Training Frustrations

Maybe someone out there could explain to new students that there trainers truly deserve their respect. I have to say that over the past year I have had an overly large amount of students with a huge lack of respect for the job, what I have to teach them and the truck. I work hard to teach my students all the knowledge that they will need to properly preform the job once they leave. I have had far too many students in all my time of training tell me what a wonderful job I did and some have stayed with the company I work for, while others have progressed and taken what they learned and moved on. So why is it that students refuse to respect what I have to teach. Maybe its a problem with authority, for some it seems like they do not like being judged by their peers and others it's like they showed up expecting a free ride while others do all the work. I will be honest, anyone can hold a steering wheel and go down the highway.  It takes a true blooded truck driver to do what we all do day in and day out. It's our job to makes sure that the American public has the supply to keep things rolling we are the supply line for America. It is a big job and if you can not respect the man or women trying to teach you how to do it then maybe this is not for you because it is a huge responsibility whether you want to admit it or not so when you see students out there or if you are one your self take a minute and remind yourself and other students that this is a big job and some respect for those that take the time to teach would be a good thing. As always be safe out there and safe travels. Be extra careful in the next couple of weeks because lots of families will be traveling for the holidays so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Winter is Here

Winter is definitely here, folks.  The general population has fallen into winter driving panic mode and forgotten how to drive. Okay, I am only joking but I know it certainly seems like that some days out there on the roads when the weather turns nasty. So its time for extra care and vigilance as we move our freight, especially with Christmas right around the corner. We want to see everyone make it home so I am going to give you all some sound advice an old friend once gave me. When the weather turns nasty, Slow Truck It. In other words slow it down, take your time.  There is no load worth dying over or killing others over when trying to get it where it's going. It is extremely dangerous out there when the weather turns nasty and as drivers it is our responsibility to keep our equipment and cargo safe along with ourselves and the motoring public. Its early still in the winter season and I personally have already seen far to many wrecks due to the weather.  Many because drivers had to be some where and did not want to stop for the weather. Those loads still didn't  make it where they were headed and hopefully the drivers were okay. So let's be honest, if they had slowed down or possibly even pulled off and tried to wait it out a little bit or even for a plow to go by they may have avoided there wrecks. So as we go forward this winter think about what your doing and drive at your comfort level and do not over estimate your own ability in the snow. Cocky over confident drivers tend to be the first ones you will find out there in the ditch so drive safe and for the road conditions. As always folks be safe out there and let keep those rigs out of the ditch and right side up.
What is your winter driving advice?

Holiday Encouragement

Well folks, I apologize for my absence.  It the last big push for the year. So with the holidays coming, time is always very limited as many of you are well aware I am sure. Tensions are high on all fronts. The weather is turning, the money is lacking and your home life is probably a little shakey to say the least, if your like most families this time of the year. It is very important to keep you cool and have a little patience.  We have all been there or maybe we are right there with you on the front lines. It is an up hill battle this time of year but it is one that you can and will win in the end. Just don't forget to show your families that you care.  They have been hanging in there with you all year long and it has probably been a rough one.   I have come across a lot of drivers that have not had the best year and it shows, but they are putting their best foot forward.  I say good for them and may they be a shining example for others this holiday season. So remember we're all in this together.  With out the folks at home we probably would not be doing this and would be ripping our hair out more than we already are. To all those spouses out there that read this keep, keep those fires at home burning because we sure cannot wait to get back. I want to personally thank all the drivers and families because I know that no one ever really says it.  Thank you from myself and my whole family. I know I can't bring everything my family needs to the stores out there. I do know that another driver just like me is though and I'm doing the same for his family. It's what we do because it is who we are, we're truck drivers: under appreciated, under payed, and over worked. So thank you to all of you and a Merry Christmas and if you do not do Christmas then Happy Holidays. As all ways be safe out there.

The Holidays are coming. The Holidays are coming.

