So You Want to be a Truck Driver?

There are many drivers out there that are cheating on their log books. They do this to make more money. The Federal DOT is hunting for these drivers and the fines they would get are very expensive. The largest fine I ever received while trucking was for a little mistake I made in my log book. It cost me $900. Cheating on the log book is not worth it. It leads to unsafe driving habits and large fines. If you are in an accident where someone is injured or has died and your log book is false or you have gone over your limit of driving hours that week, then you could go to prison. This is true, even if the other person is also at fault.

Park in a safe place. Do not park on the shoulder of an on ramp or off ramp to the interstate. Many states now will give you a fine for that. Find a designated truck parking area. It is best that you check your miles, your log book and your route to find a safe place to park. You can also buy a truck stop guide book. If you are out of hours when you park, or if you are waiting for a load assignment, then stay parked. Moving to another truck stop has to be logged and it uses up the time you could use to haul a load. I’ve had trainee’s that had trouble understanding that it is best to stay put. I’ve heard some really lame reasons to move to another truck stop. I’m sorry to say that many truck stops do not have cell phone signals for every cell company. Nor does every truck stop have the food you like to eat.

Out on the road you are going to have to get used to not having all the comforts of home. Yes, you can put a TV and DVD player in the truck and most trucking companies have TV antennas built into the truck. You can also carry a cooler that plugs into the cigarette lighter.

Even with meeting interesting truckers and having some things in the truck, you can still get very bored out there. I found myself always buying DVDs. So I started taking stuff with me to do crafts. That was helpful. I also got me some prison pen pals and one disabled pen pal. Buying a laptop with DSL connection was very helpful. I used the laptop to keep in contact with people and I uploaded a map program to help me not get lost or into a bad situation.

I found that good truckers that made good money spent weeks or longer out on the road. So being prepared to be in places that make you uncomfortable is a given and it is best to prepare now for such things. If you don’t have someone to stay in contact with or something to do when it is best to stay in the truck, then you could go a little batty out there.

So if you really want to drive a truck, then get your mind set for it. Be safe and learn everything that can be taught. My best advice for being safe is to be patient. Being patient helps you see more of what is going on around you.

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