How about Professional Drivers

[Rich99]

Okay, looks like somebody started something and it probably won't end here. One thread asked how many (Active/Retired LEO's in the group) and after this one, somebody will probably ask how many mechanics, etc, etc. But anyway, have had my Class A license for 43 years and have driven just about everything there is right up to 80,000 lbs. I won't tell you about the real overweight trucks I've driven. But did it for 33 years and took a long rest (retired, of which I only drove half a dozen trucks in 10 years of retirement. Went back to work after financial problems, so went back to what I know best and have been driving big rigs again for almost 3 years now. Cadillac's to what I ever drove back in the old days with much more power. :>)

[hipshot]

i drove a biggun, for "Halliburton", years ago. drove over the road, a few years.

got tired of living out of a suitcase.

quit the road and got me a real job!lol

ran a LOT of heavy equipment , of all sorts.

now , i just work when i want to,(or when my old torn up back allows me to).

been staying home playing "Mr. MOM", for a couple of weeks. taking care of my bride myself, is cheaper than hiring a sitter, and working for HALF wages.

just jt

[BuddyRich]

Back in the late 70's early 80's for a few of years. Cement trucks just ain't no fun at all.

[IH Truck Guy]

Rich,ya got me by a few years.I 've been driving semi for 28 years.Every thing from 28'pups to 13 axle superloads...Currently pulling a reefer.(hate it) but it has good insurance.

 

PS...Have you seen the video of the oversize load that tried to go thru the I-90 tunnel in Boston..I guess it happened within the last 2 weeks.

[Tom]

Been driving since 1973,34 years 3.75 Million Miles.Knock on wood No Accidents,No tickets.Been driving for Wal-Mart Transportation for the past 10 years. Currently working their Week On/Week Off Program,Very satisfied. Tom

[Joopster55]

I drove for 28 years, all sizes, makes. I've taught at a major school for 5 years. Drove for another year before I was promoted to Driver Trainer, Safety and Recruiter with the company I'm currently with. I'm also a certified air brake instructor, defensive driver instructor, heavy vehicle master trainer through the Office of Energy Efficiency.

[Redneck]

I've had a commercial license sense 1980 I have turned wrenches on heavy trucks for most of it and driven off and on. I kinda burned out on turning wrenches so I added an independent truck dealership to my shop business then started building and selling oilfield winch trucks. I got burned out on fabricating and welding and started an oilfield trucking company. I have turned the shop over to my brother and I am driving one of my winch trucks trying to rob the oil company's blind.

[tomfromhull]

I've been driving for 25 yrs. All construction. dumps, flats lobeds. The wide load in the Boston tunnel was a crane.

[Rich99]

Rich,ya got me by a few years.I 've been driving semi for 28 years.Every thing from 28'pups to 13 axle superloads...Currently pulling a reefer.(hate it) but it has good insurance.

 

PS...Have you seen the video of the oversize load that tried to go thru the I-90 tunnel in Boston..I guess it happened within the last 2 weeks.

I've seen many other ones that tried to make it and didn't, mostly under over-passes. We've had one hit here a half dozen times, and with all the technology we have with lasers and such, I just don't see how this can keep happening???

[hipshot]

I've had a commercial license sense 1980 I have turned wrenches on heavy trucks for most of it and driven off and on. I kinda burned out on turning wrenches so I added an independent truck dealership to my shop business then started building and selling oilfield winch trucks. I got burned out on fabricating and welding and started an oilfield trucking company. I have turned the shop over to my brother and I am driving one of my winch trucks trying to rob the oil company's blind.

 

hey mike.

did you have any bad weather in the last week or so?

just jt

[Redneck]

hey mike.

did you have any bad weather in the last week or so?

just jt

Just wind and blowing dirt. Its going to be an other one of those no rain years.

