Job Responsibilities
Oh Please, for a driver what your supposed to do and what they
want you to do differ as many times as Carter has pills. There
is not enough space here to begin to cover such a broad issue.
This issue needs to be covered in a lessons type of format or
in the form of articles. And then prompted by questions from
where the person in question or has questions to start with
questions they are thinking about. Let that sink in and start
answering the next set of questions inspired from the answers
from the former questions. This previous statement is starting
to sound alot like the Transportation Industry.
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Job Requirements
Let's start with the work load: If your still awake you must be
able to drive right?...The real answer is NO!!! But, to a
dispatcher, if you are not already driving, you need to be. It
doesn't matter you just finished a 600 mile drive that due to
whom you were working with managed to take 20 plus hours of your
time to do what should take only 10 to do. The dispatchers have
just had their night of sleep and therefore you must be rested
as well. (They must have sleept for you.) The trick here is to
never call or return a call to any dispatcher untill you have
had the amount of sleep YOU need, Pirod. The work load is feast
or phamon. During the feast you will be EXPECTED to run as long
as they have something THEY need covered. The rest is plain to
figure out. It means...NO WORK, and that means no money. Why do
you think I have time to do this now?
Training: For a Bus you will need a CDL and a "P" endorsement
and for a Big truck You will need a CDL and other endorsements
based on which field of trucking you go into.
THE CDL: You go to school and either pay around 3 to 4 grand or
you agree to drive for some company for a year to not be charged
for this "Deal". Does anybody else see and can read between the
lines? Let's just say that in California, their DOT officers are
taught that CDL stands for Criminal Drivers Lic. and it is up to
the officer to FINED and Fine the driver for what ever offence
they can or might fined or suspect you may be doing. This method
of Dot Compliance is being taught to the Texas Department of
Transportation by the California DOT. Again, there are more
rules not to mention from state to state than Carter has pills.
It's hard to stomach that many pills.
To get your CDL you need to go to school in order to pass a CDL
drivers and written test givin by the state where you live and
go to driving school. At the end of the school you take your
test for what ever (endorsements) and get your CDL. This is
where the delusion begins. Here is where they call you a
professional driver and start paying you as an aprintist.
At this point you are far from being a Pro at anything having to
do with driving.
At this point all you really know is how to start a truck or a
bus and kinda go down the road, this does not include any turns
or real backing or how to deal with dock personel or the
passengers your going to be dealing with or anything else you
may incounter. If anyone believes at this point they are a
proffesional, guess again. Try looking up what the Department of
Labor calls you. I promise, it's not a pro. How about "Skilled
Labor". You never hear that in any adds when thay are looking
for drivers. If you were classified a Professional, they would
have to pay you Pro wages.
From here it gets confusing. If you have any questions about
driving, try going to a truck stop or bus station and talk to
real drivers, and make sure they have at least 3-5 years under
their belt. As of now my fingers are out of breath and I'll end
this part of the questions for now.
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Uppers
The up side: You have a job. (Look up what J O B stands for.)
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Downers
I'll give only one sample of a downer: Try living in a box
without a bathroom for months at a time the size of: If your
standing with your arms out and add a foot and front to back,
stand with your leggs against a single bed and add afoot or so
in front of that. Now add this space to around 30-90 days at a
wack on the road with a time limit to where you need to be Daily.
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Lifestyle
A hermit might do well. If you have no relitives or wife or apartment or
belongings this helps.
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Compensation
Well well, money? I love the adds that say you'll make 36K or
40K per year. They just never say who it is for. One other
thing, If you pay rent anywhere, or a houde payment...guess
what, you get to maintain TWO households. The one your paying on
now and the one you'll be living in on the road. The one for the
road can cost around 12-20k per year to maintain.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Advice: Really think about it! Dig, Dig, Dig. Find out all you
can about it before comitting to a life of driving. It's a tough
life out there solo, and as a team? Why would anybody split
their wages with someelse I'll never know.
For me, I had Hazmat on my lic and tanker and triples and
doubles and now the passenger endorsment. I've done this for
somewhere around 10-12 years. Before trying the Bus thing I used
to haul Explosives, I promise you WILL pay attention to what
your doing all the time and wish others would as well.
I've been the owner/operator as well. Another words: Been there,
Done that.
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