It's that time of year again, where the holidays are coming and the paychecks are going to get smaller. It's just that time of year for everyone. People cut back on what their buying and our freight goes down.  It's not an unknown fact to any experienced driver in the business after a time. We go through this every year. You just come to expect it. My dispatcher actually comes out every year and tell his fleet that the holidays are coming. He knows everyone would like time off, but that those same people will be the first ones crying when they did not make any money that week and to be very careful what they ask for. I do have to agree with him on this. I believe home time is very important, but you can not have your cake and eat it to folks. There is no money coming in when the wheels are not turning. Some how every year drivers all over want to complain when they take off too much time for the holidays and their family suffers because of it. We all need to be very careful in planing our time home for the holidays. Take what you can afford.  Do not stay home longer then you can afford to be there.  If you can only afford to be home a day or two, then that's what you take.  If you can afford a week, then you can take a week. We all want time at home with the family.  However, it does not do us any good if there is no home to go home to. We can be our own worst enemies when it comes to the holidays.  Think carefully about that home time and look at the big picture.  Maybe you stay home a shorter time this year.  Start planning now for the new year.  Build a holiday fund so that  you can take the time that you and your family so richly deserve, because we all deserve time to spend with our families.  As always folks be safe out there.

Family Time

Sorry folks but no really update this week. It was family time this weekend, so my time was limited. Home time is a big deal to my family and I and we try to make the most of it as best we can. Extended family gatherings take up much more of a truckers time but are no less important than any other family time. So to all of you I hope your home times were good or you make the most of your up coming home times.  Hopefully we'll be back next week for all of you. In the mean time, check out the store.  We've added on some new items and fixed our lack of a link problem that we seemed to have over looked. So safe travels and be safe out there.

Christmas

Oh the holidays are coming, the holidays are coming. Its time to start thinking about those home times and preparing for Christmas. It can be the happiest and most frustrating time of the year for all of us truck drivers and families a like. Holiday shopping as a truck driver is near impossible.  Most of it comes from the internet, while other gifts come out of the truck stop. For the family it's tough too.  What do you get your truck driver for Christmas that he can use?  Well first you should ask what it is he might need because space is limited in the truck so we don't want to be buying to many trinkets or knick knacks for the truck that will only take up space in the truck needlessly. So take the time to ask. Movies are good for down times, but only if they have a TV and DVD player in the truck. Those only work if they can supply power to them.   Gps, an up to date atlas, book of truck stops, refrigerator or things to help provide more healthy food options are all good too.   In the next week or two were going to put some of those kinds of items up in the store for all of you, so please stop back by and check out our store.  For all of those truck drivers we will also be working on  having some great items up in there for the family at home so stop back by and take a look.   You may find just what your looking for in there.  Find it here: http://astore.amazon.com/trdratafale-20

Senior Moments in Truck Driving

You know I do a lot of talking on here and every week when I post we seems to get a decent amount of views. No one ever comments or ask a whole lot of questions, so this week I am interested in hearing from you - doesn't matter if you're a student, veteran truck driver or anywhere in between. Now we all have senior moments, as they've come to be known, where we forget something or do something completely foolish.  Just recently someone was telling me one such story.  They could not find the keys to their truck.  Come to find out they had left them in the door of their truck. What are  some of your stories?   I love a good story.   You can learn a lot from listening to other people's stories.  The only thing we ask is that you keep it kind and not judgmental if you comment on a story.  We've all made a mistake or two or more out there on the road. 