[MAINEAC]

I been warped by the rain, driven by the snow

I'm drunk and dirty don't ya know, and I'm still, willin'

Out on the road late at night, Seen my pretty Alice in every head light

Alice, Dallas Alice

 

I've been from Tuscon to Tucumcari

Tehachapi to Tonapah

Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made

Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed

And if you give me: weed, whites, and wine

and you show me a sign

I'll be willin', to be movin'

[jbillerzippo]

I started driving in 1989. Driving now for Fedex Freight pulling doubles been with them 14 years. My girlfriend also pulls doubles for Fedex Freight.

[mechanicjesus]

I have a class A CDL and have driven some but currently I am service manager at a large truck dealership.

[Snaggletooth]

Started out back in the 70's driving for an auction company then started working my through the different types of equipment. Spent most my years doing flat bed, double drop and hydraulic 7 and 9 axle heavy haulers for specialized outfits. Loved the oversize and heavy haul stuff. Had my nights off and weekends off where ever I was and back in those days the rates paid well for the unusual stuff. Made good money back then. If you were pulling a subway car (yes, I said subway car at 114 ft long) from Boston to Indy and back or a 110,000 lb. piece of earth mover there was no argument over a buck a mile!

 

In the early 90's I was offered the chance to become a Safety Director. Spent 14 years in that field working for swinging meat haulers and a cryogenic company. Never thought I'd see the day when I'd have a $110,000 tractor pulling a $223,000 cryogenic tanker with $800.00 cargo on board and still make a profit! Strange world.

 

Of all the trucks I've driven there was a Kenworth extended long nose that was my favorite. 3406 Cat twin turbo with a 5 over 4 tranny. Heavy old goat at about 20,000 lbs. Two alternators and 8 batteries. 150 gal side tanks and another 150 tank on the frame behind the sleeper for those trips to Alaska. You could outrun a D9 Cat in the mud or introduce yourself to every LEO on the highway. Done both! LOL! The dash looked like it came out of an aircraft. 28 gauges and I turned them all so when the truck was at its peak operating range all the needles were at 12 o'clock. You could spot something out of whack at a glance.

 

I remember my first trip into Canada in that truck headed to Moose Jaw. Crossed the border and the first thing I saw was "Speed Limit 100". I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Had just got it settled into the top hole and was enjoying the ride when I saw the weigh station sign. It said "OPEN". My first thought was they should really give a fella more notice at these speeds. I passed the scale and got her stopped about a 1/4 mile farther down the roads. I was getting ready to walk back when the Mounty pulled up behind me. His question was how fast were you going? I admitted I was pulling past 90 when I saw the sign. His next question was miles per hour or kilometers? Huh? I do believe he enjoyed the look on my face because he asked me if I'd had any Canadian Bacon yet eh?, looked over my paperwork and told me to have a nice day after explaining the the metric system to me. The drive to Moose Jaw was longer than I'd hoped for.

[IH Truck Guy]

[Posted by Snaggletooth]

In the early 90's I was offered the chance to become a Safety Director. Spent 14 years in that field working for swinging meat haulers and a cryogenic company. Never thought I'd see the day when I'd have a $110,000 tractor pulling a $223,000 cryogenic tanker with $800.00 cargo on board and still make a profit! Strange world.

 

I pulled for Air Products for 12 years.I didn't burn that bridge when I left,so I could keep getting LIN to use at my kids school to do tricks at Adventure Day....:whistling:

[ArcsSparks]

Drove for 6 months liked to kill me. went to school with one of the major trucking companies, as a student it was fine but as soon as I went team driver things were down hil, made 12 trips to CA. was in 43 of the lower 48 gained 30 lbs and was sleeping less than 4 hrs a day my respect for you guys that do it for a "LIVING" and now with diesel over $4.00 you indepedents can't be getting anything but poor cause I know the money per mile is drying up

[86er]

I started driving limousines http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_10_6.gif in 1984 to supplement my straight commission sales job. Moved into buses to do shuttles and charters. Then went to cross country vacation tours. I got grandfathered into the CDL, but still at a class B. I preferred buses to big rigs because my "freight" unloaded itself, and I usually got to eat free!

