Mile Marker #6
Get the most out of each trip. Take in what each route and destination has to offer. The most appealing benefit of being an OTR driver is the FREEDOM. As long as you get to point A to point B safe and on-time, take a moment and explore God's country. Invest in a camera and capture the different landscapes, night lights, sun rises, sun sets, monuments, and area attractions. I've snapped pictures of an overnight icing in the West, a waterspout in Florida, Las Vegas city lights, to a scantily clad female in a 4-wheeler "multitasking" (if you will) on Alligator Alley. I know I already thanked you that day, but I am going to do it again. Thank You Lord! I probably could write a complete blog just on "multitasking" in cars, but I am not even going to go there! You will witness the world on the move, and wonder "where in the hell is everybody going?" Don't let yourself get in a rut where the trips are routine or monotonous. Turning memorable miles into money is the name of the game.
Being outdoors for the major part of my working career has been nothing but breathtaking. You'll encounter some bad weather days, but for the most part of the year, nothing compares to working outside. A couple of years back I injured myself at work, and I was off for about 7 months. For the last 6 months of that time, I was required to come in the terminal for 8 hours and perform light duty work. It drove me insane being couped up inside. I couldn't wait to get back out on the street!
While you are on your journeys you will meet a wide variety of people. Some with interesting stories, some quaint, some rude, but for the most part you'll encounter many swift friendships. Unfortunately, there will be some people that you just want to plain forget.
The freedom, the travels, and the world of people, are just general perks of truck driving. You will discover other little things along the way, that you wouldn't experience in other standard job settings.
Next Blog: Mile Marker #7 Thank Me Later......
2 comments:
Very informative, I liked your remark on swift friendships. You said there was some people you wanted to remember and some you would like to forget. I wondered if you could share some more on some of those encounters?
Also, did it take a long time for you to start making good good money?
Thanks Robert
While traveling the country, a driver comes across many personalities. Those encounters could be a fellow driver, a customer,a favorite waitress at the truckstop, etc., or just strangers in general. The friendliness of some people can make even the most routine delivery route enjoyable. But on the other hand, the rudeness of some people can ruin even your best day. For example, years ago I delivered to a routine customer in New Jersey on weekly basis. Our driver/customer relationship grew over time. So, while waiting for them to unload me, he let me use his personal vehicle to run errands if I needed. That is just one of the many swift friendships I still remember to this day. On rare occasions, I ran into people that pretty much treated me like I was scum of the earth. A job title and a 10 cent raise goes to a lot of people's heads. All of a sudden "Dock Superviser Guy" starts to treat a truck driver like a dog. I just smile and shake my head. I had to remember that the customer is always right. But it wasn't right that they could treat me like that! Some dock personel just know they can get away with it. If that was me treating them like that, they would be the first one to call my company and complain. I just smile at them, and hopefully they can read my mind.
What is good money to some, may differ for others. For me, I always thought I made a good salary as a driver. Even when I started I made 38,000 to 45,000, and that was back 20 some years ago. Now, you can make 70,000 to 100,000 a year where I work. I just started this blog a couple weeks ago. I suggest reading all 9 blogs starting from the beginning. All of the big money jobs are with the Union companys. The blogs will help you get there. I hope this answers your questions. Thank you for responding to my blog. Craig
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