Handling the Home Front

Today we are going to talk about one of the big elephants in the room. Now I only train male students for the simple reason that sexual harassment is a huge issue in America and unfortunately there are people that use it to their advantage to get ahead or seek revenge. I have a family to support so I choose not to place myself in a bad situation.  I am not saying that all women are like this.  I have not found any women to be this way, but I choose to protect myself and my family and not take that risk. That being said I will move on to my next point. In my experience as a trainer, a huge problem I have come across is that wives and girlfriends do not handle separation from their boyfriends or husbands well. This is a huge problem that everyone tend to ignore. Why is it a problem that needs to be addressed?  Because it becomes a distraction that will very likely get yourselves and possibly someone else killed out on the road. Constantly being hounded about when you are coming home and hearing how things are going wrong at home are distractions taking away from your focus on driving. You cannot very well be safe out on the roads if your mind is constantly at home.  Not as students or as drivers. This is a high stress job already so hearing that its bull that you are not home every night or you have to be out longer then planned does not help. Far too many drivers and students are worrying about things at home instead of doing their jobs out there. If students are not focused on learning the job, they become another hazard out there on the road.  As a trainer, I witness this problem follow the same cycle pretty much every time.  It starts out small then escalates to the point that it's a daily phone call telling them to quit and that the student was lied to and the wife/girlfriend was lied to.  Divorce is high because wives get lonely and have to deal with all the stress of the home while your away then your focus is on her unhappiness instead of driving.
So how do we turn this into the best of a very difficult adjustment?  Trust me I remember the stresses of the adjustment period all to soon.  First, I made it very clear to my wife that if she wanted me home safe and sound I needed to be able to focus on my driving.  Be as honest as you can with them without fueling the fire.  For example, my wife knows that she has to wait for me to call her when I'm trying to drive through storms, tornadoes, rough traffic areas, etc.  I answer tell her "Not a good time, I'll call you back." and she knows to leave me alone until I call her back.   I also try not to increase her worry about me.  There are plenty of stories about me driving through areas with tornado warnings or other things that would keep her from sleeping a wink while I'm away.  So I don't tell her.  She knows things happened but she knows that it isn't a good idea that she knows what they are. Second, you have got to have a plan on how the household will be run.  My wife handles everything except the bills.  And she knows how to get the answers to questions she has about things like the cars if I'm not available.  Third, is handling when you are on your way home.  Everyone gets excited about going home and having their trucker home.  As a trucker's wife/girlfriend, she needs to learn that nothing is certain until you actually walk through that door.  It is extremely frustrating, but us drivers have no control over the weather, traffic, or the dispatchers.  My wife gets a general idea of when I'll be home in the morning so that she can plan accordingly.  She does NOT tell the kids at this point.  Later in the day, once I know that my day is done and I'm a few hours out from home she gets the first eta.  The kids are the last ones to find out because they are too little to understand if there is a delay.  No good comes from telling them early and then having something change.  That just makes them very upset and adds unnecessary aggravation to  my wife's day.  There's plenty of fuel folks to ignite the fire with.  Trust me, I do not take pleasure in telling students to keep information from their wives while they are training.  But I have both my family and theirs to think about and my life is in the hands of students when I put them behind the wheel. I do what i have to makes sure everyone gets to go home in the end. So as always folks be safe and safe travels to all of you.
How do you more experienced drivers and truckers wives/girlfriends handle these difficult areas?

Getting Sick While On the Road

Well it's good to be back after fighting off a cold last week.  Which brings me to this weeks post - getting sick while out on the road. Yea getting sick out on the road is one of the most miserable things that can happen to to you.  It is very important that you do not put yourself in a dangerous situation on the road so you need to be very careful. We all get sick at some point folks and it can take a lot out of you.  Proper rest and eating properly are especially important, even though they can be difficult on the road. A sick driver can very quickly become a fatigued driver which becomes a major hazard for others on the road.  By D.O.T. Law we can not have anything that contains alcohol in the trucks. Read the labels very carefully.  You will be surprised how by how many cold medicines you tend to take that contain alcohol.  Nyquil and Dayquil are very good examples.  Nyquil contains alcohol, while Dayquil is alcohol free.  The other thing you need to watch for is cold medicines that cause drowsiness, or any medicine that causes drowsiness.  Again folks we a can not have drivers falling asleep out there.  Just because it is a 4 hour medication does not mean that the drowsiness will wear off after 4 hours.   It's a good rule of thumb to check any medicine you may want to use out on the road or talk to a doctor about it.  In the end if your truly feeling terrible and need the rest then be smart, take the extra precaution and shutdown the truck. We have enough problems with the public image of truck driving, so drive smart and drive safe folks.  If you would like some ideas of medicines that actually work and are safe leave us a comment and we will do what we can to help.  For you experienced truck drivers out there what are your favorite medicines?? Until then folks as always be safe travels and keep them wheels turning. 

Busting Misconceptions About Trainers

Lets try to make sure we shoot down some of the misconceptions that you may have heard about training.  I have personally trained a great deal of students that seem to be under the impression that their training process will be far less then the actual time it will take. A lot of times this information comes from the recruiters or the salesman whose job it is to put students in the seats. They are willing to tell you whatever it takes to bring in drivers. Please heed my warning take what ever they tell you with a grain of salt. They are not all liars, but I would have to guess that if they all told the truth about things then there would be a lot less drivers coming in. Next trainers are not a dime a dozen. All companies have a hard time trying to find people to train their students.  Most people do not like to drive teams to begin with because it's difficult to trust a complete stranger with your life. Now some of you are just starting out and there are guys that just have to do refreshers for what ever reason that are a little rusty.  Be honest with yourselves would you really want either of these in your truck.  Let me tell you that there are far more students than trainers.  The reality is no one gets to pick who they get. Let's face it there are a portion of employees in any profession that are not top quality.  No different with trainers.   So that brings up my third point this week,  your trainer and the horror stories you will hear about him or her. Okay I will be honest.   There are some really rotten trainers out there and there are also rotten students. Not all trainers are the monsters that we are made out to be. A lot of trainers sleep very little.  They teach you the most they can and try to make sure you are safe. So with that in mind, they may be a little short tempered from time to time. Try to give them a little slack and the benefit of you doubt.   I cannot tell you how many students that expect me to yell and scream at them the entire ride.  It does not work that way.  Every trainer has there own way of teaching you to do the job and it may or may not work for you. That is why you will have a Student Driver Manager but that's a topic for another day so for now safe travels and be safe out there folks.

