k0blr
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by k0blr on Sept 19, 2010 9:11:40 GMT -5
Hi there Everyone,
Hows it going this morning! My name is Ben Ramler, KØBLR. I am the EC for Minnesota ARESMAT. I found my way to this message board after finding a link to it on QRZ from W5JJJ. I come here because I am seeking advice.
I am having serious thoughts about getting my Class A License. So my question is what is it like to be a truck driver? Also are there alot of truck drivers that have Licenses or no?
Take care & 73,
Ben, KØBLR MN ARESMAT EC
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Post by N9GQR on Sept 20, 2010 0:43:42 GMT -5
Hi Ben, your question is not an easy one because if you ask all the truckers out there, what's it like to be a truck driver, you will get a different answer from each one. So, I'll try to generalize. Over The Road DriversTruck Driving is More than Just Driving Down the Road.The life of a truck driver is like no other and can be challenging, rewarding, and frustrating all at the same time. It’s not unusual to be sitting at a dock of a customer for 2 to 4 hours to load or unload and sometimes longer. It’s not unusual to be in long traffic jams in large metropolitan areas. It’s not unusual to be under the gun for on time deliveries where if you miss your appointment you will have to wait until the next day to load or unload. Being on the road can be lonely but it’s nice not having a boss looking over your shoulder. Life on the road is never knowing what is around the next turn. Most drivers sleep in their trucks, shower at truck stops, and eat every meal out. Patience and a good attitude are required to be a good truck driver. Living for the WeekendsDepending on the company, you will be away from home 1-3 weeks. Your home time is usually based on 1 ½ days off for each week out. Many times, you arrive home late on a Friday night and have to leave out Sunday to make your delivery for Monday. If this is the case, you really only have Saturday as your one full day off. At home, drivers get their laundry done, get their paper work completed so they get a check next week, and catch up on sleep. Most companies pay by the mile so the amount of your checks vary from week to week. If you are an owner-operator you will spend many of your days off working on your truck. The divorce rate is higher-than-average for truck drivers. It’s a tough job but it pays well. The life-style grows on you. Local DriversLocal drivers are home every night. Local drivers will run up to a 300 mile radius of their home terminal. They can peddle freight to local businesses, haul scrap or harvest farm crops. Ham Radio and TruckersThis is very hard to determine but if you run APRS, you can see there are 75 - 100 drivers that run APRS from their trucks. Some run HF and others run only HF. At one time, and still used but not often, was 14.302.5 for the truckers frequency on 20m. There is a page for the truckers that used 14.302.5 but it is several years old and now outdated . It lists about 250 drivers at that time that was part of the 14.302.5 group. Check it out at www.qsl.net/143025/list.htmI'm not an expert but I drove over the road for 32 years and am now retired. If you have any other questions, please ask. I hope this helps some. How's that for a long answer?
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k0blr
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by k0blr on Sept 20, 2010 19:52:22 GMT -5
thank you Frank very much for the answer. I did get an email from Central Refrigeration becuase they have a school and all that. Anyways, another question i have is what about the holidays? Are they spent on the road. I get a feeling your answer will be yes but I thought I would ask anyways.
Are large companies always bad to work for?
take care,
Ben
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Post by N9GQR on Sept 27, 2010 15:44:30 GMT -5
Ben, normally most companies get you home for the major holidays. Many manufacturers have long weekends for the major holidays and limited frieght moving between Christmas and the first week off January. You definitely need to vote absentee though as it never fails, Tuesdays you are on the road no matter.
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