Trucking USA

I’m retired now but I haven’t forgotten. Just yesterday, as I drove home, I noticed yet another wreck on the interstate.
About 100′ in front of a smashed car, there sat a big truck on the side. Then I saw the car. Where was the most damage? Driver’s side nose. Now how do you suppose that [...]

I know. They not only can be a nuisance, they can kill us and act like they never saw us. I know, I know.
It’s easy for me to say, sitting here looking at my laptop, but I’ll say it anyway. Don’t lose your cool.
For Mr. 4 Wheeler to swoop in front on you, [...]

I’ve been there and I know what you go through. Dispatchers tend to pretend they don’t know the law or worse-could care less for your life.
Let’s put you in a situation. Let’s say you’re coming out of Sacramento and you see the signs ahead ‘chains required’. You don’t know yet, what the real conditions are [...]

I’ll have to admit, I’ve spent nights in some pretty unsavory places. Sometimes, my family with me and my daughter staring nervously into the mirrors to make sure nobody was messing with the trailer.
Of course, I’ve also spent the night in a huge truck stop where my fuel level miraculously went down, while I [...]

I don’t care if you’re company, lease driver or O.O., you will either find yourself living by a set of rules or you will fail as a long haul driver.
Just like at home, if you live over your budget, you will go without for a few days to make up for it. The same on [...]

When I first started out in trucking, I had hair down to my butt. Don’t you know, when I stopped to shower, it took me over an hour because of tending to that hair.
It wasn’t long before I decided, that for the convenience on the road, I cut my hair short. Having naturally curly hair, [...]

Especially if you are new to the industry. This writing is in the hopes of keeping women safe on the road.
First, let me say that if there’s any way for you to go it solo, you’re better off. Even if it’s scary, at first.
I do realize that even if you plan to drive solo, you [...]

Over 1200 drivers were stranded all over the U.S. They woke up one morning to a phone call from the home office telling them to take their trucks to the nearest dealership. In exchange, they were to receive $200 to get them home.
Now I want you folks to think about that one. First, when a [...]

Guys have their secrets. So do the ladies.
Eating on the road is expensive and, in the winter, exposes you to all the more germs floating around in the air. I was deathly sick, once, while out on a run and from that day on, I did everything in my power to keep from being exposed. [...]

Before you go spending your own money, apply for a pell grant. More people qualify for that, than you might think.
That is, of course, if you plan to go to one of the independent schools. Personally, I think it best to attend the school where you plan to work. Many of the large company’s offer [...]

I’ll try to draw the picture for you, so that you can get a better feel as to whether you might like it as a career. Better to hear all the truth up front, before wasting your time. Right?
I can describe  more than one scenario.
Long haul trucking.
A brief tag name for driving anywhere in the [...]

Let me fill you in on a few things. If you haven’t already discovered it, you’re not the one making the most money off of those loads.
True, if you’re a company driver, the company is handling all the expenses. Then there’s your DM (dispatcher). He/she makes money off your loads. That’s why they do things [...]

They’ve assigned you a truck. If you’re going solo, this will be more awkward than if working in a team. Go take possession of that truck. It’s yours.
If you see something that needs to be tended to, take it to the shop. If there’s something wrong, that needs to be fixed before it goes on [...]

This is to help women, get the right understanding about who they are and what they mean to the company they’ve chosen to hire on with.
First, let me say, that just because you are out there with a trainer, doesn’t mean you have no worth in the company. They have already invested in you and [...]

When I say young, I’m talking just about anyone under the age of 40. Be glad I call you young.
Most women, especially the young, approaching the subject of truck driving for the first time, are timid. They come in with the attitude that everybody around her, knows things she doesn’t know.
That may be true but [...]