Getting Your Family Ready

In our last post we talked about getting you ready and what you should need to head out over the road well what about your family. Its real easy to get caught up in what you need to handle as you get ready to head out.  But it's important to make sure your home life is all ready too. Remember folks, life at home doesn't stop when you leave.  The families you leave behind still go on without you. So your going to need to talk about the bills. Who's going to pay them and how?  By phone, computer, or mail them in.  If you've done it all your spouse or significant other may not have a clue as to how you make it all work.  Prepare them because even if you plan to handle it all, you may not always have the time to get it all done.   You are about to leave a big gap in the daily routine that they have to adjust to so try to make it a little easier by making sure the house is in order and cleaned.   Then all they have to focus on is maintaining while your gone instead of full blown overhauls. We get to pick when we leave for orientation, so don't rush it unless you like ugly fights late at night while you drive or at inconvenient times.  They will happen.  Keep them happy at home and you will be happy on the road trust me. Last but not least prep your children for those of you that have them. There the one that take this hardest of all especially when they are little and don't understand why daddy or mommy has to go away. Spend extra time with them and talk to them about it.  You may find that it will help a lot more then you think in the long run. And don't forget to pack a photo of your family to keep with you on the road. These were hard lessons to learn while out there on the road so hopefully you will take this info and not repeat the mistakes of so many others out there including yours truly.

What Should I Bring With Me? Part 1

Time to talk about packing for the extended stay with a trainer.  I have see a lot of people that are unsure of what they need to bring with them to survive life on the road.  Well let me start by saying we are going to use the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Silly) method on this one.  You need the basics folks.  That means toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, shaving cream, comb, shampoo, deodorant and mouthwash. Towels are not needed unless you do not trust others to have washed them properly or have sensitive skin that does not react well to certain laundry soaps.  The major Travel Centers will supply you with a bar of soap and towels, so again for those with sensitive skin you may choose to bring your own soap. Oh and sorry ladies but its showers only no tubs to relax in you will have to wait till its over or your trainer takes home time if you like a good soak in a tub. Now in the clothes department enough for four days should get you by.  You will not be constantly changing your clothes while your out there because as you will find out you will not be stopping everyday for a shower.  Unfortunately its not  always possible, so be ready for every other day.    Good shoes and proper attire are important.  Next would be what do you do about bedding? I recommend a sleeping bag, its simple and easy.  A cold weather bag would be ideal, especially with winter slowly approaching.   Trucks break down and when they go down completely and cannot run it can get quite cold out there.  I speak from experience.   My first winter out over the road my truck had an Auxiliary Power Unit (In English a generator) that was supposed to supply heat or A/C to the cab of the truck. Well, mine broke and the truck had a 5 minute idle shut off (Meaning every five minutes the truck shut off unless you hit the brake to over ride it. Then it would run for another 5 minutes and shut off). Well folks this happened during a 3 day storm that had crossed the country. The temp outside was 0 with a windchill of -20 and my airlines where frozen.  I was running on no sleep.  Keeping the truck idling was not an option and help wouldn't be coming until morning.  I sat out there for 10 hours fighting to stay warm and sleeping in short intervals.   Had I not been prepared for the weather I may not have walked away. Now with that story being told be prepared for the weather, winter isn't far around the corner folks so be prepared.  Remember you don't get to pick the part of the country where you will be doing your training.  Don't over pack because there is not a lot of room in these trucks.   This is your trainer's home and you're only a guest like all those that came before you. Snacks that will last are also a good idea.  You will not be able to stop whenever you want to.  Stops happen when there is time and at times that will be the middle of the night.
We will be covering a few more things that you will want to bring with you as well as helping set your family up for success while you are on the road in the next few posts.

