USA CDL JOBS TRUCK DRIVER FORUM

Hey, wonderful site, thanks for all you do. Man, I really feel bad for truckers, Its like a marriage gone bad, no matter what you do both people know it 's over, but you keep on trying to make something out nuthing, I loving driving, but companies don't have any love for drivers, and they don't give a damn weather you like it or not. I talk with many older drivers, who give such good stories of good relationship with companies that lasted for years, and if it didnt, they could find something else, It just wasnt that hard, work was stable and you could feed your family. My story doesn't have those happy memories, I starting driving in 2000 with a local hot shot company, good miles and I was in a straight truck(O/O), back then could make 1500 a week normally and when I didnt I was mad!!. Truck got old, didnt save and had to park it . Decided to learn to drive 18 wheelers, I went with Swift and trained and got a truck. The first year no incidents, 2nd year (2008) incident in Sept , I was flat bedding and had a tight parking lot to exit had to go under build to swing the trailer around and hit a beam in ceiling of storage barn, (I never even saw the beam, but I sure heard the noise) damage the top of truck but good.(the wind breaker) A couple of saftety classes later doing fine, Around October of 2009, I got a discount tire load, 4 stops and a full load of tires ( I had to unload) Finally knock out 3 stops and got to the last and saw the parking was full of 4 wheelers, parked in the street, in turning lane in Lubbock TX, To go see manager, he told me to go to corner and swing it into a alley for the unload, so did it (really tight with poles everywhere in parking lot, had to jack knife trailer into it and swing back into street (did it with some problems but got it in there, but I noticed cars couldnt get by the truck, so I backed up a little to fix the problem, look in mirror didnt see anything, had about eight feet to next pole start backing and "pow" loud noise, there was another pole about five feet on the passenger side, yea I should've gotten out, but I didnt, that pole had a meter and yes the trailer did hit it. That was the 2nd, "man I hated that" I called the company and did it over again. From that point all hell broke lose, they had me go to Laredo, my drivermgn told me I was due a p.m. and I could take classes there while I waited, I just didnt feel like going thru the classed again, (depreassed) and told them I would do it later, I needed to make some money because my miles had sucked for a month or so. Nine days later, finally got a few miles a run to Houston, Tx . I had enough. so I empied the truck and quit. Four months later and about 100 applications still nothing. I knowwwwww I should have handled it differently but they treated my really bad. Well that's about it . I love driving and thought I did alright but hey not compainies. Any advice would be appreciated Thanks!

When was the last time you drove OTR? Also you are right , companies dont treat drivers the way they used to, but the economy isnt near what it used to be either, so I would imagine companies are thinking about themselves and not the drivers. They go wrong and dont understand that if it wasnt for the drivers there wouldnt be a company. I have always thought of starting a union ( or wish someone would ) where truckers could voice thier opinions and finally be heard, or stike and then know they would be heard. Such a union was unheard of before the internet, and now it is possible. But getting so many drivers to agree to somthing like would be hard. I started this board to help all drivers and for the most part it has been a sucess, I just wish it did 100% better, and i am sure it will get there someday. Thanks for you post, welcome to the board, and let me know what I can do to help!

The little time I have been in this industry and come to find out is that these days ALL companies don't care about there employees. Doesn't matter if your a trucker, line cook, salesman, etc... They will replace you as fast as they hired you.

There's sooo many people entering this industry, like the newbies. Which means the companies now can and have been treating truckers like shizit.