 

But there were no bennies in the bus biz, so in '99 I went to work for UPS. That was too hard on the body so I have recently started with FedEx Express as a courier. Still drivin' after all these years, but I miss bein' on the road. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_10_3v.gif

.

[1BigDog]

I got involved with trucks way back in the 70's in NYC. Very first driving job was delivering church candles for Gallo Candle co in Brooklyn NY, then an air freight co at JFK. I also worked as a painter/foreman at a truck painting shop. I had to move/deliver them to customers after I painted them. Some of the trucks were beauts. Weirdest one was equipped with an air clutch. Had to make sure it was in neutral when it was parked. If the air leaked down, you were stuck in gear. In 1977 I took a job with Akers Motor Lines, who went out of business not too long afterward. One thing Akers did for me was to get me into the Teamsters Union. After working out of a Union shape hall for about a year I was placed with Preston Trucking co, where I worked for 7 years before taking a test for the Post Office in 1987. In those 7 years I also did road work for McLean trucking on weekends, running doubles from Newburgh NY to Cleveland Ohio on weekends. Yes, I know...way over my service hours. I passed the Post Office test and had a decision to make. I looked at the freight industry as a whole and decided that it was worth a pay cut to leave and start with the Post Office as a driver. Good move for me as Preston eventually went out of business. I was vested in the Teamsters and will receive a pension in a few years from them. I began as a Tractor Trailer Operator for the PO in Queens NY, transfering to Long Island 8 months later. I then transferred to Jacksonville FL in 1990 and im still doing it. Now im looking forward to retirement in about 8-10 years.

[DragonRider]

Is he misses being on the road on his motorcycle................RIGHT!:15_8_211[1]:Todd............!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Still drivin' after all http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_10_3v.gifthese years, but I miss bein' on the road.

.

[86er]

Yea, that too, Lewis!!!

 

But I still look longingly as a tour bus passes by. I'd just need rig one of those MC lifts on the back bumper like those motorhome guys have!

 

Or I need to become independently wealthy so I can just ride.................

 

[captnmidnight]

Started drivin in 97' at the age of 39 with schneider haulin specialized glass out of libby owens ford in Laurinburg NC.(dedicated).couldn't stand it! Went then to J-Mar out of Atmore Al.and ran team. Couldn't stand it! Then went to USXPRESS doin solo longhaul for 5 yrs.,told em to shove it where the sun don't shine one day.(we won't go there). Went on to Jevic trans.out of delanco NJ. only worked there 3 mths.,couldn't stand it!. (LTL carrier),too much ld securement after each stop. finger printed too much freight in a day,and too much Haz-Mat.,, 44% of their freight is hazardous. And too much inner city drivin. Went to crete carrier in feb.of 04',(long haul) still there and guess what? CAN"T STAND IT.! acually it's the best carrier Ive worked for at 46 cents @mi. 2800-3200 avg. a wk. consistent. I've come to find out it's not the job I don't like it's the LIFE STYLE. This is a job that you have to give up the rest of your life to do. IE: Holidays with family, boating,fishing,golfing,mama,& MOTORCYCLE RIDIN!!!. I'm usually out 3-5 wks at a time and It's tough to enjoy the things that bring me pleasure in life. Kudo's to all who do it. Guess I'm just a pup with 11 yrs exp. Million Mi driver this yr,god willing. God bless all of you. Cap:clap2:

[tmodel]

My dad was a career truck driver. He would only drive locally. Earned less but he was home with the family every night.

 

I got my CDL in the 80's during my 23 years with UPS. Drove a rig on off days and weekends to help a friend occassionally.. including a dump. I continued to go to college as I could and was able to turn that into an IT Supervisor job with UPS for 7 years till I took the only management buyout UPS has ever had and got the heck out of there. Been working in IT System Engineer jobs every since. Doesn't that seem like a natural move???..... from truck driver to IT Engineer.....

 

I maintain my CDL to this day. Can't see throwing away a job option!