The Starter Company

Well drivers, it's time to start thinking about the next steps in your travel.  You will now forever be know in the trucking world as a driver.  Names are seldom used out there, so be ready for that.  When someone yells out "Hey Driver" they may very well be talking to you.   We will handle that topic another day.  Lets talk about where you're headed after you get that license of yours.  You have a lot of options out there for a starter company.   We call it a starter company cause everyone has to start somewhere.  Drivers frequently change companies, it's all part of the job.  Now every company is going to promise you the world and then some.  The truth is unless you can get it in writing don't believe it.  The fact is when you contact these company's your dealing with recruiters and their job is to sell you on that company.  They are excellent salesman I must admit and if you believe every word that they tell you then by all means please come talk to me I have ocean front property in Oklahoma that I would love to sell you.  So let's be serious.  If it sounds too good to be true it probably is and your going to want it in writing before you get on any bus.

Here are some realities about this profession:

• No one ever got rich driving a truck.  Don't expect thousand dollar pay check average.  First year driver is in the ball park of $30,000.  
• Someone is always offering a bonus for this or that.  Watch out for it.  These are the types of things you want in writing because down the road someone might misplace that paper work.
• Buying your own equipment: flatbed work it means tarps, bungees, chains and chain binders.  For vans it maybe straps and load bars.  

These thing will come out after your training, which is the next step, so take these thing into consideration when choosing who you go with.  Training time with all these company can also vary. Some claim 4 weeks, others 8-10 weeks.  The honest truth is it really depends on what account your trainer works on.  You do not get to choose your trainer or what he does anymore then he gets to choose you.  Should there be an issue with your trainer there are ways to handle it, we will cover that in a later post.   48 state's trainers tend to train a student in anywhere from 5-10 weeks.  Weather, time of year, and the amount of freight all effect this.   A lot of times you end up being a paycheck to those trainers because you make mileage for them.  Dedicated drivers take anywhere from 8-10 weeks because they tend to more of the same routes.  So do not disillusion yourself into believing your training will take no time at all and you will be on your own in no time.  That rarely ever happens.   In all honesty the student that finishes early are students that train on line haul accounts.  These are accounts that haul from terminal to terminal or distribution center to distribution center.
 The next aspect of this is student pay.  This turns a lot people off to being a student.   Many companies only pay about $400 a week before taxes and health insurance, which works out to be about $250 take home.  This can be a huge hit, especially if you have a family, so better to know right up front.
Your school should have a driver placement department to help you find your start company.  If you are lucky they may even find you a local company work for that hires right out of school.  It does happen.  It is a good idea to stay at your starter company for at least a year to get the experience for your resume.  Anything less than a year makes it extremely hard to find work elsewhere.  I have seen enough decent drivers get upset about one thing or another and leave before their year is up and have to go through the whole training process again.
Schneider, Swift, Werner, J.B. Hunt, Western Express, Crete Trucking, US Express, CR England are some of the starter companies out there.  We have found that twitter is a great place to find job postings with many of the starter companies.   You can find us at https://twitter.com/Truckdriversfam.  We follow a number of starter companies on there. You can follow us as well.  As always be safe out there and safe travels.

Missed the other posts in this series?  Find them Here:

Becoming a Truck Driver 

How To Pick A School 

Be A Lifelong Learner 

Getting Ready to Test 

Getting Ready To Test

Still working on those license I have to guess because if you got it in a week I think you should turn back now before you hurt some one.  The process is a long one or at least can seem that way when your out of work.  So let me try to help you get a little edge if your still working on it Crist CDL
This is your ticket to doing well on your written exams.  I believe most schools with will tell you about this site because of the practice exams are extremely close to the real thing.  They cover the general knowledge, air brakes, and combination tests.  I stand by this site.   I used it to obtain my CDL and my endorsements.

 As far as your pretrip, maneuvers, and driving, its practice practice practice.  There is no secret short cut to this half of it.  When it comes time to test out and get that license take your time do not rush.  Its real easy to get to worked up standing there in front of you examiner.  I know some states use D.O.T. Officers to administer the tests and they can be extremely intimidating. You have to remember they put the pants on one leg at a time just like you.  Their main goal is to make sure you know what you are doing as you start out.  So follow the rules of your examiner and do what you know.  I didn't do so hot my first couple of times testing.  I let my nerves get the best of me and did not trust my gut feeling.  Nine times out of ten in truck driving if you gut feeling says somethings wrong it probably is.  I did not know that secret so I did n't listen to my gut and end up going back again and again because I made silly mistakes.  When I finally listened to my gut I passed with flying colors.  So learn to trust your instincts I have plenty more tales where my gut feeling kept me out of trouble but those are stories for another time and place.  So be safe out there and Safe Travels.

