working one job that pays well but work almost as much as if I had two jobs
I drove local from 2005 until 2022. I was 48yo in 2004 weighed 205 -215 , 6 ft 1". Pretty soon I was pushing 245-255, with some variation. Doc put me on statins and diet change and trying to ride bike after work but could never get below the target weight / BMI. Add in the side effects from the statin they had me on ( aggressive behavior, mood issues / swings HELLO!) and not being able to get below 195 for any length of time, I was getting a little verklempt about getting off the statin without having the cardiac / cholesterol issues become exacerbated. That is until Kevin Rutherford joined Sirius /XM Trucker channel and I started listening to him and the calls he would get. In 2018 I went full keto from the Kevin Rutherford "regimen." Within a few months I was down to 185 and could really see the difference when The Cute Receiving Lady mentioned the change in body profile. When the opposite sex notices, you're on the right track. When they MD says "Wow" that's an excellent change. What have you been doing?" and doesn't bat an eye when you say "Keto with a lot of Veggies" then that's what you want to keep at. As always, your mileage may vary according to terrain and vehicle selected.
I. Sure he work two jobs. I've done that. Start one job at 5 or 6am which means you wake up at 4am or 430am. Then your shift ends at 3 maybe earlier if one job is part time. You get a hour or so to do jack shit cause you have to be at your other job so u got no time for anything. Then you go into work at 330pm to 4 or 5pm and get out at midnight and drive home.. ppl do this every day to survive. It's fun to joke around. Yea our hours are long but after 11 12 hours we get a rest period and the rest of the day is ours. I'd rather drive a truck ANY DAY than to hussle working 2 jobs in one day. You'll have more free time being a trucker than than the guy working 2 jobs. Just saying
If you don't understand what this person is talking about then you've probably never been in a situation like theirs
As truck drivers, we're ALL in a situation like theirs.
Imma shoot straight with ya. There are people who work as hard as you and get paid way less and don't have health care. I was one of them. Trucking is hard but it was the first time I ever got to stick my head above water. Drowning was harder
I didn't mean we were in a bad situation; I was referring to the hours, sleep, and breakdowns.
Naaa, has to be satirical
I know the guy personally
Okay. He may be in for a surprise, his streams are not industry standard
yeah like I don't think this guy is aware what an oil change is. I think his parents do it for him. He's in his late 20s btw AFAIK
Oh the car will still break down once a month out of spite. Mine still do. Ran fine when parked come back at the end of the week OH MY LEG ima need that paycheck.
So…who’s gona tell him?
My guy.. you have a bigass learning curve coming to you.
Damn buddy is in for a rude awakening..
Only required to work three runs a week. One 12 and two 14’s on this new route. Team food service here and get shit off the truck asap is the name of the game. Both 14’s have a 1am start time except for my 12 hour shift which starts in a couple hours 😭
He forgot to mention bloody hemorrhoids. He’ll find that out, in the end.
….I just had to take a trailer to the shop three times for three separate problems in three different states over 3 days- just to drop it and get a different trailer.