Be a Lifelong Learner

So you found your school, great!  Now it's time to study and work hard to get a license so you will be ready for your real training.  Wait you're going to school.  Won't they teach you what you need to know?  The answer here is no. They are going to teach you what you need to know to get a license.  That's it folks.   They might teach you about a few less well know laws and the occasional trucking story that will have some merit to it.  Learning to drive is your trainer's job at your first starter company.  They will be the ones to teach you all the finer points of doing the job.  Take it from me, there's a lot more to be learned.  We learn more every single day we are out here.  The learning never stops.  Just when you think you have seen it all some thing new comes along.  If you already are saying "I know how to drive.  I do not need to learn anything else."  Then please go find another job before someone gets killed.  I like going home to my family as do a lot of other drivers I know.  Being a know it all hot shot is extremely dangerous on the road.   Those are the people that give us a bad name and get others killed. That is enough for now good luck on those licenses.

How to Pick a School

Welcome back readers and hello to new readers. So you've decided you want to be a truck driver. Good for you, welcome to your new field!  It's time to get started on the next part of the journey - picking out your school.  Now there are lots of schools out there to check out. The only difference from searching for a college is that you will only be there 4 to 10 weeks and you will have to commute everyday.   So location for some will be a very big key as to where you attend but try not to let it be the biggest. Do some homework again.  Investigate the school, go and tour the facility, try to talk to the students there and get their opinions of how the program is.  Trying to find graduates of the program that are out on the road will be near impossible.  Some good questions to ask your instructors while you are visiting the school are:

•  How much experience do you have?
• How recently did you drive a truck for a living?
• Were you a city driver, regional driver, or over the road driver?   City drivers are more familiar with close quarters backing and driving than over the road drivers.  Over the road drivers would be more accustomed to highway and rural areas. An Over the Road teacher will have knowledge of grades and laws about things like free range cattle.  A good mixture of both kinds of teachers would give you a more balanced education.  

You may think "How hard can truck driving really be?"  Remember that no one has seen it all or knows all there is to know about trucking.  But the knowledge you can gain from the right school is worth more than any price tag.  Ask questions and find the right mixture of drivers to learn from at the school you choose.  Now these schools are not cheap, depending on there program it can be anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 dollars.  I know that is quite a bit of money to get a license but you have to understand the equipment and fuel are also very expensive and keep operation cost very high. So lets discuss the options to pay for it. For my readers that are on unemployment there are programs to help with these cost if you can get the approval to help you find a new career. They do not make it easy.  There are a lot of tasks you will need to accomplish like resume building, proving that there is work in the field, proving that you have been looking for a job in your previous field before they will approve you. It's a way to make sure that you are dedicated to what you are asking to do.  If you are diligent and truly want this you won't find it to be a problem. Now your other option should you not want to do all this is the student loan path.  Most schools offer student loans for all of your school expenses.  At this point again you have some work ahead of you and I wish you good luck on your journey. In our next post it will be time to start looking for your starter company so safe travels to all and we'll be back next week with are next segment to to Colonel's Corner.   

Welcome to the Colonel's Corner - Becoming a Driver

For you guys that are coming a crossed this Blog and are trying to do a little homework about this field. First of all let me say good for you for taking the time to do some homework before starting out. Well the first part of your homework is going to be if this job is for you, big surprise right? If that wasn't the first step, lets face it you wouldn't be reading this. Well the job is long, thank less and lonely - not extremely appealing. Also you won't get rich doing it.  But if you want steady work, like to travel, can stand being on your own and doing it your way with out a whole lot of direction then have at. Your first step in your journey is getting a license. Now what you need to decide next is which one because I may be a an over the road driver but that doesn't mean I didn't consider just driving a box truck. Now a Class A license opens up the entire industry to you, while a Class B license is only going to open up mostly local work, some seasonal and other work that goes year round.  Now be honest with yourself and do some looking into your local papers and job searches to try to decide if  there is a market for a driver with a simple B license in your area (most times you will find those jobs hard to come by). For most of the drivers that I've trained (as well as for myself), this job was not a first choice, but not the last either.   Truck driving isn't for everyone, so unless you are absolutely certain, I recommend looking into a few different options before traveling far down this road.   I found in my searches that the much needed helpful information in getting started is severely limited. So we'll get the next step in our next weekly post. If you've got questions drop a line.  I'd love to incorporate them into the next post, as well as answer you directly.